Advent of the Three Calamities

Chapter 738: Book of Enhancement [3]

The more time passed, the more I realized how much potential each one of my skills had.

It all came down to control.

The more control I gained over my skills, the more possibilities revealed themselves. With the threads in particular, my current mastery allowed me to use them as a medium for casting spells, even those involving emotive magic.

…This was exactly what I did.

However, that was clearly not enough to stop them.

But that didn’t really matter to me.

I was merely getting started.

’Now that I know exactly what’s going on, there’s no longer a need for me to hold back.’

Gazing into the distance, I couldn’t make out the faces of everyone on the platform, yet I could almost picture exactly how they were looking at me.

’Yeah, I am in a pretty sorry state right now.’

I smiled silently while finally coming to a stop and turning back to see a golden streak shoot in my direction.

BANG—!

I didn’t have to lift a finger as a certain cat rose from my shoulders and pressed down. The golden streak shattered in midair, and several more flared to life behind me.

They moved so fast it was hard for me to track them, but as if the cat had eyes in the back of its head, it pressed down on my shoulder once more, and all the golden streaks shattered at once.

I raised my brow in surprise.

“Not bad…”

The cat didn’t say a word and merely looked towards the distance where a certain figure appeared.

His figure was hard to make out, yet I could sense his gaze from afar, tracking my every movement, waiting for the moment to strike. His emotions were flat, and I couldn’t sense anything from him.

’…It seems his current state of mind is also something drawn from the book.’

I needed to find a way to sever his connection with the book.

Thankfully, I had an idea.

I planted my foot. In the blink of an eye, the world turned entirely black.

“Huh…?”

“What’s—Shit! Domain!”

Indeed, I had finally used my domain.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t been planning on using it before. It was just that with the Madhound present, it became impossible for me to use it. Since the domain could only cover a certain range, I’d only make myself vulnerable to its attacks.

This was why I waited.

…I waited for everyone to arrive before activating it.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Orbs appeared in all directions. They appeared in all sorts of colors, and within each orb, I felt a certain connection.

Slowly, I turned my attention towards the numerous people present in my domain, and I took a deep breath.

’Let’s see the full extent of my current abilities.’

I pressed my foot down.

Thousands of hands shot up from the ground at once.

***

“What’s…!”

“He’s managed to trap everyone inside using his domain.”

A calm voice echoed within the platforms.

With a subtle frown on his face, Orson calmly analyzed the domain. It covered a relatively large area, and after a short few seconds, he couldn’t help but smile.

“Not a bad idea. Considering how he’s been put at a disadvantage due to the long-range attacks, trapping everyone within the domain will make things a lot easier for him. This was a rather smart move. It’s a pity that it’ll consume a lot of his mana. Will he be able to hold out? I’m also curious to see what his domain is like.”

Orson’s gaze fell on the projection.

Unfortunately, it didn’t depict what was happening inside. However, it wasn’t necessary. For someone like him, looking inside the domain was no issue.

The same was true for the vast majority present.

And it was also the moment that he peeked into the domain that his expression changed.

“That’s…!”

His head flicked toward Delilah as she stared at the domain, expressionless. But on closer inspection, he noticed the faint curl of her lip.

“How is… this possible? Since when…?”

Despite all he had seen, this was the first time Orson had encountered anything like it, and his normally calm expression wavered.

Delilah continued to keep her gaze on the domain.

Eventually, she answered, “For a while.”

That was all she said.

However, it was all that Orson needed to hear to know that he wasn’t seeing things.

Julien…

He had two domains.

How was this possible?!

Orson wasn’t the only one who took notice of this. Many of the people watching realized this as their expressions similarly changed, their hearts drumming loudly in their minds as they struggled to comprehend the sight before them.

This became especially true for the people within the Domain.

“How is this possible?”

They were the ones who felt the dual property of the domain most glaringly.

With hands appearing from all directions, shooting at them rapidly and barely leaving them any time to breathe, they were all pushed back.

“Remain calm. Stick close to each other.”

Captain Albas’s calm voice echoed through the domain as he surveyed the surrounding darkness. He closed his eyes and activated one of his bone abilities, and soon a dome formed over him and the others.

That was barely enough to stop the barrage of hands.

“This should be able to protect us from any unexpected attacks. However, try to be carefu—”

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Several golden streaks suddenly shot within the domain. They shot towards a certain direction as a hoarse and dry voice echoed.

“He’s hiding there.”

All eyes turned in the direction the Madhound pointed at, as a figure became clear not long after.

Captain Albas’s expression flickered.

Especially when he saw Julien effortlessly dodge all of the incoming arrows. It was almost as if he had eyes everywhere. The Madhound’s expression twisted beneath his hood, but he didn’t let it show as Albas turned his attention towards a certain individual.

Seeing Albas look at him, the man shrugged.

“This is the first time I’m seeing something like this. You do as you wish. I’ll interfere if the situation calls for it.”

The Captain nodded and pressed his foot to the ground, propelling himself forward, ripping past the numerous hands. As he moved, a circle appeared before him, and in an instant, he was transported, materializing right in front of Julien.

The area around him warped as he held his weapon with both hands, yet again activating another one of his bones as his body grew incomparably heavier.

“Haaa—!”

Shouting at the top of his lungs, he lashed down.

But—

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

A dozen red arms appeared out of nowhere, shooting right before Julien and covering his entire body, while at the same time smashing against his weapon.

Rumble! Rumble—!

The surroundings quaked, Albas’s body coming to a sudden halt as Julien’s face appeared within the cracks of the hands.

Before Alabas even had a chance to do anything, a soft voice whispered in the air, “You’re too close.”

“——!”

Something pierced the Captain’s mind as he suddenly froze on the spot. Already aware of Julien’s formidable emotive magic, he was prepared. However, despite being prepared, his preparations were from enough.

Julien’s emotive magic…

They were far, far stronger than anything he could’ve ever predicted.

“Ukhe!”

His mind throbbed, and his concentration faltered.

Those few seconds were all Julien needed. In an instant, the world shifted, and hands of every color shot out toward Albas.

The others tried to react, ice, fire, golden streaks, and the like, all shooting in Julien’s direction.

But—

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Pink hands emerged, blocking everything at once.

Then…

“Arggghhh!”

A scream reverberated as the hands captured Albas and threw him down on the ground.

Julien was just about to follow up when—

*Hom*

A faint humming sound echoed, and his head suddenly ached.

“What…!?”

Before he even had a chance to properly assess the situation, the dark world around him flickered, and his domain shrank rapidly.

The mana similarly started to shrink, and in just a few seconds, the entire domain had collapsed.

The world returned to how it was as Julien slowly lifted his head.

“W-what…?”

***

’What just happened…?’

In one moment, I had my domain summoned, and in the next moment, it shrank without my control.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Several attacks shot in my direction at once as I clenched my teeth and shifted back, my attention falling on the Captain as he struggled back up.

*Hom*

A strange humming sound echoed once again, and the injuries on his body started to heal.

“What the fuck…?”

I looked around, my gaze eventually falling on a man with a leisurely expression.

My gaze eventually fell on the book in his hands, runes glowing from it as I took several deep breaths.

’That’s just cheating…’

My heart sank.

Had it not been for the book, I was confident that I could have at least eliminated the Captain.

All of a sudden, I started to regret my decision to do this alone.

But at the same time…

’I have to do this alone.’

It wasn’t because I didn’t need help. The opposite.

I turned towards the cat next to me.

I had a goal in mind, and I planned on fulfilling the goal regardless of the cost. Was my decision smart?

Obviously not, but I was at a point where I had to take risky gambles like this.

I could no longer remain stuck in the same tier like this.

I needed to overcome the wall in front of me.

“H-hoo.”

Taking a deep breath, I extended my hand, and a certain sword materialized. Sleek and black, its entire length glimmered ominously beneath the scorching sun as the surrounding vegetation rustled.

Firmly gripping onto the handle, I could feel its weight under my grasp.

It was quite heavy.

’This is the first time that I’ve properly used the sword, right?’

I had once been hesitant to use it, or even draw it, because of Sithrus. But that was no longer something I feared. He was already aware of my identity, and I had already extracted all the blood within it.

In this regard, the sword was now just an incredibly powerful artifact.

…And one that I used to wield in the past.

I closed my eyes.

’Looks like I’m going to have to use this too.’

Images appeared in my mind.

Memories.

They came in fragments, bundled together yet unclear… Like scattered pieces of a puzzle, I had to painstakingly sort through on my own.

My head hurt.

However, I remained focused.

I slowly put the pieces together.

Something formed in my mind as I channeled my mana into the sword and raised it. I could feel the familiarity grow with each second that passed.

For a moment, it almost felt as though it was second nature for me.

Swoosh! Swoosh—!

Just as I began moving, several golden streaks shot in my direction once more. I paid them no mind as Pebble stood up once again and glared at them, its paw pressing down on my shoulder as they shattered.

The eyes in the distance narrowed, and his figure faded.

SWOOSH!

A few seconds later, a burly figure lunged toward me, and I caught a glimpse of a massive, heavy weapon hurtling in my direction.

It was incredibly fast and heavy.

To make matters worse, I could feel the ground beneath me beginning to crystallize as the temperature plummeted.

’They’re not even giving me the time to breathe.’

I still held my sword raised as I looked around.

I was under attack from all sides, and it was clear the situation was becoming dire, almost like in the vision. But unlike last time, I managed to stay calm.

The mana inside my body drained as I maintained the sword in the air.

And then—

The world around me completely changed.

The forest faded.

I now found myself standing in a small and empty training room.

A figure stood before me.

Swoosh, swoosh—!

He stood with his back facing my direction as he swung his sword.

Sweat traced down the side of his face, his white shirt clinging to his body as a result.

The world was silent save for the repeated whistling of the sword.

He swung and swung and swung.

He didn’t stop.

Standing in place, I felt something sting as I lowered my gaze to study my own palms.

They were bleeding everywhere, the outer skin completely gone as it grew progressively worse with each swing of the sword.

The pain was clear, and I felt it.

Swoosh!

He continued to swing.

He didn’t stop.

I didn’t know how long I stood there.

I just remained where I was while staring at the figure before me.

The more he swung, the more it hurt.

But at the same time…

I also grew more and more familiar with the sword in my hand.

Something stirred up in my chest not long after.

It was a strong and boiling feeling.

One that was closely reminiscent of…

“Anger.”

The figure before me stopped, slowly turning around to meet my gaze as our eyes met.

Me.

He was me.

His eyes were unfocused, and his face was pale.

He looked to be on the verge of passing out.

But with his last remaining strength, he forced himself to raise his sword while looking at me.

“This movement…”

He brought both hands up as he grasped the sword tightly.

Before I knew it, I was also holding the sword with both hands.

The world grew silent in that moment.

It was just the two of us.

And then—

“…It’s called anger.”

He swung down.

So did I.

The world before me shattered, and the forest returned to my vision.

As my surroundings came back into focus, the shadow of a massive weapon loomed, accompanied by countless golden arrows streaking toward me. Before I knew it, they were all upon me.

And yet…

All I felt was calmness as I swung down.

And as I did—

The world came to a sudden standstill as my sword came into contact with the captain’s weapon.

“…..”

“…..”

“…..”

It was just for a second.

Just one split second.

But in that moment, all eyes were on me.

I clung to the hilt of the sword as if my life depended on it.

Then—

BANG —!

An explosion tore through the air.

It was loud and violent; it shook everything nearby. An axe spun through the sky as the ice beneath me shattered. The incoming arrows splintered on impact, and trees were sent tumbling in every direction.

It was also incredibly quick.

As the dust settled, several figures stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

They looked relatively unharmed besides a lingering shock.

…For a moment, it looked like my attack failed.

But as I looked at them and noticed the small yet subtle red orbs within their bodies, I knew that I hadn’t, as I brought the sword down and took one deep breath before I extended my other hand as I muttered.

’Anger.’

In an instant, the red orbs all grew at the same time.

The shock on everyone’s faces gradually faded, replaced by trembling. Even the usually composed captain began to lose his calm.

“Crap! He’s using his emotive magic!”

Despite being aware, there was nothing that they could do about my actions.

It was too late.

The initial seeds had already been planted into their bodies.

All that remained was for me to nurture the seed until it could engulf them entirely.

“Quick! At-ttack!”

Of course, none of them simply waited for me to continue with my actions. The moment they sensed the situation tipping against them, they all attacked at once.

I’d have normally been worried, but anger was slowly starting to influence their thoughts.

Their actions and movements were a lot more predictable.

“Pebble!”

“….Yes.”

Feeling a subtle tap over my shoulder, one of the people charging at me suddenly paused as the gravity around them heightened.

“!?”

It was one of the twins. Specifically, the one specialized in flame magic.

“Attack!”

Swoosh, swoosh—!

Their attacks rained down around me, missing completely, deceived by my illusion. I appeared directly behind the twin, pressing my hand to their head as I whispered, “Anger.”

“Ahhh!”

A scream tore through the surroundings as the twin started to spasm.

“No!”

The red orbs around me grew.

One in particular grew more than the others.

I pressed my foot against the ground and shot in the captain’s direction.

“Get him!”

They were all overtaken by their anger, blinded as they struck at me once more, only to discover it was an illusion when I materialized directly behind the other twin.

They cursed and screamed, but by then, it was already too late.

“Anger…”

Thud!

In a matter of seconds, I had taken down two of the six enemies before me. I then turned my attention to the figure lurking in the forest, and as I fixed my gaze on him, a curl formed on my lips.

I struggled so hard to find him before, but looking at him now…?

’He can’t be any clearer.’

The red orb that radiated from his body couldn’t be any clearer. In fact, I could even see a mix of different other orbs within his body.

Finally…

The cold-blooded killer was starting to break.

I pressed my foot against the ground, ready to strike and end the battle as fast as possible, but right as I began to move, a soft voice echoed in the air.

“…That’s enough.”

The voice was soft and almost friendly.

Yet the moment it rang out, it was as if all the chaos that had consumed the surroundings simply vanished. The orbs that had been expanding within each person began to fade, gradually shrinking in their place.

I stared at the scene in shock before turning my attention towards a certain direction. Or more specifically, towards a certain man, his hand holding a certain book, as strange runes glowed from the cover of the book.

The moment I stared at the book, I could feel a strange pressure coming from it as I gripped the sword in my hand with even more strength.

Observing the surroundings, the man had a serene look on his face as he looked at me. Almost, in a way, as if he were dismissive of me.

And as our gazes met, his eyes fell on my hand.

“Say…”

He licked his lips.

“…What do you say you give your ring to me?”