The sealing spell they employed was highly sensitive and unforgiving; even the slightest disturbance could disrupt it. Completing the spell at this rate would be futile, as it would shatter the moment Craspio thrashed wildly in an attempt to break free.
‘Ah!’
Suddenly struck by a brilliant idea, Han-Yeol retrieved a mana stone. ‘Hmm... It's a bit of a waste, but I guess I have no choice.’
This particular mana stone, a large one, had been set aside for the longest time; it was none other than the mana stone he had obtained after defeating the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva.
C-Crack... Kwachik!
Han-Yeol crushed the mana stone with his hand, and the mana within it spread all over him.
‘Enhance! Mana Absorption!’
The mana was amplified the moment he used Enhance.
Wooong!
He skillfully controlled the mana, gathering it into his palm with Mana Absorption. nove(l)bi(n.)com
Ziiiiing!
Then, he infused the mana into the magic circle on the ground.
[Oh!]
[The mana is...!]
[I can feel the mana increasing!]
[This is it!]
Even the Bastro Sorcerers expressed concern about the insufficient mana within the magic circle. Their experience alone signaled that the mana present was far from adequate to properly seal Craspio, leaving them on edge since the commencement of the sealing spell.
They feared the spell might fail at this rate, but Han-Yeol's quick thinking and intervention, utilizing Enhance and infusing the mana trapped within the large mana stone obtained from the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva, compensated for the lack.
Tak!
With no longer any obstacles to disrupt the spell's channeling, the Bastro Sorcerers clasped their hands and focused solely on reciting the spell.
[O, cursed soul! We curse you to eternal damnation! Your movements are sealed before Death greets you!]
[Soul Sealing!]
Wooooong!
“Kieeeeeeng!”
A powerful burst of dark mana tried to swallow Craspio.
Sukeok! Sukeok! Sukeok!
“Kieeeeeng!” Craspio cried out and thrashed wildly, attempting to free itself from the dark mana.
The monster nearly succeeded in breaking free numerous times, but Han-Yeol and Mavros were there to restrict its movements and deny it freedom from the spell.
The dark mana rose up like thorny vines, wrapping itself around Craspio before fully incapacitating the monster.
[It’s done!]
[We did it!]
[Ah... We... did it...]
[Hey! Are you alright?!]
Their joy in successfully completing the sealing spell was short-lived, as the spell came to collect its dues.
Thud...! Thud...!
The Bastro Sorcerers started collapsing one by one.
‘Tsk...’
Upon that sight, Han-Yeol could not help but click his tongue.
[Yes, Harkan-nim.]
Kandir followed Han-Yeol’s command without any questions, just as he always did.
***
They had gained ten precious days through the sacrifices of the ten Bastro Sorcerers, but Han-Yeol did not take these days for granted. He needed to devise a way to defeat Craspio within this limited time frame, a task he wasn't currently confident about.
His options were to either abandon Japan, hoping the monster wouldn't cross over to South Korea, or find a way to defeat it within the given ten days.
“Hmm?”
Something caught his eye as he scouted the vicinity, prompting him to call one of his most trusted subordinates.
“Barshell!”
Shwaak!
Barshell, who was busy assigning various tasks to the Bastro Warriors, dropped everything and appeared beside Han-Yeol the moment he was called. He knelt in front of Han-Yeol with his head bowed down.
[Did you call for me, Harkan-nim?]
This was a display of respect not often seen among the Bastrolings. However, Barshell had no qualms about showing utmost respect to Harkan, as he was the one who took him in after he lost his parents to monsters and became an orphan. Harkan was Barshell’s parent, teacher, lord, master, and his everything.
While Barshell might be known as a delinquent among the Bastrolings, he always treated Harkan with respect whenever he was around him.
“Where did the Black Orcs go?”
[Their commander ordered them to retreat thirty kilometers away from the city the moment Craspio was sealed. Our scouts report they have set up camp over there, so we deduce that is probably where the dimensional rift they appeared from is located.]
“Is that so?”
[Yes, Harkan-nim.]
“Hmm...” Han-Yeol rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
‘We should get rid of the Black Orcs while we have the chance. They might not be that strong, but they are going to be a risk factor if we let them be. Also, they’ll serve as excellent sources of experience points too.’
Han-Yeol’s main motivation to wipe out the Black Orcs was not for tactical reasons nor for the safety of the survivors but rather to turn them into experience points.
***
“Chwik! Chwik! Chwik!”
The two-hundred-thousand-strong army that emerged from the dimensional rift was now reduced to less than half of its original size.
Currently numbering eighty thousand, which was not a small number at all, they had lost almost eighty percent of their combat power as their Elite Black Orcs, Trolls, Ogres, and Giant Bats all fell in battle. Thus, only the ordinary Black Orcs were left, resembling a massive gathering of a hungry ragtag bunch fleeing from the battlefield after suffering a crushing defeat.
[Damn it!]
Bam!
The Black Orc Commander threw his glaive to the ground upon entering his tent. He was not enraged by the fact that they lost the battle; having lived his entire life on the battlefield, he was accustomed to both victory and defeat. What enraged him was...
“Chwik!”
‘Why do we have to kill the humans? And why were we sent here?!’
[Keuk...!]
He had waged countless wars in his lifetime, but not a single one of those wars had been meaningless. Every war was fought for the survival of the Black Orcs and to secure a brighter future. However, this war was different; it had no meaning for them.
‘Just what’s happening to us...? And which dimension is this?’
The Black Orc Commander might be an orc, but he wasn't stupid enough to not realize this wasn't their home dimension. Any living organism possessing an ounce of intelligence could tell this was not the same dimension they lived in, and it was the same for the orcs.
Humans existed in their dimension as well, but they were vastly different from the ones they had just fought against. The humans of this dimension were far too powerful for them to defeat, and fighting against them would surely result in their absolute annihilation.
However, a voice in their head kept telling them to kill the humans, driving the Black Orc Commander crazy.
“Chwik...”
The Black Orc Commander let out a resigned sound, as orcs were incapable of sighing. In the end, he decided to relax for now and calm down. He sat on his chair and went through whatever he had found out so far to get a clue about what was going on.
It was at that moment that a commotion stirred up outside his tent.
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