Chapter 102: Magic Knight (2)
As time passed, the swamp's moisture began to freeze, and a thick fog spread across the area.
Sssss... Sssssss...
The frigid mist that enveloped the surroundings was so cold it could freeze a person's lungs solid if not filtered through the armor. The massive creature emitting this deadly cold froze the small insects scattered throughout the swamp, leaving them brittle and shattered.
The creature, moving along the swamp floor as if slicing through it like a lamia, stretched its tightly coiled legs, stepping onto the frozen ground. It straightened its body to its full height.
Uwooooooo!!
With a roar so powerful it made the frozen swamp tremble, the Frost Hydra revealed itself.
Its scales radiated a blue, icy glow, and its heads, which resembled a dragon more than a snake, were massive and menacing. Its elongated, snake-like body was supported by short but sturdy legs capable of holding its immense weight and maintaining its balance.
Finally, its seven ferocious heads glared in all directions, each emitting a white mist. Trees struck by the mist shattered immediately, confirming the presence of its extreme cold breath.
'This thing is practically a walking natural disaster.'
The creature stood around 10 meters tall, with its height exceeding 5 meters. Considering that most recorded hydras were about 6-7 meters tall, this one was an aberration of extraordinary size. Although sheer size didn't necessarily equate to superior combat ability, its bulk suggested immense strength and thicker scales, making its necks harder to sever.
'It hasn't noticed me yet.'
I had deliberately minimized the heating function of my armor and allowed white frost to gather on its surface, blending in with the environment. The frosty appearance of my armor made it indistinguishable from the surrounding frozen trees and rocks unless the Frost Hydra focused directly on me.
'I need to draw it in closer. I'll wait until it lowers its body again, thinking the area is clear…'
I planned to attack in one swift strike, severing at least two of its heads in the first blow and crippling another before it could retaliate. My strategy involved leaping onto the Hydra's back, targeting the base where the necks converged, and rendering as many heads useless as possible in a single attack.
Crack...
The frost clinging to my skin shifted slightly, forming cracks to prevent it from freezing solid. I patiently waited for the right moment, observing the Frost Hydra closely.
Rumble...
The seven massive heads scanned their surroundings before locking onto a group of lizardmen standing together as if blocking its path. These lizardmen had already been struck by the Frost Breath and were now fused together into what looked like a large wall of ice. Despite their frozen state, faint outlines of heads and limbs were visible, hinting that the wall was made of lizardmen.
Chomp.
The Frost Hydra extended one of its heads and began smashing through the ice wall, devouring it.
'That bastard…'
Like someone biting into a frozen fruit, its seven heads fought each other over chunks of the ice wall. The frozen lizardmen were being eaten alive.
Crunch. Crack!
Although immobilized by the freezing cold, the lizardmen were still alive. Unlike humans, who would die from hypothermia, reptiles could survive being frozen, regaining mobility once thawed.
Thus, the ice wall was not just a frozen structure—it was alive.
'They were enemies a moment ago, but… this is just too brutal.'
As the Hydra devoured the frozen lizardmen, its heads occasionally turned to monitor its surroundings. Its sharp eyes glinted even as it ate.
Crunch!
By the time the last piece of the ice wall was devoured, only a few lizardmen ankles remained on the ground. Finally, the Hydra began to lower its massive body.
Thud!
Lowering its heavy frame, it released another blast of icy breath, shaping the terrain into a surface it could easily glide across. It then began moving again, slithering across the frozen swamp.
This was my moment.
Crack!
I shattered the frost covering my armor and launched into a full sprint, pouring all my strength into my legs.
Vrrrm! Vrrrm! Vrrrrm!
Maximizing my armor's heating function, I thawed my frozen muscles and dashed across the swamp, breaking through the frozen terrain.
The Frost Hydra, shrouded in the mist it had created, failed to notice me. I seized the opportunity, climbing onto its massive body and igniting my mana saber.
Fsssss... Whoosh!
The mana saber's heated blade roared to life, forming a high-temperature, high-pressure edge. I pushed the saber to its maximum output, leaping over the Hydra's body and slicing at the base where its many necks connected.
Slash!
"Damn it!"
The saber's blade scattered in the mist, its power halved. The ice covering the Hydra's scales melted first, forming an additional layer of defense. I managed to severely wound two of the outer heads but failed to sever them completely.
Screeeeeeech!!
The Hydra screamed in pain, thrashing wildly beneath me. Some of its quicker heads located me, turning and lunging my way. I raised my saber to meet them head-on.
Whoosh!
The mana saber sliced cleanly through the jaw of an oncoming Hydra head, severing half its face. However, before I could destroy it entirely, another head intervened, knocking the wounded one aside and preventing me from finishing it off.
'The ambush failed!'
With two of its heads severely injured and one partially disabled, the remaining four quickly surrounded me, lunging simultaneously. I analyzed their trajectories, preparing to counter the next attack.
Bam!
The Hydra's heads, as large as my body, collided in their attempt to grab me, creating an opening. I spotted a stunned head amidst the chaos and leaped onto it, swinging my mana saber.
Slash!
The blade was slightly shallow, but as I slashed through the base of the neck, I leaped and drove the mana saber deep into the Hydra's flesh. Twisting the blade as if slicing into a massive fruit, I spun it around, cutting through completely.
Only after doing so did I finally sever one of its heads.
Thud!
Ssssshhhhh!
A massive head fell to the ground, and cold air burst forth from the stump of its neck. Normally, blood would spray from the severed area, and a new head would regenerate. However, the mana saber had cauterized the wound, leaving the severed neck gaping and unable to function further.
"Six left."
The Hydra, with its jaw already split by my saber earlier, began spewing frost despite its injuries.
Crackle!
This time, I was within the frost's range rather than observing from a distance. The freezing cold enveloped me, causing the armor's surface to stiffen and my visor to frost over. I struggled to endure the chill by using the mana saber's heat to thaw the armor.
Hooo!
The situation, however, grew worse. Though the armor still functioned, the thickening mist reduced the mana saber's effectiveness. Its range shortened, and its power waned, making it nearly impossible to deliver a decisive blow to the Hydra's heads.
Of the two necks I initially attacked, one flailed wildly before finally falling silent, but the other began to rise again, dripping frost. Furious, it joined the remaining five heads, which now encircled me.
'I'm freezing.'
My armor's surface began freezing solid, and my movements grew sluggish. Even the mana saber's output steadily decreased over time, making it clear that I could no longer rely on its full strength to sever the Hydra's heads in a single strike.
Faced with this dire situation, I had to choose: defense or offense.
Clang!
I yanked the emergency mana line from my armor and connected it to the base of the mana saber.
Crack!
With a swift motion, I destroyed the saber's control mechanism, turning it from a finely tuned weapon into a raw, high-pressure mana emitter. By removing its limiter, I pushed the weapon's power output to its absolute maximum.
"Armor release!"
Clunk!
Without enough mana to power the armor's exoskeleton, I discarded all armor plates except for the gauntlet protecting my right hand. Exposing my body to the freezing air, I leapt toward the Hydra's heads, which lunged at me simultaneously.
Slash!
The extended, overcharged mana saber sliced cleanly through one of the Hydra's heads despite the scattering frost mist.
Thud!
"Five."
Before the severed head could hit the ground, I climbed onto the thrashing stump, leaping toward the nearest neck. Driving the saber through the crown of its head, I slid downward, splitting it in half from top to bottom. Twisting the blade, I severed the neck completely.
"Four."
The head with the split jaw attempted to unleash another Frost Breath, but I was already at its base. In a single motion, I slashed through it and the partially severed neck from my earlier attack, taking down two heads at once.
Sizzle!
The uncontrolled mana saber was now overheating, melting into my gauntlet. The intense heat seared my hand, but I gritted my teeth and pressed on. Surrendering to the pain would mean death.
"Two left!"
The remaining two heads, now realizing the tide of battle had turned, attempted to flee. But if I let them escape, they could regenerate their heads and return. I swung the saber, severing one of the retreating heads, and charged toward the last one.
The last head, positioned at the center of the Hydra's body, did not lunge at me immediately. Instead, it picked up a severed neck and hurled it toward me.
'Damn it!'
Whoosh!
The severed neck still emitted frost from its open wound. Though the mana saber's heat prevented me from freezing instantly, the sheer force of the attack pushed me back.
'Just a little more…!'
Dodging the Frost Breath, I closed the gap, my back freezing as I moved low to the ground. Spinning my entire body, I slashed at the base of the final neck.
Slash!
The last head fell, blood spraying from the stump.
"Damn it!"
Though I had managed to sever the neck with a single strike, the blood spraying from the wound indicated that the saber's heat had dissipated. The blade had only cut through with raw mana pressure, failing to cauterize the wound.
Drip… Drip…
This meant the injury wouldn't stop the Hydra's regeneration.
Before my eyes, flesh began growing from the severed neck. In moments, a new, unscathed head emerged.
Squish… Crackle!
Freezing the newly regenerated flesh with its icy breath, the Hydra solidified its own body and glared down at me, hunger and malice gleaming in its restored eyes.
'Just one more… Just one more strike…'
The mana saber, now a shapeless, molten mess fused to my hand, was still functional for a single, desperate attack. Drawing every last bit of mana into my hand, I prepared for a final blow.
Jingle…
'What's this…?'
A small bell, haphazardly stuffed into my bag, had become caught in the exoskeleton and began to jingle faintly. It had been inert while all my mana was channeled into the weapon, but with the connection severed, it began to resonate.
SCREEEEEECH!!
The sound seemed to irritate the Hydra, which abandoned its Frost Breath and lunged at me, intending to swallow me whole. This was exactly the opening I needed.
'I'll sever its head in one strike!'
Even if my hand was destroyed, as long as I could finish off this final head, I would win. Gritting my teeth, I prepared to ignite the saber for one last attack.
ROOOOOOOOAR!!
Suddenly, a monstrous roar, far more terrifying than the Hydra's, erupted from behind me.