Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 38 (Part 1)

Cory received the mission as he arrived at the main gate on time.

The person who conveyed the mission was Commissioner Elrov. Cory felt a chill as he listened to Commissioner Elrov calmly explain the mission.

Rodin was right about everything. The order was an assassination, and the target was a noble of the Riyaz Kingdom.

Cory received some operational expenses and left the training center. Tonight, the clouds covered the moon completely.

‘Rodin was right about everything. That means there must be a monitor trailing me.’

Following Rodin’s advice, Cory walked slowly for several hours. He moved leisurely without drawing attention to about the midpoint between the capital and the special forces training center.

‘This spot should do.’

It was a terrain suitable for setting traps.

Even though it was midwinter and all the leaves had fallen, it didn’t matter. The traps made by spirits were not ordinary.

Using a wind spirit, he carved a thick tree to create a simple trap. It was designed to fall when triggered by a passerby.

Cory casually moved for a few more minutes before returning to the location where he had set the trap.

As Rodin had said, someone was following him.

‘Instructor Hoppen.’

The habits of Instructor Hoppen flashed through his mind.

He was an instructor who taught to cover vital points first in case of emergency. Since he always carried a shield, taking him down in an instant was difficult.

‘Of all people, it had to be Instructor Hoppen.’

He wasn’t well acquainted with him. They had only crossed paths a few times.

But he remembered hearing from Hedler that Hoppen was a survival specialist. He was a swordsman skilled enough to avoid the worst situations even in emergencies.

‘I can’t take chances. I’ll aim for the arm first.’

It was a gamble. What if he managed to sever an arm only for Hoppen to pull out the slave rod with his other hand?

Cory wouldn’t live to see the morning sun.

Even so, he had no choice but to gamble. If he aimed to kill in one strike and failed to inflict a fatal wound, he might not even get a chance to fight.

‘Selist. Begin.’

A typical trap activates when the target steps on or touches something. Some sensitive individuals could react to the feeling or sound of the trap activating and avoid it.

However, a spirit master’s trap didn’t require the target to touch anything. The spirit, acting on the master’s will, could directly activate the trap.

“Ugh!”

“Haat!”

A sharply carved tree fell, striking Instructor Hoppen’s shoulder. Though not a fatal wound, it unbalanced him.

Cory immediately rushed in, moving the intermediate wind spirit, Silafe.

Waiting in ambush, Silafe severed Hoppen’s left arm as he wobbled.

Swish!

‘It’s done.’

As he had hoped, he severed the left arm. He could only hope Hoppen had placed the slave stick in a position difficult to reach with his right hand.

“Argh!”

Despite the pain, Hoppen instinctively raised his shield to protect his vital points. It was a textbook response.

‘I was lucky.’

With only one arm left, Hoppen raised his shield. He had lost the opportunity to draw the slave stick.

“Selist.”

Boom!

The intermediate fire spirit, Selist, created a large fireball in the air. The heat was intense enough to roast a face, causing Hoppen to grip his shield tighter.

“Silafe.”

While the heat held Hoppen’s attention in front, the intermediate wind spirit Silafe created a large wind blade from behind.

Attacked from both sides, Hoppen, who was defending himself, faltered.

Unable to block either the front or the back, he ended up in an awkward posture.

This was Hoppen’s mistake.

Though he had experienced numerous battles in the past, he had spent too long as an instructor at the special forces training center.

More than ten years away from real combat had dulled his battle senses.

Boom!

“Ugh! You…!”

Cory didn’t show mercy to Instructor Hoppen.

They weren’t close anyway. Sparing someone he barely knew wasn’t an option given his urgent situation.

If he didn’t kill, he would be the one to die. In this first life-and-death battle, Cory was not in his right mind.

Using the spirits, he relentlessly attacked from both the front and the back.

Though Hoppen tried to shield himself, he couldn’t block both sides.

Fwoosh!

“Argh!”

The battle ended with Selist burning Hoppen’s right arm.

Gasping for breath, Hoppen struggled to lift his head.

“Why…?”

“Because I want to live.”

Cory rummaged through the fallen Hoppen’s belongings and took everything he could grab. Among them was the item he was looking for.

The slave stick. It had been in the right side of his coat.

It was difficult to draw something from the right side with the right hand. That’s why Hoppen had grabbed his shield instead of the slave stick.

“How did you…?”

“It’s good to have smart friends. If you had such a friend among the instructors, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“The committee won’t let you… get away with this.”

“No, they will. They won’t know it was me who killed you. You’ll be recorded as a knight who noticed the bad war situation and fled.”

“Keh keh keh, we’ve been nurturing a viper in our midst…”

Hoppen’s head fell. The urgent rise and fall of his chest ceased.

“Still, I should clean up properly. Rodin said to do so. Selist, burn… Ah, no. Sorry. Selist, return.”

Nod!

The intermediate fire spirit Selist vanished.

Cory sighed deeply after checking his remaining mana.

“I really am a half-baked spirit master. Damn, can’t deny it.”

A 3rd level knight and an intermediate spirit master contracted with two elements.

The power difference between the two was considerable. It was a fight the spirit master should never lose.

Moreover, he had started by cutting off an arm with a trap and a surprise attack. Even if he had taken it easy, he should have won.

Yet, the result was far from relaxed. He had won, but his mana was depleted.

It was his first real battle, and his nerves had caused him to use too much power excessively.

“Silafe, keep watch for anyone approaching. If possible, deal with them.”

Nod.

Leaving Silafe to guard, Cory began mana cultivation.

Summoning spirits continuously consumed mana. Even if they did nothing, the amount was small, but it was better to reduce even that if possible.

That’s why he had sent Selist back for now. He planned to recover his mana and summon Selist again.

After nearly two hours and a few extra minutes, Cory opened his eyes. Even though he had only completed one cycle of mana cultivation, too much time had passed.

“Damn, this lousy talent.”

Hyung_Otaku2

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