Chapter 173: The grandmaster
Grinning with savagery, Volk brought both hands up to tear Song Woo-Ji apart.
Kecheeerrkk!
The red mist and Volk's grip were creating an intense clashing sound.
Bong Me-Eon's heart clenched with terror; she could feel it in her bones—this was the end.
But they wouldn't let it end like this.
Not without a fight.
The grandmaster raised her hands, her voice commanding as she began a low, ancient chant, the words spilling out with practiced precision, each syllable vibrating with necromantic force.
"Through the shadows of decay, the bones of the fallen, let the spirits rise, let the dead awaken! Bind his will! Trap his soul!"
Bong Me-Eon joined in, her voice shaking at first but soon finding strength, matching the grandmaster's tone with a fierce intensity.
"By the power of darkness, the essence of death, we call upon the void to swallow his strength! Entangle his wrath, shackle his spirit!"
As they chanted, the air around them thickened with a dark energy, swirling in black tendrils that coiled around Volk, latching onto his massive form like chains of night.
The two women's voices merged, filling the chamber with the sound of their incantation, each word amplifying the power surging around them.
They poured their energy into it, pushing the dark magic toward Volk with all their might.
"Bind the beast, choke his strength!" Bong Me-Eon's voice was fierce, carrying a desperation and fury that vibrated with her own heartbeats. "Let decay consume his spirit, let rot taint his bones!"
Volk only smirked.
His eyes, sharp and cruel, glinted with amusement as he watched their spells coil around him.
His muscles tensed, and he shrugged off the tendrils of darkness as though they were mere cobwebs, flicking them away with an almost lazy indifference.
The chains that should have bound him snapped like brittle twigs, disintegrating in the air around him.
The grandmaster clenched her jaw, her chant growing louder, more urgent. She raised her voice, the words spilling out with a renewed force.
"Black spirits of old, descend upon this wretch! Drag him down into the abyss, let him be swallowed by the void!"
"From the depths of darkness," Bong Me-Eon added, her own words melding with her master's. "We summon shadows to cling to his soul, to twist his strength into weakness!"
But again, Volk merely scoffed, lifting Song Woo-Ji higher, tightening his grip as though he hadn't even felt their spells.
He sneered at them, his lips curling in disdain, his eyes glinting with mockery.
The necromantic energy sizzled and fizzled against his skin, unable to sink in, unable to penetrate his hardened aura.
With a thunderous laugh, Volk bellowed, "PATHETIC MAGIC! VOLK NOT SCARED OF PITIFUL TRICKS!"
The words were a hammer blow, reverberating through the chamber as he threw their spells aside like worthless scraps.
The grandmaster's face contorted with frustration, her voice breaking as she tried to rally her energy once more.
Bong Me-Eon's hands trembled, her focus wavering as despair clawed at the edges of her mind.
But still, they pressed on, unwilling to abandon Song Woo-Ji.
They clutched at any incantation they could remember, throwing every last shred of their power into the fight.
"Lords of the dead, grant us strength!" Bong Me-Eon cried, her voice raw. "Cast shadows upon him, let his soul be bound!"
"From the depths of decay, let him rot!" her master echoed, her hands outstretched, fingers trembling with exertion. "Let darkness shroud his spirit, let death consume him!"
Volk laughed louder, the sound echoing like a triumphant roar through the chamber.
He leaned in, his teeth bared in a sadistic grin as he watched their magic dissipate, utterly unaffected.
His eyes gleamed with scorn as he sneered, "VOLK TOO STRONG FOR WEAK MAGIC. YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP VOLK? VOLK FELT NOTHING!"
Ignoring the onslaught of their spells, Volk refocused on Song Woo-Ji, his grip tightening once more.
The red mist that had been fighting back was now a thin wisp, fading, struggling against the pressure of his crushing hands.
"WOO-JI!!!"
Bong Me-Eon screamed, her voice cracking as she watched the last remnants of the red mist being forced back.
She raised her hands, prepared to try one last spell, her eyes burning with tears of rage and helplessness.
Volk barely even looked at her, his cruel grin widening as he dismissed their magic once and for all.
He let out a final, triumphant roar, GRAAAAAAHHH!! his hands tightening around Song Woo-Ji's twisted, monstrous form, poised to deliver the fatal blow.
In that instant, their last shreds of hope seemed to dissolve, disappearing into the vast, mocking shadow of Volk's growk.
"GRAAAAAAHHHH!!"
The weight of despair settled over them, yet in their hearts, a fierce resolve lingered—a final flicker of defiance, even as they stood powerless against the relentless, unstoppable might of the Warchief.
Volk's fist was poised to grip depper, his fingers ready to squeeze the last of the red mist from Song Woo-Ji's struggling form.
However, suddenly, a flash of blinding, dark light erupted to his side, striking his arm with enough force to jolt him off balance.
"Bang!"
The impact sent a faint shiver through Volk's titan arm, and he turned with a look of surprise.
His gaze landed on the middle-aged woman standing defiantly, her stance resolute, her eyes blazing with fury and power.
The Warchief's lips curled into a sneer as he faced her. "Hmph. WEAK HUMAN, YOU DARE HURT VOLK?"
But before he could fully register the shock, the middle-aged woman lifted her hands, summoning a dark, pulsating energy that wrapped around her like a storm.
Her face was etched with determination, her voice rising above the howling wind of necromantic magic swirling around her.
"YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK INTO OUR WORLD AND DO AS YOU PLEASE?"
Her voice rang through the chamber like a war cry, each word sharp as a blade.
"I AM AN SSS CLASS RANKER OF THIS WORLD, AND I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO HARM MY DISCIPLE OR HER DISCIPLE!"
The force of her words alone seemed to push against Volk, a pressure that defied her physical size.
Her hands crackled with black energy, tendrils of shadow weaving around her as she drew upon the full extent of her power.
She took a step forward, her eyes narrowing as she glared at Volk with unyielding defiance.
"RETURN TO YOUR REALM, YOU MONSTER!" She screamed, her voice unwavering, filled with a strength that even Volk couldn't ignore. "YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT US, NOT WHILE I STILL DRAW BREATH!"
Volk sneered, barely flinching as her energy lashed out. He shook his head, clearly unimpressed. "WEAK SPELLS… PATHETIC WOMAN…"
Ignoring her, Volk's gaze returned to Song Woo-Ji, the system user he so need to destroy.
He could feel the strange, system-like energy within Song Woo-Ji, and every instinct within Volk warned him not to underestimate it.
The system was a nuisance—a trick and a cheat—but it also wielded great power. And Volk would crush it before it had a chance to meddle with him further.
"GRAAAAAAHHH!"
Volk roared, brushing off the necromantic magic as if it were dust on his shoulder. His hand reached out again for Song Woo-Ji, who was still writhing in his grasp.
But the middle-aged woman wasn't finished. She raised her voice again, directing her fierce gaze to Bong Me-Eon.
"BONG ME-EON! TAKE HIM AS SOON AS SOON AS I WEAKEN THIS MONSTER!"
Bong Me-Eon's eyes widened, her expression one of shock and fear. She could barely comprehend her master's words, the reality of what her master was about to do.
"Master! Are you… are you going to… do it?"
She could barely able to believe what she was hearing.