These Demons Do it for Free-Chapter 102

If this is the case, I can somewhat understand the arrogance of trying to ride both Conquerors and Frontier at once.

Lana was a veteran of exploration. She immediately understood the value of space magic.

Escape when isolated. Expansion of supplies through subspace. Opening side paths for free movement across different levels. A defense that ignores all attacks, cutting through space itself.

The potential and efficiency of space magic were infinite, and its value couldn't be determined until the user’s death. There was no telling how far it could develop. And if one could open a new horizon, preserving it wouldn’t be impossible in the Abyss.

But the attack power is lacking.

Even though it struck a relatively weak point in the back, which wasn’t a direct frontal defense, it dealt no damage. It could barely compete with mid-tier or even low-tier magic.

The simplicity of the attack, which could be compared to magic without delay, was surprising but limited. It might be useful for quickly cleaning up weak monsters, but in terms of efficiency, a wide-area spell would be faster.

Seems like there's nothing special other than space magic.

The fact that it wasn’t pure magic but demon magic was also a negative factor. Unlike other magic where the magic power alone could be extracted, demon magic comes with a contract, which implies the need to pay more than just magical power.

Even though there had only been one exchange of blows, Lana had already analyzed most of Roman’s magic.

Zzing...

Tamachim’s left arm resonated with the magical pulse.

Mana gathered around Roman's body. At first, it was so sudden and absurd that she couldn’t sense it, but could this be a prelude to teleportation? Considering the trickiness of teleportation, it’s only natural that there would be some delay.

The first teleportation must have already been pre-cast.

Lana’s eyes narrowed.

Here it comes.

Where to?

Anywhere’s fine.

If you don’t know, you might be caught off guard, but once you do, you won’t be.

Lana immediately readied herself to change direction. If she moved with awareness, it would be too late. She trusted her instincts built through countless training and real combat.

And once again, Roman defied Lana’s expectations.

Front?!

Boom!

So fast!

And strong too!

The impact was leagues apart from the previous one.

Hiss...

One step. Lana’s foot slid back by the size of her shoe.

Despite preparing for a direction change, she had been neglectful of the defense in the front. But to Lana, it felt like a blow to her pride.

On purpose...!

By revealing the best card—teleportation—right from the first strike, Roman had distracted her and then followed up with an attack strong enough to cause significant damage.

Not bad for someone with experience.

Is this a hunt?

When facing a stronger opponent in terms of raw power, one had to rely on wisdom, tools, and skill to win.

Has the damage accumulated in Heaper really reached this much?

A-grade artifact The Heaper. It absorbs external damage and converts it into energy, releasing it as a counterattack when a certain threshold is surpassed.

The 11 compartments inside marked the accumulation of damage. Two of them had already been filled, and just from the previous strike, one more compartment was now full. Lana, aware of this visible gauge, clearly recognized the danger of the previous attack.

It would really hurt if I took that with my body.

But if I take it with Heaper, it’ll be fine.

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The time for a counterattack was coming.

If I confirm the attack pattern a few more times, I’ll be able to pinpoint the weak spots for sure.

While Lana steeled herself, Roman prepared for the next strike.

Can I block the 10-second hit?

If I knew this would happen, I should have just used teleportation to hit his body like before. I knew that already, but...

That shield is definitely an artifact. But testing it was necessary.

I’m not in mortal danger.

Besides, this is part of the build-up for the next attack anyway.

This time...

Boom!

Just as Roman was about to use his second teleportation, Lana’s foot slammed onto the training room floor.

At the same time, the pulse of aura spread out.

Worstamp?

Aura is heavier than mana. Therefore, if aura and mana clash directly, it’s the mana that gets pushed back.

Martial arts schools for wizards have developed techniques that use the heavy nature of aura to disrupt the wizard’s magic field.

The magic field...

The coordinates established through the axis were distorted.

I see.

Demon mana is much heavier than regular mana, but it seems a bit lighter compared to aura.

However, it doesn’t matter without coordinates. Coordinates are just auxiliary indicators. The true indicator is one’s own sense.

Got it!

With the first step of Worstamp becoming a leap, Lana’s lance pierced the space where Roman had just been.

She removed the force from her arms and covered the aura to avoid major damage. However, had it landed, Roman’s paper-thin body would have been sent flying far away.

Yes. Had it landed.

Illusions?

Lana realized the nature of the lance as it pierced Roman.

The magical field had been disturbed by the Worstamp, causing Tamachim to lose function.

Then the real one...

Before Lana could turn her body, faster than expected, Matán shot through the air.

Crunch!

Ugh...

Matán broke through the aura armor and struck home.

At the same time, two spells pierced Lana’s body.

Exhaustion and a mark.

With this, Roman’s victory plan was complete.

Curse-based? He compensated for the lack of power with this.

Lana quickly recognized the exhaustion as her strength left her body. However, she hadn’t yet identified the hidden mark beneath the exhaustion.

This isn’t a problem.

Overcoming exhaustion once isn’t difficult. The danger lies in its accumulation.

But once it lands, the next accumulation is almost immediately upon you.

Is that enough for you? ...Not yet.

Lana had underestimated the other variables while she focused too much on space magic. Now that she realized her mistake, she would no longer be caught off guard.

And there would always be another chance to correct it.

Let’s go. I won’t decline.

Roman casually fired off another Matán, this time aimed completely off-course.

As Lana glared at him, wondering what new trick he was pulling, the Matán in the air suddenly shifted its trajectory.

W-What?

Guided?

Lana thickened her aura armor even further.

Thud, thud, thud...

A simple Matán without a heavy strike was like a moth flying into a bonfire in front of aura armor.

But long experience made Lana sense the danger.

It’s being drawn in.

If the attack could be guided, the right to attack would belong solely to Roman.

After all, he could teleport.

With absolute evasion and guided attacks, that combination would create a perfect opening.

Ugh!

Lana charged recklessly.

No longer would she stay hidden like a turtle, waiting to strike when an opening presented itself.

She had to press forward quickly.

There was no room for conventional thinking. Her opponent had already betrayed common sense multiple times.

But there was one thing that was certain.

If it came to hand-to-hand combat, she would win without a doubt.

The moment I grab him, I’ll crush him.

Healing could be left to the guild member from the Serafeion School.

This battle had transformed from a test into a fight for pride.

Boom- Boom-!

With each step, the Worstamp exploded. While the Matán didn’t vanish entirely, its strength felt weaker even against the aura armor.

The continuous Worstamp would disrupt teleportation as well.

The aura consumption was a slight burden, but it was definitely worth the investment.

Before Roman.

Just within reach of her outstretched arm, Lana didn’t miss the resonance of Tamachim.

Teleportation! And illusions!

Seven years. Seven years.

In all that time, had Lana never fought a wizard?

No. She had fought countless battles with wizards. Many of the Abyss worshippers were wizards.

And Lana had grown used to the patterns of wizards.

They didn’t like to give martial artists distance.

They knew that close combat meant inevitable defeat.

So, for Roman in front of her...

Illusion!

She created a decoy with an illusion and teleported for a surprise attack.

Eventually, it was the familiar pattern of using her body to create openings that would come into play during a moment of crisis.

Whoosh!

Her long lance swept through a 360-degree arc, but nothing was hit.

She had expected it to be heavy, but only the sensation of the lance’s handle remained.

Unfortunately, you’re wrong.

Zziiiing...

Illusions and teleportation were mere decoys.

Just because they were cast didn’t mean they would bring change.

Boom!

In the midst of the massive shock shaking her body, Lana remembered again.