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“……”

Ian, who had jumped into the pit, heard a commotion above, but his gaze was focused on the spear partially buried ahead of him.

“Pamael.”

Wooh-wooh!

As if it had a will of its own, the spear stuck in the ground trembled in response to its name.

It was a long spear with eight blades attached in an octagonal formation.

Its grotesque structure had no hint of efficiency. Yet, that was precisely why it was called a Piercing Spear.

The magical energy emitted from those eight blades ripped apart everything it encountered.

It was a well-known tale that a single strike had shattered the fortress walls.

Recalling that legendary story, Ian couldn’t help but smile.

“Are you happy to see me too?”

He asked as he approached, but this time there was no response. However, he could see faint magical energy flowing from Pamael.

“Of course you are.”

It must have been buried underground for decades, having lost its master.

Something sparkled in the dirt. It was a ring, identical to the one in his hand.

It must have belonged to the hero Herwin. Alongside it lay a decayed bone, just an arm, but still.

With a sense of reverence, Ian carefully retrieved the ring and placed it in his pocket, then gripped Pamael with both hands.

Though it was long, its tilt made it easy to pull out.

It was heavy, but not so cumbersome that he couldn’t handle it. Gripping the shaft short, he kicked the ground and emerged.

The monsters were closing in. Diol, at the center of the formation, glanced over.

“Is that the Piercing Spear?”

“Isn’t it magnificent?”

Diol looked skeptical.

“It’s unique, but can it really solve this situation?”

Hearing the disappointment in his tone, Ian chuckled softly.

The spear had lost its original form after being abandoned on this tainted land for so long.

Its color had faded, the ornate patterns were out of style, and even those were dirty with dust and foreign matter, making it practically an antique.

No, to be precise, it was a work of art. It was carved from a dragon’s horn.

“It can. I’ll show you.”

Ian stepped forward. Fortunately, the monsters were not swarming from all directions; instead, they were approaching in a straight line from a single gate made of flesh.

The Red Spear Knights, holding shields at the forefront, parted the way.

“Ian.”

Gawain, wielding a greatsword, called out.

“?”

“I just want to confirm. You know how to handle that relic, right?”

Ian shrugged playfully.

“No, I don’t.”

“…What?”

“It’s fine. It won’t cause any harm. I’ve handled similar relics before.”

He could feel the surprise behind Gawain’s helmet. But it was true—there was no need for complicated worries.

Whoooosh….

It wasn’t a cursed relic, so its activation pattern was straightforward. With the knowledge he had, mistakes were unlikely.

As he channeled his magical energy into Pamael, the symbols etched on the eight spearheads glowed, and the surrounding wind began to spiral inwards. At the same time, the atmosphere shifted, becoming charged with intensity.

Wooh-wooh-wooh!

Pamael, imbued with immense magical power, trembled as if it might slip from his grasp at any moment.

However, throwing it like this would be meaningless. A spell was necessary. And Ian knew the activation phrase for Pamael.

“Ian! Are you ready yet?”

Diol urged him on. The sound of the Red Spear Knights lifting their shields and the Blue Flower Knights gripping their greatswords echoed clearly in his ears.

The ground shook as the monsters drew near.

Ian felt no fear in the face of the approaching enemy. He was not intimidated. He had faced countless battlefields like this before.

With a smooth motion, he extended his arm and pulled on Pamael.

Suuuuu….

The gathering winds ceased. The spear in his hand grew still. Ian assumed a throwing stance and muttered softly.

“Tear them apart.”

Ping—!

As if waiting for those words, the Piercing Spear shot forth from his fingertips with the speed of light.

A fierce wind followed, sweeping through a wide radius without restraint.

Kwa-kaka-kak!

No matter how tough the hide, it was futile.

The monsters caught in the path of the Piercing Spear were shattered into pieces, leaving only blood and flesh behind.

Those who witnessed this incredible power were left in shock.

The clear path cut through the buildup of tension, more than sufficient to relieve it.

“Uwaaaahhh!”

The mercenaries raised their weapons high above their heads, openly expressing their emotions. The sound was not one of screams but of cheers.

“This is it!”

“I knew it!!!”

The knights and mercenaries finally understood why they had come this far.

They had heard rumors of seeking a relic to overcome this situation, but it had seemed practically impossible.

And rightly so, for relics were called relics for a reason.

If they were so easy to find, they wouldn’t be worth thousands or tens of thousands of gold coins.

In the midst of everyone’s excitement, only Ian felt a hint of disappointment.

‘Hmm.’

The power was satisfying, but it didn’t quite meet his expectations.

‘They say it takes time to tame.’

There was a saying that old weapons were selective about their masters. The Piercing Spear Pamael was one such weapon.

Before long, a black barrier appeared in front of Pamael, which had flown so far that it seemed like a dot in the distance.

Pachachachang!

It shattered like glass upon contact. It didn’t matter how many layers there were.

Soon, Pamael pierced through the center of the gate, scattering the concentrated magical energy, and the fleshy structure was torn apart by a storm-like wind.

Having penetrated the gate, Pamael soared back into the sky and landed beside Ian.

Kwaak!

He watched as the spear trembled, not a drop of blood staining it. It even had the ability to return to its master after being thrown. The more he looked at it, the more he liked it.

Chiiiii—!

However, the white spear seemed too hot to use immediately.

Perhaps it couldn’t dissipate the heat; the once-white spearhead glowed red, emitting scorching heat.

Despite the drawback of consuming vast amounts of magical energy, making it unusable consecutively, the power it demonstrated was undeniably excellent value for its performance.

As he reached out, Pamael transformed into a beautiful, fine particle and vanished.

Shhaaaaa—!

At that moment, Ian felt a mark, like a brand, being engraved along his index finger.

Even though he had learned Bane of Evil and possessed resistance to high temperatures, it felt as if he had been burned; it was intensely hot.

For now, it seemed he had acquired ownership.

Ian turned to Dior, who was standing next to him, and asked, “What do you think?”

“It’s excellent. Now, you should step back.”

Monsters still lingered. It wasn’t just the humans who were stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Even the monsters, driven only by instinct, turned to look.

And perhaps due to a loss of control, the monsters, who had previously treated each other like kin, began to fight and devour one another.

Kyaaaaaaa!

Not all of them reacted this way. The monsters at the front charged in, drooling.

Chaos erupted. Ian had no time to rest.

With so many monsters, they surged through the knights and mercenaries alike. Just as he caught his breath, the situation began to stabilize.

“Waaaaaah!”

The mercenaries cheered in joy. The knights showed no restraint in expressing their emotions. They celebrated their victory by bumping fists with their comrades.

This was satisfactory enough. Despite some deaths, the damage was relatively minor. Everyone thought the same.

“……”

Only Ian gazed at the distant horizon with a grim expression.

‘This isn’t good; the magical energy isn’t dissipating.’

The immense amount of magical energy that had been sustaining the gate still lingered in the air.

Moreover, a faint black mist rising from the ground seemed to foreshadow something ominous about to unfold.

But it appeared that others couldn’t see it. If they could, they wouldn’t be smiling like this.

Only a few priests seemed to sense the unease.

Ian wasn’t the only one keeping an eye on the situation. Dior, checking his compass, shouted out.

“Stay alert! You little brats! It’s not over yet!”

His booming voice quickly subdued the commotion.

Dior turned to Ian. The helmet obscured his expression.

“Ian!”

Before he could even respond, the ground trembled.

Kukuku-kung!

The vast amount of magical energy, which had filled the area like fog, began to coalesce into one spot, forming a small crystalline structure.

‘Magic Stone.’

Even from a distance, its size, purity, and color were clear, indicating that it was a top-tier product.

His heart raced. But it was not desire that stirred him; it was a warning bell of danger.

“That relic from earlier! We need to use the Piercing Spear!”

Gawain shouted urgently as he turned back. It was understood without needing to say it.

Immediately, Ian summoned Pamael. Simply intending to call it forth, a spear with a unique shape appeared in his grasp.

Suuuuuu—

In that brief moment, the overheated spearhead hadn’t cooled down. It was too early to use it again, but the situation was urgent.

Channeling his magic, he uttered the activation phrase.

Paaaaaang!

With a sound that pierced the air, Pamael flew from his hand, drawing a clear line of light in the air.

Kakakakakak!

However, the result was different this time. The black energy blocked Pamael.

Sparks flew, but ultimately, it couldn’t break through and was deflected. That wasn’t the only change.

“Ugh, what is this?”

“I—I can’t breathe…!”

The body of a monster that had collapsed on the ground rapidly began to decay.

Blood turned into particles and vanished, while the flesh rotted, emitting a nauseating stench. The foul odor was mixed with toxins.

The knights’ helmets purified the air, but the mercenaries weren’t so lucky.

Their gear consisted of nothing more than light leather armor, and the few relics they possessed merely protected their minds.

“Ughhh!”

Most of the mercenaries groaned as they knelt and slumped down.

Even the few priests were preoccupied with protecting themselves at this point.

In the distance, pieces of flesh that had not yet been burned away began to rot and disappear, revealing an overwhelming number of bones scattered everywhere.

Those bones clattered as they shot up into the air.

Kakwa-kaka-kwa-kak!

It resembled a torrent flowing. The numerous bones began to split into dozens of streams and converged in one spot.

The magic stone floated in the air, and a skeletal frame could be seen taking shape around it.

Kakwa-kakwa-kwa-kak!

The first to form was the spine, followed by the ribs, and finally, a grotesquely shaped skull emerged.

That was all. No other bones were formed. Instead, the missing parts were supplemented by the black energy.

And it unmistakably took on the form of a dragon.

“White fang…?”

Someone muttered. It seemed that way. In response to that call, the six eye sockets in the skull began to flicker with light, and the dragon slowly raised its head.

At that moment, a chilling wave of energy stirred up dust, crashing down upon them.

———-