Shall We Get Started in Earnest? (1)
"Ugh!"
Ismogen unleashed his energy, blocking the sudden attack.
Boom!
The clash between the Dragon Cannon's mana and Ismogen's energy generated an intense shockwave. At the same time, his body was pushed far backward.
Ismogen immediately reached out to counterattack. However, realizing that he couldn't destroy the weapon, he had no choice but to suppress his energy release.
Momentarily flustered by the sudden attack, he cautiously examined the Dragon Cannon.
The Dragon Cannon remained completely still, without any movement.
"What… what is this? Was it pre-programmed? Or did it automatically detect an enemy and attack? Is that even possible?"
He knew nothing about the Empire's new weapons, so all he could do was speculate.
At the very least, it didn't seem like junk. Though it looked like trash, the sheer power it had displayed was anything but.
Even though he felt uneasy, he couldn't recklessly destroy it. After witnessing its power firsthand, a strong urge grew within him—he had to take it.
Ismogen stared at the Dragon Cannon with a tense expression. The weapon feigned ignorance, as if it had never attacked in the first place.
Feeling slightly reassured, he stepped forward once more to examine it.
Clatter.
The cart carrying the Dragon Cannon moved back on its own.
"…?"
Ismogen, taken aback, stepped forward again. The cart retreated once more.
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
Each time Ismogen approached, the cart shifted left and right, evading him.
"What in the world…"
Focusing his mind, Ismogen examined the flow of mana. Streams of mana extended from the weapon, seemingly controlling the cart.
Before he knew it, he shouted,
"S-Stop!"
Thunk.
The weapon, which had been moving so insolently, came to a halt. Ismogen's eyes widened in surprise.
"It understands speech? Does it have a spirit inside?"
Intrigued, he spoke again.
"Do not attack anymore! I will examine you!"
The Dragon Cannon remained still as if it had understood. Impressed, Ismogen stepped closer.
Suddenly, the Dragon Cannon spewed fireballs.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Ugh!"
Ismogen hastily dodged the incoming fire. He couldn't believe his eyes.
"It recognizes enemies?"
Just how advanced was this technology for the weapon to move on its own? How could it be so certain that he was its enemy?
Perhaps it truly did contain a spirit. Countless theories raced through his mind.
Moreover, the amount of mana it released was astonishing. Even he, a high-ranking priest, would suffer damage if hit directly.
"This is dangerous. A truly dangerous weapon."
For the first time since emerging into the world, Ismogen felt fear.
A weapon capable of fighting superhumans? That was absurd.
On top of that, the Empire was reportedly mass-producing these weapons. It was practically the artificial creation of superhumans.
Until now, the Salvation Church had repeatedly lost to the Human Alliance due to the existence of dragons.
But if such weapons were introduced, this war was bound to end in complete defeat.
'I must take it!'
He had to bring it back and analyze the technology behind it. Only then could they devise countermeasures and develop similar weapons for the Salvation Church.
If he succeeded, it would be a greater achievement than plunging the continent into chaos.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Dragon Cannon continued to maneuver, relentlessly attacking Ismogen. Sweat trickled down his back as its power grew stronger.
'This is at least the power of a 7th-circle mage. Truly incredible.'
Ismogen was in a dilemma. He had no idea how to subdue it.
Clatter! Clatter!
Meanwhile, the Dragon Cannon moved with dazzling agility. The problem was—it was moving too erratically.
Clang! Crack!
With each movement, the cart it was mounted on deteriorated. One of its wheels had long since broken off.
It wasn't just the cart. The Dragon Cannon's components, unable to withstand the intense motion, were breaking off one by one.
Seeing this, Ismogen grew anxious.
'Is it because there's no operator? Or does it have poor durability?'
If it broke completely, there would be no point in capturing it. It had to remain intact to analyze its technology.
Gritting his teeth, Ismogen lunged toward the Dragon Cannon. The closer he got, the more violently it moved—and the more it fell apart.
Boom! Boom!
The Dragon Cannon's attacks became even more erratic. The mana it unleashed split apart, hurtling toward Ismogen.
Several streaks of mana finally struck him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
"Ugh!"
Blood trickled from the corner of Ismogen's mouth as he staggered.
"What kind of attack is this…?"
Even after summoning all his strength to block it, the impact rattled his insides. But what shocked him even more was how freely the weapon attacked.
It moved in unpredictable ways, as if it truly possessed a mind of its own. Even as he fought it, he could hardly believe it.
Thus began a relentless chase between Ismogen and the Dragon Cannon. The farther they moved, the greater the distance from the mercenaries.
Clang! Crack! Clatter!
The cart carrying the Dragon Cannon finally collapsed completely. Despite this, the weapon continued to move, sliding across the ground.
Its underside scraped along the surface, breaking apart even further.
"Argh! Just how—"
Ismogen continued the chase. His appearance had become utterly disheveled.
Unable to attack for fear of damaging the weapon, he had endured multiple hits. His robe was torn, and wounds covered his body.
Clang! Crack!
Meanwhile, the Dragon Cannon itself was falling apart. It could no longer withstand the mana surging from within.
Watching the weapon crumble, Ismogen grew desperate. He had no idea how to take it now.
The Empire's new weapon was truly terrifying. He had to capture it and uncover its secrets.
Fueled by this determination, he continued his pursuit—until he noticed something strange.
'The broken parts… they're just plain iron sheets and wooden scraps.'
They looked like they had simply been nailed together. There were no intricate magic circles or complex components.
As he sank deeper into confusion, the Dragon Cannon suddenly stopped moving. Ismogen instantly caught up to it.
"What? Why did it stop? Did it break? Or did it run out of mana?"
He had no idea how it had moved in the first place, so he couldn't determine why it had stopped.
If it was broken, then all his effort would have been meaningless. Ismogen could only hope that it had simply run out of energy.
"I'll just have to drag it back. I need to finish off the remaining enemies and get out of here quickly."
Fortunately, the weapon remained still. Ismogen unleashed his energy to bind it and drag it away.
"Hmm?"
Ismogen's face twisted in confusion. Despite his effort, the weapon resisted.
"W-What the hell?"
Was this lifeless thing actually refusing to be taken? Did it truly have a will of its own?
Feeling incredulous, Ismogen exerted more strength. At last, the weapon budged slightly.
Creak…
The distance between Ismogen and the Dragon Cannon closed. Ismogen now stared at the weapon with suspicious eyes.
No matter how he looked at it, something was off. It acted far too much like a living creature.
Then, from within the Dragon Cannon, a voice echoed.
"You like being caught?"
"A weapon… talks?"
"Shall we get started in earnest?"
"......?"
For a brief moment, Ismogen's thoughts came to a halt.
BOOM!
The Dragon Cannon shattered completely, and from within, Ghislain leaped out.
"What… what is this…?"
Ismogen's eyes filled with sheer disbelief. He had never even considered the possibility that a person was inside.
Ghislain closed the distance between them in an instant, swinging his staff with force. Ismogen barely managed to raise both arms in defense.
BOOM!
"Urgh!"
He coughed up blood as he was sent flying backward. The attack had come too suddenly, preventing him from properly channeling his aura.
Ghislain observed him with an intrigued expression.
"Well, well, you're a bit different, aren't you?"
He was noticeably distinct from the high priests of the Salvation Church Ghislain had fought in his original era.
"You really are a superhuman, huh?"
This opponent wasn't a half-baked one. His movements, brief as they were, revealed that he had undergone proper training.
Ismogen, who had quickly regained his stance, wiped the blood from his lips and asked,
"…I don't understand."
"What don't you understand? That the Empire's new weapon had me inside?"
"Why in the world were you hiding in there?"
The power the Dragon Cannon had displayed was equivalent to that of a 7th-circle mage. That made it even more unbelievable that a person had been inside.
A superhuman who had surpassed human limits—moreover, a proud and arrogant mage.
And yet, such a person had spent days crammed inside that thing, pretending to be a mere weapon? No one on the continent would ever believe it.
Why would someone of such high status do something so absurd?
No matter the reason or objective, no superhuman would ever sacrifice their pride and dignity in such a way. No, they couldn't. That's the nature of superhumans.
And yet, a real superhuman had been inside the weapon. As a fellow superhuman, Ismogen found it incomprehensible.
Ghislain chuckled and replied,
"Why else? I was waiting to catch the fool who'd come snooping around."
"That can't be…"
"Yeah, I was waiting for you. You. You have no idea how uncomfortable it was crouching in there for days."
"You mean… you stayed in there all this time just to catch me? Fooling everyone else in the process?"
"That's right. What, is that so strange?"
"You… have no pride as a superhuman?"
"I don't have that kind of useless pride."
"......."
Ismogen had no words. He simply glared at Ghislain with cold eyes.
It didn't matter how twisted this man's personality was. There was a more pressing issue at hand.
He had left no traces. Every operation he had conducted had been a success.
Hadn't he successfully driven a wedge between Count Bonedor and Count Schwarz?
The idea that someone had deliberately set a trap targeting him specifically made no sense.
"If you knew who I was, did you set this trap for me? This wasn't just some bait for anyone looking to cause chaos, was it?"
If he hadn't needed the weapon, he wouldn't have fallen into the trap at all. To be caught, he had to need the weapon. Did his opponent truly know that?
Ghislain answered nonchalantly.
"A high priest of the Salvation Church."
"........"
"What? You don't believe me?"
".....How did you know?"
"I've fought your kind before. You're the only ones who'd pull underhanded tricks like this."
Ismogen couldn't believe it. The Church wasn't fighting anyone at the moment.
They had been carefully weakening the kingdoms, ensuring their presence remained undiscovered.
There hadn't been a single report of anyone being exposed.
"There's something I don't know, isn't there?"
"There's a lot you don't know."
"You'll have to explain. And… you'll pay for mocking me with such a pathetic trap."
Rumble…
Black energy surged from Ismogen's body, twisting into thick tendrils.
He was furious. He had unknowingly made a fool of himself, trying to capture what was essentially a scam weapon. Being tricked like this was humiliating.
Now that he knew the weapon was a farce, there was no need to hold back.
He would crush his opponent with overwhelming power and extract every piece of information from him.
Fwoosh!
Black energy shot toward Ghislain. He swung his staff in response.
Tatata-tang!
Each black tendril was struck down, exploding upon impact. But Ismogen's attack didn't end there.
The fragmented energy splintered like living entities, aiming for Ghislain's blind spots.
"Not bad."
Ghislain was genuinely impressed.
Ismogen's combat style was excellent, a testament to long years of training.
Judging by this, it seemed that the Salvation Church in this era had successfully passed down their battle techniques.
Both humanity and the Demon Realm continued to grow stronger through endless conflict.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Ghislain spun his staff in one hand, deflecting the black energy. With his other hand, he traced a magic circle in the air.
Fwoosh!
Dozens of fireballs shot out, colliding with the black energy and exploding.
As Ghislain advanced unscathed, Ismogen instinctively backed away, startled.
"T-This bastard… how is he this skilled…?"
This was no ordinary mage. If anything, he seemed more adept in close combat.
As a high priest of the Salvation Church, Ismogen had spent years training before stepping into the world. He had learned how to fight both mages and knights.
He had inherited the accumulated wisdom and experience of his predecessors. Against any ordinary superhuman, he had full confidence in a one-on-one battle.
Yet, his opponent was effortlessly blocking his attacks.
"Urgh…."
Never before had he encountered someone so proficient in both martial arts and magic. In fact, he had never even imagined such a person could exist.
Ghislain's staff began to blaze with a blue light. He approached Ismogen leisurely, laughing.
"You're not bad, but it's not enough. You don't seem to have much real battle experience. Why don't you stop backing away and fight me properly?"
"You insolent—!"
Furious, Ismogen summoned all his strength. Instantly, his body became engulfed in black smoke, and the energy around his arms elongated like blades.
Fwoosh!
He slammed his foot into the ground and lunged at Ghislain, swinging his hand-blade.
CLANG!
Their weapons clashed, sending a shockwave that blasted away dirt and rubble. Ismogen's energy blades tried to dig into Ghislain's staff, but the blue aura repelled them.
"You've learned quite a bit. Are all high priests this skilled?"
"Shut up!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ismogen's eyes flared with rage. His other arm lunged toward Ghislain's ribs.
"You might know some martial arts, but you made a mistake. I'm stronger in close combat!"
"Oh? Then I'll just create some distance."
As if anticipating it, Ghislain planted one end of his staff into the ground and vaulted backward, avoiding the attack.
Then, with a slight motion of his hand—
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, striking Ismogen.
"Wha—?!"
As the lightning coursed through him, all he could think was—Not again…!