Legacy of the Dark Sage

Kyran frowned while looking at the puppets that continued to appear from the white-robed man's magic array. Apart from them, there was another automaton that the latter had summoned, which was now working in tandem with the first automaton.

The first automaton continued to shoot concentrated magic energy beams from a distance, while the second automaton approached Kyran in a melee, using a concentrated magic energy sword. Every time the second automaton swung its sword, the space around them rippled, giving off the feeling that anything it struck would be cut in half without fail.

Kyran looked at the white-robed man, who wore a slight smile.

At that moment, the white-robed man was no longer moving around and letting his automatons and puppets deal with the enemy by themselves.

However, Kyran knew better. While the white-robed man seemed to be observing the scene before him, Kyran could sense the man's magic fluctuate ever so slightly, and it was directed at the massive Array Formation around them.

If Kyran was right, the white-robed man was trying to decipher the formation while he let his automatons and puppets buy time.

Every now and then, Kyran would sense one of the formulas in the massive Array Formation shift slightly. Because the move was subtle, others would not even notice it. As a matter of fact, Kyran would not have noticed it either if not for the fact that he was quite familiar with the Array Formation already.

In any case, the movement of those formulas was proof that the white-robed man was indeed trying to decipher the formation and changing its placement according to his design. But since the formulas had not moved completely, it meant the white-robed man had yet to win control over the Array Formation.

In Kyran's estimation, deciphering the castle's main Array Formation would take several days or more than a week, even for an Array Saint like him.

If the white-robed man actually managed to make the formulas move, albeit a little, in a short span of time, then it meant his Array level was far above that of a Saint.

It might not be known to all, but as far as Array in Lower Realm was concerned, the highest had been an Array Saint. But even when Array Saints came together, there would still be a definite gap between them.

For example, Loar was a Sovereign who specialized in Array. However, his Array level was not above Kyran as they were both Array Saints. But that did not mean Loar was inferior to Kyran. Though they were both Array Saints, Loar was already at the peak, while Kyran was around the mid. If Loar could break through his Array Knowledge, then he would become an Array Transcendent— the highest known level to Array.

Looking at the white-robed man, Kyran was convinced that rather than being of the same level as Loar, a peak Array Saint, the former was an Array Transcendent.

Kyran might not have anyone to compare to, but he was very familiar with Loar's Array Knowledge after exchanging insights on Array with him for more than a year. Thus, he knew Loar did not have the capability to decipher the castle's Array Formation in a short span of time like the white-robed man.

Thinking about this, Kyran felt a huge headache. He knew he had to do something fast and deal with the white-robed man. If not, the latter would unleash hell after succeeding in winning over the castle's main Array Formation.

As to what Kyran meant about unleashing hell, they were obviously the automatons— whether they were the white-robed man's creations or the supposed trump card of King Aran.

Why would King Aran's trump card be included when the white-robed man unleashed hell? The answer was simple. Those automatons were connected to the castle's main Array Formation. Once the white-robed man controlled the formation, he could also control the automatons.

Still, a part of Kyran wanted to see the white-robed man succeed in deciphering the castle's Array Formation because he felt that only when the white-robed man had complete control of the formation could he find a way to contend ownership with it.

All these thoughts passed through Kyran's mind while he engaged the white-robed man's creations. With him utilizing his Draconic magic to 60%, he could easily evade the first automaton's range attacks and the second automaton's melee attacks while also destroying every puppet that dared go near him.

The female spirit that managed to stay on top of Kyran's head all this time was already dizzy from all the moving around. But it was not all that bad because all those movements rattled her brain, making her remember why she was there in the first place.

"L-Lord Master! I understand that you can't deal with the situation at hand quickly, but if we stay any longer, I don't think your friends there can hold on!"

Kyran's brow furrowed. He knew what the female spirit meant when she said there. As a matter of fact, he more or less guessed that Malek's side was met with an unforeseen danger. For this reason, Kyran wanted to wrap things up in the castle as soon as possible and assist them. Unfortunately, the white-robed man appeared, making everything else more complicated.

"Because there is an outsider there that seems to know one of your friends! He even called her the new Soul Emperor!"

Hearing the female spirit's words nearly made Kyran miss a step and slip off a puppet's back he had just jumped onto. The female spirit yelped as she was nearly thrown off his head as well.

The second automaton's energy sword flashed past Kyran's face, nearly missing his armor by a centimeter. Nevertheless, because the sword was made of concentrated magic energy, even without it touching, it still managed to leave a deep graze on his armor.

If Kyran had still been using a combination of the Draconic and Void when he enveloped himself in armor, then the energy sword would probably not have grazed it. But because the armor was now molded into pure Draconic magic, its magic resistance had declined. Thus, it could not fully counter the energy sword's effect.

Still, Kyran regained his calm and was not affected by that near-successful cut by the second automaton.

Before the second automaton's arm completely passed through Kyran's line of sight, he grabbed its wrist and deftly flicked its hand, holding the energy sword with his other hand, sending the energy sword flying out of its grip.

Immediately, the second automaton wrestled its arm away from Kyran's grip, planning to extend its other arm to catch the sword. However, Kyran tugged the second automaton's arm, forcing it down, while he used the hand that flicked through the latter's to grab the energy sword.

As soon as the sword landed in his hand, Kyran pierced it into the second automaton's head.

Crackle! Boom!

Kyran used what was left of the second automaton's body after its head exploded as a foothold to hoist himself toward the incoming puppets from above. With a fluid sweep of his hand holding the energy sword, the air crackled as a blade-like beam flashed out and flew toward the puppets in a beautiful horizontal arc.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In the blink of an eye, more puppets were destroyed.

After that, Kyran located the first automaton. The distance between them was actually quite far, but he did not bother closing in. Timing his stance while the latter was about to release its beams, he threw the energy sword at it with pinpoint precision.

At that moment, Armak, who, along with the other automatons, assisted Kyran by targeting the puppets close to them, happened to be looking at him. He could not help but blink his eyes because he felt as if the sword in Kyran's hand had just left when it appeared before the first automaton's face.

Crackle! Boom!

In that split second, the other automaton was destroyed just like that.

Deus could not help but frown. He was indeed trying to buy time by letting his creations deal with his target while he deciphered the Array Formation. However, he did not expect the latter to be so proficient in combat that he managed to evade and destroy his creation with ease.

Deus did see the records where his target fought a horde of beasts alone and emerged the victor. But automatons and puppets were different from beasts. While his puppets' programming was inferior to his automatons, their capabilities could subdue even an Arch Magus. No matter how powerful his target was, he should not be able to destroy his creations that quickly— not to mention effortlessly.

'If this is the case, I can only focus on that part of the formation's formula first. After that, I can have MEx-ε enter this plane and deal with this guy.'

As soon as Deus thought this, he focused his attention on the formula that restricted the use of any ability, magic, magic item, and spells that connected the caster to the outside or a separate space.

Of course, before he started deciphering that part, he summoned another three automatons, which immediately went after the target.

Meanwhile, the gigantic automaton inside Deus's Dimension had completed its preparation. Its golden eyes flashed as it raised its head toward the spot where the rift had appeared a moment ago.

"Vanquish all traitors!" The gigantic automaton growled with a metal-like voice, following which a concentrated energy beam shot out from its eyes and toward the spot.

'Hm?' Deus was slightly distracted as he sensed a powerful attack trying to pierce through his Dimension's veil from the inside. He frowned slightly but was not that bothered.

Even if those people inside the Dimension regained control over their body and muster their magic to attack it, they would not be able to do anything.

That is how Dimensions are created. It is a space in which the creator has complete authority. No one can overpower the creator. Only when another force attacks the Dimension from the outside can it be broken. But apart from that, it is impossible for those inside the Dimension to do anything to break it.

Ignoring what the gigantic automaton inside his Dimension was doing, Deus focused all his attention on deciphering the castle's Array Formation. He did not even check how his creations were doing against his target. As far as he was concerned, three automatons were enough to handle him.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes, Deus broke the formula he was targeting.

A smile appeared on his face as his magic energy erupted. The space around behind his back crackled as the space distorted.

"Let's end this now," he said while loftily looking over his target.

"Yes. Let's do that."

Unexpectedly, Kyran had actually been waiting for him to decipher the formula completely. His eyes then turned reddish-purple as his magic energy erupted.