#1312 Junior’s Adventure – The Ten Great Formation Battles

Belphgamilia, a man who became a Lifeless King while still alive. 
If that’s the case, his ridiculous strength checks out. 

The Lifeless King is terrifying for many reasons: overwhelming mana, the massive well of knowledge accumulated during life, the list goes on. But above all that, there’s one more horror that should be added: the ability to absorb external mana. 

That’s what allows a Lifeless King to remain immortal. Even if their body gets blown to bits, they regenerate and revive while drawing in mana. 
And since they can absorb outside mana, their power becomes infinite. They’re unbeatable for mortals, whose abilities and lifespans are all finite. 

On top of that, because they can pull in natural mana, they grow closer to nature itself...practically becoming akin to gods or spirits. It makes borrowing the strength of spirits absurdly easy. 
They no longer need complicated chants or ceremonies the way mortals do. 

That’s the Lifeless King, a monster that flaunts freedoms so outrageous they’re beyond human common sense. 
An outlawed existence said to be utterly impossible for mankind to defeat. 

And the person standing in front of me right now is on the same level as a Lifeless King. 

“…Yeah, no way.” 

I give up immediately. 

“We can’t win. Let’s surrender, Prince Goetia.” 
“What are you talking about? How disgraceful, Junior! If you give up, the match is over right there!” 

Even if he throws out a famous-sounding quote, impossible things are still impossible. 

I’ve been hearing how strong and amazing Belphgamilia is, but being on par with a Lifeless King is way beyond what I imagined. 
There’s no way I’m fighting some absurd monster like that for no good reason! 

“To sense danger quickly and avoid it. That survival instinct is also useful for a ruler.” 

Belphgamilia floats in the air without moving a muscle. 
It feels like an aura of absolute authority radiates from him. 

“But this is to assess your potential, so I can’t let you run away that easily. In fact, feel free to fully savor my power for your own education.” 

As he says that, the atmosphere begins to change. 
…No, the space around us is changing?! 

“Being able to absorb natural mana means becoming one with nature. Push that further, and you become one with the very space itself. And once you do that, you can manipulate the space around you as if it were your own limbs.” 

He’s started narrating. 
This is definitely the intro to something very bad. 

“My master... The Sage focused on this trait and refined it into a technique. What came of that was an art that manipulates space itself. You’ve already experienced it once, haven’t you?” 

Huh? 
Wait, does he mean the Stone Sentinel Maze we got trapped in earlier? 

That thing warped space itself, throwing off our sense of direction. It wasn’t an illusion. 

“That was a simple version. If my master gets serious, he can use space magic that completely seals even dragons. As his disciple, I am, modestly speaking, a space-distorter myself.” 

The space around us shifts again…! 
We were just on the purified, lofty summit of the world’s greatest mountain, and suddenly we’re in a bone-dry desert?! 

“Wh-What?!” 

Even Prince Goetia panics, eyes bulging. 

“A desert?! Why a desert?! We were at the summit a moment ago! Is this an illusion? A teleportation spell?! Did he teleport us somewhere without us noticing?!” 

No. 
This is a separate dimension created by Belphgamilia. 
The size, height, temperature, humidity, air pressure...everything in this space is under his complete control. 

“Crimson Sand Formation. Well then, let’s start with the incoming sand wave. Try not to drown.” 

And as soon as he says that...Eeeeeeek! 
A massive tsunami of sand surges toward us! 

And my feet are sinking! 
Is this quicksand?! 

If that gigantic sand wave hits us while we’re stuck, we’ll definitely get buried alive! 

“Tch! Then I’ll…!” 

Prince Goetia begins chanting... 

“Absolute Frost Nova!” 

He unleashes the highest-tier ice spell. 
The sand tsunami freezes solid in an instant. 

“Oh? Impressive judgment and mana capacity.” 

Floating above, Belphgamilia seems amused. 
He still looks completely relaxed. 

“That fighting spirit you show when cornered is good. As the one meant to succeed Zedan, you must have that much at least. Now then, let’s move briskly onward to the next trial.” 

Huh?! 
There’s more?! 

“Next is the Howling Wind Formation. Let’s see how you endure raging winds.” 

Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaah! 

The desert vanishes, and the next moment, wind! 
Or rather, a storm! 

Caught in the violent winds, we’re thrown around helplessly. 
There’s no ground beneath us, only rampaging currents tossing us everywhere. 

The wind spirals like a giant tornado, so both Prince Goetia and I are spinning around in circles. 

High above us, in the calm eye of the storm, Belphgamilia watches. 

“What makes the Howling Wind Formation so fearsome isn’t only the chaotic turbulence, but the lack of any ground to cling to. This is the sort of offense you can perform once you control pocket dimensions. How is it?” 
“H-HYSHAAAAA?! OOGHBLBLBLBLBL!” 

Ugh, Prince Goetia is totally overwhelmed. 
With no up, down, front, or back, his sense of stability is gone. 

We’re like dead leaves tossed in winter wind. 
We can’t stay like this. 

Come on, me. 
I have to fight this somehow! 

Then again, the only thing I have is the Hand of Ultimacy. 
The skill that maximizes whatever I touch, but how can that help here? 

Belphgamilia controls the entire space. Around me, there’s nothing but wind. There’s nothing I can touch. 
Doesn’t that mean my skill is totally useless right now? 

A skill that only works by touching things… revealing its weakness here?! 

No, don’t give up. 
If I don’t give up, I’ll find something. 
The Hand of Ultimacy isn’t my only strength. My farm life, my time in Farm Kingdom, those experiences are also part of me. 

Think… what do I know? 
…Wait! 

I remember hearing something somewhere! 

—“If you put your hand out into a 60 km/h wind, it feels just like touching someone's breasts.” 

Which means you can touch wind. 
Touch it… and I can use the Hand of Ultimacy. 

My hand, my palm, my nerve endings! 
Feel the winddddddd! 

...And in that instant, the wind stops. 

No, technically, the storm is still raging. 
But I can now control the wind through the Hand of Ultimacy, and with it, I can float around freely. 

Prince Goetia, meanwhile, is still a helpless autumn leaf being tossed around. 

“GYOHWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” 

Belphgamilia doesn’t seem bothered. As I rise to his height, he gives a thin smile. 

“Oh? You managed to control the wind inside a space that belongs entirely to me. The Saint must have been blessed to have a son like you.” 
“I’ll take that as praise.” 

Though honestly, this is rough. 
Even if I can control the wind, Belphgamilia’s dominance over this entire space keeps pushing back, trying to reclaim control. 

If I let my focus slip for a second, I’ll fall right back into leaf-mode. 
And I have no other ideas left. 
This is bad. 

“Well then, since you cleared the Howling Wind Formation, let’s move to the next stage.” 

Huh?! 
There’s MORE?! 

“Of course. My Ten Great Formations are only just getting started. Eight stages remain. Show me your talent, wisdom, kingly force, and your resolve.” 

Why is he still so calm?! 
I’m already at my limit, and the fight is still going?! 

“Next is the Frostbite Ice Formation. Let’s see how you handle a world of extreme cold and ice.” 

I’m done! 
Fighting the strongest human is way too exhausting! 

And even if we win, there’s nothing in it for me! What kind of pointless battle is this?! 
I just wanna go down the mountain alreadyyyyy!