When the Mage of red Electric Shock appeared, the Rebels were thrown into chaos.

As he moved like a flash and unleashed Electric Shock, Mages were falling helplessly.

If they tried to cast magic in response, he would disappear from their sight and appear somewhere else.

The cycle was so short that they couldn’t complete their casting.

‘Th-this is…!?’

Duke Vitaminis, who was like the leader of the Rebels, just gaped with wide eyes.

This kind of response wasn’t even in the siege warfare manual.

A Mage jumping into enemy lines alone was no different from suicide.

But that suicidal act, thanks to excellent Blink and 2nd-tier Magic, became a dagger that caught them off guard.

2nd-tier Magic is clearly superior to 3rd-tier Magic.

Although the power itself might be similar, its flexibility and instantaneous emission speed could not be matched by 3rd-tier Magic.

“Give us orders!”

“Duke Vitaminis!”

The surrounding Mages were all looking at Duke Vitaminis, awaiting his command.

At this rate, only damage would accumulate.

He had to quickly give orders and decide on a response strategy.

“Damn it!”

Duke Vitaminis first cursed, then shouted at the Mages.

“Mages of House Vitaminis, activate Spatial Segmentation Magic!”

One of the reasons the order was delayed was because he needed to calculate the ‘personnel required to maintain defensive magic’.

If they released the defensive magic here, offensive magic would fly from the Fortress.

They had to pull out enough personnel to withstand most offensive magic and counter that Mage of red Electric Shock.

And Duke Vitaminis’s order, of course, reached Kim Songcheol’s ears.

He had covered his eyes, but not his ears.

‘Tsk.’

If Spatial Segmentation Magic is activated, Blink will be blocked.

He would be completely trapped in the middle of enemy territory.

Not even Kim Songcheol could withstand the magical bombardment.

This battle was initiated with reliance on mobility. There was no reason to persist once mobility was lost.

However, he had no intention of leaving quietly. This was a surprise attack, and a one-time operation.

The rebels were not fools. Next time, they would surely prepare for the blink.

He had to inflict as much damage as possible this time.

Kim Songcheol ceased his defensive magic and detected the casting of another spell.

They were the mages of the Vitamis Dukedom.

They were scattered in groups of a dozen or so throughout the area.

Kim Songcheol appeared in the center of the mages with a blink.

Due to the nature of blink magic, there is a force that pushes the surroundings to create space for the user to appear.

Because of this, the mages were slightly pushed back and staggered.

And it was only after staggering that the mages noticed Kim Songcheol’s appearance.

“Ah…?”

At the same time, a red electric shock was discharged.

“Aga gagak!”

Mages falling, caught in the electric shock.

Kim Songcheol moved immediately.

Again, a red electric shock spread, and the mages who were trying to cast spatial segmentation magic fell, emitting smoke.

“Deploy the mages of the Jeron Marquisate!”

Duke Vitamis shouted. At this rate, only damage would accumulate. It was a judgment that they had to respond quickly, even if it meant deploying more personnel.

However, the mages invested in spatial segmentation were those who were casting defensive magic.

As they withdrew, the defensive magic covering Typhon and the surrounding area noticeably weakened.

The Imperial Mages were not going to simply watch that happen.

As soon as the experienced Duke Dorabin saw the defensive magic thinning, he ordered the mages to attack.

Seventh and eighth circle magic, along with magical weapons, were activated, and offensive magic poured down on the heads of the rebels.

Clang!

Kwagagagang!

The rebels’ defensive magic began to break down from its weakest points.

Mages in the areas where the defensive magic had shattered slumped to the ground, and several of the densely poured offensive spells struck through the gaps.

Flames erupted within the defensive magic. Poison mist spread, and the powerful magical force of the magical weapons tore through the defensive magic, overturning the earth.

Each time an attack landed, nearby mages died, further widening the gaps in the defensive magic.

Though spatial segmentation was completed belatedly, covering the surroundings, Kim Songcheol had already leisurely escaped.

“Gather around Typhon!”

Ultimately, Duke Vitamis directly deployed defensive magic to envelop Typhon and shouted.

The scattered mages gathered around Typhon.

They had only managed to retrieve the mages who had lost consciousness due to the red electric shock and those who were injured by the offensive magic.

Almost half of the casualties were gone.

It was a painful loss for a sudden surprise attack.

“Don’t think this is the end.”

Duke Vitamis spat out words towards the Mage of Red Electric Shock, who was looking down at the battlefield from a distant hill.

Although his entire face was covered by a hood, he clearly knew that his gaze was on him.

“Retreat!”

The next moment, a gigantic Teleportation Formation was created on the ground, and a large light burst out.

The surviving Mages, the wounded, and even Typhon were taken and moved somewhere.

At that point, Kim Songcheol had already returned to the form of the Emperor and was looking down from the Terrace.

The ‘Mage of Red Electric Shock’ that Duke Vitamis had threatened was actually an Illusion left by Kim Songcheol.

He had already returned to the Fortress before the Spatial Segmentation was completed.

Of course, no one knew that the Emperor had disappeared somewhere and returned, except for Marquis Sigon and Duke Dorabin, who were guarding the Fake Emperor.

This was because the Terrace was high and extended forward, making it difficult for anyone below to see the Emperor if he moved even a little further inside.

“We defeated them!”

“We held them off!”

As the Rebels retreated, the Emperor’s Mages cheered.

When Typhon appeared, there was anxiety and despair, but now it was different.

Hope had emerged.

Questions about the Mage of Red Electric Shock naturally remained, but they were not greatly important.

Because he was protecting the Emperor.

‘Ah, I should have destroyed that.’

Kim Songcheol secretly swallowed his regret. Among the reasons he personally jumped into the battlefield, the biggest goal was to incapacitate Typhon.

But there weren’t as many opportunities as he thought. To do anything to the siege weapon, he would have to use powerful magic, but he didn’t have enough time.

Even Kim Songcheol couldn’t cast powerful magic while constantly using Blink.

‘Still, I saved 50 million for now.’

He had earned his keep, and his daily wages had accumulated.

Second day of the part-time job.

Kim Songcheol was satisfied with that.

Thus, the third day dawned.

He stood on the Terrace all day, but thankfully, the Rebels did not show themselves.

There was also a slight feeling of unease.

Could it be that the fact that he was a Fake Emperor was discovered?

If all the Rebels had spread out to find the real Emperor, then the Emperor’s safety could not be guaranteed.

What if the Emperor were to die?

There was a high probability that he wouldn’t get paid.

‘Well… I should still be prepared.’

Kim Songcheol fell into thought, looking down at the wide open area from the Terrace.

The enemies will bring out the Typhon again.

Because it was almost the only way to break the Perial Shield.

Other than that, there’s a large-scale cooperative Magic used by many Mages, but I heard that due to Magic Formula limitations, it doesn’t have the same power as the Typhon.

In the case of the Typhon, when I calculated its output, it’s dangerous if hit three times.

The consensus was that a Capital City could be shattered in three shots, and the Nothingness condition would be broken by the fourth shot.

Now, direct close-quarters combat like on the first day will be impossible.

Unless they’re fools, they’ll have prepared, and they’ll completely block the possibility of infiltrating the Castle itself with Blink.

‘So, it’s either strike hard or defend firmly…’

A method of pouring out powerful Magic strong enough to break the enemies’ defensive Magic.

Even with large-scale cooperative Magic, its power doesn’t infinitely soar to Nothingness. Large-scale defensive Magic also has its limits.

So, it might be possible to break through by using the extreme of 2nd-tier Thunder Control (Raien).

Or, it’s worth considering sniping the Typhon’s bombardment to reduce its power.

There will also be a Capital City that can use methods to strengthen the Perial Shield.

‘I’ll have to check it out. I’m free for now anyway.’

Kim Songcheol spoke towards Marquis Sigon, who was standing behind him.

“May I examine the Magic Power core of the Perial Shield?”

“Of course.”

Kim Songcheol followed Marquis Sigon down into the basement.

The Mages who were operating the Magic Power core immediately prostrated themselves on the floor as soon as they saw the Emperor.

“We greet Your Majesty the Emperor!”

“To think you would descend to a place like this…”

At first, this greeting method was uncomfortable, but Kim Songcheol gradually got used to it as they prostrated themselves so often.

“You have worked hard.”

Kim Songcheol praised the Mages and approached the Magic Power core.

‘Hmm.’

A giant Mana Stone.

This is the core of the Perial Shield.

Kim Songcheol examined the magic circle carved around it.

‘This Mana Stone isn’t the fuel… Ah, it’s for amplification. Wow, the magic formula is really well-designed.’

Kim Songcheol admired it inwardly.

The Perial Shield primarily operated on the principle of ‘amplification’.

This massive Mana Stone amplified the caster’s Mana to create a colossal Shield.

If Mana Stone had been used as fuel, it would have been a relatively simple magic formula, but by making amplification the core, the required fuel was greatly reduced.

As a result, the Perial Shield was operating with just 27 Mages injecting Mana.

As Kim Songcheol lightly placed his hand on the Magic Power core, his distinctive Golden Mana spread, and the Magic Power core itself began to glow golden.

Kim Songcheol had not merely completed a Circle but achieved Oneness. The Magic Power core reacted strongly to his highly pure Mana.

He quickly withdrew his hand, so nothing else happened, but he roughly understood how it worked.

‘If this is the case… it will hold up easier than I thought? Should I have done this from the start?’

***

The next day, on the morning of the fourth day, the Rebels appeared in the open field.

Their numbers were approximately 1,500.

They had increased even more than before, and their defenses were very strong.

They were heavily coated with Spatial Segmentation and defensive Magic.

A will to not tolerate even the slightest gap was felt.

The Rebels confidently approached the Fortress and activated the Typhon.

Whoosh!

Light gathered in the barrel of the Typhon, and then a massive beam of light was instantly fired towards the Fortress.

Just before the enormous beam of light, flying at incredible speed, touched the Perial Shield.

Golden light spread from inside the Shield, and the entire Shield was quickly enveloped in golden light.

Boom!

The beam of light collided with the Shield, creating a huge explosion. The Shield shook violently, and as expected, cracks appeared.

The face of Duke Vitamis, who had been puzzled by the sudden golden light, now showed relief again.

Because the Typhon had worked, for now.

“Recharge!”

He shouted at the Mages operating the Typhon.

He thought that if they attacked two or three more times, the Perial Shield would break, but…

“No…?”

The regeneration speed of the golden Perial Shield far exceeded the original calculations.

Cracks appeared, but they healed in an instant.

Duke Vitamis furrowed his brow. To break the Shield, the attack power had to be stronger than the recovery speed.

The Typhon had emerged as a counter to the Perial Shield precisely because it could deliver stronger attacks than its regeneration speed.

But with the regeneration speed dramatically increasing after being enveloped in golden light, the Perial Shield had become like an unbreakable wall.

However, he could not give up. There was no meaning to the rebellion if they couldn’t overthrow the Emperor.

“Fire everything! We must break it!”

Under the orders of Duke Vitamis, the Mages prepared a large-scale offensive spell.

Hundreds of Mages gathered and shot powerful lumps of Mana.

However, the golden Perial Shield didn’t budge.

‘Why don’t they just go home?’

Meanwhile, Kim Songcheol thought as he poured Mana into the Perial Shield.

It would be nice if they’d just give up when they couldn’t break through, but they kept firing attacks until night, as if they were determined to die there.

Thanks to that, Kim Songcheol also couldn’t rest and was continuously pouring Mana.

It wasn’t too difficult. Most of the Mana was supplied by other Mages, and Kim Songcheol only had to focus on the restoration part.

It was just a bit annoying to have to keep pouring Mana.

‘Indeed, making money is never easy.’

Every time the Fortress was hit by Typhon’s attack, the entire Fortress rumbled loudly. Some stone dust fell from the underground ceiling, but Kim Songcheol merely poured Mana with a somewhat bored expression.

***

Thus, the next day arrived.

The fifth and final day.

It was around lunchtime.

It was when Kim Songcheol had been continuously pouring Mana for almost 36 hours.

“Reinforcements have arrived! A battle has broken out in front of the Fortress!”

A Mage urgently delivered the news.

With reinforcements arriving, he couldn’t just stand by.

Kim Songcheol finally stepped away from his duty of maintaining the Shield and ascended to the Terrace.

The situation he observed from above was quite hopeful.

Numerous Mages had already appeared, surrounding the Rebels and firing spells, while the Rebels were unable to escape and were being bombarded with concentrated fire.

The Emperor had succeeded in persuading the Neutral Nobles.

Even at this very moment, Mages were appearing one after another on the battlefield, and their numbers already overwhelmed the Rebels.

Kim Songcheol instinctively scanned the battlefield quickly.

He was looking for his employer.

But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t see the real Emperor.

‘Why… isn’t he here?’

It was then.

A Mage came up to the Terrace. It was an unfamiliar face. He was a Mage who had newly entered the Fortress through the Teleportation Site.

His expression was urgent.

He ignored Kim Songcheol, who looked like the Emperor, and approached Duke Dorabin, whispering to him.

“Duke Dorabin, His Imperial Majesty… has passed away…”