《Fated to Be Loved by Villains》 Prologue Prologue (EP-0) Marriage Proposal Prologue - Marriage Proposal The butterfly effect sucks. Of course, there is nothing wrong with the phenomenon proposed by the theory. Different conditions give varying results. However, its existence proved that a small decision has the power to alter a person''s destiny. ¡°My dear.¡± Therefore, it sucks. Well, for me at least. To put it simply. I''ve had a few choices I regret in my life. Choices that led me into this situation. Why, there''s typically that one thing. I shouldn¡¯t have yed that damned game. [ Savior Rising ] In short, academy genre shows. The drama between innocent youth, usually featuringplex and multifaceted characters. While, at the same time, retaining familiarity and archetypes. It¡¯s a good game. If only I didn''t get stuck there. Does that even make sense? Could someone get dragged in a game for ying it? I''mpletely oblivious as to why this happened. Is it because some God-like being willed it or the attachment I have with the main character? Like usual, Ipleted the game, saw through the ending, had my fun and then went to bed. The next time I opened my eyes, I was already here. ¡°My dear. Are you listening?¡± I didn''t answer. Maybe that person wouldn''t notice that I¡¯m here and go away. Oh, please. ¡°I already knew you''re in there. You¡¯d better open the door.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have already talked with (Dorm) Supervisor Ophelia, you have no special ss scheduled today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They''re like a stalker. I''ll need toe up with another way to send them away¡­ ¡°Alright, so you''re really going to ignore me till the end?¡± A helpless sigh came from behind the door. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll cut this thing down and invite myself in.¡± This lunatic... Without giving me any chance to respond, a pitch-ck sword that seemed to suck up all the surrounding light pierced the door of my private room. The Elfante Imperial Academy''s dorm facility was designed to keep the students inside safe even when againstrge monsters. It was not, by any means, easy to break. However, this terrifying woman just cut through it like cardboard. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a vition of the school rules?¡± "The Student Council is responsible for enforcing the punishment for the rule vitions. It just so happens that I''m the Student Council President.¡± She literally just admitted to abusing her power. The woman then sheathed the ck sword into a simrly dark scabbard, which matched her also-dark outfit. She wore ck clothing from head to toe, contrasting the whiteness of her pale skin and long straight hair. Her bright red eyes particrly popped in such a monochrome color scheme. Finally, the distinctive ¡®noble¡¯ air around her ties all those features together. This unique look was engraved in my memory. No, it''s impossible to forget. ¡°"I came because I have something to say. You''ve been avoiding metely.¡± ¡°...¡± "That''s about... the 32nd time now?" "...Why are you counting this?" I bluntly replied, as I collect my thoughts. Elnore, the Student Council President of Elfante Academy. She''s a popr belle well-rounded in both literary and martial arts, and is the daughter of Duke Tristan. A character that shines blindingly bright and a freshman-nobody like me would never cross paths. At least, that''s what should''ve happened, if things went the way they''re supposed to. ¡°¡­¡± In the first ce, not being involved with this woman was better for me. More images flood my mind. The illustrations and CGs I saw in the ''original work''. A bloodied Elnore building mountains of corpses with her ck longsword. Elnore, with her red eyes shing fiercely,manding an army of demons and monsters. Etc., etc. What''s certain though, was that regardless of where you look, she leaves one consistent impression. She''s a ¡®frightening viin¡¯. Yes, that''s no secret. This woman is the ¡®Final Boss¡¯ of this Sera World. If the protagonist doesn¡¯t stop her, she''ll eventually throw the whole world in a fire pit. A person of such caliber and significance should have just passed by an extra like me, nothing more. ¡°You know why I came all the way here.¡± However, in the end, it''s toote. The butterfly wings had already fluttered and blew the gust of fate that led me to this current situation. Her red eyes coldly stared at me, while her grip on the sword''s handle tightened. The heavy atmosphere became even more serious. Her mouth parted once more. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again, Dowd Campbell.¡± A ¡®storm¡¯ had brewed with the p of the butterfly''s wings. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Really... I still couldn''t wrap my head around this simple yet full-of-implications question. Dowd Campbell. The heir to a minor lord of a remote region with not the slightest recognition. A freshman-nobody at the Academy. And a bottom dwelling, unrecognized extra of this world. And such a person now is... He''s being proposed to by a woman who would destroy the world within a few years. Chapter 0: Marriage Proposal Chapter 0: Marriage ProposalThe concept known as the butterfly effect was a motherfucking piece of shit. Of course, there was nothing wrong with the phenomenon proposed by the theory itself. It went without saying that changing conditions could lead to different oues. However, its existence proved that a small decision had the power to alter a person''s destiny. ¡°My dear.¡± ''Therefore, it''s a fucking piece of shit. Well, for me, at least.'' To put it simply... I have made some choices in my life that I regret. Choices that led me into this situation. Why, there was typically that one thing.I shouldn¡¯t have yed that damned game. [ Savior Rising ] In short, Sera. An academy drama between innocent youth, usually featuringplex and multifaceted characters. While, at the same time, retaining familiarity and archetypes. It was a good game. If only I hadn''t gotten sucked into it. Did that even make sense? That someone would get trapped inside a game just because they yed it a bit? I waspletely oblivious as to why this happened. Was it because some God-like being willed it, or was it because of the attachment I had with the main character? As usual, Ipleted the game, saw through the ending, had my fun, and then went to bed. And then, the next day, I woke up inside the game. ¡°My dear. Are you listening?¡± I didn''t answer. Maybe that person wouldn''t notice that I was here and go away. ''Oh, please.'' ¡°I already know you are in there. You¡¯d better open the door.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have already talked with Dorm Supervisor Ophelia. You have no sses scheduled today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They were like a stalker. I needed toe up with another way to send them away¡­ "Alright. Are you nning to ignore me until the end?" A helpless sigh came from behind the door. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll cut this thing down and invite myself in.¡± ''This lunatic...'' Without giving me any chance to respond, a pitch-ck sword that seemed to suck up all the surrounding light pierced the door of my private room. The Elfante Imperial Academy''s dormitories were designed to keep the students inside safe, even againstrge monsters. It was not, by any means, easy to break. However, this terrifying woman just cut through it like cardboard. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a vition of school rules?¡± "The Student Council is responsible for enforcing the punishment for the rule vitions. It just so happens that I''m the Student Council President.¡± She literally just admitted to abusing her power. The woman then sheathed the ck sword into a simrly dark scabbard, which matched her also-dark outfit. She wore ck clothing from head to toe, contrasting the whiteness of her pale skin and long, straight hair. Her bright red eyes particrly popped in such a monochrome color scheme. Finally, the distinctive noble air around her tied all those features together. This unique appearance was engraved in my memory. No, it was more so that it was impossible to forget. ¡°I came because I have something to say. You''ve been avoiding metely.¡± ¡°...¡± "That''s about... the 32nd time now?" "...Why are you even counting it?" I bluntly replied as I collected my thoughts. Eleanor, the Student Council President of Elfante Academy. She was a popr belle, well-rounded in both literary and martial arts. She was also the esteemed daughter of Duke Tristan. A character that shone blindingly bright and someone a freshman-nobody like me would never cross paths with. At least, that was how things were meant to be if things went the way they were supposed to. ¡°¡­¡± In the first ce, not being involved with this woman was better for me. More images flooded my mind. The illustrations and CGs I saw in the original game. A bloodied Eleanor building mountains of corpses with her ck longsword. Eleanor, with her red eyes shing fiercely,manding an army of Devils and monsters. Etc., etc. What was certain though, was that she left one consistent impression regardless of where you looked. She was a frightening viin. Yes, that''s no secret. This woman was the Final Boss in this world known as Sera. If the protagonist didn¡¯t stop her, she would eventually throw the whole world into a pit of fire. A person of such caliber and significance should had just passed by an extra like me, nothing more. ¡°You know why I came all the way here.¡± But in the end, it was all toote. The butterfly''s wings had already fluttered and blew the gust of fate that led me to this current situation. Her red eyes coldly stared at me while her grip on the sword''s handle tightened. The heavy atmosphere became even more serious. Her mouth parted once more. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again, Dowd Campbell.¡± A storm had brewed with the p of the butterfly''s wings. "Will you marry me?" ¡°¡­¡± Really... I still couldn''t wrap my head around this simple yet dizzying question. Dowd Campbell. The heir to a baron of a remote region with not the slightest recognition. A freshman-nobody at the Academy. And a bottom-dwelling, unrecognized extra of this world. And such a person was now... ...Proposed to by the woman who would eventually bring about the world''s destruction within a few years. Chapter 1.1 Chapter 1.1 (EP-1.1) Meeting 001 - Meeting ¡ñ So, how did this happen? ¡ñ The Campbell Baron Family is a small noble family located in a small barony on the outskirts of the Empire. I think they''re only mentioned once in Sera¡¯s main story? There were no dungeons with monsters in the area and the main industry was also just simple dairy farming. The lord and his family are actually just friendly neighbors. Naturally, the slightest ident or event would cause a big uproar, as if the world had been overturned. Namely. The Lord¡¯s son entering the Imperial Academy. A rare spectacle of the residents of the territory collectively crying, as if they''re being abandoned. ¡°You¡¯re leaving atst, Dwod.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Baron Armin Campbell, a warm and kind middle-aged man, hugged me while wiping away his welling tears. ¡°You are the pride of our territory. Please take care of yourself and graduate safely.¡± ¡°Of course, don''t worry.¡± I separated from Father with a confident smile. He may look like this, but he''s built with pure hard muscle. Dairy farming and farming in general are hard jobs, so even if you don¡¯t specifically train your body, you''ll be toned. ¡°However, never get into a fight. The Imperial Academy is a ce where high-ranking children from all over the empire gather. It¡¯s best for small barons like us to be as inconspicuous as possible¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, really.¡± Doubling the confidence level in my smile, I cut off Nagging Season 1823718029837. Well, his worries were not unfounded considering the main story of Savior Rising. An aristocratic family with weak prestige would be easily swept up in all sorts of power struggles between the powerful and entric high-ranking nobles. Fortunately, I also don''t have the slightest intention of viting my father¡¯s advice. < Status Info > ¡¸Dowd Campbell¡¹ Strength: F Agility: F Endurance: F Luck: F Power: F < Skill Info > [ No Skill in Possession ] < Mastery Info > [ No Specialization Skill in Possession ] < Special Gift > [ Unawakened ] ¡°¡­¡± It was an eye watering, neat Status Window. However, all my stats are F, an unprecedented trash start that I''ve never once encountered out of all the ytime I¡¯ve put into Sera. ¡®This is dangerous¡­¡¯ With a wry smile, I turned my gaze to the small window next to the main page. [ Main Quest ] [ Enter the Academy and be assigned a ss! ] This is something I often saw in the game, so it''s nice seeing it here. But the existence of a system page called the ¡®Quest Window¡¯ was a problem itself. The fact that a main quest exists means that there are scenarios to ovee. This also means that the Academy that I''m about to enter will be a pandemonium, a breeding ground for different types of plots and conspiracies. ¡®I can¡¯t just skip the main quest¡­¡¯ Considering the game''s system and mechanics, the moment you don¡¯t do it, it will be ¡®game over¡¯. I don¡¯t think that would ever do anything good for me. At the very least, something akin to death awaits me. ¡®But it doesn¡¯t make sense for me toplete the quest myself.¡¯ In the first ce, my motto was, ¡®Never do anything that hinders survival¡¯. I have no idea why I¡¯m here, but one thing is certain. I must live to see the happy ending. So getting involved in the main story with these garbage stats would simply get me deleted in one breath. Although this guy does have an unawakened special gift, it''s hard expecting anything from it. I don''t even have a clue on how to awaken it. ¡®All I know is that it would automatically do so when the characterpleted a special action¡­¡¯ I don¡¯t know about yer characters, but there¡¯s definitely no way I would know the gift conditions for an extra character like this. So what¡¯s the best course of action I can take in this situation? Faithfully fulfilling my role as an extra. Don''t stand out, don¡¯t show off and keep low-key. Just let the main character take care of everything. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father!¡± Uh. Now that I think about it, the advice that my father gave couldn''t sound any wiser. Is that really nagging if that''s the case? ¡°I will do my best to be invisible at the Academy!¡± ¡°¡­Uh, no, there''s no need to go that far¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never have the vain ambition of raising the territory''s honor!¡± ¡°¡­Yes, it¡¯s true that I don¡¯t particrly want that, but¡­¡± After such exchanges, I finally departed from the estate. Though, unlike the beginning, the territory residents'' and my parents'' expressions were a little strange seeing me off. Anyways, what''s good is good. And thus, my low-key Academy Life as an extra is about to begin! ¡ñ I really thought of that. I was envisioning a truly hopeful future. Ah, those dream-filled days. ¡°Do you need a doctor? You don¡¯t look so good.¡± ¡°No, I''m okay, thank you.¡± Actually, no, I''m not okay. As someone who decided tomit to being an extra, meeting the person in front of me was horrifically unfortunate. ¡°¡­¡± I nced at the other person impassively reading the newspaper and sipping tea. Elnore Elinalise La Tristan. The most likely candidate for the Final Boss. ¡®How did I end up traveling with someone like this?¡¯ Thinking so, I couldn''t help but let out an inward sigh. The train bound for Elfante Imperial Academy has two-person rooms. You have no choice since you can''t choose which person you want to share the room with, it''spletely random. It''s just that if the person you''re with was this terrifying, it''s probably okay toment. This type of luck was astonishingly horrendous. ¡®Why would a Duke¡¯s Daughter get a cheappartment that the countryside Barons use anyway?¡¯ As I was thinking about that, an answer suddenly came from the other side. Her gaze was still fixed on the newspaper. ¡°Duke Tristan cares a lot about public image. He focuses on creating a friendly image rather than making us ride first ss just because we''re from a noble family.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you didn¡¯t make the stupid mistake of thinking out loud. Your expression is just funny.¡± The Student Council Presidentughed as she said one thing after another. ¡°The thoughts of the people who ride in the samepartment as me are all the same. You were simply giving off a simr look to them.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± It seems like this wasn''t a one time urrence. Well, as Duke Tristan''s daughter, she¡¯s a huge celebrity that''s almost on par with the Royal Family. A lot of people must''ve felt pressured by her presence. ¡°Rest assured, you won''t be harmed just by being involved with me. I''m sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± [T/N: Please do report any typos and mistakes,ment down below or report it on Discord (here)] Chapter 1.2 Chapter 1.2 (EP-1.2) Meeting 001 - Meeting However, she cares too much for another person. ¡®Isn''t this different from the one in my memory?¡¯ In the game, this person obviously didn¡¯t care about other people. She judges everything by value, a perfectionist that never tolerates ws. Finally, she''s arrogant who always sees others as beneath her. Those were the characteristics that I remember of Elnore. By the way, what is this delicately thoughtful look you''re showing me right now? Regardless if it''s her description or how she''s portrayed, this was undeniably strange. ¡°Do you have any other questions? It doesn¡¯t seem like you''re convinced.¡± ¡°No. It''s just that you''re surprisingly nice.¡± Hearing this, Elnore removed her gaze from the newspaper for the first time. Her eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°Surprising?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have you heard anything bad about me? Have we met before?¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s because I know you¡¯re one of the possible people who''ll destroy the world. However, it was only after meeting the main character did her viinous transformation begin. It all stemmed from the inferiorityplex to the main character, who was considered perfect in all aspects, and has a talent that far surpasses herself. Of course, you might wonder how the world will end just because of an inferiorityplex, but the real problem is the ¡®curse¡¯ that this person has. ¡®Gray Devil.¡¯ Thinking of Duke Tristan, and the name of the existence inside Elnore, I couldn''t help but smile bitterly It''s the worst of the ¡®devils¡¯, the King-ss viins. It''s so bad, in fact, that it appears in the myth of creation. The moment that it''s released, the world is practically over. And the trigger is the moment when Elnore¡¯s mental copses. Throughout the story, Elnore constantly had friction against the main character, and when her mentality copsed, the demon took over her body. After that¡­ It¡¯s the end of the world. Other than the main character fully growing, the destruction cannot be stopped even if the whole world banded together. ¡°¡­¡± "I thought you had an explosive personality, turns out you don''t," I basically said this towards someone like that. I must have gone crazy. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve just heard a lot about you being strict.¡± Elnore stared at me for a while, then sighed. I wondered if my improvised excuse worked. ¡°You''re a strange man, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Yes, that''s what I often hear.¡± I blurted with an awkward smile, before immediately looking out the window. I want to refrain from continuing this conversation further. Anyway, my goal was to just have the main character beat the main quest. There¡¯s nothing good about hanging out with people that''ll often appear in the scenarios. My purpose is to lead a peaceful and quiet academy life, so let''s do just that. Remain calm and enjoy the view outside. The spring scenery in full bloom was very picturesque. It almost feels like you can smell the fragrance of the flowers with your eyes. The new buds blooming, the stretching mountain and streams, the wide fields, and the huge boulder flying towards this window- ¡°¡­¡± Wait, thest one... Fuck! ¡°Student Council President.¡± ¡°Eum?¡± ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± Right after saying that, I dove into Elnore¡¯s arms. ¡°¡­?!¡± I saw that Elnore was greatly shaken. Even if it''s this person, it seems that she still panics if someone suddenly rushed into their arms. Fortunately or unfortunately, the situation continued without pause, leaving no time for exnations. -! -!! -!!!!!!! A house-sized boulder flew towards ourpartment, tearing most of it off. Naturally, suddenly being hit with a huge amount of force, the train shook greatly. Subsequently, the train body deviated from the track and tilted over. -! -!!! -!!!!!!!!!!! A few tumultuous turns was next in line as the entire train rolled over. There were screams everywhere, but even that was drowned out by the roar that followed. It''s probably the sound of the entire train being thrown to the ground. And throughout all of this, Elnore and I are fine. It¡¯s not because I¡¯m lucky, but because of the blue shield around Elnore right now. An automatic saint shield. ¡®I survived knowing that this person always had this¡­¡¯ Drenched in cold sweat, I let out a sigh of relief. If I got directly hit by that thing without any protection, I would''nt have lived. Not with my abilities. ¡°¡­You, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah yes. I''m okay.¡± ¡°Then, can you move? It¡¯s a bit heavy.¡± It¡¯s only after Elnore said this in an emotionless voice from below that I realized that I¡¯m pressing her under my whole body. ¡°¡­¡± I quickly got up from this embarrassing position. After a while, the Student Council President also stood up. She looked down at the ground, tidying up her messy hair and uniform. Perhaps it''s because of the ambiguous mood, but her nape and face were slightly red. Um, what now? Should I apologize first? ¡°I''m sorry-¡° ¡°It''s alright, you were just trying to save me.¡± What? ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had such radical contact with a man, but thank you. I know your intentions, so there is no need to apologize.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Did she interpret it that way? I just rushed in knowing that she has a shield. It seems that from Elnore¡¯s point of view, I was protecting her from the impact. Well, she didn¡¯t know that I knew the existence of the shield in advance. As I was thinking about that, Elnore said another thing. ¡°You, what¡¯s your name?¡± What? This person, ording to the setup, doesn''t she only ask the name of someone she likes? I feel like if I answer something now, we''ll be involved often in the future. ¡°¡­You, what¡¯s your name?¡± However, I can''t just say, ¡®What for?¡¯ to someone in front staring directly at me. Rather, it''s the worst option. ¡°I''m Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°Dowd, Dowd, Campbell, Campbell.¡± Elnore closed her eyes and muttered my name a few times, then nodded. ¡°Got it, I won''t forget it. I will definitely pay you backter.¡± No, you can just forget about it. Like can''t we be as far away from each other as possible? As I was thinking that with an awkward smile, something suddenly appeared in front of me. [ You have gained the viin''s favor! ] [ Satisfied Special Gift awakening conditions! ] [ Obtained the skills ¡®Desperation¡¯ and ¡®Fatal Charm¡¯! ] ¡­What the fuck? *T/N: Skill names are subject to change (like if I think something sounds cooler or more appropriate ording to what the skill does) Chapter 2.1 Chapter 2.1 IMPORTANT:I don''t have the raws for this novel and could only trante up to the free chapters (Episode 15) so if anyone has the raws, feel free to dm me on discord at DuhLion#4454 (EP-2.1) Meeting #2 002 - Meeting #2 ¡ñ The ident was quickly resolved. Turns out that damage due to falling rocks happens quite often because of the mountainous terrain, so there were safety measures already prepared. The fact that there were no deaths or even serious injuries in such a major ident proved that fact. I mean, the train literally rolled! I was just unlucky by having the room I''m staying at get directly hit by the boulder, almost dying in the process. The students quickly transferred to another mode of transport and went straight to the academy, where they received the highest level of medical care in case something was wrong. Getting such full body checks naturally leaves you some time. I could finally examine my situation. Gift #1- Fated Love [ Obtain rewards as you gain favorability of characters with an evil alignment. ] I looked at the description written at the bottom of the window screen dumbfounded. With such conditions, no wonder I couldn''t find anything no matter what I did. Baron Campbell¡¯s territory was so remote that it¡¯s even hard to find anyone with a neutral alignment, let alone an evil one. Naturally, I couldn''t awaken my special gift since the basic conditions weren¡¯t met. Sighing, I turned my attention towards the skills section. < Skill Info > [ Skill: Desperation ] [ ss: ??? ] [ Gain stat enhancement at the moment of danger. The lower the chance of survival, the stronger the effect. ] [ Skill: Fatal Charm ] [ ss: ??? ] [ People with evil alignment are more likely to get attracted to you. The more extreme the alignment, the stronger the effect. ] [Desperation] is probably an ability that helps in survival andbat. Although the activation condition of ¡®moment of danger¡¯ is a little ambiguous, a skill with a stat-enhancing effect will definitely be great. On the other hand, [Fatal Charm]¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Can I really take this? I don¡¯t know how this attracting thing would work, but this game is riddled with dangerous viins. A mad boxer manic about fighting. A swordsman who unconditionally cuts anything closer than three steps from them. A cold-blooded assassin who will kill anyone for money. An arrogant genius mage who sees everyone as mongrels beneath themselves. My temples throbbed as the images of troublesome people shed my mind one after another. Ah, I don¡¯t know. ¡®¡­Isn''t it good to now have at least something?¡¯ I sighed and closed the status window. Acquiring a skill that directly helps with survival is a huge achievement in itself. In the first ce, after arriving here, my course of action revolved around ¡®my own survival¡¯. Trying to be faithful to my duties as an extra is exactly that. So there is no reason to refuse something like this to survive in a world where hell awaits. ¡®However, this is weird¡­¡¯ The skill ss is marked with ''???.'' What is this? Normally, it would at least mark it between the lowest ss F to the highest EX. This is my first time seeing this. ¡°Why are you nkly staring in the air? Would you like me to do another psych exam?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± The medical officer recording my condition on the chart looked at me suspiciously. ¡°The numbers are all normal, but¡­¡± ¡°Then that''s it. In the first ce, no one was hurt in the ident, so why the fuss?¡± ¡°Nominally, it is. Perhaps this whole thing will be just an ident as well.¡± The medical officer replied with a sigh. ¡°But we¡¯ll have to think about whether it really is an ident.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I heard you were riding with Princess Tristan?¡± ¡°¡­What about it?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re from a baron family without a decent background, right?¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I am giving you serious advice. I am also a graduate of Elfante Academy, and like you, I came from a nameless noble family.¡± The medical officer continued with a bitter smile. ¡°Do you think it''s a coincidence that in so many rooms, yours was the one that got hit?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Duke Tristan has many enemies. Before it was fine as you had no choice, but it would be best to avoid them from now on. If you associate yourself with high-ranking nobles, aren''t you the only one seeing blood in the end?¡± Even if you don¡¯t say it, I already know that man. In an academy where all sorts of evil lurk, would that person really have the title of final boss candidate for nothing? It''s fated that you are in danger of dying just by being next to them. If it¡¯s a problem¡­ < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Elnore [ Trust Level 1 ] [ D-2 until rted events ur ] ... Whether I like it or not, I''m already stuck with this person. F_ck. ¡ñ IMPORTANT:I don''t have the raws for this novel and could only trante up to the free chapters (Episode 15) so if anyone has the raws, feel free to dm me on discord at DuhLion#4454 Chapter 2.2 Chapter 2.2 (EP-2.2) Meeting #2 002 - Meeting #2 The entrance ceremony ended in a blink of an eye. Naturally, the ever glorious Elfante Imperial Academy''s freshmen were the cream of the crop. Genius from this town, royalty from that. A barbarian from far beyond the mountains. Even, a thief who made a name for themselves in their hometown. etc. Elfante Academy epts any type of human as long as they have talent. Of course, since they carry the name ''Imperial'', only those who are nobles or have a rmendation from a noble will be epted as students. Of course, as it is a congregation of different types of people, this damned academy has no peaceful moments all year round. For example, the ¡®practical evaluation¡¯ that takes ce right after the entrance ceremony. ¡°Now that the entrance ceremony is over, we''ll proceed with the evaluation-¡± ¡°The evaluation method proceeds with different types of practical exercises including one-on-one sparring-¡± Yes, it¡¯s an educational institution, but there still needs to be different sses. I watched the teaching assistant try to control the students in lining up, and was idly left to my own thoughts. The event was happening, but the mncholy that went beyond that was eating away at me. ¡°¡­¡± I''mma be honest. I¡¯m already tired of the situation. I obviously thought of such a possibility whening here, but meeting the Student Council President felt like everything went wrong. No, it''s precisely a problem caused by the fact that I suddenly got a rted event after the gift opening, which I didn''t even think of. As someone who takes a big part in all the main events that exist in Sera, wherever that person is spells trouble. The moment I got entangled with them, my original n was as good as over. Farewell to an extra''s peaceful life. Wee dreadful in-game scenarios. And facing that scenario is Dowd Campbell with the brilliant all-stat F. How can you not be depressed? ¡°Alright, students, divide yourselves into groups and conduct 1:1 sparring-¡± The assistant¡¯s words only entered one of my ears and passed through the other, still absorbed in my thoughts. So, am I just going to give up on that? No, that¡¯s not it. Even if there is no answer, shouldn¡¯t I try everything I can? It''s my life that''s at stake here. ¡®The immediate goal is¡­¡¯ Let''s get this over with first. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Elnore [ Trust Level 1 ] [ D-2 until rted events ur ] I don¡¯t know what a ¡®rted event¡¯ is, but considering this person¡¯s background, it definitely won¡¯t be something like a simple chat over tea. Blood will be spilled. So, my immediate goal would be to raise my stats as much as possible within two days. ¡°¡­¡± Am I just unlucky? Those fantasy MC''s get a certain amount of time until the event happens. Why do I have to risk my life and find a way to level up within 48 hours? ¡®¡­s, there''s nothing I could do.¡¯ I put 30 points into patience, it¡¯s not worth getting angry. I continued my thoughts. ¡°Hey, you, student.¡± As a veteran in the game, I know how to power myself up inside this academy even with my eyes closed. However, these two days of time are really limiting. Right now, this is the only way to achieve enough growth. Gift #1- Fated Love [ Obtain rewards as you gain favorability of characters with an evil alignment. ] I don¡¯t know what wille, but I got two skills just from Elnore. There is no doubt about the special gift''s effectiveness. In other words, I have to somehow get ¡®the viin¡¯s favor¡¯ now. Even if it¡¯s a minute or just a second faster. ¡°Dowd Campbell!¡± A thunderp-like sound exploded right in front of my nose, which brought my consciousness back into reality. It was the assistant with a frown on their face. ¡°Where is your mind wandering off to! I''ve already called you more than once!¡± Their voice resounded in the surroundings, meaning they must be really angry. Thanks to this, the entire recognizable world is now looking at me. ¡°For your information, since everyone has already chosen a sparring partner other than you, yours has been automatically picked.¡± With those words, the situation became clearer. Most of the eyes looking at me were either pity or ridicule. Sparring partners were usually those people around the same level, but those who missed out on choosing one like dear me will experience hell. Naturally, only the people who ¡®no one wants to fight¡¯ remained. ¡®Ah.¡¯ I sigh inwardly as I looked at ¡®my opponent¡¯. It was a woman with orange hair mixed with some red. She was wearing shabby, worn out sportswear and had a in longsword on her waist. However, there is this bizarre ¡®presence¡¯ that couldn''t be hidden even with this in impression. She exuded ungodly amounts of charisma that it feels like I''ll get overwhelmed just by facing her. I turned my gaze and looked at her name tag which said, [Elijah Krisanax]. I know her. No, it''s impossible to not know someone who''s on par with Elnore. ¡°Um, hello?¡± The greatest genius in the world. The protagonist of the world of ¡®Savior Rising¡¯, who willter grow into the hero, greeted me with an awkward smile. ¡°¡­¡± This, isn¡¯t this terrible? Although the main character¡¯s stats at the start are not very high, this same person wouldter destroy a mountain range with a single strike, whether it¡¯s a sword or magic. Even now, she is a real budding talent. Even before entering the academy, she joined the knights and monster subjugations. She''s even conquering dungeons by herself. She had aplished numerous feats that''s unbelievable for a student. This can be seen from the fact that she was specifically avoided among the freshmen, who were full of talent. Of all the new students, she''s probably the most famous. It is no exaggeration to say that the current gap inbat power between me and her is catastrophic. I could really die¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Wait a minute. I dug a little deeper into my thoughts. I recalled the ¡®abilities¡¯ I have, the ¡®information¡¯ about the other person and my immediate ¡®goal¡¯. Finally, I came to a conclusion. ¡°¡­Hello.¡± I shook the shy girl''s hand and thought to myself. This. Maybe this isn''t a crisis, but an opportunity. ¡ñ Chapter 3.1 Chapter 3.1 (EP-3.1) One Punch 003 - One Punch Beatrix is Elfante Academy''s Student Council Secretary and had been the President''s confidant for over 10 years. That also meant that she was the most angry than anyone else when ites to Elnore runningte for an appointment. ¡°That woman really went crazy...!¡± Beatrix gritted her teeth, as she watched the time tick on her wristwatch. If anything, shouldn''t the most important person like the Student Council President be the one to arrive 10 minutes early? ¡°Se, senior! Count Creitan has just arrived...!¡± ¡°Marquis Gnti is here...!¡± And as the cherry on top was these types of news, which were only fueling her anger. Elfante''s entrance ceremony was not just an ''academy event''. It''s also a gathering of the Empire''s key figures looking to build rtions. To think that she''s unable to keep even the most basic thing like timemitment in front of such people...! As Beatrix tried to douse her rage, someone opened the door of the Student Council room. It was a blood-soaked Elnore. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone, even Beatrix, was silent. Meanwhile, Elnore walked into the room and put her sword down on the desk with a sigh. Eventually, one of the students couldn''t hold it any longer and hupped at the bloody sight. "Something wrong?" It''s only then did Elnore notice the strange silence. Beatrix massaged her throbbing temple and replied. ¡°I have so many questions, but I''ll sum it up in one, so please answer me straight. What have you been doing?¡± ¡°Just some clean up.¡± Having been together for 10 years, Beatrix instantly knew that this was something that shouldn''t be talked about in public. She got it so fast, in fact, that she deserved praise. ¡°...I have to apologize, but the President and I will take care of things from here. I''d like to ask everyone to leave.¡± Beatrix kindly sent off the other students with a bright smile. However, as soon as thest one left, her expression instantly darkened into a devil''s. ¡°What did you do this time?¡± ¡°Nothing, didn''t I say that I just did some clean up?" ¡°If no one is dead, then I''ll agree with you.¡± ¡°Its not that many, only around 12 people?¡± ¡°...¡± Barely keeping her senses after taking some deep breaths, Beatrix continued with a trembling voice to the still expressionless Elnore. ¡°For what reason are you killing this time?¡± ¡°You''re making me sound like a crazed whimsical murderer.¡± Elnore calmly replied as she casually wiped off the blood from her sword. ¡°They were assassins trying to murder me. They dropped a rock on the train on the way to the academy and made it seem like an ident. I took care of them since I''m close by.¡± She spoke as natural as the sun rising in the sky. "You can just leave it up to the academy...!" ¡°Isn¡¯t that cumbersome?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°With someone behind them, there''s no resolving this legally. It''ll obviously be annoying in the future, so I nipped the buds in advance.¡± ¡°...¡± Beatrix clenched her sweaty palms. Leaving aside how Elnore managed to find the guys behind this in less than a day, they were clearly the best among the pros. After all, no one in power that could evade thew would just hire some random thugs. And the fact that she killed all 12 people of such caliber alone... It''s amazing how she could express such things calmly. Like it''s a very natural thing and it wasn''t strange to kill as long as they''re counted as her ''enemy''. It''s almost as if the dormant evil within her would awaken whenever there''s an opportunity. ¡°Or did you want me to be ''just and perfect''? That despite having my life threatened, I''ll benevolently spare the culprits?¡± Beatrix felt her mouth dry. Because she could see the utter disgust in Elnore''s eyes when she asked this. Beatrix knew better than anyone else that this was Elnore''s ''Royal Ire''. ¡°Well, that''s it. You won''t ''force'' me to do that.¡± Fortunately, Elnore withdrew her gaze after polishing her sword. Freed from the pressure, Beatrix breathed sigh of relief as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. This wasn''t even supposed to be the topic, there''s something more urgent right now. ¡°Elnore.¡± "Eung?" ¡°Everything''s good and all, but you''ll bete if you don¡¯t change and get ready. Shouldn''t you hurry up if you don''t want to die?" ¡°...¡± Saying this sentence to someone, who just killed 12 professional assassins, requires the highest level of courage. However, the determination in Beatrix''s eyes was firm. Elnore deeply sighed deeply with a hint of annoyance. ¡°¡­I get it, I get it. I hope the sparring is fun at least. If I have to face those snakes, shouldn''t I have fun at least?¡± ¡°You won''t have to worry about that.¡± Having said that, Beatrix rummaged through the information in her head. ¡°If you go now, you''ll catch a freshman who''s famed to be a prodigy. The match is Elijah Krisanax vs. Dowd... Dowd... what was it?¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell?¡± Beatrix''s eyes widened. "Yes, but how did you remember? That guy has nothing going for him.¡± After a bit of silence, Elnore smirked. ¡°He¡¯s an odd man.¡± ¡°Odd?¡± "Yes." Otherwise, there''s no way she''d say something like this from the get go. As if she knew the darkness within her, Elnore rose from her seat with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we''ll bete if we don''t hurry." "...Your attitude is a little different from before? You look expectant?" "The man''s interesting, that''s all." Elnore chuckled. "Let me see what you got in this sparring." ¡ñ Chapter 3.2 Chapter 3.2 (EP-3.2) One Punch 003 - One Punch If there''s gambling culture in this academy, betting on my side and winning would rake in a lot of cash because of the extreme ratio. On the pr opposite, they''ll terribly lose if I lose. This was the current atmosphere of the crowd right now. Everyone''s eyes were full of anticipation, that is in how I would get crushed. Even I agree with them. In this situation, I didn''t even think of betting on myself to get a reverse sweep because that''s never going to happen. ¡°How long do you think he''llst?¡± ¡°How long? Shouldn''t he be looking in getting the least injured?¡± "Well, what talent would a guy who crawled out of some trashy baron family have?" These were the types of conversations all around, however, I have no intention of refuting them. This kind of ridicule was actually good since most wouldn''t even care, knowing such obvious results. ''This is just sad...'' With that thought in mind, I looked at the other person. It was just a girl warming up, doing some stretches. However, to my eyes, she was like a giant serpent with its mouth wide open and tongue flicking towards its prey. If you rece me with a mouse, it might have more chances. My only saving grace was this. [ Skill: Desperation ] [ ss: ??? ] [ Gain stat enhancement at the moment of danger. The lower the chance of survival, the stronger the effect. ] My stats were a joke,plete garbage. It wouldn''t be strange if I died after getting hit once. No matter how you look at it, this was a ''moment of danger'', right? ¡°...¡± This could turn horrific. I wondered if I''m betting too much on a weird skill with question marks as its ss. ''Ah, I don''t know.'' No matter how much I thought about it, there''s no other way to keep up with the growth rate required of me other than this craziness. I''m not in a position to be picky when I''ll face a life-threatening event in two days. Anyway, let''s go for broke. ''I should aim for...'' ording to the story, the sparring event following the entrance ceremony is a main event where all kinds of people gather to watch. There''s probably ''high-ranking nobles'' and ''key figures of the academy'' who have major influence participating. Meaning, I''ll definitely encounter the ''viins''. I have no intention of winning either. Losing after a hard-fought battle was the best I could hope for. Right now, I should focus on ''not dying''. In that way, even if I might not necessarily gain the ''favor'' of the viins, but I''ll definitely be able to attract their ''interest''. It won''t be impossible. I''m a veteran at this game, and I know what kind of attacks this person can use. If youbine that information advantage with stat buffs, the possibility is quite high... "Excuse me." Elijah, who had drawn her sword, spoke to me while I was preupied with my thoughts. She said it in a low voice so no one else could hear it. ¡°Tell me honestly. You''re insanely weak, aren''t you?¡± ¡°...¡± Why are you suddenly stabbing a sore spot? ¡°I was originally nning on hitting you once, but...¡± She smiled bitterly while uttering some odd words. ¡°Why?¡± "You were in the same cabin as Princess Tristan, right?" Elijah smiled and continued. ¡°I hate that person. No, it''s not just her, I hate the entire Tristan Family.¡± Her ensuing voice contained frost-like hatred. ¡°They''re a devilish family.¡± Now that some courage right there. In this world, the existence of ''devils'' is taboo to even mention. It''s a harbinger of disasters. It wouldn''t be strange if Duke Tristan tried to kill her immediately upon hearing these words. ''...Well, I can''t say she''s wrong.'' The problem is that they''re tied to a devil. It''s not that they''re ''like'' a devil, but people who actually signed a contract with the devil. Further, this person has a deep-seated grudge towards Duke Tristan. It''s probably a grudge that dates way back in the family history, so it''s not like I can''t understand where it''sing from... ¡°... But I was just riding in the same cabin as her though?¡± ¡°You remind me of that person, which annoys me, so I was gonna make it painful for you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°However, seeing your skills made me reconsider. Should we just pretend to fight each other and end it? You don''t want to get hurt either, do you?" She winked while whispering at me. Well, I''m sure she''s doing this for my own good. However, this doesn''t really make sense for my current situation. My life is at stake and I badly needed to exponentially grow within two days. And the only way to achieve that is doing the opposite of that. In other words. ¡°I think you should just hit me as painfully as you want.¡± "...Yes?" ¡°I quite like her.¡± I have a reason to antagonize this person. Elijah nkly blinked. Though, it soon changed to a convinced face. ¡°She has a good public image, doesn''t she? Something like that definitely trick people. However, that''s just all-¡± ¡°- Facade. I know. In fact, I have a rough idea of her actions." ¡°...¡± Chapter 3.3 Chapter 3.3 (EP-3.3) One Punch 003 - One Punch Elijah''s expression hardened in an instant. ¡°¡­Are you serious?¡± ¡°I like her as much as you hate her.¡± That''s a lie. Heck, I didn''t even want to be involved with Elnore. Mainly because I don''t want to, you know... die! But right now, this is the only way to get Elijah to seriously attack me and trigger the skill. Anyway, ording to the story timeline, Elnore should be meeting with high-ranking nobles at this moment. There''s no way she''d pay attention to me in such an important event... [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been activated. ] [ The viin''s favor towards you has greatly increased! ] [ Rewards are added to the Gift tab! ] ¡°...¡± So I don''t know why these messages suddenly popped up. As I looked at her in bewilderment, the hard-faced Elijah was popping her neck. "Is that so?" Her tone was distinctively different from before, paired with a bleak expression. "Then I don''t have to feel guilty." Then the next moment, I found her right in front of me. She was insanely fast. It was as if there was only the beginning and end of the whole movement, no in-between. ''Sweet mother of Jessus...!'' I internally screamed and threw my body. I barely managed to dodge, as the wooden sword passed by. The sight of the ''cut-out'' clothes fluttering in front of my eyes made me shudder. How on earth is there a human that could wield a wooden sword like a real de? If I hadn''t known that her attack wasing, I would''ve been seriously injured. "Ara~? You dodged it? I guess you''re not aplete weakling. She didn''t seem to have any intention on stopping. Turning her head slightly, she immediately started preparing for another strike. It''ll definitelye directly to me, who hasn''t even recovered from thest attack yet. ¡°Then should I hit it a little harder?¡± Then, in an instant, her sword went straight for my chest. ''This crazy b?tch...!'' She probably thinks I got some ability because I avoided her attack. However, that was just a fluke! I only managed to do so because I have the information. Otherwise, I would''ve had an extra hole in my body! If I get hit with something like this, then I''ll really die! ¡°...!¡± Left with no choice, I gritted my teeth and struck with my bare fist. I have no time to pull out any weapon. Also, this is clearly a ''moment of danger.'' The skill will definitely activate. I don''t know how much it''ll help, but it should have some impact. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX ss. ] ''...EX grade?'' Isn''t this the highest ss? However, there was no time to express my surprise. -! -!!! -!!!!!!!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Elijah met my fist. Then, her body flew at an invisible speed andnded on one side of the building wall. ¡ñ Chapter 4.1 Chapter 4.1 (EP-4.1) Aftermath 004 - Aftermath Paradoxically, people don''t react as much to shocking thingspared to minor ones.Even as Elijah was being carried away by the emergency team after getting smashed into the wall, there was only a heavy silence. If someone were to breath a little too heavily, it would probably be heard by everyone due to the extremeck of sound.It felt like everyone''s souls had left their bodies.¡°Victory, Dowd Campbell.¡± At the same time the dumbfounded referee announced the results... "...What was that?!"¡°What did that guy do?!¡± A deafening uproar erupted from every direction.Who is Dowd Campbell? What the hell is going on in Baron Campbell''s territory? No, this is not the time for this, gathering information is the priority.Amidst the chaotic world around me, I simply stood in solitude while staring nkly at the sky.I.An F allstat.A bottom dwelling freshman with only two unknown skills under his belt.Right now, on the first day of admission to the academy.The literal start of my academy life... I somehow defeated the main character with one punch. ¡°¡­Ah, f_ck.¡± How do I exin this? ¡ñThe Elfante Imperial Academy is one of the best educational institutions in the continent. The only ces that couldpete with it are, at most, the Holy Land''s [Great Temple] or the Tribal Union''s [Fighting Furnace]. With an institution like that, the faculty were naturally exceptional.¡°...¡±¡°...¡± However, the current situation was arguablypletely outside of everyone''s expectations.And even such people couldn''t hide their surprise.In a magic crystal embedded in the center of the table, a video of Elijah Krisanax getting KO''d in one punch was being yed repeatedly.¡°This case.¡±The Knights Faculty Head said in a heavy tone.¡°This student named Dowd looks like an excellent con artist.¡±"... Isn''t your evaluation too harsh, Conrad?"¡°It just doesn''t make any sense.¡± The middle-aged man with a cross-shaped scar on his face shook his head and replied to the president''s smiley words.¡°Anyone with some insight would have noticed this as soon as they saw him. This Dowd Campbell had nothing going for him before the start of the spar. No fighting capabilities nor skills. But..." He then manipted the video to the moment when Elijah got hit. ¡°For this one blow, it is unmistakably ''real''.¡±¡°What do you mean ''real''?¡±¡°I dare say no human in this academy can survive a direct hit from that. At least not me.¡± With those words, the silence in the room unironically became even more deafening.This wasing from an Imperial Guard, the pinnacle of all knights on the continent. Considering his background, there''s no reason for him to tter a mere student.Especially considering that the people present in this room were faculty onlyposed of the best talents on the continent. ¡°Regardless if it''s some Illegal drug or unknown magic tool, there''s a high chance that something was used to temporarily generate that strong firepower. I think everyone here has the same thoughts.¡±Because.If not, then the existence of this Dowd Campbell would be much more troublesome. ¡°There''s also other possibilities.¡± He paused for a moment, then smiled.It''s as if it was a ridiculous thing for him to say. ¡°Let''s say... He''s a peerless genius! A terrifying monster that only a handful of people couldpare.¡± This wasn''t a strange thing to say.Simply put, not even one among ten thousand people believed that Dowd Campbell would win.After all, his opponent was ''her,'' Elijah Krisanax. The next [Hero] candidate that the Imperial Family had been keeping an eye on. [T/N: ?? could mean different things like warrior, knight or brave. But I''ll use Hero since Elijah is the ''hero''/MC of the game] The Hero possessesbat skills that reached an unattainable level, an intellectparable to the Gods, and an unwavering spirit that would never falter in any situation.Dowd Campbell had none of these talents. At least on paper, this man was truly on the level of an insect. ¡°...¡± The problem is, that catastrophic gap was closed in a mere punch!Done by an unknown existence with highly questionable ''talent''.However, if they''re not a cheater, but an actual genuine talent then... ''They''ll be the eye of the storm.'' An existence that would bring about a great upheaval.Conrad thoughtfully stroked his chin. ¡°However, we couldn''t just acknowledge that student''s victory. Marquis Kendride won''t sit still.¡± Conrad nodded at the president''s words.The Kendride Family is one of the oldest and most prestigious family in the empire, famous for having a rough rtionship with Duke Tristan. As an avid supporter of Elijah Krisanax, Marquis Kendride would definitely not want topromise Elijah''s ''marketability''. ¡°...¡± Conrad''s expression hardened.Politics in a space that was clearly established for teaching?If you find a talented student, you should treat them ordingly. ¡°But it would be a big loss for the academy to abandon a student who clearly stands out. Anyway, whether he is a fraud or not will be revealed sooner orter. Let''s wait and see.¡± The president continued with a light smile, seemingly to have read Conrad''s thoughts.Conrad''s eyes widened. ¡°What do you mean?¡±¡°There are a lot of interesting freshmen this particr year. A few with strong personalities that need to be managed separately.¡±Although the tone used was still light. ¡°If this student is good enough for the president to say that¡­ then he must have a role to y. For them.¡± It was undoubtedly significant.¡ñI''ve been thinking of ways to work out the aftermath of knocking out the main character.I''ll need to solve this problem in the future. ¡°...¡± No, it''s already a problem now.Currently, there are countless people moring outside my dorm for a chance to meet me. s, I have no way of dealing with this right now.Thanks to my outstanding performance, my reputation and the attention on me has skyrocketed. [ Shocking Sparring Defeat Of Marquis Kendride-vouched Rising Star?! ] [ Featured Article: Hot Topic Dowd Campbell. Who Is He? ] I''ve discovered one unnecessary fact about the media.There is no difference between the original world and this game world I got transported into.I bitterly smiled looking through the number of tabloids giving nonsensical information about me in just one day.There''s some sh?t about me being the hidden child of the Imperial Knight Commander, ''Kadra''. Speaking of, ''Kadra'' is the strongest being secretly raised by the academy.Are you kidding me?Well, there are still some things that are salvageable in this media dumpster fire.Having locked myself in my room for a day, collecting information about the current situation, there''s bound to be something that stands out. [ The Kendride Family, Headed By Marquis Kendride, Officially Requests An Exnation From The Elfante Academy- ] [ Experts im The Match Was Rigged- ]The reaction to the sudden rise in fame isn''t as good as expected.Elijah was a ''supernova'' who has umted a mountain of achievements even before entering the academy. It''s not strange if she has a solid fan base.Naturally, it would be difficult to apud Extra A popping out of nowhere and taking the star down in one blow.''Well, that can''t be helped.'' I don''t care what others say about me. My goal is to survive and see through the ending.The future me will definitely have to do something about the butterfly effect that''s created by beating the main character from the first day of admission.I''ll need to get stronger and survive whilst taking appropriate measures on the situation.Rather than that. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Elnore Elinalise La Tristan [ Trust Level 1 ] >>> [ Trust Level 2 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ D-1 until rted events ur ] ¨‹ Baron Armut [ Curiosity Level 2 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] ¨‹ Viscount Lupen [ Curiousity Level 1 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] ¨‹ Viscount Gront [ Interest Level 3 ] ... [Previous Chapter][Index][Next Chapter] Chapter 4.2 Chapter 4.2 (EP-4.2) Aftermath 004 - Aftermath Right. I couldn''t stop myself from smiling, looking at the people listed in the gift-rted character window. Perhaps the amount of names was influenced by [Fatal Charm], but sting Elijah away was a spectacle in itself. I then organized each of their information. Likeability seems to go up in the following order; Curiosity ¡ú Interest ¡ú Trust. It feels like there are more above, but this is my current reach. Then, there''s up to 5 levels in each stage. The highest one is, of course, Elnore at Trust Level 2. ''It''s a bit weird.'' The ''important viins'' in the story must have seen me, but I can''t find any of their names. There''s only those near-extra characters. There could be several reasons. For example, some are just egotistical and do not care about others. Some are just born crazy, with a different perspective on life. The problem is. The final boss, who should have the least interest in me, is the one with the highest likeability! At the very least, she''s at Trust Level 2pared to others who are just in between curiosity ~ interest. As for why? ¡°...¡± I have no idea. Elnore''s rted event will be tomorrow. Well, there''s no reason to refuse a rewarding your way. I was able to overpower the main character with one of the two skills I received as a reward. So I''m looking forward to what''s toe. [ Received Gift Reward from ''Elnore''. ] [ ¡®Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship¡¯ has been acquired! ] < Mastery Info > [ Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship ] [ Grade: Basic ] [ Duke Tristan''s masterful swordsmanship. ] [ ¡ö Can exert a certain level of power regardless of weapon. ] [ Raise your attribute level to gain more benefits! ] ¡°...this again.¡± It''s great. As expected of a reward from the final boss. After giving out a skill that can directly shoot its ss to EX, it now gave a high performance attribute. Duke Tristan is one of the best swordsmen in the entire empire. It can be said that the power of the skill is already guaranteed. ¡°...¡± However, the problem is that most of the things rted with that family are rted to devils. It may be swordsmanship for now, but the more you dig into the Tristan Family, the more weird things be. Learning skills derived from them might cause problemster in one way or another. Well, that is true. ''Ah, I don''t f_cking know.'' But since I got it, I might as well use it. In the first ce, I am not in a position to be choosy. There''s also no question about its capabilities. I''ll leave the clean-up to the future me. With that mentality, I epted the rest of the rewards. [ Received Gift Reward from ''Baron Armut''. ] [ Acquired 100 points! ] [ Received Gift Reward from ''Viscount Lupen''. ] [ Acquired 50 points! ] . . . Somehow, the rest of the gift rewards were reced with something called points. What is this? [ Points can be used in the item shop! ] Ah, I see. So you''re saying that extra viins just give out lump sum rewards? Naturally, I''m familiar with this system. I remember it as like an aide where you can purchase various consumable items or buffs to make the gamey smoother. [ Current Points: 3,500pts ] But isn''t this too much? 3,500 points is a figure that can only be obtained after a long grind in the original game. No matter how effective the Fatal Charm skill was, how much could it possibly boost my favorability towards viins? ¡°... Well, good is good.¡± Thinking so, I lowered the window all the way down. Gathering this much was still a great achievement. At least, my options for tomorrow''s event have increased significantly. However, just as I was about to close the window, something strange caught my peripheral. There was something greyed out at the bottom of the window. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Elijah Krisanax [ Curiosity Level 4 ] [ Rewards Currently Unavable! ] ¡°...¡± Why is she here? "Hmm." I thoughtfully stroked my nonexistent beard. I''m pretty sure that gift-rted characters are only those considered as ''viins'' who ''favors'' me. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± No, like legit, why is she here? Doesn''t she have no connection to either conditions? At this time, my brainstorming was cut short by a sudden knock on the door. ¡°Ah, is this Mr. Dowd Campbell''s room?¡± ¡°...¡± It was a familiar voice. ¡°This is Elijah Krisanax. May Ie in?" ¡°...¡± Scowling, I couldn''t help but let out a sigh. It seems that she''s not a good person after all. I have no idea why she came here out of the blue, but I can only hope that she''ll leave if I don''t make any sound. ¡°I''ve already asked the teacher, I know whose dorm this is. If you don''t answer, I''ll break myself in." This f_cking b?tch...! ¡°...I pray for whoever that teacher is would freeze to death.¡± ¡°Oh, so you were inside.¡± Despite my direct response, only a clear voice returned from the other end. "Could you open the door? There''s something I want to tell you." "...Talk about what?" "Well, maybe we could get to know each other a little bit?" "..." I felt a headache. Facepalming, I let out a groan. Dowd Campbell. Day 2 of Admission to the academy. My fate began to intertwine with the main character. I''m going crazy. ¡ñ Chapter 5.1 Chapter 5.1 (EP-5.1) Exam 005 - Exam ¡°Aiiyaaa~.¡± Elijah brushed the dust off her clothes. Until now, she''s been trying to befriend Dowd Campbell, but was eventually kicked out by the Supervisor. ¡°Couldn''t you just ept? How narrow-minded.¡± However, despite grumbling so much, Elijah''s head was still filled with Dowd Campbell. It''s been a while since she''d met such an interesting person. Although there are rumors that the sparring was fraudulent and rigged. Elijah''s intuition was tingling. The talent of the man who defeated her in one punch is real. Though, she''s unsure of what method he used. ''He''s definitely got something, that man.'' She could tell that he''s more than what he seems on the surface. She was also the kind of person who gets restless about something if it''s not answered. Thus, to draw a reasonable conclusion, she thought... What would be the best position to learn that talent, watch from the side and gradually find out what kind of person he is? That is by befriending him! There''s no harm in getting close. ''...But I don''t know how to be friends with a man.'' She grew up in an all-girls monastery. Since childhood, the existence of men was always unknown to her. There were few opportunities to even talk to the opposite sex, let alone make friends. However, she had no intention of giving up. ''But that attitude...'' No matter where and how she tried to, she couldn''t get past him, as if he''s the embodiment of an iron wall. It even made her embarrassed despite her thick skin. She had to tactically retreat for now... ¡°Ayat.¡± Perhaps too preupied with her thoughts, as she turned the corner at the end of the hallway, Elijah bumped into someoneing from the other side. "Sorry, I wasn''t careful." "No, I..." Elijah tried to reflexively respond. However her voice trailed off upon seeing who the other person was. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± The Student Council President, Elnore, asked while Elijah unconsciously grabbed her sword. However, she immediately despaired. ''...I can''t win. Never.'' She inwardly groaned as she instantly gauged the gap between their strength. Although she currently has skills that areparable to a regr knight, the other person was just built different. Regardless of where and how she stabs that person, she could only see herself dying in the end. ''This is Duke Tristan''s...'' Elnore''s worthy of being the daughter of a master swordsman, who is regarded as the peak of the continent. Achieving this level when she''s only a few years older than Elijah was a great feat. She let go of her sword and replied. "...I''m all right." Biting her lip, Elijah held down her anger while Elnore only slightly nodded. Such a response was another thing that added to Elijah''s emotions. Elnore should''ve seen Elijah hold her sword, yet she didn''t even budge. As if it wasn''t something noteworthy. ¡°...¡± To this person, Elijah simply mean just that. An irrelevant existence. And this was from Elnore, a member of the family that had turned Elijah''s whole life upside down. At this instant, hot rage surged in Elijah, however she forcefully suppressed it from overflowing. There was no point in revealing that right now. She can''t win even if she attacks with a sword. ¡°Here.¡± Elijah managed to put on a fake smile as she picked up what Elnore had dropped when bumping into her. It was an envelope. Looking at it, you can see the words ''Dear Dowd Campbell'' that were cutely written. ''Why would this person pop up here?'' Elijah kindly continued. "Are you going to where this person is?" "I am." ¡°If you turn right here, you will find the ce you''re looking for.¡± After saying those words, Elijah passed the envelope to Elnore and hurriedly left. Anyway, her mood wasn''t the brightest for running into this person. "Wait a moment." Elnore suddenly called her. "How do you know where Dowd Campbell''s room is?" ¡°...?¡± She doesn''t know why Elnore''s asking that, but she''ll have to answer first. ¡°We just met up.¡± As soon as she heard those words, Elnore''s hostility suddenly soared. It wouldn''t be strange if she saw me as an enemy to kill. ''...Enemy? Kill?'' Why? No, like really, why? Her expression didn''t change even when someone attempted to draw a sword at her. So why was she so angry just because I was with that guy? As Elijah was in a state of confusion, Elnore asked her another question. ¡°For what purpose?¡± The temperature of her voice has significantly gotten colder than before. It really feels like she''ll attack if I do anything sudden. ¡°Uh, just to make friends as fellow freshmen...?¡± Elnore''s eyes narrowed. It was evident that she did not like that. ¡°Dating between new students is prohibited.¡± "...Pardon?" What the hell is she talking about all of a sudden? "Anyway, it''s forbidden." ¡°Is there such a school rule¡­?¡± ¡°I just made it.¡± ¡°...¡± Yes, in principle, the Student Council President has that right. However, it wasn''t meant to be abused in this way. ¡°So, from now on, you cannot visit Dowd Campbell''s room.¡± ¡°Um, what rtionship does the Student Council President have with that person?¡± Elnore fell silent at her words. The silence was so long it made Elijah feel awkward despite the one asking the question. ¡°... There''s nothing between us.¡± It was a very difficult answer. It also felt like it had numerousints mixed in. As if she hated having that kind of rtionship status. ¡°Alright then, please keep in mind what I just told you.¡± Elijah''s face grew nk as she watched Elnore leave. ¡°What the hell?¡± How can you do this when you''re not in any rtionship with that person? Elijah couldn''t understand why someone as high as the Duke''s daughter would write a man''s name inrge fonts on the outside of a letter envelope and deliver it. I heard that Dowd Campbell came from an unremarkable baron family. What businesses does she have from someone like that. -I quite like her. -Facade. I know. In fact, I have a rough idea of her actions. Then, Elijah suddenly remembered these words. These were what Dowd Campbell had said the other day. He spoke as if he already knew the Student Council President. ¡°Hmm.¡± It was like a eureka moment. The puzzle pieces seem to fit together. The Student Council President says she has nothing to do with the man but has. The same man whose identity is still shrouded in mystery... ''There is something here...!'' These two are clearly hiding something. Digging deeper into this might lead to someplicated backstory. There could be a big secret about Duke Tristan! Elijah''s intuition was screaming. "Great. Let¡¯s continue trying to befriend him and gather some info.¡± If Dowd himself heard all this, he might also scream. ¡ñ Chapter 5.2 Chapter 5.2 IMPORTANT:I don''t have the raws for this novel and could only trante up to the free chapters (Episode 15) so if anyone has the raws, feel free to dm me on discord at DuhLion#4454 (EP-5.2) Exam 005 - Exam Elfante Academy''s admissions and ss assignments were done in two phases. The first was a group assignment that was weeded out through 1:1 sparring. After that, there''s the ''ss cement'' exam that evaluates the student''s overall ability in detail. Students will be grouped ording to their performance in the 1:1 sparring. I was assigned to the top group thanks to beating the next Hero candidate. Looking around, this group was riddled with confident faces who are proud to belong to this group. ¡°...¡± I''m the only odd one out, sticking out like a sore thumb. There are many reasons for that, but this woman was the biggest one. I nced at Elijah, who''s in the same group. She made eye contact with me and waved. Her smile was almost appalling. ¡°...¡± Didn''t I beat her to death yesterday? There is nothing good about me getting involved with the main character. The more I interact with important people in the story, the more my life is at risk. In that respect, just Elnore alone is already too much to handle. I have to avoid her as best as I can. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Elijah Krisanax [ Curiosity Level 4 ] >>> [ Curiosity Level 5 ] [ Rewards Currently Unavable! ] [ Close to favorability status change! ] [ She is an important character. A special event will trigger after a sessful status change! ] Why is her favorability soaring? What is it really? So many questions! Come to think of it, an envelope with my name written on it was delivered to the front of my room out of the blue yesterday. It contained a cute piece of paper that said, ''Do your best for tomorrow''s exam''. Obviously, there''s literally no one that could''ve sent me this. The thought of a stalker gave me goosebumps. ''...I don''t know.'' I let out a sigh. On a positive note, it says ''Rewards Currently Unavable'', which means that there is a reward. But why am I not being rewarded yet? Is it because she''s not a viin? "Group 1! It''s your turn!¡± The Teaching Assistant announced. Well, that''s that. For now, I should focus on what''s in front. The entrance exam is the first stem that kicks off Sera''s main scenario. It was about evaluating students'' abilities through tests in various events held inside the stadium. This is where the main character showcases her abilities, gets recognized and rewarded, etc. It was a smooth development. No matter how you look at it, there''s no way this goes wrong. Eung. That''s how it was ''supposed'' to go. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Elnore Elinalise La Tristan [ Trust Level 2 ] [ Rted eventsing soon! ] But this... I read through the system prompts as I looked in front. ¡°Nice to meet you, I am Elnore. I will be leading the examination.¡± I don''t think this was a good sign. The Student Council President was personally leading the exam because it''s the ''top group''? ¡°...¡± The timing was too perfect for it to be a coincidence. She would be having an ''event'' today, and she''s also somehow the one leading my group in the entrance exam. At this point, it would be more strange if nothing happens during the exam. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s move into the exam venue first. I will entertain questions there.¡± I looked around nervously as I follow behind Elnore into the stadium. I don''t know what will happen. However, this was all for naught. There was no need for it to begin with because the situation was presented in the easiest way possible. As soon as I entered the stadium, the entrance suddenly closed shut with a bang. At the same time, all the lights inside the building went out. As if there was a sudden power outage. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Silence lingered in the dark room. Finally, one guy asked in a bewildered voice. ¡°Hey, you said you''re going to entertain questions, right? Is this also part of the exam?¡± Well, I guess I can answer that for you. [ ''Elnore'' Rted Event urs! ] ¡¾Event: Subsequent Assassination Attempt¡¿ - Assassins are still out to target her! - Protect her from getting hurt! This was not part of the exam. It''s a trap! "..." Dowd Campbell. Day 3 of Admission to the academy. My life is already in danger. F_ck. ¡ñ IMPORTANT:I don''t have the raws for this novel and could only trante up to the free chapters (Episode 15) so if anyone has the raws, feel free to dm me on discord at DuhLion#4454 Chapter 6.1 Chapter 6.1 (EP-6.1) Assassination Attempt 006 - Assassination Attempt ¡ñ ¡°It seems thatmunication is blocked.¡± Elnore said after examining the devices around. ¡°Don''t worry too much, the academy will take action. ¡± Of course, the reason why the students are not freaking out was because of Elnore, calmly controlling the situation. In fact, rather than just being calm, it''s almost scary that her face didn''t change throughout all this. It even had me thinking if she''s capable of disying emotions. ¡°Then do we just have to wait here?¡± A dwarven student anxiously asked. Looking at his wand and robe, they''re probably an aspiring Mage. "No, I don''t think so. ¡± Elijah, who had been silent the whole time, spoke with her arms folded. She continued with a smile as Elnore turned. ¡°Rather, if you don''t move, you might be in big trouble. Do you agree? ¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I am sure the President noticed it too. We''re not the only ones here. ¡± Elnore''s expression slightly distorted. Seeing this reaction, the students were puzzled. These two seems to have already figured out the situation. ¡°...¡± How did they do it? I have a mission window, that''s why I know. Are they, perhaps, using a skill simr to those martial arts masters? I guess they''re the main character and the final boss for a reason. ¡°It seems that they''re not here for a friendly exchange considering that the President is here. ¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°The President belongs to a prestigious family, I reckon that''s a good enough reason to think so.¡± She''s saying that it was a crime aimed at high ranking nobles, but this was sarcasm. The Tristan Familymit evil like breathing, trouble naturally follows them. Seemingly to have interpreted it that way, Elnore''s gaze cooled. ¡°You better choose your words carefully, freshman.¡± ¡°Ah, I wasn''t referring to anything.¡± Elijah innocently smiled at Elnore''s reaction. Now that I think about it, she was also pretty clever in the original game. She knows how to handle people. ¡°Anyway, wouldn''t it be better to move somewhere than wait here?¡± ¡°... I think so too.¡± The biggest male student in the group said in a heavy voice. Looking at his getup, he seems to be a barbarian from the Eastern Empire. Therge ax hanging on his back is impressive. ¡°The atmosphere is certainly not good. We don''t know what''s going to happen, so I think we should move to a more favorable terrain.¡± At this moment, the expressions of the other students slowly changed. However, they weren''t scared. Rather, they''re preparing themselves for what''s about toe. Seeing that everyone quickly adapted to the situation, it was clear that they were top tier students. And if you look closely at their members, they''re definitely not just random no-names. Warrior Luca, Mage Falco, Healer Trisha, Marksman Grid. Then you add Elijah, another warrior and also the leader. ''The original Hero Party.'' Considering the story progress, this is their first meeting. They showed great chemistry and teamwork in the exam and ran as a party all the way through. In other words, all the people here are part of the story except me. ¡°...¡± Well, then. I''ll just proceed with my ns. ¡°The central hall seems to be the best option.¡± When I opened my mouth, all eyes focused on me. Regardless, I continued to point to the map of the building next to me. ¡°There''s various equipment and first-aid supplies inside, and there is a lot of space. It will be much better than a corridor prone to surprise attacks. ¡± Everyone seriously nodded. Probably because it was the most sensible choice. So far, everyone seemed convinced. The problem was this. ¡°And I will go here.¡± When I pointed to apletely different ce on the map, silence covered the surroundings. The silence was so heavy that it took a long while for someone to ask a question in an absurd voice. ¡°... Why are you going there alone?¡± ¡°It''s necessary.¡± "But why?" ¡°There''s a reason for it.¡± I probably look like a mad man right now. In an event where a fight could break out at any time, I was insisting on acting alone. I also didn''t answer why. I don''t want to. Why? Because I''m going alone. ¡°...¡± And no, I didn''t forget that the mission was to protect Elnore. However, let''s think for a moment here. Common sense, if you will. ''Would that woman need protection?'' She''s the Final Boss that could defeat the Hero Party, including the main character, alone. Why should I risk my allstat F @ss? Can''t I just leave them to the central hall and attract the assassin''s aggro, and hide until the situation is over? ¡°I can''t reveal it now, but it''s important. I''ll exin itter. ¡± I dered in a firm, serious voice. Ah, it''s technically not a lie. After all, what could be more important than saving my life? ¡ñ ¡°It worked.¡± I murmured and as I walked in a dark corridor. I was worried if it would work, but it seems that defeating Elijah in one punch boosted me. As expected, does credibilitye from performance? The goal is to hide until the event is over. In the first ce, Elnore is the assassins'' target. There is a high probability that they wouldn''t even care about me. I''ll just quietly enjoy myself somewhere, like pass some time- ¡°Wait, student!¡± -Well, that''s not happening now. It seems that I, indeed, have bad luck. Thinking inwardly, I looked at where the voice was from. A middle-aged man rushed towards me. ¡°You''re really alive...!¡± Soon, he arrived in front of me. On his chest was a faculty namete. He looked like he was having a hard time moving because of the darkness. His movements did seem ufortable. ¡°Can you escort me somewhere? I''ll ask others for help. ¡± ¡°... But the power in the building is cut off?¡± ¡°Ehei, this little thing can be fixed quickly. Should we restore it first?¡± I looked at the faculty without answering. Hmm. This man... [ Danger Detected. ] [ Hostility detected, no direct threat yet. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to F ss. ] Chapter 6.2 Chapter 6.2 (EP-6.2) Assassination Attempt 006 - Assassination Attempt He''s tantly lying without batting an eye. F_ck. ''An assassin?'' If there''s ¡°hostility¡±ing from someone in this situation, what other things could they be? No, shouldn''t they be after the MC''s group that I had sent to another ce? Why am I meeting an assassin like this? My bad luck is simply impable. "...Sure." I answered with a forced smile. Still, I think I can make do with this. ¡ñ ''This is easier than I thought.'' Hasmed thought as he looked at the student in front of him. The man looked like an ordinary student without any particr features. It was foolish of him to be deceived so easily without having any doubt. Of course, even a quick-witted person would easily fall for Hasmed''s performance. So you really can''t me the kid. Crescent Moon''s Hasmed. The head of this assassination squad. He was a famous face-changing assassin, known for perfectly copying his victim''s identities. And his next target was this student. ''If I''m a fellow student, even that Tristan girl won''t expect it.'' He''s heard that an earlier team was already caught and wiped out by that devilish woman. However, even such a human being should have a lowered guard towards a student. Even now, Hasmed disguising himself as a faculty has worked wlessly against this student. ¡°So, this is the facility room.¡± Hearing this, Hasmed insidiously smiled on the inside. Making this student ''guide'' him was all for evaluating their skill. A professional assassin, such as him, can easily figure out a person''s level just by observing their movements. This guy was a total noob. KiIIing him is the same as butchering chickens. ''Yosh, let''s seize this guy''s body and kill Princess Tristan.'' Info says that Princess Tristan and the other students are gathered at the central hall. Once they''re distracted by his subordinates, it would be very easy to sneak in as this guy. "Is that so?" Hasmed smiled and pulled something out. ¡°You''ve worked hard. I''ll give you a reward.¡± He lifted a de and said in a dreary tone. Of course, the said reward was death. At this point, the victims usually ask questions, then deny the situation, and finally panic and fear. He enjoys such reactions the most- ¡°Ah, thank god, it''s Hasmed. ¡± ¡°...¡± However, the student in front of him just thanked god... Obviously, this guy wasn''t asking questions nor was he panicked, let alone scared. On the contrary, he''s wiping his forehead with a sigh of relief. ¡°It could have been dangerous if it was a half-strong guy, lucky~.¡± ¡°... What the heII are you talking about?¡± ¡°I wasn''t sure at first so I hesitated. And if I tried to fight a half-strong guy, it could''ve been really dangerous. I probably would''ve been jumped, wouldn''t I?¡± "What?" "Rhinitis, shaking fingers, weird walk... It''s relieving to see the habits I knew." ¡°...!¡± Hasmed''s face hardened. This guy was also looking at him. This was unexpected. He was always hunting others, but now he was in a position where he was being hunted by his prey! ''I can''t let this guy die easily.'' Hasmed has to make him spit out on how he knew all that before killing him. After vowing so, Hasmed rushed immediately. Even if the other person knew all that, hisbat power remains nil. Hasmed will finish him at one go! ¡°Let''s see, Desperation is at A ss...¡± However, this guy was acting strange, mumbling unknown sounds despite Hasmed rushing at him. He even picked up a stick on the ground nearby as if it would do something. ''Ridiculous!'' He sneered in the inside and swung his de for a fatal blow. However. The scene that followed waspletely beyond his expectations. Chapter 7.1 Chapter 7.1 (EP-7.1) Assassination Attempt #2 007 - Assassination Attempt #2 ¡ñ ¡°What, you''re nothing special like I thought?¡± ¡°Ye, yeah¡­¡± No, that¡¯s because you guys are way beyond the student level. Elijah thought so and looked around at the groaning assassins spread out on the floor. From their skills, it was clear that they have lived on the edge of knives for a long time. It makes no sense for students to just subdue these people. ¡®Of course, there are people who can¡¯t be judged withmon sense¡­¡¯ She then looked at the person quietly retrieving their sword with a wry smile, after single-handedly ughtering the enemies. Even the other students, who had the power to easily deal with the leftover assassins, showed a sense of awe mixed with fear when they looked at this person. However, such a reaction was normal towards someone who subdued this many assassins with an undrawn sword. Among the best swordsmen on the continent was the Princess, praised as the greatest talent of all time. The swordsmanship she disys is in a realm where even Elijah, who had gone through numerous battles, could not help but admire. ¡®How many people on the continent can imitate that?¡¯ The Tristan Style Swordsmanship is a highly advanced skill where one is considered a genius just by being able to imitate it. And if one is able to master it, one could destroymon sense regardless of weapon. It was said that even a stick can be used to kiII. ¡°¡­?¡± Lost in her thoughts, Elijah suddenly noticed something. Elnore¡¯s hand was shaking. It was as if she was putting up with something excruciating. From an experienced point of view. It¡¯s as if she''s frustrated that she can''t "kiII" the other person. It looked like her body was screaming to pull out her sword and start hacking. ¡°¡­¡± Elijah felt silent goosebumps. Then as if noticing her gaze, Elnore subtly hid her hand behind and said. ¡°¡­It looks like we''ve subdued them all.¡± It was a clear signal not to talk about what she had just seen, to which Elijah agreed. If she tried to touch on the topic now, she might have a sworde and send her to the heavens. ¡°Yes, I think we should hand them over to the academy-¡° Elijah suddenly stopped mid sentence. It was because she found a shining blue jewel on the body of one of the assassins. It was a short-rangemunication device. Something that she''s seen several times before when subjugating monsters. This means that there are still others in the building that these guys keep in ¡®contact¡¯ with. ¡°-It''s not over yet.¡± Elijah smiled as she approached one of the assassins. ¡°Hey, are there others besides everyone here right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing the assassin silently ring at her, Elijah bitterlyughed inwardly. Yeah, finding answers isn''t so easy- -! However, before she could even finish thinking, the assassin¡¯s arm suddenly broke with bang. ¡°¡­!¡± The assassin''s silent scream gave Elijah an idea of the amount of pain they were feeling. Dumbfounded, she turned and saw Elnore putting the sheathed sword back on her waist. ¡°If you don¡¯t talk, I¡¯ll break your neck next.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. No. That just wasn¡¯t appropriate.¡± When Elnore said that, the dumbfounded Elijah also smiled. Yeah, but you really can''t just say that out of the blue. ¡°If no one speaks, I''ll fold everyone''s throat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Heavy silence permeated the surroundings. Elnore was talking in a calm manner like in a casual conversation. But it''s precisely because of this that people know that she''ll really do what she says she would. Eventually, someone admitted in ce of the assassin with a broken arm. Listening to the tense words, Elnore simply nodded her head expressionlessly. ¡°Yes. Hasmed of Crescent Moon. He steals the identity of his victim.¡± Hearing those words, Elnore, who had been silent for a while, opened her mouth. ¡°That assassin, is he here with you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Answer the question, is he in this building right now?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t tell you that-¡° The assassin suddenly stopped midway. Anyone who realizes that one of their arms has been shed by a sword will probably do so. It was none other than Elnore, who had drawn her sword in an instant. ¡°A, aaaak-!¡± The assassin screamed in pain as his blood sprayed everywhere. However, Elnore did not even think about wiping the sttered blood off her face and just grabbed the assassin by the cor. Her red eyes shone ferociously in the dim surroundings. ¡°Is that assassin here?¡± ¡°A, aaaaak-!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll cut off the other side too.¡± ¡°Y, yes! He''s here!¡± Upon hearing that, Elnore threw the screaming assassin to the ground. She was stunned for a bit before running out, leaving the other students who remained still. ¡°Wait! What the heII is this madness!¡± Breaking an arm and ¡®threats¡¯ were not the same as pulling out a real sword and shing a body part off! Elnore''s personality seemed to have turned a 180¡ã as soon as she heard that there was an assassin named Hasmed in the building. Elnore sighed and answered Elijah, who had quickly caught up. ¡°Because I needed an answer urgently. Lives are on the line and there''s medical equipment nearby.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That said, who would do such a thing without hesitation? ¡°What was that for¡­!¡± ¡°They said the assassin kills and steals his victims identity. Who do you think would be the easiest to target in this building right now?¡± Elijah was speechless. Come to think of it, there was one. One person who dared to separate from the group saying it was ¡®necessary¡¯. ¡°¡­No way.¡± Elijah said firmly. ¡°Did he use himself as bait to lure the strongest opponent there?¡± Logically speaking, this is just all spection. You can''t just know that such an assassin ising in the first ce. And even if you did, why would you risk your own life to do such a dangerous thing- -I, quite like that person. ¡°¡­¡± -It''s possible. Now, it was clear that this assassination attempt was aimed at Princess Tristan. And it was evident that Elnore agrees, seeing that she kept her mouth shut without answering. ¡°I¡¯ll have to go there and check.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this? What is the rtionship between you two¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say that there''s nothing between you two?¡± Elnore said. ¡°At least as far as I know.¡± But, unlike before. She wasn''t even sure of herself now. ¡ñ Chapter 7.2 Chapter 7.2 (EP-7.2) Assassination Attempt #2 007 - Assassination Attempt #2 No matter how you look at Elfante Academy, it''s difficult to regard it as a normal educational institution. The fact that there are things that would never be in a normal school is already widespread among outsiders. Since it is such an old and mysterious ce, there there are all kinds of ¡®abnormalities¡¯ in the school itself. Secret rooms hidden everywhere, ghosts that pop out randomly certain times, and certain buildings that are said to hold legends... Hasmed was familiar with those things. He had heard more than a few thousand things, but it had been a long time since he had memorized them all. Regardless, he''s a well-known professional assassin. If he''s unable to deal with a situation at this level, then he doesn''t deserve such a reputation. Hence, when he saw the translucent blue ''membrane'' on his arm, he couldn''t help but be stunned. ¡®The Guardian''s Soul¡­!¡¯ It''s a suppressive defensive barrier and has the effect of greatly reducing the power of the weapon wielded by the attacker within the specified range. Although it is said to appear in some buildings, both the exact time and ce when it happens is random. But why did this appear here? As Hasmed was thinking that, the student in front began to approach him with the stick. ¡®Fool!¡¯ Hasmed snorted. Even with a weapon-disabling barrier, a trained assassin themself is a weapon. Further, Hasmed ranks top among such assassins. What can a kid do with a stick? Like what could that weak ass body without a hint ofbat skill do? At least, this was what Hasmed thought. Until... The first blow. -! -!! A storm-like series of attacks raged in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Hasmed was screaming. His vital had been hit and couldn''t hold in the scream. However, the psychological shock was hitting him more than the physical pain. ¡®I can¡¯t follow his moves¡­!¡¯ As a top rank assassin, there are only a few sword styles in the continent that he can''t identify. Not to mention, if it was wielded by a swordsman who could exert this much power with an object that was not even a sword to begin with! ¡®Tristan Style Swordsmanship!¡¯ Why is it that he couldn¡¯t read the skills of a guy who could execute such a technique? ¡®¡­!¡¯ It was then that epiphany dawned on him. If what he''s thinking is right... ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have messed with this guy from the start¡­!¡¯ Hasmed thought as he helplessly fell to the ground. ¡ñ [ Sessfully used Attribute! ] [ Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship Proficiency Increased. ] ¡°¡­¡± What''s this? Why is it so strong? I look at the fallen Hasmed in confusion. To be honest, I didn''t expect much from the Tristan Style Swordsmanship because what I have is only the basic version. It was out of my expectations that I could take down someone like Hasmed in just a couple of swings. After all, wasn''t he still a decent mid-boss during the main quest? He was a renowned assassin, his name bearing some weight in the underworld. ¡®¡­How strong will this be if Iplete it?¡¯ I knew that this would be strong considering it¡¯s the swordsmanship used by the Final Boss. But I didn¡¯t expect it to be this strong. In the first ce, my n was to buy time and dip out for help. ¡°¡­Ha. I see. It was a trap from the beginning.¡± I didn''t know what to say hearing this from the guy copsed in front of me. What are you talking about? ¡°I don¡¯t know how, but you definitely knew that the Guardian¡¯s Soul would appear. That must have been the reason why you chose the stick as your weapon from the beginning.¡± That¡¯s just the game''s mechanics. Fighting with weapons is impossible at ¡®save points¡¯ that exist in all buildings. That¡¯s why I brought this guy here. ¡°And in order to use that method, you lured me in by hiding your skills from the beginning, didn''t you? That¡¯s why you purposely broke away from the group. To keep me away from Princess Tristan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Not really. Actually, I was going to run away after distracting you a bit. [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been activated! ] [ The Viin is in awe of your borate ns! ] [ Rewards are added to the Gift tab! ] ¡°¡­¡± What borate n? Is running away and crying for help an borate n now? Where has all the subtlety of the world gone? ¡°Bastard, who are you? Are you raised by Duke Tristan? Or an agent of the Imperial Central Intelligence Agency?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I''m from a remote ce who raised cows and farm for a living. ¡°Looks like you have no intention of answering. Alright, kiII me now.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t intend to kill you.¡± ¡°You''re not going to kill me? Why?¡± As if my words were really that shocking, Hasmed''s eyes widened. I have no intention of murder. ¡®In the first ce¡­¡¯ He is a member of the criminal organization, ¡®Vagabond¡¯, that is a key yer in the third chapter in the scenario. If I touch him carelessly, the Vagabond will obviouslye for me. However. ¡®I can''t just say this.¡¯ So, I need toe up with a reasonable excuse. What would be the best¡­ Ah, yes. ¡°Spread the word to not approach Princess Tristan. Even an assassin like you almost died trying.¡± I don¡¯t know who this guy¡¯s boss is, but given that this happened during an academy event, there¡¯s a good chance they''re no ordinary lunatic. Even with this failure, there is a high chance that they''ll try again and again, ultimately stacking Elnore¡¯s ¡®Corruption¡¯. Gradually increasing the odds of the Gray Devil being unleashed. Hence, it''s best to cut off any kind of attempt at their source. Hasmed is a well-known assassin in his own right. Shouldn''t something like this deter others to take on the assassination request? ¡°¡­¡± Hasmed¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°What are you going to do if I don¡¯t keep my promise? If you let me go, we might aim for Princess Tristan again?¡± Actually, I don¡¯t think so. Knowing the ¡®Vagabonds¡¯ in the original work, he definitely won''t. They¡¯re not the type who would go against someone who saved their life. Strangely enough, they are criminals who strictly upholds honor. But let¡¯s spit some talk here. ¡°Try again, then.¡± I continued with a smirk. ¡°I''ll still be there to protect her.¡± ¡°¡­Is Princess Tristan that precious to you?¡± ¡°You can think of it however you want.¡± Let''s just gloss over it since it''s a pain to exin in detail. Saying ''because she favors me'' will lead to more questions. This should be fine¡­ [ Skill: Fatal Charm Activated! ] [ The skill efficiency is extremely high! ] [ The Viin¡¯s favor has greatly increased! ] [ The Viin¡¯s favor has greatly increased! ] [ The Viin¡¯s favor has crazily increased! ] [ The Viin¡¯s favor... ] ¡°¡­¡± What is this? As soon as I finished talking, system prompts began to madly appear one after the other, effectively blocking my vision. Uh. No way. ¡°¡­¡± Turning my head slightly, I see a wide-eyed Elnore at the end of the hallway. It was clear that she had heard everything. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I''m in deep shi?. I don¡¯t know why, but I feel that way. ¡ñ Chapter 8.1 Chapter 8.1 (EP-8.1) Crazed Swordsman 008 - Crazed Swordsman ¡°This is a mess, a mess.¡± Beatrix groaned with her head buried on the desk. The situation was obvious just by looking at the piled up documents that had piled up like mountains. The President of Elfante Academy was outraged by the bloodshed inside the academy. Not to mention that it was during an official event. So much so that there''s an official letter ordering to find the ringleader in just less than a day after the incident. The problem was that if one were to look at the route and time the assassins infiltrated, it was clear that there was an ''insider'' helping them. This fact is probably a big part of why the president was so angry. Beatrix slightly lifted her head, then said with narrowed eyes. ¡°Still, all of you who were present will receivemendations for subduing that many armed personnel without a single casualty.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Beatrix¡¯s expression slightly distorted hearing the soulless reply. ¡°¡­The problem is that guy, Dowd Campbell. He¡¯s missing from the list of people to receive amendation. I don''t know why and there¡¯s no reason for him to be excluded. I think he''s deliberately trying to be low-key.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°The academic team is definitely working on something. It seems like they''re preparing something big, with that guy as the center.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I''mma hit you if you answer like that one more time.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± A sitting Elnore was nkly staring at the ceiling, as she casually caught the ink bottle flying towards her. Seeing her do that without even turning her head was deserving of her title of Princess Tristan, however that didn¡¯t make Beatrix less angry. ¡°What''s wrong with you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You''ve been like that the whole day. Where is your mind wandering off to?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Peopleing after you is nothing new, but this time feels a little different. I don¡¯t know who, but seeing how they openlymitted two assassination attempts in a short period of time shows that they''re very determined.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°I guess so¡ª It¡¯s not a one and done thing, s?upid. Do you think that someone stubborn would give up just because they failed this time? Are you sure they''re not going to try again?¡± Elnore, who was looking at Beatrix, turned her gaze back to the ceiling. Beatrix could only let out a heated sigh. ¡°¡­I do not know. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, I won¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t tell me either.¡± ¡°Beatrix.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I think I care about someone.¡± It wasmendable enough that Beatrix hadn¡¯t toppled over her desk. Anyone who knew what kind of person Elnore was would have probably reacted the same way. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I said I think I care about someone.¡± Did Beatrix heard it wrong? No, she doesn''t think so. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no answer, but somehow it felt like Elnore stared at the ceiling more intensely. As if she''s hiding her shame. Seeing that the tips of Elnore''s ears were slightly red, Beatrix almost felt cosmic fear. This woman was acting like an adolescent girl? A stone face whose expression doesn''t change while slicing through people? ¡°¡­Who is it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just talk about him?¡± She was so embarrassed, she couldn''t even say it directly and had to do it in a roundabout way. ¡°Dowd Campbell?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No, wait a minute.¡± Feeling an explosive headache, Beatrix grabbed her head and sank back onto the desk. Come to think of it, it felt like her attitude changed a bit after the sparring with the next Hero candidate. That was this, wasn¡¯t it? Eung. That''s it. ¡°You like him?¡± ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t said that yet.¡± Oh girl! ¡°Yet?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elnore firmly shut her mouth. The tips of her ears got a bit redder. At that sight, Beatrix''s mouth nkly opened again, feeling the headache getting worse. ¡°You know how big of a storm this will bring, don''t you?¡± Princess Tristan was in a position where her every single move is used as a story. That''s probably because the prestige of the Tristan Family was so much greater than that of Elnore as an individual. Regardless, when such a person is in a rtionship, it would likely be consumed with gossip. Of course, there is no particr problem with gossip, but there is one person who will not be pleased with it. ¡°If Archduke Tristan finds out¡ª¡± However, Beatrix was forced to shut her mouth. As soon as she said that, it felt like the temperature in the entire room had gone down several degrees. ¡°¡­Yes, that old man would be displeased.¡± Elnore replied in a frosty voice. This wasn''t the attitude you''d expect from a daughter to her father, but Beatrix didn¡¯t put too much thought to it. He didn''t even contact his daughter after two assassination attempts. You don¡¯t have to ask to know what the rtionship between the two is like. So, she decided to change topics. ¡°This situation is kind of¡­ weird. How did he seduce you-¡° ¡°I didn''t get seduced.¡± Beatrixughed at the sight of a disgruntled Elnore twirling the ends of her hair. It''s probably like that since she wouldn¡¯t care about what others had to say. ¡°Anyway, if he had been kind to you in any way, you¡¯re usually the first to question why.¡± The environment molds a person. Sadly, Princess Tristan was in an environment where it''s a must to assume that there''s some intention behind everything rather than trusting people¡¯s pure kindness. But now, strangely enough, this woman was trusting this man. As if something hadpelled her into it. ¡°It seems so.¡± Considering her usual tendency, it was unprecedented for someone to approach and impact her that quickly and greatly. Elnore should be aware of this too. ¡°Then why don¡¯t we test it out?¡± ¡°What test?¡± ¡°We''re just going to take a closer look.¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± Seeing Elnore smile instead of answering, gave Beatrix goose bumps. She felt a sense of foreboding. At least when this woman had this look, things wouldn''t remain quiet. ¡°Hey, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Let''s go get something to eat. It¡¯s about time.¡± ¡°Don''t change the subject-!¡± ¡ñ [Previous Chapter][Index][Next Chapter] Chapter 8.2 Chapter 8.2 (EP-8.2) Crazed Swordsman 008 - Crazed Swordsman I red at the letter in my hand. It bears the seal of the Elfante Academic Team so it should be genuine. Its mana imprint is difficult to forge. The problem was the content of the letter. [ Student Dowd Campbell''s ss is not yet avable for viewing. ] [ The Academic Team is working on a project to produce the best results. ] [ You can expect good news. ] No. I don¡¯t want to expect anything. Can¡¯t you just put it me a suitable ss and leave me alone? I have no idea what kind of grand project they''re working on. ¡®In the first ce¡­¡¯ It was strange for the academy to suddenly send me a letter like this personally. Although an ident happened in the middle of it, the situation was settled smoothly. That is to say, ss assignment should have gone back to normal. In fact, the main character¡¯s party, including Elijah, took the test after the ident and were assigned to a ¡®special ss¡¯. Why can''t I have that streamline process? Why am I the only odd one out? ¡°¡­I don''t know.¡± I muttered as I kept the letter away. There''s no point in focusing on things without an answer. Instead of that, this... < System Message> [ Confirmedpletion of ss assignment after admission. ] [ The first main quest has beenpleted. ] [ Updating additional information! ] The first main quest I received was ¡®Complete the ss Assignment after Admission¡¯. Since the system gave a prompt, the requirements have been met. But this was a problem. [ Main Quest ] [ Sessfully solve the incident that will happen at the freshmen wee party! ] [ D-3 ] [ Reward: Exclusive Equipment Material ] The freshmen wee party was an event marking the beginning of Sera¡¯s ¡®Quarter¡¯. To be precise, it¡¯s about choosing which character path the main character would take. Their would-be ¡®profession¡¯ is determined on what they''ll take interest in. Ranged marksman, melee warrior, support priest or wide-area mage¡­ You can say that it''s the staple. Maybe giving me materials for ¡®Exclusive Equipment¡¯ was a part of that. Exclusive Equipment is equipment that can be developed by specializing in a field. Once fostered topletion, its power would be overwhelming. Though, in the beginning, it can only perform simple functions. In other words, if I decide on the main professions like the main character, I will be given specialized growth equipment. Having that taken care of is a good thing. ¡°¡­¡± But it''s dangerous. My mouth is dry just from thinking about it. Because, most importantly, it''s linked with this. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Elnore [ Trust Level 2 ] >>> [ Trust Level 5 ] [ Favorability has increased significantly in a short period of time! ] [ Special Rewards Avable! ] [ Close to favorability status change! ] [ She is an important character. A special event will trigger after a sessful status change! ] [ D-3 until rted events ur ] ¨‹ Elijah [ Curiosity Level 5 ] [ Rewards Currently Unavable! ] [ Close to favorability status change! ] [ She is an important character. A special event will trigger after a sessful status change! ] [ D-3 until rted events ur ] I see. Main character and final boss rted events happen ¡®at the same time¡¯, ovepping with the starting point of the ¡®main quest¡¯. This meant one thing. ¡®A big wave ising¡­!¡¯ Weren''t there professional assassins, including Hasmed, just from Elnore''s first event? If these two are involved at the same time, the intensity would naturally follow. Fortunately, unlike the first time, I have about 3 days of grace period instead of 2. ¡°¡­¡± No, actually, I don¡¯t think that''s a relief at all. Two or three days are the same, difficult. I feel like I¡¯m being gaslighted by making the starting point so tight. ¡®I have no choice but to do what it demands me to do.¡¯ I sighed, scratching my head. What can I do? It¡¯s not like I have a choice. Even a ghost looks better on a full stomach, so let¡¯s get Elnore¡¯s reward first. [ Received Gift Reward from ''Elnore''. ] [ Received 1x ¡®Skill Copy Ticket¡¯. ] [ You can copy 1 of the target¡¯s skills! ] ¡°¡­¡± What the f*ck is this? Skill Copy??? ¡®¡­This is crazy, for real?¡¯ This didn''t need an exnation. No way, I can just copy the final boss'' skill? ¡®But now''s not the best time¡­¡¯ It would be a loss if I use it right now. Like the main character, Elijah, Elnore would also ''grow'' into her final boss form. Of course, she is the top predator of the academy right now, but there is no reason to waste this now when I could get heIIa good skills in the future. ¡°¡­¡± But then, I would have to prepare for the event in 3 days without this. Fortunately, I know where to get things that will help me survive. ¡°Huu¡­¡± I breathed out a long exhtion and faced my goal in front. It is an old warehouse within a long walking distance outside the academy building. However, for a rundown ce, it was exuding extreme irony as it had no reason to be stered with all kinds of defensive magic, including perception-damping spells. It is called the ¡®supply room¡¯ among the faculty. Though, for Sera veterans, it''s familiarly known as an ¡®Item Farm¡¯. It''s generally used to store educational materials and equipment. However Elfante¡¯s history is deep, and it contains mountains of unique relics. Among them are things that only yers who have yed the game know the value of. There¡¯s only one thing I¡¯m aiming for. ¡®Divine''s Ultima.¡¯ It is an early survival item that brings the strongest impact in Sera if properly used. It''s originally an item that belongs to the second chapter boss, ¡®Yuria Greyhounder¡¯. She was nicknamed as the ¡®Crazed Swordsman¡¯, a crazy bi?ch who slices up anyone whoes within a certain distance. ¡°¡­¡± I''m actually worried that snatching such an item from an important person in advance would bring heavy implications. However, I have no choice if I want to prepare for the event in 3 days. None of the shi? in this world is my fault, but why am I being so hard-pressed? In any case, Yuria is incredibly strong, hence why she''s a chapter boss. But she can''t cause problems if she''s not able to grow. ¡°Alright then.¡± Let''s farm some items then head back. Nothing would go wrong, right? ¡ñ 5 minutester. I was cursing myself for making such a statement. I looked at the ck-haired girl who was silently swaying in front of me. Tears were welling up in her eyes. A petite body that barely reached my neck and an appearance that resembles a cat. Overall, she did not look much from a child. I could even call her cute if it wasn''t for the fact that she''s pointing a sword at my neck. [Can you please stay still?] Such ¡®words¡¯ floated in the air. This woman doesn¡¯t speak with her voice, she expresses herself this way. And by saying that, you mean¡­ ¡°¡­So it¡¯s easier to slice?¡± [Yes.] You crazy bi?ch. This was none other than Yuria Greyhounder, the Chapter 2 Boss. And my life is being threatened by such a person right now. ¡°¡­¡± Why can¡¯t things go smoothly? ¡ñ Chapter 9.1 Chapter 9.1 (EP-9.1) Crazed Swordsman #2 009 - Crazed Swordsman #2 The n was perfect. No matter how much Elfante decked out their security, they don''t know of yers who could treat the ¡®supply room¡¯ like their front yard. Although if you get greedy and take too much, it''s very likely that you''ll get caught and punished. But even so, taking a few necessary items is essential for progress. It is said that you can navigate through a route even with your eyes closed. And if you can use the ¡®point shop¡¯ like me and have plenty of points to spend, this is the easiest way to break through. ¡ò Haste Potion [ Item: Consumable ] [ Price: 100pts ] [ Speeds up the user¡¯s movements within a certain amount of time. ] ¡ò Shadow Mask [ Equipment: essory ] [ Price: 100pts ] [ Hides the wearer¡¯s face and modtes the voice. ] ¡ò Catwalk Shoes [ Equipment: Shoes ] [ Price: 200pts ] [ Eliminates noise in footsteps! ] Taking the potion allowed me to quickly weave through the various securitys, while the mask hides my identity from the video recording magic set up everywhere. Finally, the Catwalk Shoes block any signs of my infiltration. It was a cost-effectivebination of stealth and speed. With this, I was able to evade many of the security in the academy. ¡®¡­Having points is nice.¡¯ Just by using only a few hundred points, I quickly infiltrated the supply room which normally take days of preparation. In terms of performance, it couldpare to an Assassin''s C ss Stealth skill. The only w it had is that it disappears after usage. Still, it¡¯s a big advantage to be able to ess all kinds of items. Items that cost more than a few thousand points could even turn a disaster around. ¡°Whew¡­¡± Exhaling, I climbed out of a window and jumped down in a half-exhausted state. The Haste Potion temporarily gave me some speed. However, my stamina is still hot F trash. Even a simple exercise like this was hard. ¡®I''m dying¡­¡¯ Thinking so, I rummaged through my pockets. I happen to have the right thing for a situation like this. ¡ò Rejuvenating Biscuits x2 [ Item: Consumable ] [ Price: 50pts ] x2 [ Is your body tired? Recover your stamina with these biscuits! Peanut vor, 10 pieces per bag! ] [ Remaining Points: 2,000pts ] ¡°¡­¡± The description had a weird advertising tone, but it is a legit product. I have been taking advantage of its effects. I feel my body getting energized as I munch down on the biscuits. At the same time, I scanned the piled up things around. What I was looking for was quickly found. ¡®Right.¡¯ I could see a palm-sized incense burner, which was small for a ceremonial item. But that''s why it stands out. ¡°Eum.¡± The supply room has a bunch of items that are often not properly organized. With a huff, I pulled out the incense burner embedded in the bottom of the pile that had almost reached the ceiling. Divine''s Ultima, a thousand-year-old incense burner said to contain ancient power. However,pared to such a grandiose description, it only had one simple function. It is, so to speak, a ¡®phone¡¯. Specifically, the receiver is quite¡­ formidable. ¡®Secured the most important thing¡­¡¯ I turned my gaze to look for something extra to take. Originally, all kinds of rare items are needed to activate this, but where am I? This is the yers'' official rare item farm. It''s not that difficult to obtain them here. I grabbed the necessary items one by one and put them in my arms. Powder made by grinding the horn of a unicorn for fuel, a phoenix feather to ignite it, a coral fan to control the mes¡­ However, I can''t take too much, otherwise it''ll be biting me in the future. Taking these few things I picked should be fine. ¡°Oops.¡± Engrossed in my selection, the things piled up on top copsed. But it didn¡¯t really matter since it wasn''t loud. ¡°¡­?¡± At least, that''s what I thought. Until a ¡®person¡¯ buried among the copsing items appeared. ¡°¡­!¡± I unwittingly caught them who were descending directly towards me. I did so because I had a hunch that if I let them hit the floor, there would be a biggermotion. However, as soon as I saw the person''s face, I immediately regretted everything. ¡°¡­¡± A small girl is soundly sleeping, while clutching a chained sword. She looked like a kitten. But from my point of view, as soon as I confirmed her identity, goose bumps immediately ran through my body. Seriously, who could imagine that this peacefully sleeping little girl is a human butcher that has reaped lives numbering triple digits? ¡°¡­Umm.¡± And unfortunately for me, it seems that I woke her up. The little girl stretched herself in my arms. ¡°Haaa...ah¡­?¡± And as she stretched out her arms, her yawns gradually subsided, sensing something strange. Her yellow eyes stared nkly at the surroundings. And soon, our eyes meet. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Let¡¯s put her down... I held the girl with both hands and made her stand. For a few seconds, we were just silently staring into each other¡¯s eyes. Then finally. The girl realizes that she has been ¡®held¡¯ by a man she has never seen before. Her immediate lightning-like reaction was grabbing the handle of the sword she was clutching. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX ss. ] Yep. I¡¯m f*cked. ¡ñ There are many reasons why a character is ssified as evil in Sera, but one of the criteria for ssification is ¡®Karma¡¯. To put it simply, it''s the ¡®number of kills¡¯. Depending on how many people you killed, your affinity would lean more towards the bad side. In that context, one''s Karma could easily get corrupted. Hence the devil, a key viin throughout the entire scenario, usually approaches people with high karma first. And a person who is at the extreme of such system is currently right in front of me. She''s normally not harmful. Unless you get close. ¡°¡­¡± What happens when you get close? Well... Let''s just say that this person''s Karma dunks on Elnore, who is known to kill people, with an overwhelming number. The one who killed the most people in this academy right now is this little girl. ¡°¡­!¡± And looking at the sword flying towards me, I can fully understand how that was possible. The main character Elijah couldn¡¯t even react to the EX ss Desperation and was blown away in a single punch. And yet, now, I could only react to the trajectory of Yuria''s sword. ¡°-¡­!¡± Realizing that it''s a true life-or-death situation, my concentration heightened to the point where the world seems to have slowed down. . . . [T/N: Still looking for RAWS] Chapter 9.2 Chapter 9.2 (EP-9.2) Crazed Swordsman #2 009 - Crazed Swordsman #2 Unlike the spar with Elijah, this attack had the intention to kill. I parried the first blow to my neck using the incense burner I was holding in my hand. It''s a relic and won¡¯t be easily destroyed just from a few attacks, making it a good substitute for a shield. Zeng-! Sparks flew with a sound. ¡®What a monster¡­!¡¯ Despite having enhanced strength with enough power to blow away a human like a feather, my body felt numb. It was absurdly powerful for an attack done without proper stance and right after waking up. Fortunately, I know how to avoid being beaten. I threw my body backwards and rolled. This is a s?upid move if you¡¯re inbat. It has no meaning other than keeping a distance from the opponent. However, against this girl, this was a good move. As soon as my body touched the floor, I instinctively measured the distance between us. ¡®Three and a half steps.¡¯ It¡¯s a distance where I can reach her without the risk of getting sliced. Meanwhile, Yuria remained rooted on her spot. She exhibits near invinciblebat power against opponents who entered within a ¡®three steps¡¯ range from her. Inversely, she cannot invade within ¡®three steps¡¯ of the opponent. A human being forced to distance herself from everyone. The ¡®curse¡¯ on this person was designed that way. [Can you please stay still?] Of course, seeing that sentence floating in the air with that teary eyes, it was clear that she wasn¡¯t too happy about me not being within range. ¡°¡­So it¡¯s easier to slice?¡± [Yes.] I expected that much. Though I''m stuck in quite a bit of a dilemma. A wall at the back and Yuria''s sword in front. I am safe as long as I''m more than three steps away, but I have no way of escaping in this situation. I could risk it for the biscuit and pass through her, but with such intense hostility, that''s thest thing I want to do. I''d rather try negotiating first¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Wait a minute. Negotiate. I can negotiate. Some ideas started toe to mind. As someone who''s forced to keep a distance from everyone, Yuria¡¯s life was solitary. This was all an unexpected encounter. So considering that she prefers an environment where there are ¡®few people¡¯ and with a ¡®constant state¡¯, assuming that is not too far off. The faculty members have their own residence and would note here unless it''s for business. People in such an environment always suffer chronically. ¡°¡­¡± And so, I slowly put my hand in my pocket, making it very clear that I have no malicious intentions. Then, with a solemn gesture, I take out the biscuits I was eating earlier. ¡°¡­¡± [...] I can feel Yuria¡¯s gaze locking on to the biscuits I''m holding. Her gaze moves along the direction of the food. I think I heard a dry swallow and something like a grumbling stomach. ¡°Psspsspss.¡± I began tossing the biscuits one by one as if I''m feeding a cat. I''m using this to lure her away from my escape escape path, just like in the story of Hansel and Gretel. [Are you trying to entice a human with food?] The advantage ofmunicating with levitating text is that you can clearly distinguish between speaking and what their mouth is doing. She may have asked that question, but she was currently eating a biscuit with great vigor. [I''m not an animal. How can anyone fall for something like this!] Her words may not be honest, but her actions are. Every time she ate one, she noticeably became happier. If she was a puppy, her tail would''ve been wagging furiously by now as she munch on. Then, she must have realized that I was watching and heavily denied. [I won¡¯t fall for these primitive tricks! I am human!] Is that so? ¡°I got some more, you want them?¡± [...] After a while. Yuria was munching on a whole bag of biscuits with glee. She looked like a cute animal. [By the way, who are you? Why are you here?] ¡°¡­¡± People need to open themselves up first before we can attempt any sort of civilizedmunication. And finally getting this question. ¡®¡­But I can¡¯t tell her the truth.¡¯ I can''t just say, I''m here to steal, can I? Regardless of how much Yuria is leading a half-wild beast-like solitary life, she''s not incapable ofmunication. It would be difficult if this gets known by faculty members. Now, what¡¯s a good excuse¡­ Ah, right. I nced at the incense burner lying on the floor. If I try to grab it now, it will attract Yuria''s attention. So let¡¯s talk a bit more. ¡°I came to give you food because of someone.¡± Such a topic naturally grabbed Yuria''s attention. [¡­Yes?] Yuria asked nkly. Seeing dozens of floating question marks, she must have been quite taken aback. ¡°Someone I know said to take care of you.¡± [Someone you know¡­?] Actually, that person doesn''t exist. However, saying this BS will helpter. It would''ve been impossible to create a variable like this in the original game. But at the same time, if it was the original game, I wouldn''t have encountered Yuria in the supply room. With that said, shouldn¡¯t I take advantage of the opportunity of meeting her here? This would make things run more smoothly for me in the future. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your sister is doing well in the Holy Land.¡± The key is to deliver this information in advance. Yuria¡¯s body visibly stiffened hearing this. ¡°The Emperor won¡¯t pay you or your sister any attention for the time being. He still has to deal with those hidden at the academy.¡± The girl tightly embraced her chain-wrapped sword that never once left her side. Although it was a small action, the swirl of emotions it brought was terrifyingly intense. It''s all because of that person that Yuria hase to Elfante Academy, far away from her hometown Holy Land, and living a life like this. Originally, this would be covered in detail in Chapter 2. But she at least deserves to know some general information about her one and only family. ¡°¡­¡± My eyes couldn''t help but linger on the sword that Yuria was holding. It didn''t look like it had any special features on the outside, but it''s actually a terrifying high rank item in Sera. Yuria actually ys the role of a kind of ¡®seal¡¯ that suppresses its fangs. The curse associated with the three steps alsoes from that thing. She''s probably under constant threat of mental corruption even worse than Elnore. Shouldn¡¯t we give her some hopeful news to ease her suffering? [You, who are you? Where did youe from¡­] ¡°I''ll get going now.¡± I can''t possibly tell her that in detail. ¡®Because there is no such thing in the first ce.¡¯ Uh. If a lie is too long, its tail will easily get stomped on. It would be better to mysteriously exit while I still can. On the way, I made sure to pick up the incense burner that''s on the floor due to the aftermath of the previous collision. Someone from the Holy Land would know the value of this item, but Yuria seemed too shocked by what I said and didn¡¯t to pay any attention to this. Thank god¡­! It¡¯s worth the talk¡­! ¡°¡­I¡¯lle again.¡± Still, I left her with a farewell message. Even if I can no longer go to the supply room and steal in the future, I¡¯m sure there will be one more time. Look out for me then. Eung? ¡ñ [T/N: I''ll only release character illustrations as they are introduced in the story. If you want to get spoiled in advance, you can visit the discord] Yuria Greyhounder Chapter 10.1 Chapter 10.1 (EP-10.1) Angel...? 010 - Angel...? Madam Ophelia, the Supervisor of the freshman dormitory, is a gentle person in many ways. She always has a warm smile and doesn¡¯t get angry, maintaining a lovely squint. She is also a beauty with rich blonde hair, which made her all the more popr among the students. However, the fact that she received the title of ¡®Madam¡¯ shows that she''s not just an easy person, and a regr Knight on active duty. It is almost a heavenly feat for green horns who have just entered the academy. Being a regr Knight is an enviable job that requires one to be a talent of at least the 5th Rank, which is the minimum standard to even be considered. ¡°Is everyone here-?¡± Of course, that isn''t really apparent right now, especially with her being so soft spoken. With a wry smile, I followed Lady Ophelia, who is leading the freshmen from the front. The atmosphere is reminiscent of that of a mother duck leading her little ducklings behind. We''re currently in the highest hill in Elfante Academy, the Grande Hill, where you could see all the nearby facilities. It is the best ce to introduce new students to the overall structure of the academy. ¡°That¡¯s the dormitory. I think everyone is familiar with where it is, right? The facilities used by each department are different ¡ªover there is a physical training room mainly used by the School of Knights, while over there is the magic training hall used by the School of Magic¡­¡± As for me, these exnations were just a repeat of what I already know. Elfante¡¯s curriculum is divided into five Schools, with each representing a field. Knight, Magic, Utility, Crafting, Theology. This is not just exclusive to Elfante, the Tribal Union and Holy Land also follow the same system. Starting from the wee party that will be held in a few days, the freshmen will choose their majors and minors, and the same goes for the main character. ¡®¡­ Actually, the Schools here are different.¡¯ They may be called ¡®Schools¡¯ but looking at the ''facilities'' and their size, it is not an exaggeration to say that each is a small city of their own. True to its reputation as one of the best educational institution on the continent, the amount ofnd and budget allocated to each School is staggering. The same applies to the Holy Land and Tribal Union. Elfante Academy, Great Temple, Fighting Furnace. These neighboring educational institutions are the best of the continent. They are called the Golden Triangle. ¡®And, that¡¯s that.¡¯ I checked the items I brought, while listening to Madam Ophelia¡¯s exnation with one ear. In my bag was an incense burner and various materials to light the incense. I also brought some extra¡­ ¡®offerings¡¯ to use. This field trip event, which follows immediately after the entrance exam, is like a tutorial that introduces the world and functions of the academy to the yer. And there are some things that can only be done at this time. ¡°Uhm, is that the famous Void Zone over there?¡± Yes, that''s a good question. When one of the students asked such a question, Madam Ophelia looked troubled. Then her squinted eyes turned to the huge gray orb that the student was pointing at. Despite being far away, the insidiousness and ominousness can be clearly felt even from such a distance. ¡°That is true, but- that is a restricted area - you¡¯ll be in big trouble if you go there-¡° A dome-shaped sphere of enormous size embedded in the center of the three educational institutions forming a triangle. And a huge tower-shaped building looming inward. Madam Ophelia¡¯sment was not an overreaction. In fact, the words ''restricted area'' are even too mild. Void Zone, the product of the Great God-Devil War, which went down in history as the worst war. [T/N: Not sure on the name since ?? (Shinma) has no one-to-one trantion. But based on the novel''s setting, I used God-Devil; Shin=Deity/God & Ma=Devil] This is the ce where the messenger of God and the hero who inherited his power fought the final bloodbath against the devil and sealed it. Hundreds of years have passed since its discovery, but the sh between the demonic and divine power lingering around it showed no signs of subsiding. There''s a 100% chance of dying if you were to get close to it. Even someone powerful won''t experience any better. ¡®In the first ce¡­¡¯ This was the reason why the three academies, the Golden Triangle, are close to each other. The "Great Treaty," created after the Great God-Devil War, between the three continental powers¡ª the Empire, the Holy Land and the Tribal Union, had a use that required each power to send a certain number of manpower to help manage the Void Zone. The Treaty is still valid today, hundreds of years after the devilst appeared. The devil has been sealed thanks to the sacrifice of the warriors of the past. But if it is freed, that ce will definitely be the starting point. The reason why there are so many high-quality staff among the academy faculty is because their main job is monitoring and guarding the Void Zone. And as to not waste manpower, they also serve as teachers on the side. ¡°¡­¡± However, considering the main scenario, it is not so unlikely that the real devil will be released. I feel dirty. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a famous ce passed down even in myths? Can we go closer and take a look?¡± ¡°Uh-um-¡± Seeing several students, whose eyes were burning with passion for learning, Madam Ophelia pursed her lips and scratched her cheek. Seeing this, I calmly kept my backpack. Part of the reason why Madam Ophelia is called ¡®Mommy¡¯ by yers is because she wouldn''t reject a request from the students. What will follow is already obvious¡­ ¡°Then, shall we only go as far as Seraph-nim''s protection allows-? It¡¯s safe as long as we''re inside-¡° Right. ¡ñ Another name for the messenger of God revealed in mythology is an angel. As an existence that appeared together when the devil awakened and began to plunge the world into chaos, the angel delivered various blessings and knowledge to humans. It is said that an angel''s power could boil the sea and overturn mountains. A Seraph is a name given only to special beings among the angels. It can be said that they have a status that is almost equivalent to that of a demigod by wordly standards. ¡°Then we''ll have lunch around here-¡± And such an existence had set up a protective barrier with enough stability that people could have a leisurely meal near the Void Zone. In the first ce, the reason why the academy is able to exist near here is because of this barrier. The sight of bright white light clusters floating around is a spectacle, which naturally garnered the admiration of the students. After settling down and taking out their lunchbox, one of the students asked Madam Ophelia another question. ¡°Oh, I heard that priests often visit this area. This is one of the few pieces of evidence that we can use to study the power of angels, right?¡± ¡°That''s right-?¡± Chapter 10.2 Chapter 10.2 (EP-10.2) Angel...? 010 - Angel...? ¡°Then, have you ever seen an angel in person?¡± The student continued to ask with sparkling eyes. It was a reasonably curious question. Legend has it that angels, who normally dwell in another ne of existence, would descend to the human world and bestow mortals ¡®blessings¡¯ or ¡®gifts.¡¯ Each one is extremely powerful, and it is said that the blessings and gifts would go down in history. The stakes for theologians or priests seeing an angel is high. As far as I know, it¡¯s a legend based on facts. Of course, there''s naturally some conditions. ¡°Well, I''ve seen numerous fancy ceremonies and rituals performed while I''m on duty, but there was never a case where an angel appeared-¡± The student who asked Madam Ophelia the question nodded in understanding at her answer. After all, it''s an angel we''re talking about here. Can such an existence just be summoned at will? However. ¡®¡­It''s actually easier than what everyone thinks.¡¯ I approached Madam Ophelia while thinking to myself. ¡°Excuse me, can I eat a little further away?¡± ¡°Hmm-?¡± Madam Ophelia tilted her head, her expression asking, ''why?'' ¡°I feel a little ufortable eating here.¡± ¡°¡­Ahh-¡° However, after hearing my words and looking around, she nodded her head. I had defeated Elijah with one punch and was also in the scene of the crime during the attempted assassination of Princess Tristan. My reputation naturally skyrocketed after such events. Of course, most of the gazes on me don''t look so pleased. In fact, there is a high possibility that they are on the bad side. Further, me subduing Hasmed during the entrance exam and simply letting him go could lead to a lot of problems. That''s why Elijah and Elnore, who witnessed it, also remained silent. In other words, the public''s perception of me is that I''m a freeloader who did nothing while Princess Tristan was being assassinated and a fraud that cheated to defeat the next hero candidate. Rumors tend to be blown out of the proportion. However, those who follow and believe such gossip without a second thought are people who don''t like me in the first ce. A nameless noble from an unknown no-root baron family is undeserving of the spotlight. ¡°Try not to go too far, okay¡ª? It''s dangerous-¡° ¡°Yes.¡± Of course, what they say or think is none of my concerns. On the contrary, I am grateful for such opposition as it made Madam Ophelia agree to my request to leave. ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ I walked somewhere far enough where I wouldn''t be bothered by anyone. There¡¯s nothing good about showing others what I¡¯m going to be doing. Uh. Primarily in a theological sense. ¡°Alright.¡± I began setting up the things I brought in my bag. The Divine''s Ultima and the materials needed to light it. I put the unicorn horn powder into the incense burner and lit a fire with the phoenix feather. After adjusting the mes intensity using the coral fan, smoke began to spread. The smoke soon reached a light cluster floating nearby, and promptly started to mix and clump together. The Divine''s Ultima''s function is simple. Like how Ipared it to a phone before, it allows me to contact beings that I would never normally be able tomunicate with. To materialize beings from another ne of existence into the human world. This is what the Divine''s Ultima is capable of. ¡®If you think about it¡­¡¯ Theologians and priests are not wrong for making all sorts of fuss here. The angelic presence is particrly evident around here more than anywhere else. After all, the barrier was set up by a Seraph. The problem was that they misunderstood the nature of angels. In myths, they are often described as noble and divine existences. Dignified and virtuous beings revered by many. However. That¡¯s not true. Like really. -¡­.. The light-smoke mix gradually took shape, and soon several burly men appeared. Behind them were pure white wings and golden halos floated above their heads. No matter how you look at it, they are your clich¨¦ angels. But. ¡°How did these f*cking kids do the pre-work? Where are those bas?ards from Jinji''s construction cooperation unit this quarter?¡± ¡°Um, Lord Angel-nim. They''re probably Gary''s.¡± ¡°Those sons of bi?ches think they''re slick, huh? Do you really want me to knock some sense on your guys'' heads? Hey, call up those f*ckers. If Seraph-nim sees this, we''re all done for, got it?¡± No matter which angle you look at, this conversation is neither noble or virtuous. In the first ce, carrying rough items like a hammer or a military shovel isn''t exactly what you can call elegant. ¡°¡­¡± These angels look more like¡­ the ¡®military¡¯. An extreme male-dominated society. A thorough rank system. A top-down hierarchy. A rigid and violent atmosphere. Basically, if a Seraph created or ordered something, those under him maintain or do it. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough holy waterpound to plug the gap in the barrier! Can I borrow some?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do one thing right, can you as$hole? Give me the brush, I''ll do it myself. Zoomers these days can¡¯t do anything right. Back in my day-¡° ¡°¡­¡± Listening to their conversation, I''m d I came alone. If devout believers saw this scene, they would have passed out foaming on their mouths. ¡°Um, by the way Squad Leader. You know that human over there?¡± ¡°Yeah, who''s he?¡± ¡°You mean the one that''s been staring at us since earlier?¡± ¡°It probably just a coincidence. Still, it¡¯s nice that he¡¯s quiet. Those annoying bas?ards spawn out of nowhere and cause ruckus¡­¡± Alright, let¡¯s think about this. What meaning would a grand ceremony or ritual really hold in front of such people? They''re dragged out for manualbor that they didn''t want to do. They roll around like dogs, feeling like shi? and wanted to die. They''re in a sensitive state where they want to kiII someone constantly trying to talk to them. What would happen if dozens or hundreds of people flock to them and recite Buddhist scriptures or Bible verses over and over, and over again? There is a reason why angels do not show themselves. All the above is just annoying to them. People are lucky a disaster hasn''t befallen them. On the contrary, what they want is something very simple and primitive. I sighed and took out the ¡®offerings¡¯ I brought from my bag. Generic alcohol with high alcohol content andcking subtlety, but with a strong and distinct taste. There''s also meat I bought at a reasonable price at the market. These are simple and rough taste thatmoners enjoy, but there¡¯s nothing like it. It¡¯s a kind of special set for construction workers. This is probably the best way to rejuvenate from doing intensebor. Pyeonyuk (sliced meat) with a ss of makgeolli (rice wine) after a serious sweat sesh. What more can you want? ¡°¡­The guy got good taste. Did he pick what we like?¡± ¡°Should I ask for a little¡­¡± ¡°We cannot descend to the material world without the acknowledgement of the human who called us. The conditions aren¡¯t met, so what''s the point of asking¡­¡± ¡°Ajusshis.¡± When I said this, the chattering angels around me suddenly quieted down. They realized that I am aware of their presence. With a smile, I continued. ¡°If you just work and don''t eat, you''ll eventually wear your bodies out.¡± The angels¡¯ eyes turned upside down. [T/N: this chapter gave me a headache] Chapter 11.1 Chapter 11.1 (EP-11.1) Orientation 011 - Orientation Thews of the hidden world apply differently than in the material world. Even if you just use a single portion of food as a burnt offering, the people here can all drink, y music and do other things. ¡°Ah¡­ I''m wasted¡­¡± ¡°This is the good shi?¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As a result, there''s a bunch of drunken angels currently lying on the floor. I''m watching all this while holding up a sigh. However. Regardless of how much they look like wasted drunkards right now, if they are put in the material world, each and every one of them is a being capable of a powerparable to that of a military corps. There¡¯s no need to do anything disrespectful. ¡°Hey, I ate well.¡± The one with the reddest face among the scattered angels stood up. Obviously¡­ it was the Lord Angel. Among the angels present, he''s clearly the one with the highest rank. ¡°Thanks to you, working became enjoyable for a bit. It''s been a while, and who knows when we''re able to experience this again.¡± ¡°They''re not feeding you at work?¡± ¡°What kind of food would there be in this world? We don¡¯t even have physiological needs.¡± ¡°¡­Do you have something else then?¡± ¡°Look at our condition. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh my God. Doesn¡¯t that mean that they''re on military service for eternity without pay? ording to the setting, this race is virtually immortal in the hidden world. What angels? They''re just winged ves. ¡°Don¡¯t think about useless things, now tell me.¡± As I was giving the other person a sympathetic look, the Lord Angel smiled and pointed at something. It was the still-smoking Divine''s Ultima incense burner. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You came to us because you wanted something. Tell me and I''ll give it to you.¡± Around me were loud mumbling of Iya~ Squad Leader is so hot~ He''s alive~ The angels twisted, nonessential rambles were dizzying. ¡°¡­¡± But, well, he''s not wrong. Even though the purpose of the Ultima was simply to reveal the hidden world, the reason why it is ssified as a ¡®survival¡¯ item is that when you encounter this side in the game, it''ll unconditionally get infused with divine protection. ¡°Say what you want and I''ll do the best I can.¡± However, it was totally unexpected that they''ll just give it to me before I could even negotiate. I¡¯ve even prepared dozens of bargaining chips specifically for them. While I was nkly staring at this development that had worked so well for me, the main angel continued. ¡°You just don''t decide to offer things to air. Looking at you, it seems that you know the rules andws of angels.¡± ¡°¡­To be honest, I kinda do.¡± ¡°I can see it.¡± The Lord Angel''s eyes shed with all kinds of colors as he said so. I know this ability. Insight. It''s a skill that could grasp one''s ¡®essence¡¯ just by looking at them. You can say it''s like reading the other person¡¯s Status Window in great detail. ¡°I see that you''re someone who''s going to be big in the future. Think of this like an investment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can see potential. It''s just not fully developed yet.¡± The other angels lying nearby woozily echoed too. This is a burdensome high evaluation. What could he possibly be referring to? ¡®This must be it¡­¡¯ He''s probably talking about my Special Gift. The ability to gain favor from the wicked. If we''re talking about my potential, then there¡¯s nothing else thates to mind other than this. ¡°That is more powerful than you think. I''m interested to see how you deal with it.¡± The angel said with a burst ofughter. However, the sentence that followed was not something to be said lightly. ¡°But it¡¯s not necessarily always good.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You''ve been bitten by something terrible. I can¡¯t see its full form yet, but I can tell it¡¯s bad. It seems to have stuck because of your abilities.¡± What is he talking about? Blinking in wonder, the Lord Angel continued to speak while scratching his head. ¡°But again, it¡¯s kinda funny. It certainly is bad, but it doesn¡¯t look that harmful.¡± ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°It feels strangely friendly. At least I don¡¯t feel like it''s trying to harm you. Even, it''s trying to help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What is it? ¡°I can¡¯t even see its shape right now, so it won¡¯t have a direct effect on you. Just prepare yourself sometime soon.¡± Still nkly blinking, I was with another word bomb. ¡°Let me give you one piece of advice. If it could mean your survival, you¡¯re thinking of taking everything even if they''re not yours, right? That incense burner is also something that should''ve gone to someone else.¡± ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± ¡°I told you, I can see everything.¡± The angel replied with a smirk. ¡°But I have no intention of interfering with anything. I would''ve advised against it if it were another person and not you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Take it all. Whatever it may be, gather all the means avable to you. It would be really hard to survive if it''s involving with such an abomination.¡± The weight of his words was heavy. Though, his following words went back to a light-hearted tone. ¡°But don''t worry too much.¡± ¡°What? You just made a big deal about it.¡± ¡°I can tell just by looking at your expression. Usually, humans I¡¯ve seen get scared right away when they hear these words.¡± A ferocious smile crept across his face. ¡°But you... You remained calm and even nned on how to live through to see the next day. People like that typically have a long life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Trust me, the average person don¡¯t do that. You''re a bud waiting to bloom.¡± Again, it''s an onerously high evaluation. I¡¯m just trying because I don¡¯t want to die. But this is stilling from an angel. I''ll need to give it some serious thought. This is pretty important- ¡°Squad Leader, you''re talking nonsense after receiving the good shi??¡± ¡°Come here quickly, use the shovel not eat it.¡± ¡°Look at these little f*cks. Hey, you sons of bi?ches became my superiors all of a sudden, huh-¡± ¡°¡­¡± It will be important. Maybe. Hopefully... ¡ñ ¡®This is great.¡¯ Thinking so, I looked at the incense burner in my hand. The protections I received from the angels were quietly dwelling inside. < Item Info > [ Divine''s Ultima ] [ Item Grade: C+ ] [ This incense burner has been used for ancestral rites for a long time. It has been influenced by the divine who exist in the hidden world and have acquired special powers. ] ¡ò Built-in Skills ¡ò ¡ö [ Penance ] [ Skill Grade: C ] [ Temporarily converts all additional stats to ¡®Endurance¡¯. ] [ Consumes a small amount of mana. ] ¡ù [ This skill can be evolved! ] Upon evolution, the skill changes to [ Proof of Faith ]! ¡ö [ Guardian Shield ] [ Skill Grade: C ] [ Creates a protective shield that absorbs iing attack once. ] [ Consumes a small amount of mana. ] [ The strength of the shield is affected by the ¡®Endurance¡¯ stat. ] [ Has a 20 second cooldown. ] ¡ù [ This skill can be evolved! ] Upon evolution, the skill changes to [ Stigmata ]! . . . {T/N: This is yesterday''s chapter, but I fell asleep before I could upload} Chapter 11.2 Chapter 11.2 (EP-11.2) Orientation 011 - Orientation Looking at the effects that can be used right away, it is quite useful. Among the stats, ¡®Endurance¡¯ is mainly rted to health. It is in charge of the body¡¯s resilience, stamina and durability. This makes it heavily tied to survival. The higher it is, the more effective the protective equipments or abilities. If this isbined with the stat-raising Desperation skill, it would create abo perfect for protection and survival. ¡®And¡­¡¯ The key point is that it can evolve. It will take time as the only way to evolve it is to use it as much as possible and increase the proficiency. But the ability of the skill to grow is definitely a merit. The performance of all the things that can ¡®grow¡¯ in the world of Sera rapidly increase as their level goes up. Getting this from the very beginning of the scenario is a great boon. This was a good initiative that led to receiving the protection of the Lord Angel. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a good that I got this now? With this, I have more time to grow.¡¯ Of course, being able to meet an angel itself is possible after Chapter 2. But being able to interact directly with a main angel would take a longer time than that. Receiving protection from such an existence for free is huge. The problem is this. [ Consumes a small amount of mana. ] I looked at such sentences on the skill window with gloomy eyes. Generally, skills require mastering rted traits, such as magic power and divine power. But I don''t know any one of those, they''re nothing but pies in the sky. Elfante students learn this type of knowledge from childhood, meaning the academy doesn''t''t teach it. ¡°¡­¡± In this situation where I can¡¯t learn magic right away, I have to find a way to use temporarily. I probably won''t get it right here, but I can get it with a ''clue''. ¡°Here, here! This is a magic gun that was refined by the Firearms Department of the Crafting School! Come now and get 10 free shots of 10 bullets made from grinded spirit stones! If you perform well, there will be prizes!¡± ¡°The Magic School''s Alchemy Department is recruiting new students! We''ll be handing out self-made reagents only during the Guide Event, soe and see us!¡± These types of talks could be heard all around. A Guide Event is a faculty-run event that''s basically an advertisement. It is held before the wee party where students decide on their majors. The departments usually throw baits like distributing reagents and show that they''re a fun and beneficial ce. Once you''ve taken the bait and joined, they''ll then start giving you insignificant tasks and do some positive reinforcement like, ¡®Wow, you did a really good job!¡¯ They''re doing everything they can to attract freshmen¡­ or to more appropriately call them, sIaves to do the chores for them. These enthusiastic seniors were throwing in carrots to seduce the unsuspecting freshmen. But those bright smiles hid dark malice. The poor chicks who are ignorant of the world would get devoured by the preying snakes. ¡°¡­¡± I want none of those things. I''m currently at the event booth of the Knight School''s Magic Research Department. Compared to other booths, here is unusually empty, but that¡¯s because this ce is exceptionally strict for a booth in a Guide Event. It''s a long dungeon course prepared by the department, a mock battle against a dummy doll with a 100% reproduction of real magic using magic fibers. What freshmen would want to do such a grueling job, a Guide Event at that. ¡®There¡¯s one here.¡¯ However, as much as they make us do such hard work, the reward they give is exceptional. Considering the difficulty in obtaining it, it¡¯s not a stretch to say that it''s almost like eating for free. It''s that good. To the point where I feel sorry for the other freshmen who missed such a jackpot. ¡°Well, you''re quite the nk paper, aren''t you?¡± ¡°No. I was listening.¡± ¡°Really? Then what did I say?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to form a team of two and wait?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing my reply, the senior receptionist in front of me crossed their arms with a displeased look. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know what that means. Where is your partner?¡± ¡°They''ll be here soon.¡± ¡°Who woulde to such an unpopr department? Are you lying?¡± Judging from the self-deprecating remarks, they seem aware of the fact that their department is exceptionally non-mainstream among the Knight departments. Knights have the highest prestige among the main armies of the empire, thus regr Knights are a target for envy. However, the probability of bing a regr knight is extremely low in the Magic Research Department. At best, they''ll probablynd a job as an office worker if it worked out well. ¡®If I get along with them, there would be no other ce that''s asfortable as here.¡¯ True to the department¡¯s name, they find weaknesses of magic, investigate their ecology, and establish an overall ¡®strategy¡¯. They''re nothing shy so people tend to ignore them. However, the information you get here makes for a pretty big difference in the future scenarios. These are the people who will provide tremendous help in Chapter 1 of the scenario. Of course, since it is a non-mainstream department, it is not attracting new students, which really is discouraging. So let¡¯s give some encouragement. ¡°I''m not lying, my partner ising. Also, it will be very crowded here soon.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Well, the personing is someone you can call famous.¡± Saying so, I checked my magic wristwatch. It''s about time they arrive. It''s an ¡®experienced¡¯ freshman who knows that this kind of study, despite looking modest, is extremely helpful in practice. ¡°Hello! Is this the Magic Research Depart¡­ment¡­uh¡­?¡± The person that came in through the tent of the booth gradually quieted down. It''s probably because they found me. I gently waved my hand towards them. ¡°Hi.¡± I originally didn¡¯t want to get involved with this person. But I changed my mind. Especially after listening to the advice of the Lord Angel. So, I decided to change my course of action altogether. ¡°Is the offer for getting to know each other still valid?¡± Elijah Krisanax looked stunned. {T/N: This is today''s chapter} Chapter 12.1 Chapter 12.1 (EP-12.1) Orientation #2 012 - Orientation #2 ¡°There are threeing at your 9 (o¡¯clock) right about... now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah swung her sword with a heavy expression. The dummy wolf, that was about tounch an ambush in the dark, was swept away by the blow. ¡°Two more from the ceiling. Their vital is the neck.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me, ''instructor''.¡± She called as she decapitated two bat-shaped dummies in an instant. ¡°Ah, watch your step, there''s a tile trap. On your right is a paralyzing poisonuncher, you can break that.¡± ¡° ''Instructor,'' I have a favor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°This is good and all, but can you please help me instead of just giving ''instructions''¡­?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah¡¯s face contorted even more, but she eventually chuckled and added. ¡°Were you not the one who tried to beat me up on the first meeting just the other day?¡± ¡°¡­That''s true.¡± ¡°And were you not the one who said you wanted to apologize? That you''ll do anything I ask?¡± ¡°¡­I did.¡± ¡°So what''s the problem now?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I''m sorry.¡± When I suggested that ¡®we get closer,¡¯ it was her who delightedly rushed here. You have to keep your word. ¡°¡­¡± And even if I want to help, I can¡¯t. I am about as useful as a bug, with these puny stats. It would be better if I just gave out orders and let her do all the fighting. ¡®And¡­¡¯ It''s be clear while going around this artificial dungeon that Desperation will not be triggered unless there is ¡®malice¡¯ threatening my life. That¡¯s why it doesn¡¯t work on these dummies that are simply repeating programmed actions. So what does this point suggest? Desperation is not omnipotent. Like most things, it''s clearly wed and imperfect. Thecency that this skill will save me in every situation is something I should quickly throw away. ¡®I must raise my stats.¡¯ Stats are like your athleticism that can be used in all situations. In the end, personal growth is indispensable. Especially when you consider that the performance of items and skills is also affected by stats. As I was thinking, Elijah grumbled next to me again. ¡°Still, the instructor has skills and could probably do better than me. With two of us working together, we can break through much faster-¡± [ Amazing speed! ] [ You broke the 2-year-old record! ] ¡°¡­¡± Herining immediately stopped after hearing the reverberating announcement. ¡°No, why? How is this possible? What is happening right now?¡± Seeing her ask in confusion, it seems that she''s dumbfounded at the fact that she was breaking the record despite proceeding in this way. ¡°Is that so surprising?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not surprising, it¡¯s ridiculous!¡± She poured her heart out. ¡°A mock battle is made with the assumption that two people would be doing it. But I''m just clearing it by myself, and it''s the highest record¡­ What the heII is this, hello? Are you using some kind of sorcery? Even regr knights couldn¡¯t proceed like this, right? Uh? What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I inwardly chuckled over her confused existential crisis. ¡®This is great.¡¯ I umted enough experience to be considered a veteran in this game. And I obtained a top-notch subordinate who will move without asking or questioning my words? This dungeon is so easy that she canplete it with her eyes closed. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ And if you¡¯re running a speedrun with ¡®only one person¡¯ like this, it''s bound to attract some interest. In fact, the reward for simply clearing this mock battle is good, but that is also quite important. I had to take this opportunity. Then, what is it in the end? ¡°The next section will be a little tougher than this one, let¡¯s keep it up. Fighting~!¡± I cheered her up. Because, until then, you have to do it all by yourself. ¡°¡­¡± Elijah gritted her teeth. You''ll lose your teeth if you keep doing that. ¡ñ Evan Kramer, a second year student in the Magic Research Department, was nervously sitting in front of the control panel. ¡°The mock battle stages are pretty good these days. Did the department set it up?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­!¡± Evan barely managed to squeeze out an answer in stutters. The other person smiled as they watched the video being yed. ¡°We can increase the budget next year.¡± To be able to say such a thing, it was clear that they were someone with authority. The speaker was none other than the Dean of the Knight School. Conrad Baltador. The Dean, who directly reports to the President, was an individual who, at least within the academy, was said to possess unparalleled authority. For a student, it would be difficult to even breathe just by being next to such a person. ¡®Why is someone like him at a booth¡­!¡¯ As Evan shivered and pondered those thoughts, there was another voice. ¡°Oh, Conrad. What are you doing here?¡± Unfortunately for Evan, the owner of this voice also did not help the atmosphere at all. Seeing the person entering the booth with several pale-faced assistant professors from the Magic School, Evan almost suffered actual breathing problems. ¡°I can say the same to you, Percy. You rarely go out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I came out to see the freshmen. I like seeing the potential talents.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Conrad silently looked at the half-dead assistant professors from behind the woman called Percy. ¡°¡­A new tool, no, you¡¯re not looking for graduate students?¡± ¡°Well, if they want toe out of their own volition, you won¡¯t stop them, right?¡± Percy Siston Levantin, the head of the Magic School. She replied with a smile. ¡°So, you haven¡¯t answered yet. What are you doing?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone I¡¯m keeping an eye on these days.¡± Conrad replied as he turned his gaze back to the screen. Percy¡¯s gaze naturally followed to that direction. ¡°Oh, I know that child. Isn''t she the next hero candidate?¡± After saying that, Percy¡¯s gaze moved to the stage clear record on the side panel. I guess this is to be expected. The clearing speed of each passing each section is much faster than normal students. The next Hero candidate is indeed noteworthy¡­ ¡°No, not her.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Persie tilted her head and looked at the other student. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°Ah, the con artist?¡± Even though she doesn¡¯t go outside herb as often, she still knew the recent rumors and noise around this freshman. This guy conned a win against the hero candidate during the sparring. ¡°¡­But why are you watching a scammer?¡± ¡°Looks like he knows that too.¡± Conrad replied with a snort. ¡°This guy¡¯s talent is real.¡± ¡°Talent?¡± Persie furrowed her eyebrows and stared at the screen. Talent... What talent? No matter how she looked at it, it just looks like he''s getting a free ride from the hero candidate. ¡°This is why Mages who only roll around with pens are no good.¡± ¡°Why are you picking a fight now?¡± ¡°This feat, this record can never be set just by the hero candidate alone. Rather, the main body is over there.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Percy asked with her head tilted, but Conrad simply turned his gaze back to the screen instead of exining in detail. Chapter 12.2 Chapter 12.2 (EP-12.2) Orientation #2 012 - Orientation #2 It''s even clearer to see from a distance. Just the sheer absurdity of what this man is doing right now. ¡®¡­Interesting.¡¯ In fact, there are some asional events where freshmen get good records. But, in the end, most just end up as a fluke. It''s really not a disy of true skill. In that sense. How is this man just zing through this? ¡®He''s calcting everything.¡¯ It''s as if he knew the location of the monsters rtive to the hero candidate, and then send out instructions at somehow the right timing. Each of his subsequent moves made it seem like he was seeing through the enemy''s pattern. Every judgment he makes at every instance is a near-perfect answer. He may look like he was just standing and ordering around, but he was actually ying aplex and borately arranged artificial dungeon as if it were ced in the palm of his hand. I can assure you on this. This ¡®freshman¡¯ is the sole person among Elfante''s history of students breaking through the dungeon in such a way. It''s almost like¡­ ¡®He''s fought on the battlefield thousands of times.¡¯ This is the only exnation. Because it just doesn¡¯t make sense to have this kind of ability without any practical experience. And ¡®survivingbat¡¯ and living to develop this ability suggests that this guy is hiding something more than just what''s on the surface. ¡°¡­¡± This is why I''m curious. If he ¡®directly¡¯ participated in the dungeon raid with the hero candidate, what would the result be? If one person is already doing this much, what would happen if he participated himself? ¡°No, I just can''t bring myself to believe. I don''t understand no matter how I look at it.¡± Speaking of, this s?upid mage beside me had been annoying for a while now. ¡°Then do you want to bet on it?¡± ¡°A bet?¡± ¡°Do you remember the record you and I set in the mock battle during our freshman year?¡± ¡°I do, what about it?¡± Conrad and Percy were a freshman duo that''s said to be the most legendary team up of all time. The record they set in the mock battle still remains as the undisputed number one of all time. ¡°I bet he¡¯ll break it.¡± Percy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­You¡¯re that confident?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Fine. It has alreadye to this point. I will take upon your invitation and bet on him not breaking the record.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Immediately after saying that, he picked up the microphone attached to the control panel. ¡°This is Conrad Baltador, the Dean of the Knight''s Faculty. Can you hear me?¡± {T/L: Changing School to Faculty} His voice probably reverberated throughout the dungeon like an announcement. It can be seen from how Elijah was looking at the ceiling in amazement. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ Meanwhile, Conrad was smiling at Dowd, who did not seem fazed then said. ¡°I''m intrigued by how things are going. Can I take you up for an offer?¡± ¡°Do tell.¡± Even, his attitude was as if he''s been waiting for this. ¡°Currently, the Magic Faculty Dean Percy and I are engaged in a bet outside.¡± ¡°A bet?¡± ¡°It''s on whether you can break the record we set as a freshman or not. If you seed¡­ Percy will give you the right to ask for anything.¡± On the other side, Percy raised her eyebrows slightly with an expression asking what he was doing, but she didn¡¯t say much. Anyways, she was certain that their record would remain unbroken. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel burdened by it. The record you set now is great, regardless.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s fine.¡± And so. ¡°This is enough of a motivator.¡± Hearing Dowd Campbell''s answer, the expression on Percy¡¯s face was truly worth seeing. ¡ñ ¡°Iya¡­¡± As soon as Beatrix entered the dedicated fitness room of the student council, she was greeted by a sweltering heat. Elnore stretched out in the middle of the floor, covered in sweat, also added to the scene. ¡°What is all this?¡± She sighed helplessly and tossed a water bottle to Elnore. ¡°I needed to sort out my thoughts.¡± ¡°Right, I know youe here alone to sweat whenever you''re like that. So what''s the problem this time?¡± ¡°It has always been like this. But it''s ramped up these days.¡± Upon hearing that, Beatrix¡¯s expression immediately turned solemn. A dark rumor has been circting in imperial circle. That the devil runs on Duke Tristan''s veins. This sentence could mean two things. One is literally being connected to the devil, pledging with evil to achieve outstanding feats. The second is a metaphorical expression of ¡®madness¡¯, which is present in the Duke''s bloodline. It''s an expression of extreme violence and the loss of reason that urs in bursts from time to time. As time passes, the Tristan Family were notorious for their miserableter years, which overshadows their achievements. Elnore is also not free from such a curse. Rather, in her case, it''s particrly extreme. She alone knew of aspects of Elnore that could never be revealed to the public. ¡°¡­Is it very serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about. It¡¯s not entirely because of that.¡± Elnore smiled and wiped her sweat off with a towel. ¡°There was something I wanted to remember.¡± ¡°What do you want to remember?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a move I learned from my mother when I was little, when I just started learning the sword¡­ But I can¡¯t quite recall it. That¡¯s why I was checking my swordsmanship right from the beginning.¡± For a woman who normally doesn¡¯t show even the slightest emotion, Elnore is being really sentimental right now. But instead of pointing it out, Beatrix encouraged her. Elnore¡¯s feelings for her father and mother are on the pr opposites. Her mother died when she was young, so you can understand why she''s like that. ¡°Well, don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. If I exhaust myself, I won¡¯t care about most things.¡± ¡°Really? Well, I have something to tell you.¡± Elnore''s gaze turned to Beatrix. ¡°¡­Tell me about what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this because you asked me to let you know of all the information about it. A junior told me this earlier.¡± ¡°So, what is it?¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell is with the next hero candidate in a mock battle. People say they''re in a bet with the Deans-¡± Sparks flew from Elnore¡¯s eyes. ¡°So, you''re saying that the two of them are stuck together?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, I guess this is more important than being in a bet with the Deans. ¡°The mock battle is a two-person challenge, so the two of them need to stick together, no?¡± Elnore sprang up immediately, her sweat sttering everywhere, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. ¡°Didn''t you just say you''re too exhausted to care about most things?¡± ¡°Shut it, and tell me where it is.¡± This crazy woman. Beatrix had already been overworked as of recently, and now her temples began to throb with a headache again. Chapter 13.1 Chapter 13.1 (EP-13.1) Double 013 - Double ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Elijah suddenly threw out such a question as I was warming up before entering the final stage. Seeing someone like her say that with a dumbfounded expression really shows the absurdity of the situation. ¡°I know that instructor is good, but can you really challenge the previous record¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah nkly opened her mouth. She was unable to utter words upon hearing such a wild reply that was said a matter of fact. ¡°¡­You have high confidence. Is there any reason for that?¡± Of course there is. The monsters in this artificial dungeon have patterns. As someone who knew them like it''s at the back of my hand, targeting their vitals is as easy as one, two and three. It¡¯s not that difficult to get the timing right. And, above all. [It¡¯s Conrad. Are you ready?] ¡°A long time ago.¡± [Good. In thisst section, you are able to choose the difficulty. Naturally, the higher the difficulty, the more points you get-] This is where my confidence stems from. ¡°Please make it the highest difficulty.¡± [¡­] After a moment of silence, the person speaking on the other side suddenly changed. [Listen up freshman. I know that you''re confident, but isn''t this too much?! Even if you lose the bet, there is no penalty, so why go this far¡­?! The highest difficulty is no different from a real battle! Death is highly probable!] Basing from the voice, that should be Percy. She might sound angry, but it''s apparent from her concern that she''s a true teacher who really cares about her students. ¡°Yes, I am aware.¡± In that level of difficulty, the monsters will literally being after you with the intent to ¡®kiII¡¯. ¡°Since it doesn¡¯t make any sense otherwise.¡± [¡­Yes?] ¡°Because anything easier than that isn¡¯t worth the effort.¡± [¡­] I smiled at the thought of her stun-locked expression. And it is easier for me that way. ¡ñ ¡°Why did you agree to that?¡± ¡°Why not, didn¡¯t we also go on this difficulty as freshmen?¡± ¡°Not at the Colosseum. They could really die there.¡± Percy said with a bitter expression. The Colosseum, thest section of the artificial dungeon, is all about defeating as many monsters as possible that are being infinitely summoned. In other words, recklessly raising the difficulty would summon more and more monsters, which can be really dangerous without any countermeasures. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would have said that if he''s not confident. Let¡¯s just wait and see.¡± ¡°I have also observed what¡¯s been going on so far. Is it really okay to rate this student so highly?¡± Percy folded her arms and said disgruntledly. ¡°He has no aptitude, nobat skills-¡± ¡°- It¡¯s a mess. That''s right. But you got fooled too.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Conrad smirked at Percy''s dismay. ¡°Let''s just watch for now. If it really does get dangerous, we can just go in and save them.¡± In the meantime, the screen is showing the two freshmen having already entered the Colosseum. Percy sighed inwardly as she watched the artificial monsters pour in from all directions and surrounding the two in a circle. As the highest difficulty, the scenario is naturally different from others. A weak-willed student would easily get intimidated by the sheer amount of murderous monsters. ¡®I just hope you don¡¯t overdo it¡­¡¯ Percy thought as she got her dose of tea, that had just been served. She had a habit of drinking tea whenever she''s worried about something. She and Conrad killed 50 monsters within the time limit, which was a transcendental record for freshmen. She was feeling uneasy and unsure about this whole record breaking attempt. However. That anxiety was immediately thrown away when Dowd Campbell shed with the first monster. -! -!!! She gaped when she saw the monster getting ¡®shattered¡¯ by Dowd Campbell''s sword. ¡°Wha, what?!¡± Seeing her jump out of her seat, and even shout, Conrad couldn''t help but chuckle. If the monster had been simply cut in one blow, there''s really nothing to be so surprised about. Any skilledbatant can do that. However, what about using a sword as if it was a huge hammer? This could only be achieved by getting the perfect direct hit to a vital point, but how is that possible? ¡°See? Everyone will be fooled at first nce.¡± Percy would''ve normally reacted to such a sentence, but right now, she couldn''t care less. The scene that''s unfolding right in front of her eyes was shocking. ¡°No, no, no-! How does that make sense?! How could a human who clearly had nothing suddenly¡ª!¡± ¡°Have you ever considered that it wasn¡¯t that there was nothing, but rather it was made to look that way?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Percy slumped back to her seat from all the shock. Her gaze then rested on those two zing through the record on the screen. It is an unrivaled feat that no one can match, not even in thest few years. The sentence that that student said before the battle started continuously echoed in Percy''s mind. ¨CAnything easier than that isn¡¯t worth the effort He was really serious about it? He wasn''t bluffing? He''s making the challenge seem like child''s y. ¡°¡­I now understand your interest, Conrad. I guess the only shallow thing here was my narrow vision.¡± ¡°I don''t me you. If I hadn''t seen it beforehand, I probably would have been fooled too.¡± In fact, even the faculty didn¡¯t pay attention to a single thing until they saw the sparring with the hero candidate. ¡°But still, setting a new record is apletely different story. The Colosseum produces stronger monsters the further you-¡± Percy suddenly stopped her sentence midway. It''s probably because she saw that the monsters that appeared in the second wave were also shattered by Dowd¡¯s sword just like the ones before. ¡®¡­Uh?¡¯ There was a big question mark on top of her head. The situation that followed shattered themon sense she knew. Even the third wave suffered the same fate. Swing, swing, swing. At the same pace, regardless of how strong the opponent is, it always ends with the same result. ¡®¡­¡¯ Were monsters could be beaten so easily? Even when Conrad and her broke the all-time record, they didn''t do it with this ease. This is just like cutting down weeds. It was not a battle, but a simple repetitive task. It looked so absurdly easy that even the hero candidate''s hard fought battle next to it was being overshadowed. It should get harder the longer this goes on and the stronger the waves are, so why is the situation the same as before? Is there any bug in the system? ¡®¡­No, there''s wasn''t.¡¯ It¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s not that trivial. The more she watched the video on the screen, the more that feeling became more and more concrete. ¡®He''s getting stronger.¡¯ As his enemies get faster and stronger, Dowd Campbell also get faster and stronger. ¡®How could this be¡­!¡¯ As she was immersed in her thoughts, the death counter of the monsters recorded on the screen were umting at a tremendous speed. More than 10 monsters were hunted within a minute after starting. By the time half of the time limit passed, Conrad and Percy''s record had already been broken. Still, Dowd Campbell¡¯s pace did not slow down. Rather, it''s the opposite, he''s actually getting faster and faster. As if the stronger the opponent, the stronger he bes. And just like that, the time limit was up. It was so silent that you could even hear someone breathing. [ Congrattions! Incredible Feat! ] [ You broke the All-time Record! ] [ Team Dowd Campbell & Elijah Krisanax hunted a total of 100! ] The teacup that Percy was holding fell and shattered on the floor. But no one even spared a nce at it. Everyone was looking at the record with bewildered expressions. ¡°Bravo.¡± Inside the intensely quiet room, only the apuse of Conrad, who had a fierce smile on his face, could be heard. Chapter 13.2 Chapter 13.2 (EP-13.2) Double 013 - Double ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡± It is, in many ways. Attributes are mostly built up from realbat experience, so this event significantly increased my proficiency in the Tristan Style Swordsmanship. ¡°Fine?¡± Next to me, Elijah was patting her forehead. Why are you getting angry? ¡°No, this¡­¡± She stared at the papers in her hand in disbelief. On the other side, Conrad was wearing a proud expression while Percy looked lost as she handed it over. It says that we can select and rent an item from Elfante¡¯s ¡®Vision Warehouse¡¯. ¡°Doesn''t it need the Imperial Family''s permission to open the Vision Warehouse¡­?¡± ¡°That''s why it''s written as for ''rent''. Otherwise, if it''s ''awarded'', there will be a problem.¡± I calmly replied, but this was a very big deal. Just the act of opening the Vision Warehouse was a rare event itself, only happening twice in the entire game. And both of those openings were only possible after resolving major events in the story. This is absolutely not something you can do as a freshman. Above all, Percy, the Magic Faculty Dean, has given permission to ¡®request anything¡¯¡­ ¡®This is really good.¡¯ This is a very good start even for a veteran like me. ¡°¡­¡± As I was in my thoughts, Elijah looked at me with a strange expression. ¡°Mister, I''ve noticed that you¡¯re always calm regardless of anything.¡± {T/N: changed Instructor to Mister since it felt weird, just realized Mister is also applicable } ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You already nned out everything. It feels like you already knew what to expect. Hmm¡­¡± She said while thoughtfully stroking her chin. What? ¡°Umu, yes. I should prepare at least one surprise.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I have been thinking about it before, but it became clearer during the mock battle. If I don¡¯t do something now, I would lose it sooner orter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What is she saying? I looked at Elijah in confusion, but she just grinned and held her fist out in return. ¡°¡­What''s this?¡± ¡°Oh, a fist bump. Don¡¯t men do this with their friends?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This is new. She seems to have a good affinity with people like in the original game, but there is something different somewhere that I can''t quite put my finger on. Our fists bumped and Elijah hurried away with a bright smile. ¡°Then, see you tomorrow, Mister! I¡¯ll be sending you a letter back to your dorm!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing her say those words was making me worried. In the first ce, she''s saying that we''ll meet tomorrow. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Elnore [ Trust Level 5 ] [ Close to favorability status change! ] [ She is an important character. A special event will trigger after a sessful status change! ] [ D-1 until rted event urs ] ¨‹ Elijah [ Curiosity level 5 ] [ Rewards Currently Unavable! ] [ Close to favorability status change! ] [ She is an important character. A special event will trigger after a sessful status change! ] [ D-1 until rted event urs ] Tomorrow is the day when the main quest and character events ovep. ¡®Thinking of the original game, nothing much happens at this time¡­¡¯ The only thing I remember happening as slight ¡®monster trouble¡¯. However, I can''t help but be nervous knowing that two major character events would intertwine. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± I suddenly heard such a question while I was preupied with my thoughts. When I turned my head, I saw Elnore, who was exuding a gloomy aura all over her body. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± What? What''s wrong with her? She still had her expressionless face, but seeing the wrinkles between her eyebrows and twitching eye corners, she is really angry. ¡°Looks like you two had a good time together. Do you like that freshman named Elijah?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What''s happening right now exactly? Desperation did not activate, so it seems that she has no intention of hurting me. But even so, I feel like something big will happen if I don¡¯t appease her here. I have to say something¡­! ¡°Um, Student Council President?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I missed you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The moment Elnor shut his mouth, nonexistent words from an imaginary dictionary shed through my mind. A fool ¨C it''s synonymous for Dowd Campbell. There¡¯s no way someone high-profile like the Student Council President would fall for this. ¡°¡­Did you?¡± How, her voice actually became much softer than before. And her expression also feels more rxed, perhaps because of her lightening mood. ¡®¡­Uh?¡¯ That worked? This? A bad throw away, hail mary nonsense? While I was stumped at this unexpected development, Elnore crossed her arms and said sharply. ¡°You mean you wanted to see me even while being with that freshman?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No, I didn''t mean that actually. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong. Not in the sense of a male-female rtionship¡­ Hmm. I meant it like between friends. We¡¯re not in that type of rtionship yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I was speechless for the most part. ¡°¡­Umm, yes.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s it. Just remember your priorities.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What priorities? What do you mean? ¡°Well, since I''m already her, I¡¯ll pass this on in advance. It''s originally meant to be delivered tomorrow.¡± Having said that, Elnore handed me a letter. What is this now? ¡°¡­Make sure to open it somewhere quiet. Alright, then...¡± After saying that, Elnore left just like a passing wind. She seemed embarrassed handing this over. ¡°¡­¡± But what is it though? Both Elijah and Elnore are suddenly giving me letters. I gotta go and see what''s the deal. ¡ñ ¡°I shouldn''t have opened them.¡± I squeaked like a dying old man. On the desk were Elijah¡¯s and Elnor¡¯s letter. They have the same content. An invitation to be their ¡®partner¡¯ at the freshmen wee party. ¡°¡­¡± In fact, being a ''partner'' is not a big deal in itself. It¡¯s just going around and having fun together during the event. So to speak, a date. It''s the fresh spring bloom of youth. But I know the implications of this event since this happened in the game. The favorability of the rejected party drastically drops, andter, there would be a severe penalty when proceeding with the rted scenario. It''s to the point that it''s no different than digging your own grave. That''s why, I usually choose the character that I can ¡®bypass¡¯ or at least able to handle. ¡°¡­¡± But the people involved in this is the main character and the final boss! Regardless of who I choose, hell is the only thing that''s waiting for me. If I turn either of them into enemies, my life would be no different than a candle in a storm. Events cannot be avoided either. As mentioned before, this is part of the ¡®main quest¡¯. Not participating in the event would most likely lead straight to death. How about rejecting both? Then the penalty would be doubled! It¡¯s still death. I''m stuck in quite the predicament, having enemies on all sides. This is a life or death situation. No, this is just unfair. Especially so when this isn''t even considered a real date. In the first ce, there is no goddam way these two would ask me out for a date. Thest time I checked, their favorability status is only at ¡®Curiosity¡¯ and ¡®Trust¡¯. It¡¯s not something like ''affection''. It would be more appropriate to call them ''interest''. ¡®I can¡¯t just die like this.¡¯ I gritted my teeth and squeezed every bit of power from my braincells. Think Dowd Campbell, think! There has to be a way to save my life without antagonizing either of them¡­! ¡°¡­Ahah.¡± At this time, a n came to mind. A n that would inevitably lead to death if it fails, but could ovee the situation if it seeds. ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s kind of trashy though. But this is the only way out. My life is at stake here, I don¡¯t have a choice¡­! I closed my eyes and began to flesh the n out, extracting key information in the event. ¡°It''s worth the shot¡­¡± It doesn¡¯t seem impossible, does it? ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it, no matter who I choose, I''m practically dead. Therefore... ¡°¡­Why not both?¡± All I have to do is to not get caught, right? {T/N: Join the discord for status updates and emergency announcements} Chapter 14.1 Chapter 14.1 (EP-14.1) Monster Trouble 014 - Monster Trouble The Berkeley Hall, where the freshmen wee party is held, is one of thergest and mostplex buildings in Elfante. In order to receive and control the influx of freshmen from all over the continent at once, there is no other way than a building of this size. In other words, unlike the enticing name of ''Freshmen Wee Party'', the atmosphere of the actual event was no different than being in the middle of a market. So much so that I pity the faculty members shouting their throats off, and trying to control the students in any way possible. This is good news as it significantly reduces the chances of me being ¡®caught¡¯. People don¡¯t have time to care about other people. So now it¡¯s time for this. ¡ò Clone Walker [ Item: Special ] [ Price: 1,000pts ] [ Creates an alter ego that mimics the main body¡¯s personality and behavior. You''re able to use buffs! ] [ Remaining Points: 1,000pts ] An alter-ego that feels almost no different from my real body. It can even learn my usual behavior and conversation patterns, and move on its own. Of course, it''s not perfect, but I am able to add to it. ¡ò Buff: Enhanced Charisma [ Item: Special ] [ Give it some personality! You can add various properties. Two options currently avable! ] Option: Cool Gentleman [ You''re not smooth and you''re clumsy! Why don¡¯t you wrap it up with some coolness? ] [ Price: 500pts ] Option: Pheromone [ Be a yboy! Your every move has an added point that makes it easier for the opposite sex to like you! ] [ Price: 500pt ] [ Remaining Points: 1,000pts ] I can apply the cool gentleman option to the clone. So that even if I control the clone a little loosely, they''ll just wrongly assume that I''m doing cool shi?! As for the pheromone. ¡°¡­¡± I will not buy it. I will never buy it! Not for Elijah, and especially, not for Elnore. Her favorability is rising faster than a h0rny rabbit''s thrusts. No matter how fatal my charm skill is, it''s still growing way too fast. To the point where I start to doubt whether or not this person was actually easily seduced. ¡®I¡¯ll have to eventually deal with it someday.¡¯ I smiled bitterly at that thought. I know that running away will not solve the problem. After all, that person is the most important character in the scenario rted to the Gray Devil. There are many scattered problems that must be solved in order to reach the ending. As long as I have my gift, I will inevitably be involved. ¡®¡­But still.¡¯ There is such a thing as degree. I haven¡¯t taken a single ss at the academy right now. Isn¡¯t it too soon to get involved with something more than this? ¡®Let''s start with what needs to be done first.¡¯ Sighing inwardly, I pulled another status window. ¡¾Event: Double Date¡¿ -Great! Seducing two key characters at the same time! -Don¡¯t get caught until the end of the event! -Failure will result in a penalty for scenario progress! [ Remaining time: 20 minutes ] ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t know what it meant by seducing since that''s not it at all. In the first ce, the n itself is a mess. I''ll get caught if someone says that they saw me in different ces at the same time. However, I think it''s possible to hold on until the end of the time limit. So let''s set aside the penalty for now. Even if I get caught after, I''ll deal with it by then¡­! ¡°Ah, you! This way!¡± I see Elnore, who spotted me in the distance, waving her hands at me. She was raising her arm above her head. It''s a mess here so if she doesn¡¯t do that, I won¡¯t be able to see her. Alright, I''ll apply the option to the clone and then meet with Elnore¡­ -! -!!! Just as I was about to press my option on the screen, a sudden scream from nearby startled me, making my body jump. I was so surprised that I identally tapped the shop window in front of me. ¡°Get out of the way!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous, all students stay back!¡± When I looked outside the hall, I saw a huge bear-shaped monster chained behind bars being escorted by several knights. Sometimes, monsters captured outside are brought inside the academy as test subjects or research material. It is definitely dangerous, but some professors vehemently argue that there is no better research subject than a living specimen. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, because of that, an ident will happen at the freshman wee party. There is a reason why I chose the Ultima first among all the other items. ¡®Well, at any rate¡­¡¯ Since the main character and the final boss are in the same ce, the suppression itself shouldn''t be too hard. I just need to get those two in the right ce at the right time. With this thought, I turned my gaze back to the window. [ Option: Enhanced Charisma has been purchased! ] [ Option: Pheromone has been purchased! ] [ Option Allocation Completed. ] [ Body ¨C Option: Applied Pheromone! ] [ Clone ¨C Option: Applied Charisma! ] ¡°¡­¡± What the f*ck?! Why was pheromone purchased, and it''s even applied to me? In the first ce, can this be put in the main body? ¡®¡­Come to think of it.¡¯ I got startled earlier and tapped the shop window. But how in the heII it resulted with this? ¡°Why are you spacing out¡­¡± Elnore, who hade closer, stopped mid sentence as soon as our eyes met. [ Pheromone effect is applied to the target ¡®Elnore¡¯! ] No. Don''t do that. Please! Elnore¡¯s eyes widened and her breathing gradually became ragged. An rm immediately goes off in my head. I''ve already seen this before¡­! [Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated¡­] [¡­ Skill ineffective! ] [ The target forcefully resisted the feeling of affection! ] ¡°¡­¡± Yes. I have indeed seen this pattern before. Though, the system prompt is a bit strange. I don¡¯t know how and why she''s suppressing it, but I guess this is good for me? As I mulled over such thoughts, Elnore had regained her expressionless look and was muttering something while patting her chest. ¡°Calm down. It''s noisy.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it for you.¡± Then who did you say that to? ¡°I was talking to my heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was noisy.¡± I didn''t even know how to respond to that. Elnore just said that without a change in expression. This woman, as in the original work, is seriously sometimes in the 4th Dimension. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± After saying so, she began moving. By now, the clone would have made contact with Elijah. We need to move anyway to run into them. But I¡¯m a little worried about the pheromone effect. It will be fine, right¡­? Chapter 14.2 Chapter 14.2 (EP-14.2) Monster Trouble 014 - Monster Trouble It was, quite frankly, a series of crises. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a ce that sells some snack over there. Shall we go eat a bit?¡± [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated¡­] [ ¡­Skill ineffective! ] ¡°¡­I quite like that¡­ What a coincidence.¡± Oh. Truly a coincidence. In the first ce, I don¡¯t even know your taste in food. ¡°This button is nice. Do you want it?¡± [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated¡­] [ ¡­Skill ineffective! ] ¡°Just in time, one just fell off and needed a recement. You''re always so attentive of... me. Um.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I''m intentionally giving her strange things like a button, but she''s somehow finding meanings behind them. It is to the point that even I am fascinated by the way she interprets each and every trivial action I make. It''s driving me nuts. ¡®My head hurts¡­¡¯ Still, I¡¯m d I''m apanying her without much problem. The clone on Elijah¡¯s side also seems to be getting along well. If it''s like this, it won¡¯t be a big deal if I just proceed as it is now. With some free time, I was able to scout thendscape in the reception hall. Overall, it''s just groups of students socializing with the seniors of their chosen major. I am not officially assigned to any ss yet, so I don''t receive that kind of guidance. ¡°By the way, have you decided on a major?¡± ¡°Ah, I did.¡± This is actually a matter of considerable concern. In the world of Sera, choosing a ¡®major¡¯ means deciding on your main ''build''. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of the Theology Faculty.¡± Hearing this, Elnore¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a waste of your talent if you don''t enter the Knights Faculty. How about you reconsider?¡± Well, that''s definitely a fair thing to say. I mean, I''ve experienced the power of the Tristan Style Swordsmanship, paired with the Desperation skill. But I chose this path for a reason. ¡°There is something I want to learn in the Theology Faculty.¡± ¡°What do you want to learn?¡± ¡°There''s something I''ve been meaning to protect.¡± Uh. Mainly my life. Divinity-rted skills are the most ¡®survival¡¯ specialized builds among all the builds that exist in Sera. You can tell just by looking at the blessings that have been put into the Ultima. Especially if I am able to obtain high-level skills such as ¡®miracle¡¯ter on. I could be rest assured. Anyway, it must be a build thatplements my goal of surviving till the end. ¡®And¡­¡¯ What follows immediately after this freshman wee party is the ¡®Secret Society Storm¡¯, which is Chapter 1. So taking a major in sacred studies gives me a higher chance of receiving advantageous benefits. The chapter boss is particrly vulnerable to divinity. Currently, I have Percy''s one-time ''request'', the item to be obtained from the Vision Warehouse, and the skills inside the Ultima. [Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated¡­] [¡­ Skill ineffective! ] ¡°¡­¡± Why are you still going?! As I was staring in bewilderment, Elnore quietly muttered next to me. ¡°¡­So, don''t do that.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I can''t tell... Whether you''re serious or not. Were you born this way?¡± Elnore brushed her hair as she spoke. The atmosphere is heavy. ¡°Do you know of the curse that resides in the Tristan Family?¡± The topic suddenly turned serious. As I was feeling a bit panicked, Elnore continued in a calm voice. ¡°It''s a type of madness that takes over everyone in the family, rendering them unable to live even half of the life they were given. The only way to control it is to suppress it through mental training. Do you know what''s the only solution to such a terrible curse?¡± I know. An angel¡¯s blessing. But it''s not just the same humble blessing that the Ultima received. No, it would need a miracle-ss blessing given by multiple archangels at the same time. That''s something straight out of the creation myth. It''s practically impossible. ¡°It is that difficult. That''s why, despite his achievements and prestige, Duke Tristan is never respected. Rather, he''s just an object of fear where he can go mad and go on a ughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So why are youing to me? What is your intention?¡± There is a slight chill in her voice. She''s showing a lot more emotions than usual. She was suppressing her feelings because she doesn¡¯t know why I¡¯m approaching her. ¡°Even though I don''t know you, I''m strangely conscious of you. When I heard that ¡®there''s something you''ve been meaning to protect¡¯ which drove you to enter the Theology Faculty, I subconsciously wondered if it was me. You, who the heII are you? Just what are your intentions and what do you want from me-¡± Seeing Elnore mutter sent chills down my spine. This was done by Fatal Charm and Pheromones. This got her all worked up. ¡°¡­¡± Doesn''t this look a little dangerous? If left alone, it might crack her psyche and worsen the effects of madness. It''s clear that my existence is having more influence on this person than I thought. ¡°My intention is obvious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± My words snapped Elnore out a bit. ¡°¡­What do you mean obvious?¡± ¡°I am trying to protect you. There¡¯s no need to think too hard.¡± For the situation, it''s better to reveal my intention. Because my survival is directly rted in protecting her psyche, and making sure that her mentality wouldn''t copse. It''s technically not wrong. ¡°¡­So what is the reason-¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t do that, I will die.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Like really. If I don¡¯t protect you, I will die. There is no other reason.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It''s pure straight fact without any exaggeration. This is all I can say for now. Elnore nkly blinked her eyes with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°¡­I felt it from the first time we met, but you are a very strange person.¡± ¡°Haven''t I told you? I hear that often.¡± With that reply, I stood up. Fortunately, it doesn¡¯t seem like Elnore is having any signs of mental copse. I''m satisfied with the result- [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been conditionally Activated! ] [ Great timing! You have nted foreshadowing that will make you explosively liked in the future! ] [ The next time the skill is sessfully activated, the effect will be tripled! ] [ The possibility of awakening a second gift increased! ] ¡°¡­¡± ¨CI did something. What ''nted foreshadowing''? Why do these types of things keep popping up? It was fine not long ago, but now it''s being weird again. I couldn''t help but sigh inwardly, when... -! -!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Out of the blue, a huge explosion suddenly urred. ¡°¡­?¡± No, like it really is without warning. What is this? In an instant, heII let loose. The entire floor copsed due to an explosion that erupted from the basement, and a huge hole appeared in the Berkeley Hall. ¡°In the basement¡­!¡± ¡°What in the world?!¡± Screams and shouts wereing from every direction. It was a somewhat familiar sight. At the same time, my body went cold. ¡®This¡­!¡¯ The explosion was an intentional sabotage. The basement is where the monsters were being kept. Monsters were running rampant. Obviously, the ¡®main quest¡¯ event that takes ce at the freshman wee party is now underway. However, it¡¯s much bigger and more terrifying than I remember. In the first ce, there was no huge explosion. At most, it was just a few monsters being released and going wild! I quickly checked the clone¡¯s location. My n is definitely¡­ [ Clone Location: Floor B1 ] [ Status: Seriously Injured ] [ Companion: Elijah Krisanax ] ¡°¡­¡± Well, f*ck. {T/N: We hired an editor, now pick what you prefer. Note that if you choose the 1st option, updates will halt for 3-5 days to have the editor edit the chapters}Loading... [Previous Chapter][Index][Next Chapter] Chapter 15.1 Chapter 15.1 [T/N: Wasn''t feeling the best recently, but I''m better now] (EP-15.1) Monster Trouble #2 015 - Monster Trouble #2 Elijah Krisanax¡¯s impression of Dowd Campbell can be summed up in one word. Weird. His whole person ispletely elusive. He acts differently, like an onion where the moreyers you peel, the more questions pop up. ¡®¡­Is he angry?¡¯ He had not said anything at this freshman wee party. He epted the partner request withoutints, so I thought we could talk about things while walking around today. He had said not a word of his own ord. At best, he''ll reply with an, ¡®En¡¯ or ¡®OK.¡¯ Normally, she would feel a bit out of ce, but she could never have known that there''s an ¡®option¡¯ hindering her perception. ¡®¡­How should I deal with an angry man?¡¯ And fortunately for Dowd, she boasted the social capabilities of an ape when it came to dealing with the opposite sex. If it was work, she could p some steel on her face and manage, but friends in equal footing? Her braings. Even if he''s really angry, she can¡¯t do anything. After all, didn¡¯t she try to beat him up on their first meeting? It is a little strange that we would be angry about it at this time, but she also can''t deny that it''s a possibility. ¡®But if I dig a little deeper here, I might be able to get information about Duke Tristan¡­¡¯ Walking around with that thought in mind, she unknowingly arrived at the basement of Berkeley Hall at some point in time. They identally walked into a deserted ce. They were the only ones around here right now. ¡°Uwa¡­¡± Elijah couldn''t help but frown as she looked at the cages lying around. Inside were live monsters. They were obviously brought to the academy as research materials. ¡®There''s even a medium-sized monster. Oh my gosh.¡¯ At least a squad of regr knights must be dispatched to be able to deal with a medium-sized monster. It''s not something you can just keep inside an academy full of students. ¡°The faculty are also very irresponsible. No matter how special we are, this isn''t worth it¡­¡± She clicked her tongue and moved closer to the cage, bowing her head. Maybe it was because of that. The discovery of a monster caged in a location that would never be seen from the outside. ¡°¡­¡± Even before being fully aware of it, her brain, which had seen countless simr creatures inbat, had alreadypleted its calctions. This. Exploded within seconds. ¡°Sir, you have to avoid-!¡± As soon as she said that, a heat wave rose in front of her eyes. Elijah¡¯s body froze at the same time as the brightly approaching mes engulfed her vision. She normally would have been able to nimbly dodge. However, the pure white me triggered something deep inside her memory. -Elijah, hide here, here! Nevere out! -Damned devil followers, this way! Try killing me, you f*cking bi?ches! Explosions. mes. Screams. Stomps. Fishy smell. Burning family photo. The reflection of the de shing in the pool of stagnant blood. Dead bodies. ¡°¡­!¡± But before she could shake off those images, the mes were already inches away from her. ¡®Danger¡­!¡¯ As that thought passed through her head. Someone ran into her. What followed is a violent collision with the floor. A groan came out of Elijah¡¯s mouth as she rolled several times. ¡°Ah, aya¡­¡± Fortunately or unfortunately, thanks to the intense pain, she was knocked off that dreamy state and regained normal thinking. It was thanks to Dowd Campbell, who was a mess, on top of her. ¡°¡­¡± He had unsightly burns all over his back, a broken limb and stab wounds all over the body caused by shrapnels. It was a serious injury sustained from protecting her from the explosion. He could die if he''s not treated immediately. ¡°Si, sir. Hold, hold on. Why, why did you do that?¡± Recognizing that fact, she said in a trembling voice. Why, why the heII did he do that? Wasn''t he acting angry at her just a while ago? Above all, didn¡¯t he say he liked Princess Tristan? He had no reason to do this for her, who''s basically his pseudo-enemy. ¡°¡­¡± Dowd Campbell, or rather the clone, lifted his head with difficulty and looked at her. If the clone wasn''t equipped with an option, its existence was to just get the attention of the enemy and taking the blow. Clones purchased from the point shop are programmed with that intention. However, the clone with the ¡®Cold Gentleman¡¯ option applied decided that that''s not a very cool thing to say. And so, what he said instead was... ¡°Because that¡¯s what I have to do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While Elijah''s eyes widened and was at a loss. Then, Dowd¡¯s clone was spread eagled on the floor, smiling contentedly. He must have thought to himself, just how cool and gentlemanly that exit was¡­ -! -!! However, Elijah¡¯s expression stiffened as she heard a series of not-so-gentle screams. The cages were destroyed by the explosion just now, so all the monsters inside them got released. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± Elijah stood up while muttering. Checking her condition... She had several swollen joints, which would hinder her movements. She also had no weapon. At most, she could use the rebars from the debris. However, this was not a mock battle nor sparring, the opponents are real monsters. Not to mention that there''s 6 of them. Considering that even one small monster could tear apart several adult men with ease, this is a number that could send even a regr knight running in fright. ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps Marquis Kendride, who imparted herbat skills, would be angry if he saw such a cowardly act. However, unfavorable fights should be avoided. There is no shame in retreating. This is something that needs to be emphasized again and again. However. ¡°Ha.¡± Her gaze returned to the man lying on the floor. Does he have some obsessivepulsive disorder thatpels him to dive right in when he sees someone in danger? It¡¯s not even funny as a joke. Elijah then took a potion from her belt. This was a high quality potion given by Marquis Kendride to be used in an emergency. It''s so precious that even getting one a year is difficult. Normally, it''s best to use it on herself and move forward from there. ¡°¡­¡± But she unhesitatingly sshed it onto Dowd Campbell instead. ¡°Isn''t it the hero''s job to save people?¡± So. She can¡¯t let him die here. ¡°Eueum¡­¡± Now, an injured body, 6 monsters. ¡°This is nothing.¡± Especially so, when ites to protecting someone. It really was this way for her. ¡ñ [ Main Quest Renewed! ] [ Main Quest ] [ Monster trouble! Keep the situation under control! ] [ Heavy penalty will be imposed if there''s too many casualties! ] [ Reward: Exclusive Equipment Materials ] Why not just kiII me then? You unleash a bunch of monsters in a crowd of newbie freshmen and you want me to keep the casualties as low as possible? ¡°Wait, where are we going!?¡± ¡°I need to do something! President, please inform the priests!¡± I replied to Elnore, who shouted when she saw me move in haste. ¡°We need to protect the students!¡± I shouted while moving. ¡®Priority first.¡¯ While Elnore would bring the priests to treat the injured and reduce casualties, the most important thing is still the initial response. In the first ce, we need to reduce the number of injured by reducing the number of monsters before they could get out of the basement. With that thought in mind, I hurriedly ran into the basement and saw an appalling scene. ¡°¡­Uh.¡± Elijah was currently fighting. Surrounding her were monsters and my cloneying on the floor. Five of the six monsters had already been defeated, with thest one only needing the final blow. ¡°¡­¡± These are not artificial monsters in a mock battle, but 5 real monsters and yet she dealt with all of them with just a piece of rebar? Is she still human? Well, in the first ce, Elijah was not a character who will directly participate in battles. Before she awakens as a full-fledged hero, she''s always on the somewhat calcted side. If she''s fighting like this even before that, that means that there is someone she really wants to protect. ¡°¡­¡± But wasn''t there only my clone here? And why do I have an ominous feeling about this? ¡®¡­Ahh, I don¡¯t know!¡¯ I first retrieved the clone before she notices that there''s two identical people. In the meantime, Elijah had delivered the finishing blow to thest monster. She let out a sigh, as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. ¡°Whew¡­¡± With the clone now retrieved, our eyes meet as I sit idly by. ¡°¡­!¡± Elijah''s expression suddenly turned bright. Even though she was exhausted and unable to even lift an arm, she was proudly smiling. ¡°¡­That''s a relief.¡± [ Favorability level of the target ¡®Elijah Krisanax¡¯ has changed! ] [ Favorability level has been upgraded from ¡®Curiosity¡¯ to ¡®Interest¡¯! ] [ Redeemable rewards will be added! ] [ Chances of awakening the second gift has increased! ] [She is an important character. Main scenario has been changed! ] ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 15.2 Chapter 15.2 (EP-15.2) Monster Trouble #2 015 - Monster Trouble #2 I didn¡¯t want to see this notification. I don¡¯t know what the heII happened for this to appear out of the blue. ¡°Are these all the monsters?¡± I asked such a question. But the reply I got was bewilderment. ¡°Sir, this is the first thing you ask as soon as you wake up?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± But I just arrived though. ¡°If any monster escapes, people will die! Quick!¡± The main questes first. I don¡¯t know how severe the penalty imposed in the scenario is, but I definitely want to avoid getting to that situation. When I urged her, Elijah helplessly patted her forehead in stupor. ¡°You''re really... Is this really just how you are?¡± With a sigh, she plopped on to the floor. Her stamina has reached its limit after defeating 6 monsters in a row with an injured body. ¡°I missed a medium rank monster. It''s probably going to the first floor by now. If you go as fast as you can, you can probably catc¡­¡± She was dozing off mid way through her sentence. ¡°Thanks!¡± She probably didn''t hear that. Anyways, I quickly dashed towards the first floor. With this cursed stamina, even just going up and down the stairs was difficult as heII. But I managed to push through with heavy breaths. Elfante had an ¡®istion barrier¡¯ that''s activated in the case of emergency. Currently, the nearby faculty and staff had evacuated the students inside and was barely maintaining the barrier. This was a wise decision. Since thebat personnel in the academy are probably alreadying this way after hearing the chaos, staying put is much better than fighting. Rather, thetter would just lead to casualties. The problem is. -! -!! -!!! The barrier would constantly shake every time the medium rank, bear-like monster would smash it with its paws. And this is despite using all current means to reinforce the barrier. In the first ce, even regr Knights need a good amount of preparation when facing medium rank monsters. Being able to hold out like this is already good. ¡®The priest¡­!¡¯ It would be ideal if Elnore managed to bring a priest with her. Due to the nature of their field, priests can reliably reinforce barriers. Even if there''s only one priest, we can drag out the situation for time as long as we like. Breathlessly scouting the area, I finally spotted Elnore at the corner of my eyes. Seeing that she''s with someone in a robe, she must have seeded. She''s indeed capable. ¡°What do you mean you can''t reinforce the barrier¡­!?¡± ¡°I already told you. It takes an angel''s blessing to prevent that, and it''s su?cide to use it with your bare body.¡± ¡°But if it continues like this, people will¡­!¡± ¡°Then are you saying that I should go and kiII myself?¡± However, judging from the bickering, it seems that things aren''t going so well. ¡®¡­So they aren''t able to maintain the barrier?¡¯ An academy professor level priest is able to conjure a simr level of blessing through prayer, even if it wasn''t blessed by an angel. But in exchange, they have to pay the ¡®price¡¯. This is probably why that priest is arguing it''s su?cidaI. This is also the reason why I purposely put the blessings I received on the Ultima and not on my body. If you put the blessing in an ¡®item¡¯, its effect might get reduced, but there would be no worry of repercussions. At this point in time, this is still a rtively unknown trick. ¡®But what''s with his attitude?¡¯ With that thought, I red at the priest who continued the scuffle. In the first ce, it makes no sense for a priest to not bring a Holy Relic, which is basically their heart, with them in an emergency like this. He''s clearly making an excuse to not do it. Even with Elnore visibly angry, the priest remained still with his arms crossed. In fact, he was even sneering. ¡®In any case.¡¯ This academy is a breeding ground for madmen. Thinking so, I approached the priest. ¡°Don''t bring your political interests here! This is an emergency, people¡¯s lives are at stake!¡± ¡°Ha, this is why the Tristan Family¡­¡± ¡°Then give it to me.¡± I said, interrupting his buIIshi?. At this time, both Elnore and the priest looked at me. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You''re the type of person who highly values their life. Even without a Holy Relic, I know you have something prepared. If you won''t activate the blessing, I will.¡± There was a moment of silence. ¡°¡­Hey. Student, do you know what a divine blessing is¡­¡± Annoyed to hear anything more, I roughly ripped off the small rosario from the priest. If I drag this out any longer, the barrier will break. Every minute, every second cannot be wasted. And before he can say anything, I had already turned around and dashed towards the Berkeley Hall. Meanwhile, Elnore was looking at me with wide eyes. However, I can''t lie. I am a bit nervous. [ Imminent favorability status change on target ¡®Elnore''. ] [ You cannot abandon what you¡¯re trying to do! ] [ Prepare yourself! ] ¡°¡­¡± I break out in a cold sweat. This message just doubled my anxiety. ¡®Ahh, I don¡¯t know! I''ll think about itter!¡¯ I already have a lot of things to take care of. Right now, if I don¡¯t focus on the main quest, I¡¯ll be in big trouble! I prepared the Ultima then shed the Rosario on my left arm, drawing out blood. A bluish light enveloped the Rosario along with a burning pain. This was an emergency tool that all priests have in case of an emergency. After mixing it with blood, it can used as a small magic power battery. ¡°Alright.¡± I let out a sigh and put the Rosario into the incense burner. The magic incense burner immediately reacted to it and began to emit blue light as well. [ Skill ¡®Penance¡¯ is avable! ] [ Skill ¡®Guardian Shield¡¯ is avable! ] Right after checking the windows that popped out one after the other, I immediately threw myself between the medium rank monster and the barrier. ¡°Wha-, what?¡± ¡°Student! What are you doing!? Get away right now!¡± I could hear the panicked voices of the faculty behind the barrier. For anyone, this was just outright crazy. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX ss. ] The other skills also started to kick in. [ Skill: Penance Activated. ] [ Converting all additional stat to Endurance. ] [ Skill: Guardian Shield Activated. ] [ Creating shield. ] A translucent blue shield appeared before my eyes. A shield that was the result of Penance and Desperationbo. I don¡¯t know how strong it is, but even a medium rank monster shouldn''t be able to break it easily. ¡°Student! What are you doing!? Run away now! Leave this to us¡­!¡± ¡°¡­I can''t run away, that''s why I''m here.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Keep the students safe. I¡¯ll stall for time.¡± Yes, this is it. My purpose is to buy time, not to kill the monster. This should work, somehow. ¡°¡­¡± The murderous yellow eyes of the bear-like monster were ferociously ring at me. I took a deep breath as we saw each other eye to eye. Let''s calm down. If I make a mistake, I will die. That''s why.. ¡°Bring it, bear!¡± I can¡¯t make mistakes. Chapter 16.1 Chapter 16.1 (EP-16.1) Charmed First and foremost, I checked the objective. I then turned my gaze to the heavily breathing drooling bear monster in front of me. ¡®No killing.¡¯ With this in mind, I waved to Elnore, who had already drawn her sword, to note closer. She¡¯s probably more of a monster than the one in front of me; powerful enough to easily end its life in minutes. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves here. The main purpose of the main quest is not ¡®kill the monster¡¯, but ¡®reduce casualties¡¯. Medium rank monsters have at least one or two special abilities on top of their basicbat skills. If it has something like ¡®Acid Blood¡¯ or ¡®Death Corruption¡¯, even if we win, it would be a pyrrhic victory. There¡¯s a high likelihood of deaths uring because of the aftermath. All in all, it¡¯s best to entrust this job to the regr knights. Killing the monster now will do no good. Moreover, this just popped up in front of my eyes. < System Message > [ !Urgent Mission! ] [ 0 current casualties, what a feat! ] [ Since no one has died, let¡¯s try not to kill even the monster, shall we? ] [ Sessfully hand over the monster to the Knights of the Academy! ] [ Upon sessfulpletion, the level of the main quest reward, ¡®exclusive equipment materials¡¯, will increase! ] ¡°¡­¡± This is the same as saying that a crazed murderer is also a person with a life and should be treated the same as their victims. However, the reward at stake is unmistakably attractive. It can be said that the materials used to craft exclusive equipment determine more than half of its performance. It is what determines the upper limit of how far it can grow. ¡®Well then.¡¯ Let¡¯s just hold on. Thinking of this, I smiled at the monster which ferociously raised its front paw. That is a bone breaking strike if you are unlucky enough to get hit. But like what I did in the mock dungeon before, reading the attack patterns of ¡®monsters¡¯ is no different than flipping through a book, as a veteran gamer who had grinded countless hours into the game. So no fighting and just holding up the strong shield? ¡®I can do that with my eyes closed.¡¯ So from here on out, it¡¯s just ¡®repetition¡¯. ¡­ Not a battle. ¡ñ The Tristan Duke Family is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious families in the empire since its inception. The title of a Duke alone was enough to intimidate people. However, that long line of history and poprity alsoes with as many negativity. Even if there was no Marquis Kendride, there would still be people who would want the Duke Family¡¯s fall. And the priest was one of those snakes. ¡°Did you not hear what I said? Didn¡¯t I say that I didn¡¯t bring a Holy Relic?¡± Suppressing the urge to p the living shi? out of this high nosed middle-aged, Elnore calmly said. ¡°¡­I am truly sorry for what happened to Marquis Riverback. The Tristan Family will definitely take relevant action-¡± ¡°You have no idea what you are talking about, do you?¡± Sparks flew out of Elnore¡¯s eyes at the mocking reply. He¡¯s basically saying that there is virtually no room for negotiation. The faculty members who strongly advocated bringing in living monsters and using them as research materials belonged to the Tristan faction. In other words, the greater the damage and casualties in an ident like this, the bigger the Tristan Family¡¯s liability. And this damn priest is under themand of Marquis Riverback, who belongs to the anti-Tristan faction. ¡®This f*cking trash¡­!¡¯ Knowing this context, this person is actually talking nonchntly about sacrificing people¡¯s lives for political interest. This all the while he¡¯s acting as a priest. Anger welled up within Elnore. -¡­ She bit her lips, while clutching her chest. Her heart was getting very noisy. An insidious aura would rise whenever she¡¯s experiencing intense negative emotions. This was the product of the madness that runs in their family. ¡®¡­Back off.¡¯ She cooled herself down and regained her calm. She¡¯s been repeating this cycle throughout her life. Maintain discipline, act properly, always be perfect and never get carried away by insidious feelings. It¡¯s a principle I learned from that damned man, but it helped her suppress the evil energy whenever it creeps out. Though, her voice was still as cold as before, mixed with suppressed cial anger. ¡°Don¡¯t bring your political interests here! This is an emergency, people¡¯s lives are at stake!¡± ¡°Ha, this is why the Tristan Family¡­¡± ¡°Then give it to me.¡± Elnore¡¯s eyes widened when she heard someone interrupt the priest who was trying to be sarcastic. It was Dowd Campbell. Again, this man. -¡­ -¡­! Her heart began to beat louder. It¡¯s much worse than the anger she felt before. However, what she¡¯s feeling right now wasn¡¯t insidious emotions. Um, how do you describe it? Blood rushed to her face and her body felt light like she¡¯s in the clouds. It is a feeling that she has never experienced before in her life, so she has no choice but to be wary of it. ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell you to back off?¡¯ She did the same thing. Never falter, never surrender to these feelings. Lately, it¡¯s been getting worse every time she sees that man. However, suppressing these types of emotions was normal for her. She can¡¯t let emotions be bigger than her. " " ¡®¡­Back off. I will not lose.¡¯ That¡¯s why, she has to suppress it. Watching Dowd sprint towards the monster after taking the priest¡¯s emergency tool strengthened that feeling even more. Nevertheless, she kept all those feelings locked inside her heart. That man¡¯s existence is growing on her too rapidly. Even Elnore herself is surprised by her behavior. It¡¯s dangerous if she gets dragged over- ¡°Angel¡¯s Blessing¡­! How could a student, that mad man, do that!¡± Suddenly, Elnore heard the priest murmur which made her turn her gaze towards Dowd. Blessing? Even a formal priest has to go through a long prayer to be able to use it, and a freshman uses it just like that? ¡®¡­No.¡¯ It¡¯s actually not particrly strange that that guy could use something like that. He has shown many times that he¡¯s hiding dozens of talents under that veil. " " While Elnore was thinking in a daze, she suddenly heard a frightened exmation beside her. ¡°¡­He¡¯s fine after using a blessing? How¡­!?¡± Hearing the priest say that, Elnore¡¯s eyes also widened. Invoking a blessing without a Holy Relic will put a heavy load on the user¡¯s body and mind. But, somehow, isn¡¯t that man standing intact? ¡°Wow. He knows that?¡± Elnore then turned to the neer. It was Elijah, who struck the priest in the back of the head, knocking him out. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I just took out the trash.¡± ¡°¡­Where were you?¡± ¡°I fainted until a while ago, I just woke up.¡± After her nonchnt reply, Elijah weakly sat down. ¡°That¡¯s a method thatbat priests often use. It¡¯s something you always have in your body and only use it when needed. It¡¯s a technique that can only be used after 10 years of practice. How did he know that?¡± If Dowd heard of this, he probably would have been speechless. He wouldn¡¯t use such a cumbersome andplicated method. He¡¯s literally just using the blessing he stored in an item. However, after hearing that, a new idea was forming in Elnore¡¯s head. 10 years of studying divinity. ¨CThere is something I want to learn in the Theology Faculty. Learning about blessings for a long time and pursuing the study upon entering the academy. Of all things, this field is the most direct way to lift the Tristan Family¡¯s curse. ¨CThere¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to protect. Something¡­, someone? There¡¯s someone I¡¯ve been meaning to protect. ¨CI am trying to protect you. There¡¯s no need to think too hard. And who is that ¡®you¡¯ again? -¡­ -¡­!!!!! . . {T/N: Will start uploading the novel to Foxaholic from now.} Chapter 16.2 Chapter 16.2 (EP-16.2) Charmed My heart was pounding loudly again. So much so that it hurts. ¡°¡­¡± No, no. Elnore closed her eyes and pressed her chest with both hands. I can¡¯t let myself be consumed. I have to push it out. I know nothing of that man and what his intentions are. I¡¯m not even sure what he meant by that. ¡®Elnore, keep your mind straight-¡® However, Elijah¡¯s voice pulled Elnore out from her concentration once again. ¡°He favors you quite a lot.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s a blessing built into the body, it doesn¡¯t mean that there is no burden. That person must be pushing his limits right now.¡± If Dowd heard this, he¡¯d probably be too embarrassed and speechless to say anything. In terms of pain, the only difort he¡¯s experiencing is from his left arm, which he had shed with the rosario. However, Elijah, who had no way of knowing such a fact, calmly continued. ¡°I mean there¡¯s no need to go through such risk when it can be finished in a minute.¡± -¡­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My heart throbbed even more. Each beat started to sting. Elnore leaned slightly. She was getting short of breath. ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°If there is a casualty under your jurisdiction, it will damage your reputation. Otherwise, why would he intentionally drag out the time by not fighting to kill? Look.¡± Elnore could barely open her eyes and looked towards Dowd. And, on the other side, was a one-sided abuse. Yes, an abuse since it¡¯s too embarrassing to even call it a battle. Dodging, blocking, and bouncing back all the attacks with minimal movements. Dowd was reading every attack of the monster. It was the same as what happened in the mock battle. It¡¯s as if he knows everything, down to the smallest of things, about the opponent. ¡°A person who could do that much would have been able to kill it a long time ago, don¡¯t you think? There¡¯s no point in helping.¡± That¡¯s true. But still. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no reason to do something like that.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there?¡± Elijah replied with a smile. Elnore was biting her lips until blood came out. She also remembered something. -I, quite like that person. Elnore bit her lip harder and managed to shake that thought off. She then took a step forward, preparing to draw her sword. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­if what you said is true, then that man is putting himself in pain. I¡¯ll go and help.¡± That¡¯s what she thought. However, Dowd motioned her away. ¡®¡­Why?¡¯ Elijah giggled seeing her bewildered. ¡°Iya, how romantic. Is he catching the sword for you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°He¡¯s telling you not toe because you might get hurt.¡± Heat suddenly surged from Elnore¡¯s heart. It was not the usual sinister energy, but a surprisingly hot feeling. It felt like someone had lit a fire into her veins. " " ¡°¡­what you said, everything, could just be spection.¡± Elijah turned to Elnore bewildered. Her eyes were asking, does it really sound like that even after everything? ¡°Even if you can kill a medium rank monster, it won¡¯t die gracefully. Sometimes, there are crazy individuals whose corpses explode due to the reversal of magic power. That person probably took that into ount, hence putting that much burden on himself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah shook her head and let out a deep sigh. ¡°For you.¡± -¡­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My heart pounded like crazy and I could feel my breath rolling deeper. ¡®Must, control¡­¡¯ No. You can¡¯t, Elnore. I repeatedly reminded myself. -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the end, I couldn¡¯t control that ¡®heat¡¯. I could feel it spreading throughout my body. I missed it. I lost the initiative. I have been conquered. ¡®¡­¡¯ In that moment, I intuitively realized. That from now on, whenever I see that man, I will feel this kind of emotion. I slumped down on the ground. It was a depressing curled posture with my knees together and hugging them. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut. Don¡¯t talk to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah was looking at her like some crazy person, but Elnore had no intention of talking. A shard of ss jutted out of the surrounding mess, reflecting her face. Wearing an expression that everyone thought she¡¯s incapable of disying, her entire face turned red. To the point where she¡¯s an entirely different person. ¡°¡­¡± Elnore was solely focused at the man in front. Finally, the dispatched regr knights arrived, followed by loud noises erupting from all directions. Elnore, however, remained mesmerized at his face. ¡ñ [ Urgent Mission Completed! ] [ The main quest reward level will increase! ] I received a pleasant message after somehow finishing the battle and seeding in guiding the monster to the regr knights. But the reason why I can¡¯t celebrate was because of what followed after it. [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated! ] [ The viin resists! ] [ ¡®Pheromone¡¯ lowered the resistance! ] [ Resistance failed! ] [ The viin can¡¯t control herself! ] [ The viin has been charmed! ] ¡°¡­¡± I was bathed in cold sweat. [ Favorability status change will ur on the target ¡®Elnore Elinalise La Tristan¡¯! ] [ The favorability level has been upgraded from ¡®Trust¡¯ to ¡®Love¡¯! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ She is an important character. Changes will ur in the main scenario! ] [ The second gift awakening is imminent! ] [ The target ¡®???¡¯ is interested in you! ] ¡°¡­¡± I feel more desperate now than confronting a medium rank monster 1 vs 1. I don¡¯t know what happened, I don¡¯t know how it happened and I don¡¯t know where to even begin. Just know that I¡¯m in deep shi?. Following Elijah, changes will now ur in the main scenario. I don¡¯t know what the gift is, but I¡¯ll be getting another soon. In addition, an unidentified character took an interest in me. ¡®I¡¯m f*cked¡­!¡¯ I got nothing else to say other than this. While I was mulling over my fate, a knight came up to me and handed me a bottle of water. ¡°Good work out there. Here, want some? You look a little tired.¡± He is one of the knights dispatched to subdue the monster. ¡®¡­it was a monster.¡¯ It was almost terrifying to see the three of them clean up a medium rank beast in just a few seconds. This shows the power of the regr knights that the students aspire. ¡°Student, I cannot praise you enough. If it wasn¡¯t for you, who knows how many casualties there would have been.¡± Seeing that he even tapped me on the shoulder apart from the already kind words, it seemed that he was treating me kindly. It was a big deal for a regr knight to treat a student with this much respect. ¡°You¡¯d be catching eyes anywhere with that kind of skill. Better keep your eyes open at all times, alright? By the way, are you an aspiring Theology major?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I am indeed nning on taking up Theology.¡± I answered before pointing to one side where the hero and final boss were. They were trying to rip off the head of the priest that had refused to use the blessing earlier. ¡°Also, can you lend them a hand over there? If you leave them alone, they might really start killing.¡± ¡°¡­Well, he seems like a rat so it doesn¡¯t really matter if he dies. But looking at you, I guess it is true that people with good talent have a good character, am I right?¡± No, actually, I do not have such a pure intention. Rather, I was thinking of a way to make use of that priest. Uh. It¡¯s better to get some use out of something rather than just disposing of them. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. Take this.¡± The knight then handed me a letter. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I¡¯m told that you should open it alone.¡± I let out a sigh as I watched the knight leave to continue his duties. Another letter? As I pondered, another window popped up in front of my eyes. [ Main Quest Complete! ] [ Go to the designated location to im your reward! ] [ Location: Atante Swansong¡¯s Office ] I am no stranger to the name Atante Swansong. Because she is the current president of Elfante Academy. She¡¯s rumored to be an immortal who have lived for over a thousand years. She¡¯s a key yer in the main scenario. ¡°¡­?¡± Wait a minute. The President? My eyes widened upon opening the letter. Reading the contents, this is definitely from Atante. Though, it¡¯s more of an ¡®invitation¡¯ rather than a letter. This person. She wants to have a private meeting. ¡°¡­¡± Why? What for? Chapter 17.1 Chapter 17.1 EP ¨C 017.1 ¨C Face-to-Face In Sera¡¯s worldview exists the concept of perpetuity. If you go beyond a certain level in any field, you will be able to unite with the will that epasses the world¡­ Of course, it¡¯s hard andplicated. And thus the humans who managed to reach such eternity are given a kind of ¡®power¡¯ as a reward. A power that can extend to thews of nature that are beyond the interference of the human body. There were scattered anecdotes like legends about the first Archduke Tristan, who is considered one of the strongest knights of all time as a representative Eternal, splitting time and space with his sword. It was said that no armor was useful against him, as he could cut through the very space itself with a single swing. That he could cut away the day, turning the ¡°morning¡± into ¡°evening¡±¡­ That same person created the Tristan Style Swordsmanship that I am using. It¡¯s a ridiculous story. Hence why, it¡¯s just a ¡®legend¡¯ with no indication of it actually happening. ¡®But that¡¯s probably not the case.¡¯ Considering the strength of the Eternal in front of me, it could be said that the story was handed down without exaggeration. Atante Swansong. An Eternal who was granted the power of ¡°immortality¡±. She¡¯s famous not only in the empire, but throughout the continent. ¡°Oh, student. You¡¯re early.¡± However, such a legendary existence looks no different than a short girl. Looking at the vitality flowing through her violet-colored hair and eyes, no one would be able to tell that this is a thousand-year-old monster- ¡°Student?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± I hastily took my seat upon hearing that voice. ¡°Thank you for epting my sudden invitation, you must have been surprised.¡± She had a kind tone and smile. Probably to smoothen the conversation. ¡°¡­¡± But I know what kind of person Atante is. Despite having lived for a thousand years, she hates wasting time more than anyone else. If she decided to have a ¡®sit down¡¯ with me, that means that she had an equally important business. ¡°Do you know why I called you here, Dowd Campbell?¡± ¡°I am uncertain.¡± ¡°I have some bad news, and even worse news. Which one would you like to hear first?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why isn¡¯t there anything good? ¡°Let¡¯s start with the bad first.¡± ¡°Hmm~ Student Dowd Campbell has already been involved in several incidents even before being assigned to a ss.¡± The President then put on a monocle and looked through some documents. Is there a record of my involvements? ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t intentionally participate nor cause any of those incidents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what makes it jarring. In Elfante¡¯s long history, we¡¯ve had all sorts of students. But I have never seen a student causing such a stir before their first ss.¡± After saying that, Atante let out a deep sigh. ¡°But it¡¯s also talent to always be able to get out of it, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­Why is this ¡®bad¡¯ news?¡± All she did was praise. To this, Atante replied with a smile. ¡°Having bad luck means that you will be caught up in another incident in the future. So that¡¯s bad news.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡­ I can¡¯t refute. ¡°And that misfortune leads to the worse news.¡± Atante took off her monocle and rested her chin on her hands with a grin. ¡°Student, by any chance¡­¡± However. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How much do you know about the devil?¡± The gaze that came with that sentence was not at all amused. ¡ñ Atante was interested to know what kind of person Dowd Campbell was. Despite knowing almost everything that happens within the academy, he was still a mystery. At least, his current look is implying that. ¡®Interesting reaction.¡¯ Atante smiled inwardly as she looked at Dowd Campbell, whose expression did not change despite saying such a sentence. Ordinary students would¡¯ve been frozen just by the mere fact that they are alone with the President. They would feel intimidated just from the sheer difference in status. On the other hand, this man? ¡®He¡¯s not even nervous.¡¯ Despite the fact that the President herself brought up the ominous topic of ¡®the devil¡¯, his expression did not change. Rather, he seemed to be in deep thought. It¡¯s like he¡¯s considering what would be the best answer in the current situation. ¡®With this, his emergency response passed.¡¯ As a seasoned veteran, she didn¡¯t need to think too hard when evaluating something. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to tell about how much I know.¡± But Dowd¡¯s answer was unexpected. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going to do with that information.¡± Atante couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t like it?¡± In fact, it¡¯s not hard to know that there¡¯s some plotting going on. It¡¯s already been shown several times. Imagine, you still haven¡¯t been assigned to a ss while all the other students already started with theirs. Naturally, that would raise some suspicions. ¡°It¡¯s hard to like it knowing that I¡¯m being manipted.¡± However. She didn¡¯t expect one of those specific ¡®means¡¯ to be mentioned. Atante¡¯s eyes narrowed and asked back. ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°As you mentioned earlier, I have been involved in severalrge-scale cases. With so many eyes watching, there¡¯s bound to be rumors one way or another.¡± Dowd Campbell calmly continued. ¡°The hegemonic powers are currently in the midst of chaos. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for numerous people to contact me at this time. Everyone is trying to reel in shining talents by hook or crook.¡± Indeed, there are such news all over. Tribal Union¡¯s coup d¡¯¨¦tat, huge organizational changes in the Holy Land. Power struggle over the throne, etc. The continent was in turmoil. The same goes for the Golden Triangle. On the surface, they are good neighbors living in harmony and helping each other, but behind the scenes, they are engaged in a fiercepetition to recruit the best talent. ¡°¡­¡± However, this is by no means something that a mere student can obtain, analyze, and logically infer information on their own. Even more so if it was the son of a baron who did not have the right to ess such advanced information. And yet, this man is casually talking about such things. Like it was a natural thing. Atante smiled inwardly. ¡°However, there¡¯s nothing but crickets. All I can say is that someone is artificially suppressing information about me. Or¡­¡± ¡°Or?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a step further and everyone is collectively pretending not to know. I don¡¯t why or how you would do that.¡± If Atante didn¡¯t have a reputation to uphold, she would¡¯ve stood up and began pping like a seal. It was an urate judgment. He was excellent at weighing information and situations, and filling in the gaps. ¡®Political sense, also a pass!¡¯ In fact, Dowd upied an important position in future ¡®ns¡¯. Atante was worried if he wascking in a lot of things, but now, she¡¯s not disappointed at least. No, rather, she was pleased that a jewel of this level was discovered among the students. It¡¯s probably because of her excitement from meeting a talent, but she unconsciously leaked things she shouldn¡¯t have at the current ¡®stage¡¯ of the n. ¡°First of all, I would like to apologize about controlling the information. But I want you to know that it is an essential part.¡± ¡°¡­Is it a big deal if I stand out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Atante continued with a smile on her face. ¡°The world will end.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 17.2 Chapter 17.2 EP ¨C 017.2 ¨C Face-to-Face It was fun to finally see the opponent¡¯s poker face crack. Looking at Dowd¡¯s bewildered expression, Atante continued with a chuckle. ¡°I am not lying. But it won¡¯t happen right away just because rumors are spreading. However, there is no doubt that the chances of that happening will increase.¡± ¡°¡­the end of the world, no, just what are you talking about¡­?¡± ¡°For now, just focus on school life. Anyways, you¡¯ll find out sooner orter. The academy is also doing its best to prevent that.¡± Having said that, she handed Dowd a piece of paper with a smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look at this first?¡± It contained a big symbol. ¡°I asked you about the devil earlier, right? It¡¯s because of this.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°This is the symbol of a group called the ¡®Purifier¡¯ .¡± Dowd¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡®He knew this too?¡¯ Thinking so, Atante calmly continued. ¡°It¡¯s not well known to the public, but they¡¯re a pretty infamous group of devil worshipers. They¡¯ve been identified to be the one behind for Princess¡¯ Tristan¡¯s attempted assassination and the monster sabotage.¡± Devil worshipers. Like the name suggests, it¡¯s a group of people that worship the devil, the enemy of all mankind, as a God and gunning for its ressurection. Their existence is like that of a cancerous tumor to society. ¡°With already two attacks on the Princess, there is no guarantee that there will not be a third.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you telling me this?¡± But instead of answering, Atante just wore a mysterious smile. She¡¯s already given enough information about the n. She can¡¯t say any more than this. Thinking so, she took something out of the drawer. " " If she can¡¯t tell him the details, shouldn¡¯t she at least show her sincerity? ¡°Would you like to take this?¡± It was a small ck ¡®card¡¯. On the surface, it looked nondescript, but Dowd¡¯s eyes widened when he saw it. He was being quite expressive. ¡®¡­Does he know what this is?¡¯ As she was thinking that, she heard from the other side. ¡°¡­Is it okay for the President to just hand out things like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Atante paused for a moment. His words was implying that even the president shouldn¡¯t just give away something this valuable to others. Does he really know what it is? No, there¡¯s no way. Even within the academy, this is something that only a very few people, including her, know about. If he knows what this is, it¡¯s not just simply about being smart to put pieces of info together. It¡¯s almost psychic. ¡®But, maybe.¡¯ Atante asked once more with some anticipation. ¡°You sound like you know what it is?¡± ¡°This, in a week¡¯s time, at the Gregory Hall-¡± Dowd couldn¡¯t speak any further. It was because Atante burst outughing at such a natural answer. ¡®Ah, truly, a fine piece.¡¯ This man always subverts her expectations. She couldn¡¯t remember when was thest time she met someone like this. ¡°Just take it. People with as much bad luck as you will need it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Moreover, he¡¯s entertained her this much, she should give him a reward. ¡°If you know what it is, then you should know it works. Use it properly, get what you need and then show me the result. If I like it, I¡¯ll give you an additional gift. Alright?¡± Dowd took the card in a daze, as she said with a wink. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve never thought of receiving homework from the President.¡± ¡°Oh, speaking of. I actually have a homework for you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How are you getting along with the hero candidate and Princess Tristan?¡± Dowd¡¯s expression terribly twisted. To the extent that even Atante herself was taken aback. This was a man who didn¡¯t even flinch when hearing devil worshippers attack the academy. ¡°¡­Well, I¡¯d love to, I really do.¡± Meanwhile, his body was screaming that he doesn¡¯t want to get involved with them. ¡°Then try to get along well with them.¡± Nevertheless, she had no choice but to leave these words. ¡°Is there any reason why it must be so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She replied with a soft smile. ¡°The world will end, otherwise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help butugh again seeing Dowd¡¯s stare that says, ¡°Is the end of the world so easy?¡± Well, this wasn¡¯t a lie either. In the end. The ultimate goal of the n would be achieved through these three people. ¡ñ ¡°The end of the world¡­¡± I aimlessly walked, while repeating what I heard from Atante earlier. In truth, I don¡¯t quite understand what it means. Simply because it¡¯s such a grandiose scale. In the game, the end of the world is the bad ending. I don¡¯t see nor feel anything on how my actions now influence it. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s think about thister.¡¯ Rather than that. ¡°I got this.¡± I looked at the ck card in my hand. This is a kind of ¡®key¡¯ that opens the ¡®door? to another world. This is something that is never given to the yer character. In fact, even within the Academy faculty, only those as high up as the Dean or President are aware of its existence. And I think I know why the production team made it that way. If they give you something like this from the beginning, it couldpletely ruin the bnce of the game. I didn¡¯t expect to receive this so suddenly. Is it because I sessfullypleted the main quest and emergency mission? ¡°¡­¡± But that doesn¡¯t mean I like this development. ¡®The main scenario is out of order.¡¯ The Purifier is only supposed to appear a few monthster. Those who haven¡¯t even had their ss sorted shouldn¡¯t have heard this information. The scenario is progressing much faster than expected. ¡°¡­¡± In other words, I also need to grow as fast as possible. It¡¯s the point where the main character and the final boss intertwine. Whether I like it or not, it¡¯s obvious that I¡¯ll get involved in the scenario in one way or another. I took a deep breath and organized my thoughts. They¡¯re a notoriously vicious early boss, so much so that they gained the moniker of ¡®newbie cutter¡¯. Even with [Desperation] , considering their ¡®speciality¡¯¡­ I could really die. ¡®But with this¡­¡¯ I turned the ck card over in my palm. Things could be a lot easier than I thought. It all depends on how I use the materials I get from the space that I¡¯ll enter using this. I organized the ways I can utilize. The Monster Research Department, the ess to the Vision Warehouse and Percy¡¯s one-time request ticket. If I use them all strategically¡­ ¡®¡­It¡¯s possible.¡¯ I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something I can create that will make the Purifier boss fight go smoothly. ¡°Ah, here you are. I was looking for you.¡± As I was walking down the hallway, I suddenly someone calling me which snapped me out of my thoughts. It was the Knight Faculty Dean, Conrad Baltador. ¡°You were looking for me? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Your ss is still undecided, but there was a notice from the Academic Affairs Committee that you can¡¯t fall behind because of that. Take this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Dean was telling me this himself. Am I so special for them to treat me like this? ¡°It¡¯s a temporary ss. You can take sses together with these students starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No. Alright. Got it. Are you kidding me? ¡°¡­Is this correct?¡± ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡± Uh, there is. With trembling hands, I pointed to the list of students. ss President. Elnore Elinalise La Tristan. Vice President. Elijah Krisanax. I don¡¯t need to look at the other students. I can already smell the scent of doom just from these two names. Why am I being put into the same ss as these two, of all people? ¡°Is this correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why is the Student Council President taking sses with the freshmen¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, right. About that.¡± Then Conrad said with a cool smile. ¡°It¡¯s the President¡¯s order, so it can¡¯t be wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it, I remember her talking about some homework. Try to get along well with them. ¡®I suddenly had the urge to kill someone, that hag.¡¯ It mean it. ?¡Á?¡Á?¡Á? {T/N: *trantion error fix* Magic Research Department to Monster Research Department} Chapter 18.1 Chapter 18.1 EP ¨C 018.1 ¨C ss I feel like dying. Not figuratively, but literally. ¡°-The sword is the most basic weapon, suitable and flexible for any situation-¡± The professor¡¯s words entered through one of my ears while immediately exiting to the other. In the first ce, it¡¯s just the basic stuff. There¡¯s really no need to listen to it. ¡°Professor, I have a question.¡± And the fact that it¡¯s the most basic also goes hand in hand on why on earth is this person is taking this ss. The blood drained from the professor¡¯s face when the expressionless Elnore, who was to my left, raised her hand. ¡°Of course, what is your concern, Princess Tristan?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think the theory is too lengthy? All of that knowledge doesn¡¯t work much in realbat.¡± ¡°I apologize. I will correct it.¡± The professor stifflyughed and said that. It was a very bizarre sight, where the student casuallymenting on the ss with the professor agreeing, but no one refuted it. If it¡¯s Princess Tristan, no one would dare to point that out. Nobody. Except for one. ¡°Uh, I was listening?¡± Elijah to my right retorted with a smile. She didn¡¯t look intimidated by Elnore¡¯s cool gaze at all. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t tell me you think that this kind of tabletop conversation is helpful in actualbat?¡± ¡°sses are at the discretion of the professor. You are not ¡®forced¡¯ to attend.¡± Elnore closed her mouth in displeasure. Unlike Elijah, who is a freshman like me, Elnore knew that she didn¡¯t need to be here. From what I heard from Atante, Elnore ¡®wanted¡¯ to join the ss. ¡°Put me with him,¡± she said. ¡°But even if it¡¯s a basic ss, it should be more practical than this-¡° ¡°Now that¡¯s just biased to one opinion-¡± The war of words intensifies. The professor who should be leading the ss was left unable to say anything; not against the next hero candidate and the Duke¡¯s daughter. ¡°Then what do you think?¡± ¡°Yeah. What do you think, professor?¡± And thus, this is why I feel like dying. They went back and forth between each, before eventually throwing the bomb at me. ¡°¡­I think it¡¯s better to continue the ss for now.¡± The professor looked so pitiful shivering and turning blue in front. So I went with this for now. With this, Elnore¡¯s brows slightly furrowed while bright smile blossomed on Elijah¡¯s face. The professor also let out a relieved smile. ¡°Alright, one more win.¡± ¡°¡­I lost again.¡± I massaged my forehead as I listened to the murmurs around. These two have been doing this throughout the entire ss. They discuss the content among themselves and ask me for my opinion at the end. They then decide and tally up the wins or loss based on which side ¡®I sided with¡¯. Every time, the winner would be deathly overjoyed, while the loser looked like they¡¯re falling apart. It was ridiculous. What the hell does my words mean to you¡­? Why are you doing this to me¡­? ¡°¡­¡± Because of this, the other students are looking at me even weirder than it already is. They¡¯re probably thinking like, ¡®who is this guy to be treated like that by the hero candidate and the princess?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know either.¡¯ Uh, I really don¡¯t know. At least, it can be seen from this that the academy is suppressing information about me well. Some don¡¯t even know me and was just confused on what¡¯s happening. In other words, Elfante was extremely attentive to my activities. ¡®¡­If something goes wrong, they¡¯ll take care of it.¡¯ So let¡¯s just do what I need to do and distract myself. As the professor resumed the lecture, I turned my gaze to the window floating in front of me. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ? Elnore Elinalise La Tristan [ Trust Level 5 ] >>> [ Love Level 1 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] ¨‹ Elijah Krisanax [ Curiosity Level 5 ] >>> [ Interest Level 1 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] I then opened the rewards tab. [ Received Gift Reward from ¡®Elnore¡¯. ] [ ¡®Attribute: Breathing Technique ¨C Duckweed has been obtained¡¯! ] < Mastery Info > [ Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship ] [ Grade: Basic ] [ Current Proficiency: 58% ] [ Master Sword Technique of the Tristan Duke Family. ] [ ¡ö Can exert a certain level of power regardless of weapon. ] [ Attribute: Breathing Technique ¨C Duckweed ] [ Grade: Basic ] [ ¡ö A breathing method that dramatically increases the body¡¯s endurance and strength when trained for a long time. It has a highpatibility with the Tristan Style Swordsmanship. ] ¡®¡­Compatible?¡¯ Duckweed Breathing Technique and Tristan Style Swordsmanship are activated almost as a set. The person who¡¯s using such abination right now is none other than Princess Tristan, who is sitting to my left. There are many reasons why Elnore reigned as the final boss, but thebination of these two skills ounted for arge portion of her close rangebat power. Apart from boasting monstrous aggression, her body was as durable and tenacious as a weed. So even if you managed tond a hit, you¡¯re nowhere near of knocking her down. In terms of body-rted techniques, it can be regarded as abination with the highest efficiency. And then¡­ [ Received Gift Reward from ¡®Elijah¡¯. ] [ Obtained 2,000 points! ] [ Current Points: 2,000pts] Instead of something special, Elijah just gave me points. Still, as the main character, the points were quite generous. However, I wish there was something more¡­ < System Message > [ You have exerted more than a certain amount of influence on a character with a good alignment! ] [ Second gift awakened! ] [ ¡®Skill: Evil Ruler¡¯ has been obtained! ] ¡°¡­¡± I really awakened another gift! Gift #1- Fated Love [ Obtain rewards as you gain favorability of characters with an evil alignment. ] Gift #2 ¨C He Who Touches Pitch Shall Be Defiled Therewith [ Obtain rewards as you gain favorability of characters with a good alignment. ] [ However, this is given at a much smaller level than those with evil alignment. ] [ Instead, if you taint a character with a good alignment with negative tendencies beyond a certain level, you will receive a great reward! ] < Skill Info > [ Skill: Evil Ruler ] [ Grade: E ] [ Bewitch characters of the good alignment that you have sufficiently influenced. ] [ Character under Evil Ruler must do one thing you asked for. ] [ Characters Under Rule: None ] I read the text in front of me. ¡®¡­Hmm.¡¯ Then I read it again No. I don¡¯t quite understand. To sum it up. Does that mean that if I make a good guy bad, I get a reward? That¡¯s¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Is that right?
T/N: Big/long chapter next update Chapter 18.2 Chapter 18.2 EP ¨C 018.2 ¨C ss It was soon thest subject for the day, which was ¡®Introduction to Survival Science¡¯. The ss will be held at walking distance from the academy in a beautiful verdant forest named, ¡®Fairy Forest¡¯. On the outside, it looked no different than your typical jungle. But it sharing a history with Atante, an Eternal, meant that it¡¯s far from ordinary. The forest harbored all kinds of beasts, magical nts, and rare minerals. Some could literally kill you. At this time, Elnore and Elijah also finally quieted down. It could be that they got tired from constantly fighting. But the real reason was that there¡¯s no arguing here, not with the one in charge of the ss. ¡°Wee, chicks.¡± Conrad spoke indifferently. However, facing the Knights Faculty Dean, the freshmen were visibly nervous. After all, anyone with some knowledge of the state of Elfante knew the notoriety of this ss. ¡°Survival science is the product of practicalbat skills gathered by miners and dungeon explorers. If you don¡¯t want to die, pay attention.¡± The Dean¡¯s appearance was not at all exciting. Moreover, talking about death right off the bat doesn¡¯t exactly help with the heavy atmosphere. However, for generations, it was customary for the Dean to lead the first ss. There was no way around it. You can clearly tell that this was an important subject. In fact, some students¡¯ eyes were gleaming eagerly because of the extra hiring credit, which is especially advantageous in the Imperial Family recruitment. ¡°The task is simple.¡± But Conrad¡¯s following words immediately doused those passionate mes. ¡°Bring me something I like from the forest. I¡¯ll give you all 10 minutes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, and also, just scream loudly if you feel like you¡¯re about die. I¡¯lle and save you. However, don¡¯t expect a high mark.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amidst the deafening silence, a student carefully raised their hand. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­Um, are there no rubrics?¡± ¡°Like I said, bring me something I like. You¡¯ll be graded ordingly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Remember little chicks, life is a battle. Now, you have 5 minutes to prepare.¡± ¡°And Student Council President, please help me in grading.¡± While the other students were busy contemting Conrad¡¯s words, I was in my own bubble just staring at the status window. Gift #2 ¨C He Who Touches Pitch Shall Be Defiled Therewith [ Obtain rewards as you gain favorability of characters with a good alignment. ] [ However, this is given at a much smaller level than those with evil alignment. ] [ Instead, if you taint a character with a good alignment with negative tendencies beyond a certain level, you will receive a great reward! ] I have no idea what this means. ¡®Taint a character with a good alignment with negative tendencies¡¯ is too abstract. ¡®¡­Well, at least, it should be rting to ¡®bad¡¯.¡¯ I mean the name of the gift itself had negative connotations. ¡°Mr., wanna go together?¡± Elijah suddenly asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. Well, I¡¯m not interested. ¡°You can go with your friends.¡± I said while while pointing at the ¡°main character party¡± gathering nearby. The warrior Luca, the mage Falco, the healer Trisha and the marksman Grid. After the assassination incident, they became friends. ¡°¡­Um, Mr. is also my friend, so why not go together?¡± ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Uh, like legit, she can¡¯t be with me. Elijah needs to get acquainted with the main character party right away. As the only saviors of the world, they need to grow powerful as soon as possible. I¡¯ll only be hindering them if I tag along. ¡°And we¡¯re not that close, are we?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah pouted discontentedly at my remark. ¡°¡­This makes me sad, really. Ah, Whatever!¡± She left. She looked angry. ¡°Excuse me.¡± I then heard someone calling me from the side. When I turned to look, I saw a handsome blonde haired man, who¡¯s oozing with a model student aura. ¡®Ah right, there was this character.¡¯ I instantly remembered who this guy was from the spear on his back. Tallion Armand. He¡¯s the eldest son of Armand, an honest viscount. Among this year¡¯s freshmen, he was undoubtedly a standout talent. I remember him being a perfect character in the game. Unblemished regardless of the degree of scrutiny. Integrity. Humility. Composure. Disciplined. And his skills were just right below Elijah. This was why he got his own fan club despite being a freshman. More importantly. ¡®¡­ Wasn¡¯t he the mid-boss of Chapter 1?¡¯ This guy will get corrupted from some kind of ident and turn into a boss. I didn¡¯t expect to meet him this way. ¡®But why is he here?¡¯ Just as I tilted my head in wonder, Tallion soon cleared my doubts. ¡°You, what¡¯s your rtionship with the hero candidate?¡± ¡°¡­ Uh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but make a confused noise. No, I didn¡¯t mean to do that, it¡¯s just that I can¡¯t guess his intentions. ¡°What do you mean? What rtionship?¡± ¡°Why did you approach¡­ Excuse me, I meant how did you get acquainted?¡± Although he was being polite, his sharp gaze tell a different story. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s trying to uncover everything about me. ¡®¡­Ah, I see what it is.¡¯ I remember that Elijah was his ¡®idol¡¯, a role model to reach. Even if it¡¯s just once, he wanted to be her equal. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because she wanted to be friends?¡± The corner of his eye twitched when I told him the truth. ¡°¡­ To someone called a fraud?¡± His tone became a bit aggressive. At the same time, my eyes widened but it¡¯s not because of this guy¡¯s change. < System Message > [ A character with a good alignment was enraged by your influence! ] [ Some gift conditions have been met! ] Rather, it¡¯s because of the system window that popped up in front me. ¡®Is this how it works?¡¯ Basically, the more I make this guy angry, the more likely I get rewarded? So ¡®negative tendency¡¯ include anger. ¡°¡­¡± The cogs in my brain began to quickly turn. I could kill two birds with one stone. Not only could I activate the gift, I could also potentially nt ¡®Evil Ruler¡¯ on this guy. Plus, I¡¯ll get rewards as a bonus. ¡®This ain¡¯t that bad.¡¯ You have to keep in mind that this man isn¡¯t just your average Joe, but a mid-boss. There are many ways he could be used for. ¡®I could also use the corruption event to my advantage.¡¯ If things don¡¯t deviate too much, it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult. Now, my job here is simple. Agitate this guy until the gift conditions are met. ¡°But there is no evidence of it though?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain of what I saw. There¡¯s also no proof that the sparring between you and the hero candidate isn¡¯t a fake, is there?¡± It looks like the academy is doing a good job. Despite having stood out multiple times in incidents, I could still maintain a degree of awareness among the students. ¡°As I¡¯ve said.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly inside. I especially appreciate that awareness now. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but she wanted to be friends that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t believe it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Because I can really rile him up with this. ¡°Is it because you feel hard-stuck after seeing the person you made your goal got defeated in one hit? Is that why you don¡¯t believe that the sparring was fair?¡± His eyebrows twitched. This was the crux of the situation. He can deny it all he wants but he had no reason to pick a fight against me if it¡¯s not this. ¡°And.¡± I added with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s say it was indeed a fraud, what would you do?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that even if I am a scammer, I¡¯d be better than you.¡± Tallion¡¯s face contorted in anger. ¡°¡­Then, let¡¯s make a bet.¡± Her said with gleaming eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see who gets the better grade in this! How about that?¡± [ Gift Prerequisites Met! ] [ The other party was enraged! ] [ You¡¯ll be rewarded for your opponent¡¯s humiliating defeat! ] " " Alright. Got him. ¡ñ ¡°¡­Hey, Student Council President.¡± Conrad looked bewildered. Meanwhile, Elnore¡¯s expression remained unchanged. ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°Although I did ask you to help me grade the outputs, I didn¡¯t ask you to do a sloppy job.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been sloppy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Conrad wordlessly looked at the paper that Elnore had given him. This was what she did as soon as he gave her the grading tools. ¡°Then can you please exin why Dowd Campbell got a perfect score when the ss hasn¡¯t even started yet?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He got a full marks.¡± What is she saying? Conrad squinted at her but Elnore continued, still expressionless. ¡°It seems that you are not satisfied.¡± ¡°Would you be if you¡¯re in my shoes?¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll observe him more closely and write down why he got a perfect score. I¡¯lle back after going into the woods.¡± ¡°¡­You just wanted to stick with him from the very beginning, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Elnore calmly replied. ¡°I just don¡¯t want him to be alone with that freshman, Elijah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have a feeling that something is going to happen between them inside. Please let me join.¡± ¡°Thank you for being honest.¡± It was indeed the case. Conrad grinned. ¡°Stay put, before I kick you out for disrupting the ss.¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, just because she¡¯s being honest, it doesn¡¯t mean that Conrad would just ept everything. Chapter 19.1 Chapter 19.1 EP ¨C 019.1 ¨C ss (2) As a healer, Trisha¡¯s presence in the ¡®Hero Party¡¯ was subtle. Whether it¡¯s inbat or anything else, there¡¯s not much for her to do. However, the reason why she¡¯s never ignored in the group was because she had her own strengths. It¡¯s her job to keep everyone on the same page and get along, and is responsible for livening up the mood. Currently, Trisha was feeling distressed in fulfilling that role. ¡®Oh no¡­!¡¯ Although the effect of Divine power varies greatly from person to person, the special abilities it brings are no secret. And Trisha¡¯s ability was seeing people¡¯s emotions. ¡®Why is she like this¡­?¡¯ She trembled when she saw Elijah¡¯s current state. Although Elijah was bright and smiling like usual, her emotions were surging violently like a strong current underwater. To put it simply, she is furious¡­! ¡°¡­This should be thest one.¡± Luca said after cutting a wolf-like monster in two with his massive double-edged axe. ¡°Given the presence of these powerful monsters, there should be something here.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Listening to Lucas¡¯s words, Falco raised his monocle. His gaze was focused on the bluish rocks scattered nearby. ¡°It¡¯s a rare mineral deposit. We shouldn¡¯t get a low score if we take a couple.¡± ¡°Oh, then let Luca handle it.¡± ¡°e and help, Grid.¡± As the reluctant Grid got dragged along, Trisha approached Elijah. Elijah was just silent and seemed lost in her thoughts. Even now, her emotions were still churning with insidious colors. Finally, Trisha could no longer bear to watch on the side. ¡°Hey, Elijah.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Is something bothering you?¡± Trisha cautiously inquired, but Elijah only shook her head and smiled. ¡°No, none at all.¡± Lie. The dark energy welled up as she said that. ¡°I am here if anything is troubling you. I don¡¯t want you to take it all on your own.¡± ¡°Eh, you¡¯re my friend. Of course I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡­ Lie. Trisha broke out in a cold sweat. Emotions reflect a person¡¯s disposition. Using her ability, she¡¯s able to observe its color and roughly guess people¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯. Now, if Trisha were to say the most unique people she¡¯s seen as ofte, it would be none other than Princess Tristan and Elijah. The Princess¡¯ color was basically a gray of nothingness. However, ck matter would surface from time to time. It was like sticky ink, that¡¯s how dark it was. But it looked like she¡¯s suppressing it. ¡®¡­ I¡¯ve seen it a few times.¡¯ Although notmon among the general popce, it isn¡¯t strange to see from someone in the Tristan Family. Elijah on the other hand. ¡®Truly, strange.¡¯ Evil people naturally radiate negative emotions. However, Elijah had always been a color close to pure white. But now, Trisha was shocked to discover dark colors mixing in. Possessiveness, dominance, monopoly, something like that. It was as if whenever Elijah thought of a ¡®certain person¡¯, it woulde out. Perhaps, even Elijah herself is not aware of this. ¡®¡­ It¡¯s definitely not like this before.¡¯ It felt like this all started after the freshmen wee party incident. Fortunately, the monsters were subdued without any casualties. What exactly happened there? ¡°But you look like you¡¯re thinking about something.¡± ¡®More importantly, you¡¯re so angry that it¡¯s literally changing your very colors.¡¯ Trisha wouldn¡¯t be able to be at peace if she doesn¡¯t appease Elijah. ¡°¡­ Was I too obvious? As expected, nothing can really go through you Trisha.¡± Ah, she¡¯s starting to open up. When she saw the white light shining within Elijah, Trisha couldn¡¯t help but smile in relief. She then started to wrack her brains to keep the conversation going. ¡®At what point did Elijah got so angry¡­?¡¯ ¡°Ah, by any chance, that Dowd Campbell-¡° " " However, Trisha immediately shut her mouth before she could even finish her sentence. It¡¯s because she saw Elijah¡¯s emotion quickly getting stained with darkness again. What made it scarier was the fact that Elijah still had a wide smile on her face. ¡°Well, I suppose I guessed correctly.¡± Fortunately, she seemed willing to share her thoughts. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that, I¡¯ve been involved with himtely¡­¡± Elijah then continued to tell one story after the other. From how she asked him to be friends to her owing him. So recently, she¡¯s been acting like a love pigeon to the person he liked. She even went as far as breaking her own principles because ¡®that person¡¯ is from the Tristan Family, her enemy. And yet, she¡¯s been dismissed as not even a friend¡­ Seeing Elijah pouring out such a steady flow of sentences made Trisha blinked nkly a few times. This, could it be. ¡°Elijah, do you think of that person as a real friend?¡± ¡°¡­ Uh?¡± Trisha was shocked by Elijah¡¯s unprepared response and hurriedly shut her mouth. She saw Elijah¡¯s emotions getting mixed up and unknowingly blurted out such words. Her emotions didn¡¯t budge, regardless of the situation, when they¡¯re together. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Trisha was feeling a suffocating tension from Elijah¡¯s silence. This was the first time she¡¯s seen her hesitate. It¡¯s as if she had never thought of this before. Inside, her already muddled emotions became murkier by the second. ¡°¡­But, he drew the line because we¡¯re not that close?¡± As Elijah struggled toe up with an answer, Trisha¡¯s face became more contemtive. Elijah¡¯s normally white colored emotions were creeping into a gloomy mess. She has to say something here¡­! ¡°I, I¡¯m sure that person didn¡¯t mean it!¡± ¡°Then why did he say that?¡± ¡®How would I know?¡¯ But she can¡¯t possibly say this. ¡°Uh, it, isn¡¯t it because he¡¯s being considerate for you?¡± ¡°¡­ Considerate?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Dowd from a small barony with no backing? He probably thought that if he sticks to you, who¡¯s the hero candidate, it¡¯ll bring you a lot of trouble. Many will definitely get dissatisfied with it¡­! So, he¡¯s preventing that from happening now¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Trisha managed to squeeze out an excuse. And although the rationale was weak, at least she¡¯s not wrong. ¡°¡­¡± It even made Elijah think about it, her hand on her chin while pondering. ¡°¡­Is it necessary to go that far? No, he is the kind of person that does things without saying anything¡­ But still, it¡¯s only between friends¡­¡± ¡°You can see it for yourself the next time. He¡¯ll definitely say that he didn¡¯t mean it when he said you weren¡¯t close! Eun!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll draw a line with you until his status be a bit more stable! Deep inside, he probably feels very close with you¡­! Yep, that¡¯s it¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ Really?¡± Please stop asking more questions. Please understand and let your anger go. Trisha hopefully thought. ¡°Oh, wait. Isn¡¯t that Tallion?¡± Fortunately for Trisha, she was saved by these words from the men gathering minerals next to them. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°About a 30-minute walk from here.¡± ¡°¡­You can see that, Grid?¡± It was Grid who spoke, as he was staring into the distance. As a long-range marksman, his eyesight was naturally very good. ¡°By Tallion¡­ you mean Viscount Armand¡¯s son? They¡¯re good at using spears, right?¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a bit strange. I¡¯ve never seen him so angry. And is he muttering curses?¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s cursing?¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Grid frowned and focused on Tallion¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­I swear. I¡¯ll kill that bastard. I¡¯ll kill that dog scammer. I¡¯mma kill him. I¡¯ll turn you to a skewer¡­ Wow, how bloody.¡± Everyone¡¯s heads turned at Grid¡¯s words. Tallion Armand was known as the epitome of human excellence and restraint. The most perfect role model. What made such a person be this angry during ss? ¡°¡­¡± There¡¯s only one. Elijah flinched upon hearing the word, ¡®scammer¡¯. Chapter 19.2 Chapter 19.2 EP ¨C 019.2 ¨C ss (2) I had no intention of provoking the guy that much. All I wanted was to experiment on the gift¡¯s reach. [ Target ¡®Tallion¡¯s anger has reached the threshold! ] [ Giving indelible shame! ] [ Negative tendency has been imprinted! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated. Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± It worked so well. Well, it wasn¡¯t really anything special in the first ce. It was an obvious route that any freshmen would take. A talent like Tallion would¡¯ve done the same. That¡¯s why I just went ahead and tried to hit all my targets. I even threw in some of these lines, just in case the provocation wasn¡¯t enough; ¡®It¡¯s really amazing! You¡¯re always behind!¡¯ ¡®Thanks for the materials!¡¯ ¡®Thank you for your ipetence!¡¯ ¡®If you try a bit harder, you might catch up!¡¯ All of which were from the original story. The polite sarcasm was pristine. That¡¯s roughly¡­ I¡¯ve repeated it about 25 times. ¡°¡­¡± Well, he¡¯s really mad ¡®mad¡¯ right now. Thinking so, I quickly ran away from the pursuing Tallion. I couldn¡¯t care less about ss, I¡¯m about to get skewered by a damn spear! [ Danger Detected. ] [ Determined as attempt to injure. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to C ss. ] This even came up. I wouldn¡¯t die, but the model student was definitely angry enough that he¡¯d break my jaw. ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯ If he keeps chasing me like this, I¡¯ll eventually have to face him at some point. I really don¡¯t want to fight Tallion right now. President Atante herself warned me to not stand out. Nothing good will happen, especially since this guy is rted to the big boss, Purifier. Angering him is fine, but if I fight and idently hammered him too hard, I¡¯m risking of losing the ¡®connection point¡¯ between him and the Purifier. I don¡¯t want that. ¡°Hey!¡± So, I tried to talk it out with Tallion, who¡¯s still chasing me with a hideous look from behind. ¡°Look, let¡¯s just say it¡¯s my loss and split the harvest in half. How about that?¡± [ Danger Escted. ] [ Determined as attempt to seriously injure. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to B ss. ] ¡°¡­¡± Well that didn¡¯t work. I wasn¡¯t even trying to agitate him this time. Right now, I just kept running away from the angry, demonic Tallion. ¡®¡­But won¡¯t I eventually get caught like this?¡¯ After all, this was a man who could closely keep up Elijah. Even with the B ss Desperation, I feel like I¡¯m losing terms of speed. If he does catch up, won¡¯t I have to fight him? While I was contemting on my next move, someone suddenly appeared in front of me and I nearly crashed into them. ¡°¡­!¡± I almost ate dirt because of my forceful stop. Fortunately, the person grabbed me before that could happen. ¡°What are you doing, sir?¡± Elijah sighed, while patting her forehead. Beside her was a tired, panting priestess. ¡®It¡¯s Trisha.¡¯ She was the Hero Party¡¯s Healer. She was nicknamed as the ¡®Natural Lie Detector¡¯ because of her ability to see other people¡¯s emotions. As I briefly nced at the familiar face, Elijah calmly said. ¡°Trisha, can you iste us?¡± ¡°Uh, en!¡± A hemispherical barrier then formed around us, which blocks people¡¯s perception. Elijah continued. ¡°You could¡¯ve just peacefullye with us. Why are you running around in a such ce?¡± ¡°¡­No, there¡¯s a reason for this.¡± She turned her head in dissatisfaction. ¡°So what¡¯s the reason? We saved you, so you should tell us that much.¡± Although Elijah sounded normal, seeing Trisha¡¯s contemtive face on the side was indicating that she¡¯s having some¡­ ¡®violent¡¯ thoughts. It¡¯s clear that she¡¯s angry with my response. ¡°¡­¡± That thought shed through my mind. However, making Tallion angry and her angry were on different levels of importance. Who knows what sort of strange effects getting stained by ¡®negative tendency¡¯ brings. It might not be a big deal for a mid-chapter boss, but something like that on the protagonist would undoubtedly cause a butterfly effect. So, what now? The lie detector Trisha was next to her so an excuse would just backfire. For now, let¡¯s go with the truth. ¡°That guy started the fight first.¡± ¡°Fight?¡± ¡°He asked why a guy like me is friends with you.¡± At this time, both Elijah and Trisha¡¯s expressions became strange. ¡°¡­?¡± Was this really such a surprise? ¡°¡­Why would you fight over something like that, no. I guess he probably thought of you as a scammer or something.¡± After muttering that, Elijah looked at me with a puzzled expression. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just ignore him? Tallion is pretty strong. And you said that we¡¯re not even close¡­¡± " " ¡°How can I ignore that?¡± It¡¯s literally a test subject served in a silver tter. ¡°¡­¡± Hearing this, Elijah cleared her throat while turning her head slightly. Her nape was slightly red. ¡­ Is she still angry about this? Am I not speaking nothing but truth right now? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, Trisha¡¯s eyes started to twinkle when she heard me and poked Elijah in the side. Immediately after, Elijah asked. ¡°¡­Sir, did you know that this would happen?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Did you know that he would act like that from the beginning?¡± Did I know that Tallion would be so angry? I purposely agitated him so how could I not know? ¡°How can I not know? Anyone with some sense can tell.¡± ¡°¡­Is that why you didn¡¯te with me before? Were you afraid that he¡¯d harm me too?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Uh, no? I don¡¯t understand what me provoking Tallion has got to do with you being harmed. [ Favorability of the target ¡®Elijah¡¯ has been increased! ] [ The favorabilty level has been upgraded to ¡®Interest Level 2¡¯! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Due to the good inclination of the character, the reward has been reduced! ] ¡°¡­¡± I had no clue why this suddenly popped up here. While I was at a loss, Elijah sighed and turned her head to Trisha. ¡°Trisha, would you mind removing the barrier?¡± ¡°Uh, why?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just.¡± After saying that, she suddenly reached for her sword. ¡°I¡¯ve always hated nosy people. Especially meddling in others¡¯ rtionships.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, Elijah?¡± Trisha stiffly called out. Elijah¡¯s current expression wasn¡¯t something a hero candidate should have. ¡°You have to return the favor of harming your friend in the same way, right?¡± ¡®I haven¡¯t been able to relieve some stresstely. This is good.¡¯ As she muttered something like that, the following message appeared: " " [ Target ¡®Elijah¡¯ has been influenced by you and is feeling intense anger towards target ¡®Tallion¡¯! ] [ Negative tendency has been imprinted! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated. Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± What¡¯s this. What the hell is going on? Chapter 20.1 Chapter 20.1 EP ¨C 020.1 ¨C ss (3) Tallion found himself a little surprised. Was killing intent this easy to create? ¡®That bastard¡­!¡¯ With gritted teeth, he looked around with bloodshot eyes. In truth, the noble part of Tallion understood the current situation to some extent. If the other party was able to y around him, he clearly has the superior skills. Tallion knew that he should apologize for his rudeness. ¡°¡­¡± Marquis Riverback will be disappointed once he catches this. Recalling the one who helped him get admitted to the academy and his family¡¯s benefactor, Tallion couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly. As someone with the potential and expected to surpass surpass the hero candidate Elijah, his benefactor would definitely be displeased seeing his poor state. But that doesn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t hit back after being provoked for 25 times. ¡°Tallion?¡± That¡¯s what he thought. Until he heard a voice calling him in front. ¡°¡­Elijah?¡± Tallion tilted his head in confusion seeing a smiling Elijah approach him. Why is she here so suddenly? ¡°Long time no see, it¡¯s been a while since thest monster subjugation, no?¡± Tallion hesitated. He and Elijah had both participated as apprentices in a joint monster subjugation under themand of Marquis Kendride. ¡®¡­She remembered.¡¯ Thinking so, Tallion inwardly smiled. ¡®It¡¯s been so long, I thought she wouldn¡¯t remember. Much less as someone who suffered a crushing defeat.¡¯ As peers around the same age and skill, it would¡¯ve been strange if they didn¡¯t spar. Of course, the result was disastrous for Tallion. Regardless of how many people say that Elijah was only ¡®slightly¡¯ above him, he knew better than anyone else that that slight difference was akin to an insurmountable wall. Even, it¡¯s an honor to be recognized by such a brilliant talent. ¡°Indeed, Elijah. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°What were you doing here?¡± ¡°¡­Oh nothing, I was just looking for someone.¡± Tallion awkwardly coughed and glossed over. Ever since their first meeting, Elijah was his motivation to train and surpass. He naturally wouldn¡¯t want her to know that he was chasing someone out of anger. ¡°Is that so? Who were you looking for?¡± ¡°Uh, just some annoying guy¡­¡± ¡°What ns do you have once you found him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was around this time that Tallon felt something amiss. Although Elijah was still smiling, her words were carrying a chilly air. ¡®Did she always have this image?¡¯ No, she didn¡¯t. When he met her before, she definitely has a slightly aggressive side. However, she¡¯s a prim and proper model citizen through and through. What she¡¯s showing now was something else entirely. But it didn¡¯t feel ¡®insidious¡¯. ¡°Tell me. What were you nning on doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Were you nning on attacking him?¡± Elijah took a step forward, her smile widening. ¡°¡­!¡± But her eyes were not smiling at all. Rather, there was hostility that felt like his skin was getting torn apart. Tallion involuntarily took a step back when he realized this. Her expression looked bright, even giggling, but her every word was slowly squeezing him. It felt like he¡¯s facing a giant hungry monster. ¡°Were you trying to hurt Mr.?¡± She took another step, while Tallion backed a step. ¡°Ah, no, Elijah. Hold on a second¡­¡± Tallion tried to say something, when he saw Elijah grab the hilt of her sword. And before he could react, the sword was slightly unsheathed. The air felt like it was on fire with the intensity she was exuding. ¡°¡­!¡± " " Then, the spear he was holding instinctively shot forward. The tip of the spear fiercely advanced. It was a genuine blow and Tallion realized what he has done. ¡®This is dangerous¡­!¡¯ But. Just as he blinked. -! -!! His spear suddenly shattered and scattered in all directions. ¡®What¡­!¡¯ His mouth could fit an egg right now, as he watched the broken spear fall to the ground. He didn¡¯t see anything. Despite such a result needing multiple sword swings. Anyone who had trained weapon techniques at Tallion¡¯s level knew exactly what this meant. " " That is, he was at least a few moves behind his opponent. He was the one who attacked first, but he couldn¡¯t even see the opponent¡¯s counterattack? ¡®She¡¯s even stronger now¡­!¡¯ Previously, he was still able to withstand her attacks. And since then, he has gone through rigorous training. His skills are well-known even when ced in the prestigious Elfante Academy. However, this difference now. Even if there¡¯s three Tallions attacking at the same time, Elijah would ughter them all in just a few seconds. In less than a year, the gap between them has widened to this extent. ¡®That can¡¯t be, there¡¯s no way.¡¯ Talent. An overwhelming gap in talent. She wasn¡¯t just strong enough to be a hero candidate, but she¡¯s also got sky-high talent. But I didn¡¯t think the gap to be this wide¡­! ¡°You know.¡± Elijah¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even change after such a disy of skill. She simply sheathed the sword back into the scabbard and asked. ¡°Who are you to care about who I¡¯m friends with? What right do you have to interfere on who I approach?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nosy know-it-alls are annoying. And I¡¯ve never seen someone like that with pure intentions¡­¡± Elijah paused for a moment. Her expression suddenly changed, seemingly to have thought of something. Then, she revised her words. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve only seen one. The rest were guys who only look out for their own interest, isn¡¯t that so?¡± ¡°Elijah, I-uh, I¡­¡± Elijah snapped her fingers and stopped Tallion in his tracks. Then the already fragmented spear shattered into powder. This time, Tallion didn¡¯t even know what the hell happened. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear excuses, understand?¡± Tallion dryly swallowed his saliva. It seems that he¡¯s the ignorant idiot here. If you don¡¯t want to get pummeled then¡­ Don¡¯t touch Dowd Campbell. Heck, don¡¯t even go near him. ¡°Okay. You seem to have understood, just don¡¯t do it in the future.¡± ¡°¡­ Wait.¡± ¡°Do you still have something to say?¡± Looking at Elijah smiling coolly, Tallion flinched, but he was determined to ask this question. He was dying from curiosity. ¡°Who is that guy Doud Campbell exactly?¡± Why would such a talented individual behave to such an extent that even her personality changed? Who the hell is Dowd Campbell? Elijah responded with a smirk. ¡°He¡¯s someone who knocked me out, someone with far superior skills than mine.¡± ¡°¡­Wasn¡¯t that a scam?¡± ¡°Mr. is not the kind of person who would do that. If you continue to think that, you might kiss death before you know it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But despite the threat, Tallion was in no state to respond. It was true that the hero candidate was defeated with a single blow? ¡®¡­What kind of monster is he?¡¯ At least Elijah¡¯s strength was still within the realms of understanding, but the other person was justpletely iprehensible. Why isn¡¯t he publicly known if that¡¯s the case? ¡°¡­So it¡¯s fortunate that I¡¯m not dead yet?¡± ¡°Yes, now you¡¯re getting it. I basically saved your life.¡± Tallion trembled when he saw Elijah answering like that while shaking her head. Did he unknowingly challenge a monster to a fight? ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with that person? How did you find out?¡± At this point, he couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and asked the question. But unlike before, there was no immediate response. Rather, Elijah¡¯s expression turned solemn. Then, after some pondering. ¡°No, we¡¯re just good friends, right? On the other hand¡­ Yes, that¡¯s probably it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Maybe, for now. Uh. That¡¯s about it¡­ I guess? I mean, it¡¯s not that big of a deal to me personally¡­¡± ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know! Anyway, we¡¯re friends for now!¡± The way she¡¯s acting right now was just like the Elijah he knew before. Maybe she hasn¡¯tpletely changed as a person. ¡®¡­But what does she mean by friends ¡®for now¡¯?¡¯ His questions were left unanswered. Chapter 20.2 Chapter 20.2 EP ¨C 020.2 ¨C ss (3) ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t ever bother you again.¡± Dowd was dumbfounded, as he watched Tallion bowing his head and apologizing. Seeing Elijah smiling on the side only made him feel more bewildered. ¡®¡­What did she do to make him so docile?¡¯ As expected of the hero candidate, her preaching skills are extraordinary. After Tallion disappeared, Trisha suddenly approached me with a solemn look, as I was on my way to get my items graded. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Dowd.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Please be nice to Elijah. No, but don¡¯t be too nice either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What is she talking about all of a sudden? Staring at her wide-eyed, Trisha continued with slight tremors. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know it yet, and I also didn¡¯t realize it until now, but there¡¯s something off about Elijah. It could get bad if mishandled.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°When I saw her fight Armand¡¯s eldest son earlier, she was on the verge of crossing the line, to the point where one side could have been seriously hurt. Normally, Elijah would have just sent him away, she wouldn¡¯t have drawn her sword like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am certain that whenever Mr. Dowd is mentioned, she gets dark¡­ No, she gets extremely angry. Should I say that it¡¯s like she¡¯s losing her sense of judgement?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It could get worse in the future. Mr. Dowd might get implicated if she didn¡¯t like something.¡± Thank you for the deathly ominous warning. ¡®¡­Why are there so many dangerous things these days?¡¯ I thought as I watched Trisha disappear with quick steps. Seriously, it feels like the whole world is against me. I turned my gaze away, sighing. First off, I need to check the system prompts that popped up earlier. ¨‹ Elijah Krisanax [ Interest Level 1 ] >>> [ Interest Level 2 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Negative Mark 1 Stack ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Character has partly changed under your influence! ] [ She is an important character. Increase the mark stack to get something special! ] [ Evil Ruler usable for 1 time! ] ¨‹ Talion Armand [ Negative Mark 1 Stack ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Historically lost sanity under your influence! ] [ Evil Ruler usable for 1 time! ] ¡°¡­¡± Opening the system never ceases to surprise me everytime. I know that the Negative Mark is from ¡®He Who Touches Pitch Shall Be Defiled Therewith¡¯. The problem is, aside from Tallion, why is Elijah also involved? " " Sighing, I tapped the system window. [ Received Gift Reward from ¡®Elijah¡¯. ] [ Received 500pts. ][ Current Points: 2,500pts ] [ Received 1 ¡®Evil Seed¡¯. ] [ Received Gift Reward from ¡®Tallion¡¯. ] [ Received 1 ¡®Evil Seed¡¯. ] Evil Seed? What¡¯s this? [ Evil Seed ] [ Currency: Special ] [ Can be exchanged for a special skill in the Points Store. ] [ Skills avable for purchase in the store has been updated! ] My eyes widened. ¡®Special skill?¡¯ A special skill is a consumable skill that you can use regardless of job ss. It¡¯s usually a one-time usage and can be purchased at store. It¡¯s basically like an item that you can ¡®buy and use¡¯. However, it was not called ¡®special¡¯ for nothing. Simply put, in certain situations, its efficiency is far superior to that of any other item. ¡®Let¡¯s check the store¡­¡¯ Indeed, like the prompt says, there were new things avable. Each of which boasted a powerful effect. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll think about how to get more Evil Seedster.¡¯ Negative Marks are morally and practically difficult to obtain just from anyone. I¡¯ll probably have to search for suitable candidates. There are those who will get corruptedter, like Tallion, and there are those who have supposedly good tendencies that are somehow worse than those who are evil. I guess that¡¯s a w in the system? With that in mind, I got a handful of items and went back. Then, there I saw a lying Conrad on the ground, drenched in sweat. ¡°¡­¡± What is he doing? ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°Iya, you brought so much stuff¡­¡± The man in question gave a lengthy answer. ¡°How did you end up like this?¡± ¡°That frigging, the Student Council President kept pushing to go to the forest, so I told her to knock me down first then she can go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I am at a loss. ¡°So did you fight?¡± ¡°We fought.¡± What a crazy school! The Student Council President is fighting the Dean just because? The area literally looked like it was bombed, with craters everywhere. It¡¯s like the aftermath of a fight between two kaijus. ¡°So knocked her out and gave her to the Student Council. Man, her skills have really improved¡­¡± He was saying this proudly. ¡®¡­Still, the Dean overpowered Elnore.¡¯ Even if she¡¯s the Final Boss, she¡¯s still in her growth phase. Looking at it now, it seems that she hasn¡¯t even reached half of her peak strength yet. ¡°What¡¯s my grade?¡± I asked with a bitter smile, while Conrad checked the items inside the bag I brought. ¡°Perfect score. Just the quantity alone, you¡¯re in first ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Didn¡¯t he judge it too fast? Then, as if he knew what I was thinking, Conrad snorted and said. ¡°What you¡¯ve brought are high-quality materials, that¡¯s on the same level as the ones procured by experts.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I guess so.¡± Although the intention was to piss Tallion off, it is indeed true that they are all high-quality. ¡°Take that and go see Percy. She¡¯ll like it.¡± " " ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You also have a wish ticket from her anyway, so might as well get some extra points.¡± Conrad said with a smile. ¡°¡­How so?¡± ¡°She¡¯s beenining to me that she¡¯s missing most of the things you brought. So if you appear with it right now, you¡¯ll look like a savior.¡± Hmm. Is that so? ¡°Then can I ask for something a little bigger with the wish ticket using this?¡± ¡°What is it? She¡¯ll probably able to do most things.¡± ¡°Uh, so¡­¡± I took a moment to organize my thoughts. There are many conditions required to capture the ¡®Purifier¡¯, but the first thing thates to mind¡­ ¡°I¡¯d like to ask for a bomb with enough power to explode the entire academy..¡± ¡°¡­¡± Conrad immediately shut his mouth. Chapter 21.1 Chapter 21.1 Finally finished with exams! EP ¨C 021.1 ¨C Confrontation ¡°So Conrad just let it go easily? Do you often get misunderstood from saying strange things?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Then you probably have a terrible sense of perception. There¡¯s already a few of such incidents from what I¡¯ve seen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Be careful with your words. The way I see it, your campus life will be riddled with all sorts of disasters because of it.¡± Well, that¡¯s a bit harsh. I thought while Percy flipped through the production draft I had prepared. Percy Siston Levantin, the Magic Faculty Dewn, is apetent researcher recognized by the Mage Tower. The humankind in the world of Sera has achieved most of their technological development through magic engineering. Therefore, being recognized by the Mage Tower, which was the hub of such technology, was a remarkable feat. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of her achievements in magic, but despite her approaching the age of getting gray hairs, she looked no different than a woman in herte 20s. Well, anyway. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why would ask me to make something like this?¡± It was, without a doubt, a weird request. ¡°This is more like a cannon than a bomb. I already thought you went crazy for asking a weapon that could explode the entire academy. But you also want me to make it all focus on one point?¡± A valid point, understandable. It definitely feels more like a portable cannon than a bomb. Rather than covering a wide area, I want it to hit a precise point at the right time. ¡°The actual production will be done by the internal workshop of the Crafting Department. I just need the Dean to design the explosion source and an outer shell to contain it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the hardest part. It¡¯s already a challenge to prepare that much firepower. Now, you also need a strong container to store that amount of force. Student, do you think I¡¯m a god or something?¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve already made something simr before.¡± Percy frowned and shut her mouth after hearing my words. Among the ¡®weapons¡¯ that this person produced at the Mage Tower, products with simr performance had even gone into actual production. But it was scrapped due to some kind of ¡®ident¡¯. After some silence, Percy said with a hint of difficulty. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you know that. It was a long time ago.¡± ¡°You were a god of magic engineering, what happened?¡± In fact, if it had not been for this ¡®ident¡¯, she might have risen to be the ¡®sessor¡¯ of the Mage Tower. No one would be able toplete this request other than Percy. She¡¯s not just the Magic Faculty Dean for nothing. ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t know if I should say this.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like the Dean is the one suffering the most.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Percy couldn¡¯t help but clear her throat when I just went straight for it. And the faces of the students who were working nearby turned pale. Wherever you go, most of the time, it¡¯s the front liners under the managers who gets handed a pile of work and suffer the most. ¡°Anyway, production aside. What are you going to use this weapon for?¡± Percy asked with a solemn expression. This was a valid question. I may have the wish ticket, but if a student asks you to make a destructive weapon, it¡¯s natural to be wary. Actually, the usage is simple. Sera¡¯s chapter bosses tend toe out with all kinds of dirty gimmicks. And in the case of the Purifier, they get especially annoying in the final phase. They¡¯re infamous for constantly troubling yers in all sorts of ways. They never seem to stop no matter how much you thought you¡¯ve beaten them enough, like tenacious cockroaches. Wirh that said, this was my solution. ¡°I need to take down something in one shot.¡± " " ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that I need to clean something quick before it bes a nuisance.¡± ¡°¡­Student, you¡¯re really bad at exining, arent you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I do think I¡¯m being very vague. ¡°But there is a reason¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there are. Alright, I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Percy epting it just like that left me speechless. As I blinked awkwardly, Percy swept her hair with a sigh. ¡°Well, the President has instructed me to cooperate with you, so I¡¯ll be listening to what you say¡­ And I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll misuse it.¡± What¡¯s with this high evaluation? With my eyes wide open, Percy continued with a smile. ¡°Normal students may not know, but there are quite a few faculty members who knew of the feat you did during the previous monster incident. It¡¯s something that can¡¯t be done with just ordinary courage and skill.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I guess the President was nning on putting you in some youth love drama, aside from saving the world¡­¡± However, Percy suddenly stopped mid sentence and shut her mouth tight. Herplexion immediately changed. As if she had said something she shouldn¡¯t have. What? ¡°¡­Youth love drama? The world, yes?¡± ¡°Ah, no, ah, I, I said nothing, nothing! You didn¡¯t hear anything! Forget everything I said!¡± Why is she so flustered? Although her character was a bit clumsy, seeing her act like this made it seem like she had said something she really shouldn¡¯t have. ¡°More importantly, what about the materials to make this!¡± Then Percy hurriedly changed the topic. ¡°We would need the internal explosives to act as gunpowder. And we need a material that has good strength, junction and sticity, and magic conductivity for the outer shell! It¡¯ll be really difficult to find them!¡± ¡°¡­For now, please calm down. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± I sighed and said. Although she said that to change the topic, the point itself is valid. The material for the explosion and its container are both important. ¡®We should focus on this.¡¯ I fiddled with the ck card I received from Atante previously. It was the key to another world. If I can get inside, it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult to find the materials that Percy said. Surviving inside would be a challenge in itself, but¡­ ¡®For that¡­¡¯ I only need two things to help me with it. ¡°Dean, didn¡¯t you say something else when you gave me the wish ticket before?¡± ¡°Yes, yeees?!¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you say that the hero candidate and I can each pick an item from the Vision Warehouse?¡± It was a privilege obtained by breaking the mock battle record. ¡°Then can I ask you for the items we can take out?¡± I wrote the name of two items on a piece of paper as I said that. These two are subtle when used separately, but has an extreme effect when used together. I may be asking for Elijah¡¯s behalf, but I was carrying her during the mock battle. If she has anyints, I have my say. ¡°¡­¡± And when Percy saw the item names, she finally regained herposure. The reason was that it was too absurd. She might have already understood the reason for taking out these two items. ¡°¡­Have you really gone crazy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ma¡¯am . Why would you ask me that? Chapter 21.2 Chapter 21.2 EP ¨C 021.2 ¨C Confrontation Elfante is actually not that strict than one might expect, especially for freshmen. They guarantee the students the right to self-study rather than forcing them in a confined ss. Either way, what they achieve solely depends on them. ¡®¡­It¡¯s quiterge.¡¯ This is why I can ck off like this. Strolling with aching legs, I walked down the hallway. I¡¯m looking for Elijah. I¡¯ll be using the ¡®key¡¯ that Atante gave me tomorrow, and her cooperation is essential to my n. ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ She¡¯s probably in the Monster Research Department club room. In the original game, she was a junior in this Department. But this ce is really too damn big. My legs are hurting, yet there¡¯s still a long way to go to my destination. As I was musing to myself. ¡°Ah, are you Dowd Campbell by any chance?¡± Someone suddenly called out to me, which sent chills running down my spine. Turning to see who it was, I saw a man dressed in formal wear approaching me. He had a polite smile, a kind-looking face, and a gentlemanly demeanor. He looked like a sessful young entrepreneur. ¡°¡­¡± However, I knew for a fact that this was all on the surface. Insidiousness disguised as courtesy, malice wrapped in goodness, and hostility covered with politeness. ¡°I was looking for you, but it¡¯s a coincidence to meet you here.¡± Bullsh?t. He must have been monitoring my every move. The odds of such a coincidental meeting with this person in a hallway with no one around was slim to none. ¡°¡­Do you know me?¡± ¡°Ah, forgive me for thete introduction. I am Galdier Riverback. I run a charity foundation called the ¡®House of Purification¡¯.¡± He handed me a business card while saying so. Oh I know you, alright. Marquis Galdier Riverback. The big boss of Chapter 1, the ¡°Purifier,¡± and the leader of the devil-worshipping cult ¡°PURIFIER.¡± [T/N: there¡¯s two ¡°Purifier¡± but they are spelled differently in Korean so I¡¯ll just capitalize the cult name like how the author spelled out the word] The charity foundation is just a moneyundering front for his cult. ¡­ Yeah, whatever. What¡¯s important is why he suddenly appeared here. What does he want from me? ¡°I have had a great interest in Mr. Dowd Campbell for some time now. I have been wanting to contact you, but the opportunity never presented itself .¡± Despite not having said a word, Marquis Riverback had already led the conversation in his direction. ¡°I have a story I would like to share. Would you mind joining me for a meal sometime?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine, you can just say it here.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do, unfortunately. It¡¯s for charity. The House of Purification supports talented students so that they are not constrained by things like finances.¡± Marquis Riverback smiled, and even, bowed slightly. His courteous attitude remained despite my rough response. ¡°¡­ My reputation isn¡¯t really that good, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of it.¡± This is what the academy is promoting and making it to be. I¡¯m sure the truth hasn¡¯t leaked and the knowledge of it is even limited. However, Marquis Riverback continued to smile without hesitation. ¡°It is a feat in itself to attract public opinion to that extent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Our foundation can definitely provide Mr. Dowd Campbell with a great opportunity. Could you please reconsider?¡± I rotated the business card in my hand several times without answering. How sus could you be by saying that having shi? reputation is a skill? It¡¯s a proposal that doesn¡¯t make any sense other than showing interest in me. ¡®This.¡¯ This event was also present in the original story. Marquis Riverback did this same thing to ¡®woo¡¯ someone. In the game, Elijah got involved in this too, which led to an important branch of the chapter. And now it¡¯s happening to me. I don¡¯t know why. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Marquis Riverback grinned at my reply and politely saluted. ¡°I look forward to a positive response.¡± Watching the ¡®polite¡¯ man departing back, I turned over the business card I received. 3 dayster. Twilight Iris. A high-end restaurant located inside the city area outside the campus. It looks like he rented the whole restaurant. But Marquis Riverback is famous for his wealth. ¡°¡­¡± I silently weighed the situation in my head. Avoiding events tied to the main scenario will result in a significant penalty. There was virtually no option for me but to go through it. ¡°¡­¡± Why do I always end up like this? Is the whole world banding against me? I massaged my head. I¡¯ve been having frequent migraines as ofte. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll have to prepare everything I can.¡¯ Well, there¡¯s no point in weighing the options now. Like usual, it¡¯s fight or die. I still have 3 days to spare. Until then, I need to think of what I can do. Gathering the information I know and applying it to the current situation. Calcte the risk. Calcte the return. ¡®¡­It¡¯s not impossible.¡¯ The n itself will not change much. I need to go to the other world with Elijah tomorrow and collect the materials. Then I just need to wait for the thing to be made and strengthened. But, after that. ¡°¡­¡± I need one more thing. I changed my course. There was someone I need to find first before going to Elijah. Soon, I arrived at the infirmary and knocked on the door. ¡°Elnor. Are you there?¡± ¡°¡­Dowd?¡± Elnore¡¯s startled voice came from inside. I heard that after fighting the Dean and passing out, she was in bed the whole day. ¡°¡­What is it? Hold on. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°No need, please rest easy. It¡¯s just a simple matter.¡± ¡°What is it? Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Are you free in three days?¡± ¡°¡­Eung?¡± ¡°Can you go somewhere with me? It¡¯s at ¡®Twilight Iris¡¯.¡± Elnore went silent in the room. There was a long silence along with heavy breathing. Then, a slightly trembling voice sounded. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that the famous dating ce, no, a very expensive restaurant? Why would you go there¡­¡± ¡°Nothing in particr, I just want to go there with you.¡± There was a loud sound from inside the room, as if something had fallen. ¡°¡­¡± Why is this person like this? ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Right. That¡¯s a relief. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you in three days¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± I stepped back after hearing her voice that sounded different than usual. ¡®¡­But I¡¯ve secured the most important person.¡¯ The rest is just gathering the means to use in the n. All right. " " It looks like the next three days are going to be pretty busy. Chapter 22.1 Chapter 22.1 EP ¨C 022.1 ¨C Hidden World Being friends with someone for 10 years, meant that you have a lot of experiences and knowledge of each other. Including, those hidden from the public¡¯s eyes. In other words, Beatrix not only knew but even became somewhat used to Elnore¡¯s bizarre behavior that appears from time to time. ¡°Hey.¡± Still, there are times that even she couldn¡¯t stand it. She doesn¡¯t know why but Elnore has been looking like an anxious addict since earlier. She would just sigh or her eyes would turn bloodshot out of nowhere. She was acting like a rollercoaster, up and down. ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The pen Elnore was holding in her hand snapped. Beatrix sighed when she saw the pen made of solid ore breaking like some kind of rotten twig. This amount of force that Elnore was exerting with her hand was a sign that she¡¯s ¡®holding back¡¯ something. Hence why her response was rather brusquepared to the usual. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me of it. I just barely convinced myself to forget. I can¡¯t focus on my work.¡± ¡°¡­Then exin why, bi?ch.¡± Beatrix curtly pursued, but Elnore simply shook her head instead of answering. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll get resolved if you talk about it. Don¡¯t worry about it. If anything, aren¡¯t you working hard right now?¡± This, Beatrix had to admit. Although Elnore wasn¡¯t azy slob, her current working momentum was simply terrifying. ¡°¡­But this is for the better. It¡¯s pretty busytely.¡± ¡°There¡¯s indeed a strange amount of administrative work. Is there some important project going on or something?¡± ¡°They say it¡¯s a transfer student from the Tribal Union. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard of the name.¡± Hearing this, Elnore frowned and checked a nearby document. ¡°Are they the forces behind the coup? The Chief¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Yes. The Empire epted this.¡± If she was indeed the Chief¡¯s daughter, then she¡¯s basically a celebrityparable to the Imperial Family. A VIP figure of this status would most likely have an ¡®entourage¡¯ which the academy, that normally insists on equality among students, had to acknowledge. In fact, it would not be unreasonable to say that it¡¯s their whole family tree who have fled en masse from the power struggle. ¡°In addition, there will also be a regr delegation from the Holy Land next semester. The Saintess herself ising.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elnore wordlessly nodded and kept the documents away. Though, her expression was more strained than before. ¡°¡­If it¡¯s a regr delegation, isn¡¯t it just a matter of convention? Why would such a high figure need to move herself?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are rumors that the academy has made some requests. They also say that the president¡¯s influence was strong on this one.¡± Elnore¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Why are you so upset?¡± ¡°Even with just these bits of information, it¡¯s very clear that the academy is up to something.¡± ¡°I suppose so. It¡¯s not like their the type to shy away from things like this.¡± ¡°There¡¯s also something weird going on with Dowd. They¡¯re definitely nning something big with the Chief¡¯s daughter and Saintess.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so? But would they really get involved with each other? The status of the two is too high to even consider involving someone from a small Baron family.¡± Beatrix¡¯s replied with narrowed eyes, but Elnore responded in a clear voice. She was serious and calm. ¡°Logically speaking, that would be the case.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I just doesn¡¯t sit well with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why do I have to think of him and some women at the same time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Beatrix massaged her forehead. ¡°What nonsense.¡± ¡°When I think of Dowd, I only want to think of him. The fact that you have to think of other women together in such a situation is-¡± ¡°Just do your work. Before I have to knock some sense into you.¡± With that, Elnore sighed and grabbed another pen. ¡°I suppose so that there wouldn¡¯t be any problem even if I take a day off.¡± A day off our of the blue? No wonder she¡¯s working so hard, she need to clear the entire schedule for a day. Beatrix tilted her head and asked. ¡°Why, do you have an important appointment?¡± The sound of a pen breaking once again starkly echoed in the office. Elnore had tightened her grip as soon as she heard the question. ¡°¡±I will bill you if you continue that.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t keep reminding me.¡± ¡°¡­So exin what it is and stop with the nonsense. Just tell me. You¡¯ll destroy all the furniture at this rate.¡± Elnore pondered for a moment. She then gently ced her hand on the chair¡¯s armrest. Soon, creaking noises sounded from it. ¡°¡­¡± What is she holding back so much that she¡¯s acting like this? As Beatrix was having such thoughts, Elnore finally spoke with great difficulty. Her voice was very solemn, painful, and mncholic. ¡°Beatrix.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I miss Dowd Campbell.¡± " " ¡°¡­¡± Beatrix clutched her face. The headache she barely managed to control wasing back. ¡°He asked me to meet in three days. So shouldn¡¯t I finish all the work until then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How can I not see him for three days? That¡¯s too much-¡° ¡°¡­This is thest warning. Get to work.¡± Beatrix coldly dered. Elnore pouted and picked up another document. Fortunately, the contents interested her. ¡°The Full Moon Festival is in three days?¡± ¡°Oh, has it alreadye to that time?¡± The Full Moon Festival. " " It is the most celebrated day among the imperial holidays. Even the academy faculty and staff who are working next to the Void Zone take a break at this time. ¡®Hence why it¡¯s also the time when the defense is the most vulnerable.¡¯ As someone who grew up wielding the sword, that¡¯s all Elnore can think of. Surprisingly, such a holiday coincided with the day she¡¯ll be meeting Dowd. She smiled and put away the documents rted to the Full Moon Festival. Anyway, all she needs to remember is that three dayster is an important day. In more ways than one. ¡ñ < System Message> [ Updated additional information on the Main Quest! ] [ Main Quest ]¡¼ Chapter 1 ¨C Purifier ¡½ [ Sessfully resolve the events in ¡®Twilight Iris¡¯! ] [ D-3 ] [ Reward: Branch benefit from the main scenario! ] I looked at the system window in front of me. This came up after receiving the invitation from Marquis Riverback. ¡®Branch benefit.¡¯ I scratched my cheek as I read what¡¯s written on the rewards section. I know about this reward as it randomly appears a few times in the game. Originally, if you refuse Marquis Riverback¡¯s ¡°offer¡± in the Twilight Iris, what would follow is either a high stakes escape or battle. Chapter 1 is all about fast-paced progression. Branch benefit basically adds a much easier option than the original two oues. ¡®That¡¯s nice.¡¯ As a Chapter 1 boss, you don¡¯t need to worry about the PURIFIER anymore once you¡¯ve beaten them at once. At least, it¡¯s far better than the subsequent chapter bosses that require repeating boss battles. It¡¯s just a little difficult to do it all in one go. ¡®That¡¯s why I brought this person here.¡¯ Thinking so, I look at Elijah, who was rubbing her hands saying that it was cold. We¡¯re currently in a quite high altitude. ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 22.2 Chapter 22.2 EP ¨C 022.2 ¨C Netherworld She will be of great help in this endeavor. I initially thought persuading her would be difficult, but she didn¡¯t even need to listen to what it was and just agreed straight up. ¡°We¡¯re friends. Is there anything to worry about?¡± ¨CShe¡¯s even so enthusiastic about it. I called out to Elijah with a smile. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Take this.¡± Elijah tilted her head in wonder when she saw the item I held out. ¡°¡­What it this?¡± ¡°You will need it.¡± This is the only exnation I can give right now. Her asking what it was was natural. After all, what I gave her was a several meters long iron rod. One couldn¡¯t even imagine what it was used for. Meanwhile, I¡¯m holding a disc that¡¯s big enough for to fit at least two humans. Nheless, Elijah took the rod and then looked up at the sky, checking her watch from time to time. We¡¯re currently at the rooftop of Gregory Hall, a building that originally served as a spire and is now being used as an observatory. Although it falls a bit shortpared to the clock tower at the center of the academy, it is one of the tallest buildings in Elfante. ¡°¡­I know you asked me for help but what are we trying to do in a ce like this?¡± ¡°For the gathering.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Wait a little.¡± I said while focusing at the sky. Soon, what I had been waiting for began to unfold. ¡°¡­Uh?¡± Elijah uttered in confusion as a cluster of light suddenly began to gather at a height so high that it was even difficult to see from the observatory¡¯s viewpoint. Even in Elfante, where all kinds of abnormal things happen, this phenomenon onlyes once every few months for only a very short amount of time. Hence, most faculty members, let alone students, are unaware of it. It¡¯s natural for Elijah to be confused. ¡°Alright, get ready.¡± ¡°Yes, yes? How, what should I prepare for?¡± I then instructed the fidgeting Elijah to hold the stick to the ground, to which I rolled the disc over on the tip. It looked like a spoon lying on the ground. ¡°Great, now lie down here.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Quickly.¡± Saying that, I flop down onto the disc. I tap the seat next to me and urged her to do the same. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Despite her grumbles, she nhelessid down next to me. ¡°So are we just going toy down here and watch the night sky together?¡± ¡°For now.¡± After saying that, Elijah hesitated for a moment before replying. ¡°¡­Hee. They¡¯re shining romantically. So, what do you want me to do instead of leaving it to Princess Tristan-¡± ¡°Is it romantic? Well, it does look pretty.¡± ¡°Yes? Why?¡± For ordinary people, the Gregory Hall may no more than be a ¡®tall¡¯ building, but for yers who have cleared the Sera DLC, it holds a special meaning. In the game, this is where the portal to the ¡®Netherworld¡¯ opens. A ce where materials with all sorts of bizarre effects, that had never been seen before in the main story, appeared. This was the space where those angels were gathering before. ¡°That is the entrance to the Netherworld.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah alternately looked at the clustering lights in the sky with a loading bar above her head. It was then that she finally processed the meaning of my words, and her face gradually turned pale. ¡°¡­What did you just say it was?¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s the entrance to the Netherworld.¡± ¡°Why would something like that pop up in a ce like this?!¡± Her reaction was normal. This ¡°Netherworld¡± can be simply expressed as the ¡°Hell¡± in Savior Rising¡¯s world. In the first ce, it can only be essed by purchasing the DLC afterpleting the main story. Needless to say, the survival mode was difficult. ¡®¡­Actually, I don¡¯t really want to do this either, to be honest.¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t have even considered this as an option if the damned storyline hadn¡¯t been fcked up. Now, I have to go because I need something in there. I gritted my teeth while fiddling with the ck card in my pocket. " " The portal to Netherworld that opens in the Gregory Hall isn¡¯t the only one; there are others like the Spirit World. Perhaps the President already knew that I would use it to enter such a ce when she gave me this ¡°otherworldly key.¡± I just need to enter and quickly leave right after obtaining everything I need. Staying in such a dangerous ce for long is a no go. I never expected her to know the ¡®Netherworld¡¯, which is considered the worst in terms of survival difficulty among all other worlds. ¡°¡­¡± And I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t expect what I am about to do. ¡°¡­Fortunately, we¡¯re far away from it. It doesn¡¯t seem like it would affect us much, since it¡¯s so high up in the sky.¡± ¡°I guess so. It¡¯s normally impossible to even get close to that ce. And, at the very least, you need to have the ability to survive in there to even attempt to enter.¡± It is in that context that portals are created at such a terrifying height. Like each profession need to master their own skills to enter. For example, a Priest must have at least enough skill with divinity to make an ¡®air bridge¡¯ up there, a Knight must be strong enough to jump up there, and a Mage must be capable of floating or flying magic¡­ In any case, it is a ce filled withplex and powerful restrictions. ¡°But that is if it¡¯s done normally.¡± ¡°¡­Why do you say that?¡± Elijah¡¯s expression suddenly became strange. She probably noticed that her body was ¡®fixed¡¯ on the disc. This was because I activated it by pressing the button underneath the disc. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Elijah was silent, wondering what was going on¡­ There¡¯s the sound of the iron rod that she had beenid down earlier being driven into the floor. ¡°¡­Mr..¡± ¡°Eung.¡± ¡°No way, no, is it what I¡¯m thinking it is?¡± ¡°Eung.¡± The rod bent into an arch. And the disc tilted at an angle. Yes. It¡¯s just like a ¡®catapult¡¯ beforeunching a stone. These two items are a set. However, they have very limited use and cannot be used for multiple purposes. That¡¯s why they been gathering dust in Elfante¡¯s Vision Warehouse. But its performance was certain. It was originally designed to shoot ¡®projectiles¡¯ at a very fast speed and high into the sky, with terrifying momentum. Naturally. It has enough power to unch¡¯ me and Elijah to that portal. ¡°Are we going in there now?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°¡­In the Netherworld, without any equipment?¡± " " ¡°It¡¯s okay. It will be over soon.¡± Uh. It should work. I confident that it will. It¡¯s definitely dangerous, though. ¡°¡­¡± At this time, Elijah suddenly smiled broadly. ¡°You really are crazy, fck.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before I could even respond. Elijah and I were shot into the air at a terrifying speed. Chapter 23.1 Chapter 23.1 EP ¨C 023.1 ¨C Netherworld(2) As we got closer to the portal, the light cluster started to vibrate menacingly. It¡¯s like warning us to stay back, otherwise there would be problems. And it¡¯s true, if we just try to directlyunch our way through, we would just bounce off. So, at this time, I took out the ck card that the President gave. I threw it as soon as we were about to get in contact with it. The light cluster wriggled which tore a hole in the space itself. At the same time, I set a timer for exactly 2 minutes. ¡®¡­This is the limit of Atante¡¯s ess pass.¡¯ Originally, this was end-game content that was only given to yers who had achieved ¡®Eternal¡¯ status. The ck card was something like an identification given to these high beings. Without this, I¡¯d be ¡®quarantined¡¯ once I enter the other side of the portal. It was being strictly managed. ¡°¡­¡± In other words. The Netherworld is a crazy ce that even an Eternal like Atante is only allowed entry for two minutes. asionally, depending on the route you take, you might have to enter this ce again during the main scenario and not just in the DLC. ¡®¡­Absolutely not.¡¯ Really. Please no. God forbid that happens. I¡¯ll also work my ass off to prevent that from happening. ¡°Wow.¡± A surprised exmation came out of Elijah¡¯s mouth as soon as she entered the portal. ¡°I thought it would be straight hell as soon as we enter, but this¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, I get what you mean.¡± Well, it might look pretty right now but it couldn¡¯t be more terrifying. Various objects of all shapes and colors are scattered throughout the ce, as if various filters were oveyed on top of the real world terrain. Astral bodies. Forgotten ancient objects. Spirits. All of them are powerful and dangerous. ¡°Try to not carelessly touch things. They are dangerous.¡± Elijah was just about to touch a white haze that was floating nearby, and immediately snapped her hand back in a flurry after hearing my words. If ever something bad does happen, there¡¯s still the angel¡¯s protection. However, it¡¯s best not toe into contact with objects from the Netherworld as much as possible. ¡°¡­but how high did we go up? How much higher do we need to go?¡± ¡°Just a little more.¡± In fact, if it were just simply entering and exiting the portal, there would have been a more suitable flying item from the Vision Warehouse and not this makeshift ¡®catapult¡¯. But there¡¯s a reason why I used such a primitive method, that is, to obtain the items that existed in the ¡®Gregory Hall¡¯s Highest Level¡¯. ¡°¡­Coming to such a high ce reminds me of the old days.¡± Elijah, who was in free flight with me, suddenly muttered. ¡°You¡¯re familiar with this experience?¡± ¡°My older brother is as crazy as Mr. He had thrown me from the top of the mountain without any equipment since I was little. Looking at it that way, aren¡¯t you two the same?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He always saves me in the end, and say that this was to train my courage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No wonder she¡¯s still strangely calm even in this situation. ¡°That idiot really loved heights.¡± Elijah continued with a smile. ¡°¡­I wonder where and what is he doing now?¡± The longing was clear in her tone. ¡°¡­¡± But. Twelve years ago, the Crimson Night Incident happened. It was a terrorist incident caused by the ¡®Revtion Descendants¡¯, a group of devil worshipers who follow the ¡®Red Devil¡¯. Elijah¡¯s family was killed at that time. ¡°¡­¡± If she was left alone, Elijah would have grown up in a peaceful farmhouse. Her ¡°missing brother¡± probably yed a significant role in her taking up the role of a hero candidate, even though she had no interest in it. Elijah¡¯s brother was the only one who survived the Crimson Night Incident, but he wentpletely missing nor was there any whereabouts of him. Elijah couldn¡¯t help but constantly cling to the hope that if she became famous enough, he might recognize her ande find her. Originally a farmer¡¯s daughter, she had never even held a sword. I can¡¯t imagine how much she had to push herself to get to this point. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s something there.¡± I got pulled out of my thoughts when Elijah suddenly eximed and pointed in front. It was a pure white ¡®smoke¡¯ that was the most noticeable even amidst the colorful surroundings. It¡¯s appearance closely resembles of what¡¯s generally called a ¡®spirit¡¯. The faraway smoke didn¡¯t look ordinary. ¡®The Spirit of the Gregory Hall.¡¯ It originally appears as an Easter egg long after the main story. It manifests itself into the material world once using the ¡®inter-dimensional ess route¡¯ earlier. ¡°¡­¡± And there¡¯s one thing that only those who saw it at that time knows. This is one of things that the earlier you get it, the more broken it is. yers were even data-mining like crazy to find its original location and get it as soon as possible. ¡°Eucha.¡± I unfolded the sack I prepared beforehand. Of course, it¡¯s not just some random sack. [ Magic Sack! ]x3 [ Price: 500pt ]x3 [ Item: Junk ] [ Can hold any item inside for one day! ] [ Remaining Points: 1,000pt ] A sack that can store anything that is treated as an item for a day. First things first, the spirit is considered as an item. It¡¯s normally impossible to capture it by normal means, but with the sack, it¡¯s possible. Although the 500pt price tag was steep, it was worth it. As for the two remaining sacks, I gave one to Elijah. ¡°Here, hold this.¡± ¡°What am I supposed to do with this?¡± ¡°Grab something nearby when you run away. Anything is fine.¡± ¡°¡­Yes? Run away?¡± I then silently pointed up. To which Elijah frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, isn¡¯t that just the sky?¡± I continued and pointed to a huge dot moving around at the center of the ¡®sky¡¯. ¡°Do you see that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the pupil.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± And with that, I left the confused Elijah and checked the watch instead. 1 minute remaining. ¡®I¡¯ll manage.¡¯ Although I¡¯m no scientist, I¡¯ve already proven my actions to be correct, in this world built on top of the game system several times. This should be safe enough. ¡°What do you mean those are the pupils-¡± Just as Elijah was about to ask such a question, she immediately shut her mouth. That¡¯s because she saw the color of the sky change for a moment before immediately returning to its original state. This phenomenon was caused by a being closing and opening its eyes. To put it differently. What looks like the sky right now was simply the ¡®white¡¯ part of the being¡¯s eyes. And the ¡®pupil¡¯ looked like a huge dot. At this moment, Elijah finally realized that we were being watched. ¡°This is, this is crazy-!¡± With a deafening roar, the ¡®sky¡¯ receded. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX ss. ] Specifically, the ¡®Netherworld beast¡¯ that sensed us pulled its head back and was now approaching us with its jaws wide open. ¡®¡­this is why the Netherworld is hell.¡¯ Mind you, this is a ¡®trash mob¡¯ of this world. A creature at the bottom of the food chain. ¡°M, Mr., this, damn it!¡± Elijah drew her sword as she said so. Her whole body was trembling and tears were welling up in her eyes. ¡°Ge, get behind me!¡± ¡°¡­Are you sure it¡¯s safe to go that route?¡± ¡°You saved me before! This time, I¡¯ll¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I see, I understand how you feel. And for that, thank you. The courage and mental strength to put yourself in the face of danger without even knowing the opponent was amazing. Definitely deserving of a round of apuse. But fighting that thing with our current strength alone is suicidal. ¡°Calm down, we¡¯re not here to fight that thing.¡± Saying so, I reminded her of the sack I gave earlier. At this moment, our soaring bodies were about to stop. All that remains was a free-fall downwards. ¡°From now on, gather everything thates pouring down.¡± ¡°Pour, pour down?!¡± ¡°That thing.¡± I pointed to the white lumps pouring out of the beast¡¯s open mouth. ¡°Take as many as you can. It can be used in a lot of ces.¡± ¡°Y, you really have the time to think about that right now?!¡± But despite my instructions, she was screaming in protest. Elijah was more concerned about our lives being in danger, to which she was not wrong. ¡®¡­Still, it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡¯ To do so, I even bought two more sacks and spent 1,000 points. If my calctions were correct, we wouldn¡¯t be in a situation where we¡¯d die. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s right.¡¯ Can I use ¡®it¡¯ here? [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated. ] [ Triggeringmand right to target ¡®Elijah¡¯. ] Chapter 23.2 Chapter 23.2 EP ¨C 023.2 ¨C Netherworld(2) ¡°Rx, it¡¯s fine.¡± When I said that, Elijah¡¯s trembling suddenly stopped. ¡°¡­Uh?¡± I couldn¡¯t imagine that before this calmness, she was just on the verge of tears. Even she, herself, was shocked for such a sudden change. ¡®The effect is better than I thought?¡¯ I hesitated because the term mand¡¯ was a bit ambiguous, but just by telling her to calm down, it removed her fear of death. I don¡¯t know how far it can go specifically, but it¡¯s for certain that it¡¯s persuasion power is not ordinary. ¡°Have you calmed down?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, yes, yes. Somehow. So, uh? what is it again?¡± ¡°Then put that thing in.¡± Then I tried giving her the sack again. ¡°It¡¯s necessary, alright? Believe it or not, we are safe.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah looked at me with questioning eyes, but rather than answering, I checked my watch instead. 10 seconds remaining. The beast¡¯s jaws was getting closer and closer. It wasing at us faster than we were falling. But because of it, the white lumps were also falling quickly. ¡°¡­Ahh, I don¡¯t know. Why can someone be calm in this situation?¡± With a half-giving up expression, Elijah finally followed my lead and opened her sack to catch the falling white lumps. This and a humongous creaturerger than the mountaining to devour us was quite the strange sight to see. 9 seconds. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n! We¡¯re almost there!¡± Her words had a double meaning. Above is the gaping maw of the beast while below is the hard ground. It¡¯s either death by vore or death by fall. Still, there was nothing to n or say. ¡°Just¡­ Watch your step.¡± There¡¯s no room for mistakes here. As the main character, her life is precious. ¡°Yes?!¡± One second left. As the rm on the watch went off, the world that had just been filled with various filter-like colors returned to its original state. The ¡®entry permit¡¯ that allowed us to enter the world has expired and thus we got forcibly expelled. ¡°Ehut¡­ Cha.¡± At the same time, we made a ¡®soft¡¯ on the ground. Basically, expending the time limit and getting kicked out makes it so our coordinates are ¡®newly generated¡¯. What does that mean? In other words, in the current situation, the only force that would affect me and Elijah is the momentum from jumping from this two-story building. Kung, kung. A series of thuds rang out. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah looked around with a dazed expression, before ignoring everything for now and checked the sack¡¯s contents. [ Gregory Hall¡¯s Spirit ] [ Item: Epic ] [ Grants contact with the spirit of a legendary figure. ] [ Ectosm Blob ] x3 [ Material: Special ] [ A mysterious substance only secreted by Netherworld beings. Can maximize certain properties depending on the catalyst. ] Right, so. The Gregory Hall¡¯s Spirit will be used as a material for my exclusive equipment. While the Ectosm Blob will be used for the ¡®cannon¡¯ I asked Percy to make. ¡®¡­Good.¡¯ Although it was risky, this was a very good harvest. ¡°Mr.¡± A shaking Elijah suddenly called out as I was in my thoughts. ¡°¡­No way, did you n this all from the beginning?¡± ¡°Uh? What?¡± ¡°Going up to the Netherworld, getting unknown things, being chased by a monster, and a safending. Ahhh, I don¡¯t know how it works. Anyway, did you know that this was going to happen?¡± ¡°¡­I guess?¡± If I did, why not do it, right? Veteran Sera yers call this the ¡®Gregory Hall¡¯s Spirit Early Farming Method¡¯. If the conditions are met, it¡¯s actually quite easy to do. In addition, it¡¯s a widely used method because you can also obtain the top-quality material, Ectosm. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me from the beginning?¡± ¡°¡­Then if I had told you, would you have followed me?¡± Eung. I¡¯m sorry, but this was the truth. I was confident that it would be safe, but not everyone would be willing to experience something that crazy. ¡°¡­then why did you need me in the first ce?¡± ¡°Because I needed extra help.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I had to get at least three of these white things, but I was short on hands-¡± [ You have influenced the target ¡®Elijah¡¯. She has intense anger at the target ¡®Dowd¡¯! ] [ Marked with negative tendency! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated. Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± Eum. Mymand right got refilled as soon as it was used. What¡¯s happening? ¡°Just, barely, that kind of, that hellish thing, hu, huhu¡­¡± Elijah was ring at me, with her voice shaking. Her eyes were out of focus. ¡­It¡¯s scary. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I apologize.¡± ¡°If people could just apologize and solve everything with words, what¡¯s the need forws in this world-!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you ask for.¡± This was the promise she made when she apologized to me. I¡¯ll return the favor when I can. Elijah¡¯s outburst immediately stopped as soon as she heard this. ¡°¡­Anything?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± She awkwardly scratched her cheek. " " Then, with pouted lips, she held out her pinky finger. ¡°Then promise me.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Pinky promise.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Are you a child? But since when I asked her, she didn¡¯t ask anything, I need to reciprocate. So I held out my pinky and tied the promise, after which she broadly smiled. ¡®¡­So she just let¡¯s it slide just like that.¡¯ Is it that simple? ¡°¡­Heh. As expected, you¡¯re simr.¡± ¡°Eung?¡± ¡°I used to do this often with my older brother.¡± Having said that, Elijah moved away from me. There¡¯s still a wide smile on her face. ¡°¡­just looking at Mr. made me want to do something like this for no reason.¡± However. It¡¯s certaint that hidden beneath her cheerful words was a mixture of all sorts ofplex emotions. ¡ñ ¡®¡­He¡¯s really a strange person.¡¯ Elijah watched as Dowd leave with his sacks, after saying he had somewhere to go, and then turned her gaze to her hand. Her pinky finger had linked with Dowd¡¯s just now. She could feel his warmth still lingering. She absentmindedly fiddled with that part of her finger. ¡°¡­¡± She silently recalled what had just happened. When the unidentified giant monster had opened its mouth and wasing to devour them. ¡®Rx, it¡¯s fine.¡¯ She was so scared. It felt like she was going to die. But when that man told her to calm down, she suddenly felt relieved. It really felt like that. His words just pierced straight through her heart. ¡®It¡¯s strange. Really strange.¡¯ At first nce, he seems indifferent and just blurts out things carelessly. But if you were to stay by his side for a little while, you would realize that he always seems to see things that others can¡¯t. Most of all. He would always do things that strike people¡¯s hearts during crucial moments. ¡®They¡¯re a little bit simr?¡¯ Her brother had always remained stuck in her heart for the better or worse. He¡¯s mischievous, insensitive, and usually only y silly pranks. Sometimes, she wonders if there¡¯s another dolt like him in the world. But at the same time. No matter what adversity, he would always rise up and ovee it. No matter how strong the opponent is, he never backs down. Above all. Whenever she is in danger, he always rushes to her rescue. He was her only hero in the world. Didn¡¯t he used to say that every time? ¡®Rx, it¡¯s fine.¡¯ " " ¡°¡­¡± And, oddly enough. After experiencing the previous situation, that man called Dowd strangely reminds her of him- ¡°Aaaaahhhh-!¡± Elijah groaned and pped her cheeks with both hands. ¡®Crazy, are you insane!?¡¯ How could shepare her brother with that person! In the first ce, he¡¯s someone else¡¯s man! And he said he likes Princess Tristan! It¡¯s disrespectful topare someone involved with that damn family to her brother! ¡°So annoying! That Mr., ahh it¡¯s irritating!¡± Yeah, that guy is annoying! -Rx, it¡¯s fine. ¡°¡­¡± His voice once again echoed in her mind. But, Elijah immediately shook her head and shouted again at the top of her lungs. ¡°I really hate you, Mr.!¡± She was screaming so much that her face started to get red. It was as if she was trying to force out a voice that wasing from inside of her. ¡ñ ¡°Aaaaahhhh-!¡± ¡°So annoying! That Mr., ahh it¡¯s irritating!¡± ¡°I really hate you, Mr.!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I suddenly heard such words echoing as I was dragging my sacks. ¡®She¡¯s really angry, huh¡­?¡¯ I should apologize properly next time. Otherwise, I might really get killed¡­ [ The favorability of the target ¡®Elijah¡¯ has greatly increased! ] [ The favorability level has been upgraded to ¡®Interest Level 4¡¯! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Reward has been reduced due to the good alignment of the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± In the meantime, I don¡¯t know why this suddenly popped up. No. Why are you here, seriously? Chapter 24.1 Chapter 24.1 EP ¨C 024.1 ¨C Full Moon Festival Atante silently rubbed her eyes. It was clear that she was trying to regain herposure. She¡¯s been in this state ever since she checked what was inside the sack I gave her. ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you¡¯re thinking of, but it is a relic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Atante finally asked. ¡°¡­You went to the Netherworld?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She rubbed her face, looking perplexed. ¡°¡­Why do you look disheveled?¡± ¡°I stopped by at Dean Percy¡¯s and handed over two Ectosm Blobs. She was so surprised that she fired lightning magic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Actually, I was lucky. The other graduate students around that time didn¡¯t look as unscathed. ¡°So, does this satisfy you?¡± She previously promised me another gift if I ¡®satisfied her¡¯. This should be enough, right? ¡°It¡¯s not about being satisfied¡­ Even if you don¡¯t give this to me and take it to the Mage Tower instead, I¡¯ll still buy this with a pile of gems.¡± Ectosm and a thought body. Atante replied while massaging her temples. A thought body is an object that said to contain the consciousness of ¡®great men¡¯ who had done great achievements. And Ectosm is an ultra-rare material that is barely obtainable in units of 30 to 50 grams per year even in the Mage Tower. Depending on the processing method, it¡¯s utility is almost universal. ording to the type of catalyst it¡¯s mixed with, it can be made even harder than diamonds, or be processed into explosive weapons that show power simr to tactical weapons. And I just handed over two blobs of it weighing in kilograms, so Percy naturally had a seizure. ¡°¡­Alright. A promise is a promise, I¡¯ll give you a gift.¡± ¡°A gift is good, but would you mind if I ask for a request instead?¡± ¡°A request?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like you to ¡®bestow¡¯ the thought body to an item.¡± Atante¡¯s brows furrowed at my words. ¡°¡­If you¡¯re talking about bestowing a thought body onto an object, are you focusing more on the future rather than the present?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Processing the thought body directly into an equipment would produce an item with particrly outstanding performance. However, if you ¡®bestow¡¯ it to an already existing item, the consciousness of that thought body would slowly awaken and would umte effects that can¡¯t be simplypared to superior equipment. Obviously, I chose thetter. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a while now.¡± Atante said with a deep sigh. ¡°Why are you going to such lengths?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No, nevermind, there¡¯s no need. You¡¯ve single-handedly subdued Hasmed and even took down the hero candidate in one blow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She even knows that I caught Hasmed? ¡®Speaking of which, she¡¯s right.¡¯ Compared to a normal student, I am not considered weak by any means. Even if it may be from cheat skills such as Desperation and Tristan Style Swordsmanship. ¡°But why are you trying so hard to be stronger? It¡¯s like you¡¯re being chased by something.¡± Being chased¡­ ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s, quite an urate description. ¡°Well, if I don¡¯t prepare this much, I¡¯ll die.¡± The enemies that appear in the main scenario, especially the Chapter Bosses that are somehow rted to the ¡®devils¡¯, cannot be simply dealt with with just skills and equipment. They are disasters. Monsters in human form. They are directly connected to the devils who have the power to single-handedly destroy the world. I am already deeply involved with the main character and the final boss, who are the core axes of the story. With that considered, I am quite frankly in a chase. Even more so now that the main scenario is proceeding much faster than expected. ¡®¡­And Chapter 1 is no exception.¡¯ Even more, there¡¯s the Chapter 2 boss ¨C the Boy King of the Ruined Kingdom, and the Chapter 3 boss ¡ª the Apostle of the Reversed Sea, after the Purifier. But unlike the fact that I have a lot of growth-type equipment ready for that time, my current condition is a bit poor right now. Rather, it could be more dangerous because it¡¯s before the growth curve. In that sense. ¡°Actually, I might even die soon.¡± I had to do everything to even reach the Chapter 1 Boss Fight. In case of emergency¡­ Uh. I might have to do that. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Atante looked at me strangely, before shrugging it off. ¡°By the way, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡± Atante¡¯s eyebrows curled slightly. ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°You must have a lot of questions like how did a student like me manage toe and go in the Netherworld intact. Or how I know the concept of a thought body¡­¡± No matter how you look at it, I am holding information that a student shouldn¡¯t know. And yet, she¡¯s just spilling it without question. Not only that, I could feel Atante¡¯s presence wherever and whatever I do, as if the entire Academy is revolving around me. ¡°You noticed? I guess you¡¯re not a fool.¡± ¡°Yes. Unless you¡¯re a fool, anyone woulde to the same conclusion.¡± I continued with a sigh. ¡°¡­How much more are you willing to go?¡± The President chuckled. But I didn¡¯t get an answer in the end. ¡ñ So that¡¯s what this is. I checked the amulet wrapped around my wrist. It¡¯s something the president made after a whole day¡¯s work. [ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ] [ Enchantment: Epic ] [ An item imbued with a great spirit that can awaken by increasing synchronization rate. ] [ Always retain magic power due to the influence of the great spirit. ] [Currently Charged Magic Power Rate: 100%] [ Current Synchronization Rate: 0% ] Originally, in order to raise the synchronization rate, other jobs must constantly feed the item rare materials. There¡¯s no other way. Even though Epic Enchantment might be intimidating, I don¡¯t need to do such a thing in the first ce. ¡®Because my job is that of a priest.¡¯ I took out the incense burner I always have with me with a smile. When I brought it to the amulet, a tiny bit of golden light emanated from the Soul Linker. [ Current Synchronization Rate: 0.01% ] That¡¯s right. Spirits generally respond sensitively to divinity. For a priest, they could increase their synchronization rate just by naturally developing their skills. The spirit will simply respond with them on its own. It¡¯s an exclusive item for a reason. ¡®The spirit should fully awaken by Chapter 2.¡¯ Speaking of, even if you scour the entire game, there are less than 20 that have the modifier ¡®Epic¡¯ attached. The effect that I¡¯ll enjoy once it awakens will be worth all the wait. Since it¡¯s an amulet type item, it synergizes well with divinity and blessings used by priests. Just obtaining and growing it at this timing alone is unbelievable. If I start steadily growing it, it¡¯ll be one of the key pirs for clearing Chapter 2 onwards. ¡®The fact that it¡¯s charged with magic power is also good.¡¯ It¡¯s especially a useful function for me who has zero innate abilities and needs to pull magic power from elsewhere to use skills. Having this item alone right now is worth its price. I need magic power to use two skills. ¡°Ah, you.¡± ¡°¡­Hello.¡± Of course, this person¡¯s help is essential for this time. I kept the amulet and looked at Elnore, who was waving her hands in front of me. [ Main Quest ]¡¼ Chapter 1 ¨C Purifier ¡½ [ Sessfully resolve the events in ¡®Twilight Iris¡¯! ] [ D-0 ] [ Reward: Branch benefit from the main scenario! ] [ Rted events will soon ur! ] Chapter 24.2 Chapter 24.2 EP ¨C 024.2 ¨C Full Moon Festival Let¡¯s deal with this first. ¡°Have you been waiting?¡± ¡°No, I also just got here not too long ago.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief. You look like you¡¯ve dressed up more than usual¡­.¡± It¡¯s not like she dressed like a hobo before, just that she usually wears her uniform. But today, she¡¯s wearing a loose sky blue dress and was adorned with all sorts of jewelry. Speaking of, she¡¯s wearing makeup now? ¡°¡­Am I?¡± Elnore slightly smiled at my words. ¡°Yes, it must have taken a very long time to perfect.¡± ¡°I got ready in the morning and came here, so about six hours.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What did she say about not waiting and just got here again? ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s not a long wait. Don¡¯t feel burdened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying, I can spare 6 hours whenever¡­¡± ¡°¡­Then, shall we go?¡± I sighed and said to Elnore, who was starting to be unreasonable. As I gently grabbed her wrist and led her away, I could feel Elnore¡¯s body twitch. ¡°Dowd?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be crowded.¡± The Full Moon Festival is in full swing. With so many attendees, it¡¯ll be easy to lose someone in the sea of people. ¡®Is it ufortable?¡¯ To be honest, I have no idea on how I should distance myself from a woman. The reason was also very simple. It¡¯s because I¡¯ve never had such an experience in my life. Let alone dating, Dowd Campbell didn¡¯t even have friends of the opposite sex. I¡¯m a bit sad now. ¡°Well, it certainly seems that way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elnore smiled and took her hand away. Ah, I guess it was ufortable¡­ ¡°This is how you escort ady.¡± Holding hands is a sign of respect and trust towards the other person. It should not be neglected. You grasp firmly and with dignity. Having said that, Elnore gently held my hand. With our hands touching, I could feel her warmth on my skin. ¡°I won¡¯t lose you, this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Will you lead the way?¡± I stared at Elnore with my eyes wide open. ¡°¡­Elnore, did you just smile?¡± More precisely, she had a light smile that seemed a bit shy. Whereas, in the main story, Elnore looked like she¡¯s in constant suffering. The Gray Devil¡¯s energy bubbling from within and her rivalry with Elijah. On top of it all, she had to maneuver through muddy politics as a Tristan. She¡¯s always under extreme pressure, both physically and mentally. All of which add up and chip away at her mental state. This is why I don¡¯t remember ever seeing her wear anything other than a hardened, robotic expression. " " For all the time I¡¯ve been grinding in the world of Sera, I have not once caught sight of her smile in front of other people. So what is this look she has on right now? This feeling of vulnerability. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s truly at ease with me. ¡°¡­¡± Though her expression reverted back to her impassive state when I mentioned it. ¡°¡­Was I smiling?¡± ¡°¡­I think you did?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me that¡­¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve never smiled before, so I don¡¯t really know what it feels like.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It seems sloppy.¡± Well. It¡¯s still a bit far from being ¡®natural¡¯. ¡ñ ¡°Uh? Mr. Dowd?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± As we arrived at Twilight Iris, a familiar face greeted me. ¡°Tallion?¡± ¡°You remembered? I¡¯m honored.¡± ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m working as a part-timer. My family practiceissez-faire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I felt a bit queasy seeing Tallion say that with a wistful smile. Even me, who¡¯s from a small Barony, receives allowances for my living expenses. But the eldest son of a Viscount has none? Isn¡¯t that a bit too much? ¡°But this, um¡­¡± Tallion looked perplexed as he watched me and Elnore, who was almost sticking to my arm. ¡°¡­Are you dating the Student Council President?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I could feel Tallion¡¯s questioning gaze right now and I also wanted to plead my case. At first, we just held hands, but Elnore gradually came closer and we ended up in this pose. Even if I want to push her away, I simply can¡¯t with my miniscule strength. ¡°¡­!¡± Immediately after I said, I could feel Elnore twisting my arm. It felt like it¡¯s about to get ripped off. ¡°¡­Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s punishment.¡± ¡°But what for?¡± She twisted it again, and this time, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a groan. ¡°Well, I see that you two are on good terms.¡± Tallion chuckled and said, to which I questioned him back. ¡°¡­By the way, why are you suddenly using honorifics?¡± I know from the game that Elijah uses honorific, but Tallion? And didn¡¯t he also just chased me around to beat me not long ago? What¡¯s with the sudden politeness? ¡°I simply wanted to do such for Mr. Dowd.¡± Tallion humbly bowed his head and replied. Come to think of it, he was like this originally. Before his fall into the darkness, I remember him being a diligent and sincere ace student. ¡°There¡¯s no need for such. We¡¯re in the same ss anyway.¡± ¡°Then I will call you Hyeongnim. You¡¯re older than me, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, he¡¯s not wrong. In Elfante, being in the same ss doesn¡¯t equate to simr ages. The problem is. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Marquis Riverback often talks about Hyeongnim. He¡¯s very interested in you, you know?¡± Tallion¡¯s reply made my eyebrows frown. ¡®That guy¡­¡¯ Perhaps, he only approached me because I was close with Elijah and Elnore. However, Marquis Riverback is a snake. He wouldn¡¯t put so much care and attention to me if he¡¯s were simply going to use me as a bridgehead to the two women. ¡°Anyways, wee to the Twilight Iris. Please enjoy your stay.¡± I faced Tallion who said so with a cheerful smile. ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it, there had been a message that the main scenario had changed since Elnore and Elijah¡¯s favorability increased. It is now clear that the effect has reached this far. Marquis Riverback¡¯s interest has shifted from ¡®Elijah¡¯ to ¡®me¡¯. ¡®The story¡­¡¯ So, that means¡­ the chance of me having a good time in this restaurant today is practically zero. ¡°Tallion, do you happen to be wearing a ne or something?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Tallion looked startled at my question and fidgeted around his neck. It was a ne with an emblem engraved in the middle. It was an item I remember. ¡°This was given by the House of Purification. The foundation run by Marquis Riverback. Only a few talented people sponsored by them could have it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As expected. Since the scenario got twisted like my arm. Shouldn¡¯t I also set a trap card of my own? [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated. ] [ Exercisingmand right to the target ¡®Tallion¡¯. ] ¡°Don¡¯t wear it today.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°And do your best to prevent others from wearing it if you can. Understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I patted the dumbfounded Tallion on the shoulder and entered the restaurant. ¡®¡­Yeah, well.¡¯ With this alone, I took a considerable ¡®advantage¡¯ against Marquis Riverback. ¡°Ah, Mr. Dowd Campbell. Wee.¡± Inside, a smiling Marquis Riverback greeted me. ¡®Bring it on, you bastard.¡¯ This is just the beginning. Chapter 25.1 Chapter 25.1 EP ¨C 025.1 ¨C Full Moon Festival (2) [ Main Quest is renewed! ] [ Main Quest ] [ The viin is trying to capture you! ] [ Skillfully ovee this ordeal! ] [ The faster you resolve it, the better the reward! ] [ Reward: Branch benefit from the main scenario! ] Seeing this pop up, I looked at the person in front of me. Marquis Galdier Riverback, also known as the ¡®Purifier¡¯. ¡®¡­To be honest, this guy is nothing special.¡¯ He¡¯s but a puppet that moves as he¡¯s told. He¡¯s just a clever little worm, not worthy of being a Chapter 1 boss with the enormous status of a Viscount. Nheless, he¡¯s still a sessful transport businessman and a famous phnthropist, who runs a charity foundation that¡¯s well-known even within the empire as a whole. Their slogan was giving opportunities to talented individuals who are unable to develop their potential due to their circumstances and undesirable environment. ¡®He¡¯s very articte in this sense.¡¯ But in fact, this was simply toy the groundwork. He builds trust with the people, then slowly gaslight them in listening to everything he says. Naturally, this results in death. Take the people he brought with him right now, all of whom looked strong. More than that, they are willing to sacrifice their lives for his sake. All it takes is a word from Marquis Riverback. I secretly nced at the tattoos on their necks. It is the seal of the PURIFIER, a group of devil worshipers. ¡®Is it one of the factions?¡¯ The main enemies of the scenario are devils and devil worshipers who they influenced. Basically, they hate humanity and peace, and consider unleashing chaos and evil in the world as their lifelong goal. They have nothing else to do. And the PURIFIERS are especially obsessed with the Tristan Family. The story goes that the devil lives in the Tristan Family¡¯s bloodline. They are aware, to some extent, of the fact that the resurrection of the ¡®Gray Devil¡¯ is rted to this lineage. They are the ones who threw a boulder at Elnore in the train, sneaking professional assassins into the school and detonated the bomb at the freshman wee party and releasing the caged monsters. ¡°Princess Tristan, long time no see.¡± Seeing him smile as he saw Elnore, I really want to apud his straight brazenness. Meanwhile, when Elnore entered the restaurant and saw Marquis Riverback, her expression hardened even more. ¡®Pretty sure they aren¡¯t in good terms.¡¯ Marquis Riverback is one of the representative political opponents of the Tristan Family. He¡¯s acting as a liaison for a group, that was secretly working behind the scenes, to be exact. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Marquis Riverback.¡± ¡°Yes. How have you been?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re just going to talk nonsense, would you please step back? This is the least desirable time for me to get disturbed by you.¡± But despite her chilling tone, Marquis Riverback continued to smile and even beckoned to the people around him. ¡°I want to respect the princess¡¯s wishes, but I have something to do here.¡± Then, he snapped his fingers and the men standing near him moved in unison. It¡¯s basically telling to follow his direction, otherwise¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll borrow this man for a moment, Princess.¡± ¡°Who says-¡± Elnore was about to raise her voice but suddenly stopped midway. I came closer and whispered something in her ear. ¡°¡­¡± After that, I smiled at Elnore, whose eyes slightly widened. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­Dowd? That¡¯s-¡± ¡°It will be over soon, it won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elnore mumbled something under her breath. Uh. It will be over really soon. In the first ce. It may already be over. ¡ñ ¡°It seems like you¡¯re in good terms with Princess Tristan?¡± Marquis Riverback said so with a smile. " " ¡°Yes. Is there any problem?¡± Across him, Dowd Campbell opened the tray lid while slightly frowning at those words. He was about to start eating. He had thick nerves, seeing as he didn¡¯t even pay attention to the fact that he was invited by a person with unknown intentions. Much less, reading the atmosphere. ¡®¡­He looks ipetent.¡¯ Marquis Riverback thought so as he red at the other party. He has heard several reports of this person being strangely close to the hero candidate, and his target, Princess Tristan. So he was expecting, at least, something special from the man to warrant this phenomenon. However, the man in front of him was disappointing. He was the embodiment of a talentless fool that it was almost unbelievable. ¡®But the Prophet¡­¡¯ He swallowed saliva with his dry mouth at the thought of his ¡®Master¡¯. A being called the Prophet by devil worshipers. All devil worshippers, including the PURIFIERS, were merely tools to him. Marquis Riverback¡¯s position as a Viscount and his reputation as a prominent businessman in the empire were all due to a single word from the Prophet. The Prophet¡¯s influence, power, and evil had already seeped like poison into the three hegemons, and its tentacles had reached every corner of the continent. Compared to him, Marquis Riverback¡¯s position as a Viscount was nothing but a bug. ¡°¡­¡± And yet, such an existence was interested in this insignificant man in front of him. Marquis Riverback couldn¡¯t figure out why, but one thing is clear. His original n of approaching the hero candidate was changed to approaching this man because of the Prophet. ¡°Do you know why I called you here, Mr. Dowd?¡± But first, he has to ¡®encourage¡¯ this man to his side, just like what he intended to do with the hero candidate. To be exact, it¡¯s to ckmail him into cooperating with them. ¡®Things are going perfectly.¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know what the hell this man was thinking, but he delivered their main target, Princess Tristan, in front of their doorstep. Its currently the Full Moon Festival so the security is at its weakest due to the festive atmosphere. ¡®The grace of God shall descend to this Heaven and Earth.¡¯ Devil energy is sensitive to chaos and fear. So if blood and death drown this festival, the slumbering devil inside Princess Tristan will definitely respond. The Prophet has professed the Tristan family¡¯s lineage as rted to the devil. Now, all his extensive preparation and years as a Viscount is finally culminating today. ¡®The n is perfect.¡¯ The Prophet had bestowed the position of Viscount upon him for this moment. There was no room for error, not the slightest mishap. ¡°¡­¡± Now, this Dowd, person. If he doesn¡¯tply, then Marquis Riverback could just threaten him with death. And since he seems to have a good rtionship with the Princess, they can use that as well. He¡¯s like a dung bettle rolling around in manure. As Marquis Riverback was deep in his thoughts, Dowd, who had been munching on a piece of meat, suddenly looked back at him with a nk stare. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 25.2 Chapter 25.2 EP ¨C 025.2 ¨C Full Moon Festival (2) Hearing such ax tone, Marquis Riverback sighed inwardly. It felt so stupid. Why did the Prophet had him meet this guy? But he suppressed the pathetic feeling and continued. ¡°I asked if you knew why I called you here.¡± ¡°Ah, that.¡± Dowd Campbell¡¯s voice was still rxed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just going to babble about resurrecting the devil or something?¡± He said those words with such leisure. Meanwhile, Marquis Riverback unknowingly held his breath at this sudden turn. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s currently the Full Moon Festival where the security is at its weakest. Aren¡¯t you aiming to create a bloodbath to resurrect the devil?¡± He was casually listing out information as if he had read Marquis Riverback¡¯s mind. ¡°Since the Marquis deals with transportation business, you should have no problem in smuggling the goods inside the Golden Triangle. You can easily disguise the monsters as something else in the transport.¡± This was his n that, other than the Prophet, was kept hidden from the devil worshipers¡¯ executives specifically for security reasons. ¡°You set up bombs all around and detonate them at once, and unleash the monsters. Meanwhile, the knights on standby will have to deal with the assassins.¡± Everything flowed out of his mouth without pause. It was no different than an attitude one would use in chatting, while eating a delicious meal. Dowd took another bite and continued. ¡°The multiple assassination attempts on Princess Tristan and the monster stampede at the wee party don¡¯t really matter. In the first ce, the fact that the monsters and assassins sessfully caused a disturbance meant that the basic conditions for using them were met. You were initially just testing the waters. ¡± It wasn¡¯t just his n, but even the moves he¡¯s taken and his intentions. This guy had seen through everything urately. The same n that he thought was perfect until now. The n that only he and the Prophet knew, and worked hard on for many years. In just a few seconds, everything wasid bare by the man he thought as a fool. ¡°It¡¯s obvious, really.¡± " " Ah, this sauce is delicious. Dowd Campbell said with a smirk. Still. It looked like he¡¯s more interested in the meal than ¡®that kind of thing¡¯. Watching this, Marquis Riverback unconsciously clenched his chair¡¯s armrest. A thick drop of sweat ran down his forehead to his nose, but he didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to it. ¡°You, just who are you?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you always the reckless and aggressive type? What are you pretending to be polite about for?¡± Despite his growling, the response from the other party remainedposed. It¡¯s as if he had always known him. Like he knew him well from long before. ¡°Well, as for what I just said, I¡¯ve taken care of everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The President even personally moved the knights for me, after I reported this.¡± Marquis Riverback gritted his teeth. ¡®¡­I¡¯ve miscalcted¡­!¡¯ The intention was to raise devil worshipers by sponsoring and nurturing the empire¡¯s talents. However, the rm was ringing in full volume right now. He doesn¡¯t know how, but this man has seen through and foiled the entire n on his own. It was no different than him taking a leisurely stroll. A rustling noise sounded. ¡®¡­I was the fool.¡¯ This guy is a monster. He isn¡¯t exuding any sort of aura like that of the hero candidate or Princess Tristan, but he¡¯s probably more dangerous in terms of threat level. Typical monsters are like brilliantly burning mes, impressive both in appearance and their ways, and always exuding an intimidating presence. But, this guy. He¡¯s like frozen steel. You won¡¯t know just how cold it is until you actually touch it. It doesn¡¯t appear as dangerous at all. But the moment you mess with it, it¡¯ll eat your flesh up without mercy. He know understands a little bit why the Prophet wanted this guy. ¡®They¡¯re birds of the same feather¡­!¡¯ He looks harmless on the outside but insidious on the inside, like raising dozens of snakes in a hole. He controls the atmosphere! ¡°¡­I admit it. You¡¯re no ordinary person¡­¡± Then Marquis Riverback grabbed his ne. ¡°But you should know that.¡± He pressed a button on it which sent a ¡®signal¡¯ to all those wearing the same ne. ¡°Everything is not in your palm.¡± He smiled slyly. As with all schemers, every n had to have an insurance. This guy will never be able to stop this. ¡ñ ¨CLet¡¯s if you¡¯ll have the same conviction after. Looking at Marquis Riverback, who is smiling triumphantly, I couldn¡¯t help but think so. [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been Activated! ] [ The viin is in awe of your slyness! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] ¡°¡­¡± What slyness? Seriously? Well, anyway. ¡°My men should already be on their way downstairs to subdue Princess Tristan. They are the cream of the crop that¡¯s been selected through the House of Purification project.¡± Marquis Riverback said with a look ofposure. I guess he was talking about the guys from before. ¡°You may have disrupted my n, but we can still proceed with it as long as you¡¯re here. They are all strong individuals who areparable to knights. Even Princess Tristan will be subdued.¡± He seemed confident in himself. ¡®¡­Well, they¡¯re not really bona fide knights.¡¯ Knights are super humans rumored to have blue blood flowing in their veins. Regardless, if Marquis Riverback¡¯s men areparable to the level of a knight, then it¡¯s understandable where he got such confidence. It¡¯s just that I had to interrupt you in your speech. ¡°Try it, then.¡± When I said that, Marquis Riverback was bewildered again. ¡°¡­What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Try it.¡± I brought Elnore to this ce for a reason. Even if she¡¯s the final boss, there haven¡¯t been many opportunities to see her majesty properly until now. In the first ce, she was always suppressing her madness because of mental limitations. However, as far as I know. ¡®¡­It¡¯s better to let it loose sometimes.¡¯ Considering the context, it¡¯s just right. It¡¯s not that there isn¡¯t a way to get rid of itpletely, but it¡¯s currently impossible. Until then, it¡¯s better to let it out. More importantly, these are ¡®devil worshipers¡¯, so she can proceed without any guilt. ¡°¡­¡± If she can release it without any restraint, one would see why she is the final boss. ¡°It¡¯s good that they¡¯re elites.¡± Simply because¡­ ¡°They¡¯ll be good punching bags for Elnore.¡± Elnore didn¡¯t get trapped. They were trapped with Elnore. Chapter 26.1 Chapter 26.1 EP ¨C 026.1 ¨C Full Moon Festival (3) ¡°Stand up.¡± Elnore slowly lifted her eyes as one of the surrounding men said so. ¡°Follow me. We have somewhere to be.¡± ¡°Somewhere?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At least they weren¡¯t indicating that they were moving to serve the next course of the meal. In the first ce, they had been disying a threatening gesture by deliberately showing their ded weapons. ¡°¡­¡± However, instead of immediately responding to their demands, Elnore simply furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°I hope that someday, there will be a man who truly understands me. Someone who will ept my everything. When was thest time I had such a hope? I can¡¯t even remember anymore.¡± As her low-pitched voice sounded, the people around her all frowned. It was a natural reaction as no sane person would just start a hopeless monologue while being surrounded. ¡°You know, hope is a dangerous thing. It makes humans blind. I¡¯ve been fooled a lot too.¡± ¡°Hey. What are you babbling¡­¡± Elnore grabbed a wine bottle nearby and gulped down the whole thing. It was an outrageous act that didn¡¯t fit her status as a noblewoman. But strangely, it didn¡¯t feel out of ce. It was a sign that she had been suppressing something for a long time. ¡°But sometimes, there are things that don¡¯t betray you.¡± ¡°¡­I told you to stand up.¡± The man, who spoke first, irritatedly strode towards Elnore. He was clearly going to force her to stand up. Elnore looked several times smallerpared to the man¡¯s giant, well-trained body. However, the next moment. Elnore grabbed the man¡¯s big arm. ¡°¡­!¡± Blood gushed out of the spot where she held, as the man¡¯s muscles tore and his bones shattered. Just as the man¡¯s eyes widened and was processing the situation in shock, without skipping a beat, Elnore grabbed his head and mmed it onto the table. The wine bottle she had just been drinking from also fell from the impact. Blood sprayed and ss shards scattered everywhere. ¡°¡­What!¡± As the people around her drew their swords in fear, Elnore simply smirked and casually threw thepletely unconscious man aside. The sight of the massive man getting leisurely thrown like a crumpled piece of paper was almost unreal. ¡°With so many eyes around me, I¡¯ve been holding back a bittely.¡± Her red eyes gleamed menacingly, making her seem more like a beast than a human. ¡°It¡¯s been really difficult.¡± ¡°You must not kill her, it¡¯s top priority! We can tolerate some injury, but you must capture her alive¡­¡± One of the armed men said such words. A secondter, he was mmed into the wall by Elnore¡¯s fist. ¡°Capture me alive, huh. That¡¯s interesting.¡± The men unconsciously took a step back, as they didn¡¯t even saw her move. Her strength and agility was beyond imagination. ¡°I have no intention of letting you guys do that.¡± As Elnore said so, the man she had just sent flying picked up his dropped sword on the ground. Meanwhile, Dowd¡¯s words from earlier echoed in her ears. ¡®These guys are devil worshipers.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve been having a hard timetely, haven¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know aboutter, but for this situation, holding back would be worse.¡¯ She smirked. In fact, it is dangerous to trust usations of devil worshipers without evidence, unless its from the empire¡¯s notorious heresy inquisitors. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t even know you¡¯ve met a devil worshipper. However, the one who told her this was Dowd Campbell. If she doesn¡¯t believe him, what else can she believe? ¡®Here.¡¯ She¡¯ll let everything out. She just can¡¯t hate the man. Releasing one¡¯s madness like this was one of the time-honored methods of relief in the long history of the Tristan Family. She had no idea how the man knew about this. Nor does she know what he meant by, ¡°I don¡¯t know aboutter.¡± However. She hade to realize that she had reached a critical point in suppressing her madness. In other words. ¡°In ordance to the imperialw, executing demon worshippers on the spot and reporting it afterwards is no problem. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± A fierce gleam shed through her blood-red eyes, and a chilling aura descended upon the entire space. It¡¯s as if the air itself froze into ice. Everyone present felt a sense of foreboding. ¡°¡­!¡± They had heard the rumors. Among the best swordsmen in the continent, a youngdy was famous for her exceptional talent since childhood. From the beginning, they never thought it would be easy to face her. But they also didn¡¯t think that they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it. After all, everyone here is a warrior deserving of such confidence. They are steel-like talents forged in the melting pot of realbat. They are the elites of the elites that Marquis Riverback trained to the best of his abilities. However. What stands before them right now is¡­ What is in front of them right now is not just a ¡°skilled swordsman.¡± Rather, all the human-like sensations she had just moments ago were wiped away, reced by an unidentifiable brutality and hostility. This is¡­ the ¡°something¡± that takes on the form of Princess Tristian. It is as ck as ink, so much so that it doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s even human! ¡°So. Be ready to kill.¡± Well, anyway. It¡¯s a gift from that man. Her face is still expressionless like usual. But if Dowd saw her now, he would probably think that Elnore was ¡°genuinely smiling.¡± As if causing harm without the fear of repercussion is the most fun and enjoyable thing. ¡°That way, you¡¯ll be able to hold out a little longer.¡± Subsequently. Absolute mayhem ensued. ¡ñ In total, it took 3 minutes and 30 seconds. That¡¯s how long it took Elnore to reach us. ¡°¡­Impossible¡­¡± Looking at the dazed Marquis Riverback muttering like that, I would have probably bust outughing on a regr day. But, isn¡¯t this a bit too much? ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± As I asked in a stiff voice, Elnore pursed her lips and tossed the two bloodied bodies away. Watching her drag them around like they were trophies gave me chills. ¡°Well, it was refreshing. I think I¡¯ll be fine for a while.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elnore was in the first floor at the entrance of the restaurant, while Marquis Riverback and I are in a special room on the top floor. But right now, this person has managed to single-handedly slice through dozens to hundreds of people who were densely packed together, and make their way up here. An elite force that Marquis Riverback could boast of being parable to the Knights¡¯ were wiped out by her. All while wearing a one-piece dress. And in just a few minutes. ¡®Isn¡¯t this a real monster¡­?¡¯ Chapter 26.2 Chapter 26.2 EP ¨C 026.2 ¨C Full Moon Festival (3) I can assure you of one thing. This is crazy. Even an EX-level Desperation wouldn¡¯t cut it. With the EX level Desperation stat boost, I should be able to deal with 5 to 10 people. But against dozens to hundreds of elite troops? It would already be considered good if I can hold out even for a few seconds. Even Marquis Riverback, whose confidence was soaring just now, abruptly nked out. After all, the tower that he¡¯s built up over many years was destroyed in just a few minutes by one person. As I was at a loss for words, Elnore¡¯s brows furrowed as if she suddenly remembered something. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right.¡± Calmly throwing away two bloodied corpses, she came towards me. ¡°Come to think of it, it was not a good idea.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It was hard. I could have been hurt. How could you make me do this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you take responsibility?¡± She was lying through her teeth without even batting an eye. She has not one scratch and looked better than a brand new porcin. Rather, didn¡¯t you get rid of all the stress, even enjoyed it¡­? ¡°It did feel great but this isn¡¯t a date, no, that, anyway, you should make it up to me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go out together again next time. Alright?¡± ¡°¡­Should I?¡± It doesn¡¯t feel like I really have the grounds to refuse right now. ¡°Um. You should. You¡¯ll have to take responsibility for other thingster.¡± What is the other thing that I have to take responsibility for? What should I take responsibility for? As I sighed at the iprehensible words, a window suddenly appeared before me. [ Checking the current condition of target ¡®Elnore¡¯. ] [ Current favorability is ¡®Dear¡¯ or higher. The unique debuff ¡®Madness¡¯ has been improved under your influence. ] [ Conditions for Exclusive Quest have been met. ] < Exclusive Quest Triggered! > [ ¡®Elnore Elinalise La Tristan¡¯ Exclusive Quest is added to the Gift Tab. ] [ Clearing the quest will unlock higher favorability level than ¡®Dear¡¯. ] [ Clearing the quest will grant significant benefits to the main scenario. ] [ Clearing the quest will affect the ending. ] [ The target ¡®Gideon Galestead La Tristan¡¯ is interested in you! ] ¡°¡­?¡± Wait a minute. What¡¯s this? The Exclusive Quest didn¡¯t exist in the game. Is this a new system? But although there are many eye-catching prompts lined up, the most noticeable one is¡­ ¡®Gideon?¡¯ If it¡¯s Gideon, then it¡¯s him. Archduke Tristan. A key figure in the empire, who is said to be the second most powerful person next to the Emperor, and the strongest knight nicknamed the One-man Army, and Elnore¡¯s father. He¡¯s also a viin, who greatly contributed to Elnore¡¯s corruption into the final boss. ¡°¡­¡± At least during the course of Chapter 1, he¡¯s not someone I was expecting to take an interest in me and have this message pop up. What¡¯s happening? ¡®¡­Ah, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ I shook my head and closed the window. I can take a look at thister. What¡¯s more important is this. [ You havepleted the Main Quest! ] [ Questpletion time is less than 5 minutes! A record-breaking feat! ] [ The highest level reward will be given! ] ¡°I¡­ all the things I¡¯ve aplished¡­¡± A questpletion prompt popped up along with the defeated appearance of Marquis Riverback. He¡¯spletely mentally crushed. ¡°¡­¡± Well, it¡¯s understandable, considering that the thing he¡¯s been proudly building to perfection for years got destroyed in less than 5 minutes. ¡°Give up, Marquis Riverback.¡± Elnore went on calmly. ¡°It¡¯ll be your end once it gets out that you are associated with devil worshippers. Given the social stigma, there is no alternative other than immediate execution. You¡¯d better surrender now and face a merciful end.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her voice is calm, but her words are brutal. It seems as though sparing him wasn¡¯t even an option. ¡®If the acquisition event has been derailed, the branch will¡­¡¯ The branch after this point would have been either ¡®escape¡¯ or ¡®battle¡¯. But since Elnore has already taken care of all the enemies, neither option is necessary. ¡°¡­Hah.¡± Marquis Riverback bitterlyughed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d have to resort to this.¡± I watched as Marquis Riverback pull something out of his pocket in a daze. Perhaps, it¡¯s a cursed item that allows a person to borrow corrupt power for a short time. ¡®What follows after this is¡­¡¯ Marquis Riverback awakens as the Purifier, and a boss battle follows immediately after. Since it ended too easily, there¡¯s a high chance that a new branch will be added¡­ [ A new branch has appeared. ] [ Branch: Essence Emergence ] [ The difficulty level has significantly increased! ] [ In addition to the reward, ¡®Devil¡¯s Essence,¡¯ an item rted to the ending, will be given. ] [ The target ¡®???¡¯ will take even more interest in you! ] ¡°¡­¡± What the fck? As I was perplexed by the message that appeared before my eyes, Marquis Riverback finally took ¡®something¡¯ out that wriggled like a living creature¡¯s heart. There seems to be an unknown, endless sticky darkness oozing at the center of it. As soon as I saw this, a chill ran down my spine. The feeling of ¡®things are seriously going wrong¡¯ crept up my whole body. ¡®Devil¡¯s Essence¡­!¡¯ This sht. No, stop this fcking sht. That¡¯s not something that should appear in Chapter 1. Simply being able to use some of the corrupt power and bing a ¡®demon¡¯ after eating that are entirely different things! ¡°Elnore, cut off his arm! Don¡¯t let him eat that!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± At my big reaction, the shocked Elnore immediately drew her sword and lunged towards Marquis Riverback. ¡°Receive the grace of God.¡± However, Marquis Riverback had already shoved the essence into his mouth. And the next moment. -! -!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!! The whole Twilight Iris building was consumed by surging darkness. Chapter 27.1 Chapter 27.1 EP - 027.1 - Purifier ¡°¡­Do! Dowd! Are you okay!¡± I hear a voice calling me like that amidst my faint consciousness. Then I could feel a hand pulling me out from the rubble of the copsed building. Dust and broken debris tumble from my body. ¡°¡­Elnore?¡± As I was dragged out, I met eyes with Elnore, who was looking at me with a worried look. ¡°You¡­!¡± Elnore''s eyes shook as she fully confirmed my condition. I''m probably pretty injured. Well, I was helplessly crushed by a copsed building. ¡°¡­¡± This is what happens when the skill doesn¡¯t activate. As I confirmed before in the mock dungeon, the skill would only react to attacks that are ''hostile.'' If it was simply a building copsing due to the aftermath of the impact, then Dowd Campbell''s F stats will remain as is. ¡®Fractures, concussion, dislocated joints¡­¡¯ My vision was shaky as I feel warm liquid flowing down my face. I was dizzy and ufortable. ¡°¡­Huu.¡± Right. This is how it goes. An insect-like existence''s life, whose stats are all F, is as fragile as a candle in the wind. There''s simply no other way around it. ?¡­This is amazing.? With quivering eyes, I stared up at the sky where a mutated Marquis Riverback floated. The Devil''s Essence that he swallowed earlier is now lodged in the middle of his chest, pulsating like a heart. With demonic energy wrapping around his body like armor, he was already too far gone from being human. An abomination. There is no other way to put it. ?When the Prophet gave me this, I wondered if there would even be a situation where I would use this.? He grinned as he looked down at me and Elnore. ?I¡¯ll admit it. You were more troublesome than I thought. ? Then, he flew up to a higher altitude. ?However, will you be able to handle this?? Yeah. I wonder about that too, you btch. ¡®¡­Straight from the first chapter.¡¯ I can''t believe this worldly bullsht. Looking at Marquis River back swiftly flying away, I inwardly sighed. It¡¯s a speed that I didn''t even try to think of catching up to. Originally, the ¡®corrupted power¡¯ that Marquis Riverback would have used is generally like a devil by-product. It''s a power that humans have researched and crudely mimicked. On the other hand, the ¡®Devil''s Essence¡¯... They are items that contain the ¡®remnants¡¯ of the devil. Using it will turn one into a demon, able to wield a very small portion of their power. For example. -! -!!! Elnore¡¯s expression hardened upon seeing ''things'' suddenly rising from the fallen debris. Without a semnce of their human form, a ''thing'' couldn''t be more apt in describing their grotesque shapes. They''re but amalgamations of melted flesh. Their screeches, like metal scraping, clearly indicated their hostility to every living being nearby. ¡°Hii, hiik!¡± ¡°What is that¡­!¡± Curious about the sudden copse of a building, people naturally started to gather to get a whiff of therge-scale incident. However, they immediately bolted away after seeing these freaks of nature. ¡®¡­This is not good.¡¯ The spread of demonic energy will spawn creatures simr to those in Pandemonium, the devil''s home. And these? These are the same devil worshipers that Elnore had cut down earlier. Under the influence of Marquis Riverback, who turned into a demon, they transformed into ¡®Man Eaters¡¯, the bottom dwellers of the Pandemonium. Other than their threateningbat power, what¡¯s more troublesome was that any human they killed will also turn into a Man Eater. It¡¯s a chain reaction, like a zombie apocalypse. To make matters worse, they were in the middle of a busy shopping district, and the area was packed with people who hade for the Full Moon Festival. It was the worst ce at the worst time. [ Main Quest ]¡¼ Chapter 1 ¨C Purifier ¡½ [ Defeat the ¡®Purifier¡¯! ] [ It''s game over if there''s too many casualties!! ] [ Reward: 1 Evil Essence ] [ Reward: 1 Hero Fragment ] [ Reward: 5,000pt ] And once again, the system did not disappoint, as a damned quest appeared right in front of my eyes. Reducing the number of casualties here is not a joke. -! -!! Right after the Man Eaters mutated, a lightning-like blow suddenly shut their mouths. It was a textbook strike using a spear. Several Man Eaters who tried to stand up were pierced and got sent flying. ¡°Hyeong-nim! What the hell is this¡­!¡± Wiping the blood on my forehead, I saw Tallion running towards me from a distance. Did this guy make that strike? "I heard amotion and came to see what''s going on! What are those monsters, and Marquis Riverback...!" This is nice to see. Originally, at this point, this guy should have be corrupted and turned into something simr to that. ¡°If you were still wearing the ne, you would have turned into something like that.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Instead of answering, I simply pointed my finger at one of the Man Eaters. The evil energy emanating from the House of Purification''s ne, that''s still hanging around its neck, is clearly visible to anyone. Normally, it would just end with them losing a bit of their sanity. But now, they''vepletely crossed a river of no return as they''ve transformed into a Man Eater. Seeing this, Tallion¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­This.¡± His expression rapidly changed by the second. He''s probably quickly organizing the current situation in his head. "I just want to confirm one thing." "What is it?" "...Did Marquis Riverback lead this incident?" He had dropped the honorifics. He may be asking a question, but he already seemed half-convinced. He was probably told to ¡®make sure to wear the ne¡¯ several times on a regr basis. I smiled at the anger in Tallion''s eyes. Well, he ain''t no npc. As someone designed to be Elijah¡¯s rival, his ability to judge and act in an emergency could not bepared to ordinary students. ¡°We can discuss responsibility and mistakester. For now, if we don¡¯t deal with that, this ce will be hell.¡± He somehow stabalized his shaky gaze and aptly conveyed. I have gained his ¡®trust¡¯ by making him take off the ne. And now, it¡¯s time to reap this advantage. ¡°Listen to me carefully. If you make even one mistake, it''s over.¡± I proceeded to give him instructions. At first, he was listening to me with a serious expression, then it changed to absurdity, and in the end, he was looking at me like he was looking at a madman. ¡°¡­That, is that even possible?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It has to. I didn''t run around everywhere for nothing. If you can¡¯t do that much, it''s the end. ¡°Then, what about Hyeong-nim¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take care of something else.¡± ¡®I have two goals.¡¯ The first is to prevent civilian casualties in the area. The Man Eaters are still sluggish right now, but as time passes and the demonic energy grows thicker, they will be faster and stronger. Most of the ¡®instructions¡¯ I just gave Tallion were just to block them. And the second goal is... ¡°We need to cut the root.¡± We need to eliminate Marquis Riverback, the source of the demonic energy. That''s what I''m going to do. ¡°Do you know where he went?¡± Elnore asked in a low voice. She''s probably asking how we could chase after someone flying that fast. ¡°Yes, well. I have my guess.¡± Should I say that I have an idea? Actually, there is only one. I can¡¯t make mistakes. Chapter 27.2 Chapter 27.2 EP - 027.2 - Purifier Merchants are quick-witted. If you ask why Marquis Galdier Riverback became a devil worshiper, that would be the most fundamental answer. He had risen from a mere ck market merchant to the position of a Viscount, enjoying wealth and honor that he could never have imagined before. And all that was just by joining the ''winning'' side. ¡®Their power reaches every corner of the continent.¡¯ A devil ''follower''s'' power is formidable, without question. Among them, the power of the ¡®Chosen Ones¡¯, who are the closest to the Prophet, could literally boil the sea, crack the earth and split the heavens. Compared to them, he was but an insect crawling under their soles. The reason he survived for so long was because he always reminded himself of that fact. Thus, after confirming it himself, he decided to stand on their side without hesitation. It''s probably because of the quick thinking unique to merchants, but he can infer that no one on the continent could dare stand against them. At this very moment, Marquis River back could never be more confident that he picked right. ?Huuu¡­? An almighty sigh escaped his mouth. An overwhelming amount of demonic energy coursed through his body. So much so that he could crush weak beings just by pressure alone. This was the power he gained just by epting a little of the ''new god''s'' grace. ?At this level¡­? Carrying out the mission would be a breeze. To resurrect the devil, he needed to bring despair and confusion everywhere. Kill a man, kill a couple, and then, simply continue piling up the corpses. He can start with that. He happens to be just in the right ce for that. ?Go.? He muttered as he reached his hand out to the ¡®barrier¡¯ in front of him. It was the one near the Void Zone, said to have been set up by a seraphim. Normally, this ce would be heavily guarded. Let alone, breaking through it, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to damage it. But since it''s the Full Moon Festival, it was easy. Not to mention that he now possesses the devil¡¯s power. Even if he still couldn''t break it, he could put a dent on it. Considering the special nature of the Void Zone, this alone would lead to an unimaginable disasters. ¡®¡­This is ultimately the key.¡¯ The riots going on in the city right now are nothing more than a smoke screen distraction. Probably all avable armed forces are concentrated there. Meanwhile, his real goal is here. ¡°Hey, stop moving.¡± Unfortunately. Not everyone was stupid. ¡ñ ?...How did you know?? Marquis Riverback, who was trying to damage the barrier, stiffly asked. ¡°Like I said earlier. It¡¯s obvious.¡± Marquis Riverback, should I say...? He''s a single-celled organism who thinks he''s smart. The type who want to feel superiority above others, and worming his way with ¡®deceit¡¯. ¡®¡­Is he an idiot?¡¯ To be honest, I don''t think there''s anything more inefficient than this. If he just controlled the Man Eaters to push through here, the barrier would''ve been damaged. ¡°¡­¡± However, thanks to his ego of going himself, an opportunity like this arose. I will pierce through that vanity and conceit. So I started organising a n. If there were Man Eaters standing in my way, I wouldn''t even dream of a situation like this, but now he''s alone. ¡°So, Dear.¡± I''ve realized that one of Elnore''s greatest strengths is her endless physical abilities. She carried me and moved through the streets while still being so fast, especially since I''m so badly injured that even moving is difficult. ¡°What''s the n?¡± Elnore asked, after epting my request of bringing me here without hesitation. I could see unwavering trust reflected in her eyes. ¡°There must be a reason why we decided to drop all support ande here with just us two.¡± ¡°Well, yes?¡± It¡¯s because we are hard pressed in time. There is no time to call for others. If that guy makes even a slight crack in the barrier, it''s game over. People will die, Elnore will be kidnapped, and the Gray Devil will be unleashed. It''s a one way ticket to a bad ending. Rather than that, it''s better if we came here first to put a pause to everything, then we cane to a decision. ¡°Okay, so how do we beat him¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t.¡± Elnore¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°We can''t win against him. Never.¡± This was the truth. To confront a demon, Elijah needed a ¡®Holy Sword¡¯ to stand on equal grounds. But that''s something that wille, at least, only after Chapter 4. She''s still in her growth stage. In other words, her counterpart in the novel would be no different. Even as the final boss, a budding Elnore and me who''s seriously injured, simply cannot match against the transformed Marquis Riverback. ¡°¡­¡± However. It''s not the end of the world just yet. ¨CYou''ve been bitten by something terrible. I can¡¯t see its full form yet, but I can tell it¡¯s bad. It seems to have stuck because of your abilities I suddenly remember those words. The angel has warned me this before. Yeah. I know. I am aware of what''s ''stuck to me'' means to some extent. [ The target ¡®???¡¯ is interested in you. ] I smirked as I read the system log. And this too... < Gift-rted Character Notification > ? Elnore Elinalise La Tristan [ Love Level 1] [ ¡®Skill Copy Ticket¡¯ is avable! ] Thest reason is this. The ''Love Level 1'' and Skill Copy Ticket. With this, even against an enemy that we can never beat at our current level, we''d have a fighting chance. While I was in my thoughts, Marquis Riverback sighed and raised his demonic energy. ?¡­Well, no matter. ? A reverberation of demonic energy began to brew like a storm around him. It was so potent and dense that if you let your mind slip for even a little, you''ll faint. What¡¯s absurd is that this isn¡¯t even the full release of demonic energy ¨C it¡¯s but a ¡®prelude¡¯ to the attack. ? I just need to kill you and secure Princess Tristan. This is actually better. Since you''ve served yourselves up in your own ord, you''ve saved me the trouble of searching. ? From this point on, we will fight this guy. Taking a deep breath, I said to Elnore. ¡°Elnore, promise me one thing.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It''s going to be painful. It''ll be excruciating. You might even hate me¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± At first nce, it might sound like an impatient request to get to the point, but... If someone were to meet that straightforward gaze, they would give a slightly different response. Whatever you say is fine. I''ve already epted it, so don''t worry and tell me. That''s what it means. ¡°¡­¡± I couldn''t help butugh at myself. It was always like this. The level of trust this person ces in me is unbelievable. That''s why, I must live up to that trust. ¡°No matter what happens. Without fail.¡± I replied with direct eye contact. ¡°I will get us out of here alive, okay?¡± ¡°Hmm, okay.¡± ¡°So.¡± I looked away from Elnore and turned to Marquis Riverback. ¡°Whatever happens, please trust me.¡± Uh. Really. What I''m about to do is insane. As I thought so, Marquis Riverback rushed towards us like a raging tsunami. Chapter 28.1 Chapter 28.1 EP - 028.1 - Purifier (2) ¡ò Minor Healing Potion x2 [ Item: Consumable ] [ Price: 1,000pt ] x2 [ Can recover from minor injuries. ] [ Remaining points: 0pt ] [ !Warning! ] [ ''Purifier'' Boss Battle in progress. Due to the influence of demonic energy, recovery is weakened. ] For a Minor Healing Potion, it was filthy expensive. Although potions are rare in Sera, it''s still he expensive. Moreover, its effect is even weakened because of the boss battle. And despite having spent all my points, the pain from my twisted joints was only slightly alleviated. However, this was a desperate situation. ¡°¡­¡± Gritting my teeth, I dodged the attack flying towards me. Each ''Chapter Boss'' in the world of Sera has a unique skill. They basically have an extra sword that you can¡¯t find in normal opponents. And that¡¯s why Marquis Riverback was called the Purifier rather than ''Grunt A''. -! As the demonic energy emitted by Marquis Riverback was about hit Elnore, a shield appeared before her and bounced the attack off with a loud bang. It was the same shield that had previously protected Elnore in the train ident. ?Fool, you can''t stop me!? However, despite being able to fend off a huge boulder with ease, the shield waspletely shattered as Marquis Riverback¡¯s attack swung back like a boomerang. Yes, this was his skill. He''s able to ''dissolve'' some of the power of an opponent¡¯s attack or defense. It was as if he''s ''purifying'' them. ¡°¡­Ah, damn it.¡± This was really too much. A shield of that caliber can''t just be broken like ss. s, Marquis Riverback''s power soared exponentially after the demonic transformation. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX ss. ] [ !Warning! ] [ Confirmed existence of opponent''s unique skill ¡®Purification¡¯. ] [ Skill: Desperation downgraded to C ss. ] And to rub salt on wounds, this happened. The disparity between EX ss and C ss is roughly the same as a person who can K.O. the future hero with one punch and a normal person who works out regrly. It was a heaven and earth difference! Gritting through the pain and screaming inwardly, I forcefully rolled to the side, which was no different than torture to a seriously injured body. [ Attribute: Breathing Technique ¨C Duckweed proficiency has increased! ] The only reason why I''m barely able to hold on was because of the attribute I received from Elnore not too long ago. If it weren''t for this, I wouldn''t even think of moving my body right now. Immediately after, a ck beam passed through where I was just standing, leaving my hairs stand on their ends. Although it was a ''light'' attack, it left a huge crater as if a missile had exploded. This was like that guy¡¯s basic attack. ¡®The difficulty is no joke¡­!¡¯ Even as I was thinking this, I was giving precise instructions to Elnore. ¡°Elnore, to the left!¡± Using the gap created while he was attacking me, Elnore charged forward with her sword. The tip of her sword was sharp. Even for Elijah, who was called a heavenly talent, the strike was akin smashing into a wall. However, despite being perfectly executed and timed... ?Ha!? It got blocked as if it was very obvious. With just a slight ''release'' of demonic energy, Elnore rebounded from the shock wave and rolled over to my side. Things aren''t looking good. Even the future Final Boss was being pushed back She was covered in dust and dirt, and her one-piece dress was torn and soaked in blood from the injuries all over her body. It was an unimaginable image for someone who always appeared perfect and neat in the original story. Looking at the clock, it''s only been a minute since the battle began. With just that much, we''re on the brink of losing everything. Meanwhile, Marquis Riverback was only gradually driving us back without showing any real intention. ¡®I have the strategy.¡¯ I thought so with a dizzy head, as Elnore grabbed me and dodged another iing attack. The timing is on point. The methodology is also correct. The chance to attack the Marquis Riverback was created based on the timing and path that I remember. However. That all may be perfect, but weck the ¡®capacity¡¯ to carry it out. A demon¡¯s body is a monstrosity that can break rocks and fly through the air. Even the monsters whose intellect has degenerated and focused all on physical abilities can''t hold a candle. And even if they''re wounded, they can quickly recover with the demonic energy supplied from the essence. ¡°¡­¡± This was not good. In fact, this situation was at its worst. In this battle, Elnore and I needed to work together. Elnore doesn¡¯t know how to ¡®fight¡¯ him and can''t just rush forward because of his ''purification''. I''m the only one who knows all his attack patterns. Without my instructions, it''s difficult to even attempt to attack him. ? Fight me, you worms! Stop this game of catch! ? Marquis Riverback shouted as he flew towards us. This will continue for a while. ¡®The important thing right now is to lure this guy away from the barrier.¡¯ If the barrier gets damaged during the fight, it would be a big problem. If I were Marquis Riverback, I would have prioritized breaking the barrier regardless of any interference. But he is a vain and conceited person. It means that for now, he would prioritize revenge against me and Elnore first, who just cornered him earlier. Moreover, his rational judgment has be increasingly blurred due to the influence of the demonic energy. He''s also throwing a fit and using crude words, rather than his usual dignified formalnguage. This bes even more evident once you consider his style of faking formality till death. But what does this all mean? It means that it is the perfect time to set up a trap. ¡°¡­We have to bring him to the academy.¡± I whispered to Elnore, who was carrying me like a burden. Due to the Full Moon Festival and the emergency that urred in the city, the outskirts of Elfante were most likely deserted right now. The Deans and the President are probably all focused in the city, so we can''t really expect any support from them. However, this also means that we are free to do things without worrying about coteral damage. This was my aim. With that thought in mind, I continued to repeat the routine I''ve done so far. Get hurt a little, buy time, lure him away. It¡¯s just a matter of giving him enough to relish and not lose his attention. Despite severelycking in many aspects, I was enduring it somehow. I''m doing the same this time too. I avoid the attacks he throws at me, and instruct Elnore tounch a counterattack, followed by dodging to minimize the damage caused by his retaliation as much as possible- ?¡­By the way.? He suddenly said in the middle of the battle. At this moment, I could feel chills running through my spine. There was something amiss. For starters, he was speaking in a voice that maintained reason, unlike his rage-filled voice from earlier. This guy. Was he just pretending to be ''lured'' by us all along? ? Do I look like a fool to you? Did you seriously think that I wouldn''t notice you trying to lure me away? ? As he said that, Marquis Riverback¡¯s chest suddenly trembled and the darkness inside him stirred. It was as if the demonic energy he''s beenshing out at us until now was just the leftovers of the bigger one he''s been collecting. And by the sight of it, a sense of crisis, stronger than anything else in my life, constricted my body. Just like how I hid my ¡®intentions¡¯ from this guy, he also hid something and responded back! ? You''re the kind of person that''ll ruin everything if left alone. ? Then from the chest, Marqui Riverback''s heart, a murky darkness started to spread out. Despite it being the evening, it was clearly visible as if it was repelling every wave and particle of light in its path. [Surely, you''re done with that.] Subsequently. The soaring ¡®dark curtain¡¯ descended upon me. [ Soul Linker Activated. ] [ Magic Power Received. ] [ Skill ¡®Penance¡¯ has been used. ] [ Skill ¡®Guardian Shield¡¯ has been used. ] That was thest thing I remember. Chapter 28.2 Chapter 28.2 EP - 028.2 - Purifier (2) The first thing I felt when I regained consciousness was excruciating pain, as if my whole body was being torn apart. ¡°¡­!¡± I opened my mouth, but not a word came out. It felt like my brain was wired into a power supply and was pumped directly with electricity. My body was convulsing uncontrobly. ¡°¡­ K-kuluk¡­!¡± After coughing out coagted blood, I took a look at the current state of my body. My left arm was utterly destroyed. Both my lower and upper body werepletely smashed, torn and broken. Not a single part of my body was saved from being wedged with pieces of nasty-looking stone, ss fragments and tree branches. My whole body was in tatters. How I am alive right now was a even question. It''s a miracle with the kind of injuries I had sustained. ¡°¡­¡± Regardless, I tried to force myself up. ¡°¡­Ah, ack¡­!¡± My vision was stained red. And my body was trembling all over. From deep within my nerves, I felt a spark of new sensation that I have never experienced before in my life. ¡°¡­¡± s, I fell right back to the ground as I gasped for air. I was wholly immobile. ¡°¡­Fck.¡± Cursing, I supported myself with my healthy right arm and reached out for the Divine''s Ultima, that was in the edge of my vision. If I hadn''t been able to create a shield at the veryst moment, I would have died. Demonic energy is particrly vulnerable to divinity. And it¡¯s because of this advantage that the power of the attack was reduced. ¡°¡­Are you kidding me, really.¡± In the meantime, I could hear a round ofughter. I could see the academy building not too far away. Just from that attack, I had flown over hundreds of meters from where Elnore and I fought against Marquis Riverback. I''m seriously relieved that I didn¡¯t die in one shot. ?Did you survive that?? Though, hearing this made me reconsider that maybe I am not so lucky. Barely able to turn my body, I saw Marquis Riverback walking toward me from a short distance away. Even with that demonic energy-filled body, I could clearly see that mocking smirk. ?You''re much more tenacious than I thought. The Prophet would be pleased.? After saying that, he reached out to my face. ?Looks like you¡¯ve exhausted all your cards.? Then, demonic energy started to gather on his palm. ?To be honest, you were a great opponent. If you meet a friend in hell, you can confidently brag about it.? ¡°¡­¡± There is no way out. The downgraded Desperation wouldn''t be able to withstand it. Not even an upgrade to EX ss would change anything. I can¡¯t even move my body at this point. But there''s still one thing left. -! -!!! A sword suddenly cut through the air and shed Marquis Riverback¡¯s neck. It was a terrifying blow that could cut down even steel, but it only slightly prated his skin before getting repelled. The wound also healed instantly as if it was never there. However, thanks to this, the impending attack towards me was canceled. ?¡­You''re really quite the persistent pair. You''ll make a good couple.? Elnore retrieved her sword and quickly approached me as he grumbled. ¡°It''s okay¡­¡± Elnore was about to say something but stopped. She only looked at me and kept her mouth shut. Her expression suggests that of sorrow. ¡°¡­It might look bad, but this is normal.¡± I smiled and tried to change the subject. Though not as severe as mine, Elnore also had injuries all over her body. She had broken ribs and arm, and terriblecerations on her legs. She had torn her dress to use as a bandage in order to forcefully move. She looked like she could barely stand and it was a burden being upright, let alone fight. The only reason she''s able to move was because of her superhuman mental strength, nothing more or less. But why was she worried about me? In her current state, how could she worry about other people? ¡°¡­¡± After looking at me without saying a word, she took off the ne she had been wearing and threw it at me. As I caught it with my right arm, a new window popped up in front of me. [ The ''Ne of Vitality'' has been equipped. ] [ Durability and stamina are slightly increased. ] ¡°It will help you keep your body together. It''ll allow you to move.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we had to bring him to the academy? Marquis Riverback also keeps saying that he would use me in his ¡®n¡¯. I don''t think he''ll kill me right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Move to the target location first. It''s not too far away, I will buy you some time.¡± ¡°¡­Elnore.¡± ¡°I trust you until the end.¡± At a loss for words, I could only stare at Elnore, who simply smiled back. It was the same shy smile when we held hands at the start of the Full Moon Festival. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it just right to give back what we received?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I''ve never done anything to deserve such gratitude from this person. I was just struggling to get through the situation. But this person. ?Is the strategy meeting over?? Marquis Riverback said with folded arms, as he was smirking at us. His attitude was that of, ''do whatever you want, I''ve already won.'' It was a self-centered and vain attitude, but it wasn''t the wrong move this time, as Elnore and I were already as good as incapacitated. However, Elnore cared for none of that and confronted Marquis Riverback without fear. ¡°Let me ask you one thing, Marquis Riverback.¡± ?What is it?? ¡°How much do we look like as a couple?¡± ?...Yes?? ¡°This is an important question, so answer it honestly.¡± Marquis Riverback looked at Elnore speechless, then he burst into aughter. ?IYou''re a match made in heaven. If you somehow survive here, why don''t you start a family?? ¡°It''s a good answer. I can spare you a little mercy.¡± Elnore smiled and raised her sword, while demonic energy also surged from Marquis Riverback. ¡°Dowd, go!¡± I don''t have a say here. I would just be a burden if I continued to stay here. I finally turned away from Elnore and walked towards the academy building. ¡°¡­Huk, heok¡­¡± I was already in a state of exhaustion, then adding the unimaginable injuries made even breathing itself harder. Every step I took felt like I was being stabbed by a hot iron rod. My body writhed with pain, and my vision was flickering. However, despite my literacy giving up and copsing to the ground, I gritted my teeth and pushed forward. Because I know that there''s someone enduring more pain than I am right now. At this point, I was crawling but persisted moving forward. Oh how I badly wanted to rest, even for a little bit, but I feel like once I do that, I''ll never be able to never get back up. After a few minutes of crawling, I saw it. The outer wall of the academy. ¡°¡­¡± I''m finally here. Propping myself up using the wall, I struggled my way to the gates. Due to the chaos that had ensued in the city, there was not a single guard in sight. So I have no help to even count on. -!! A person suddenly crashed on the wall beside me. ¡°¡­¡± It was Elnore. The level of injuries she sustained couldn''t even be limited to she looked ''wrecked''. If it wasn¡¯t for the tattered dress, I wouldn¡¯t be even able to recognize her in such a ghastly state. ?She was really like a pest, annoying. I already broke all her limbs, but she would still crawl and grab on my legs. It¡¯s terrible, really.? ¡°¡­¡± ?So, what are your ns now? Do you have anything more hidden?? Unable to control my body anymore, I limply knelt in front of Marquis Riverback. I could still see thatughing smirk on his face. Then I turned my gaze towards Elnore. Elnore had faint shallow breaths, but she still met my eyes with difficulty. She was giving me an apologetic gaze. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ You did a good job. Otherwise, I couldn''t havee this far. ?Anything else?? ¡°¡­¡± ?This is boring.? Having said that, Marquis Riverback reached out. Demonic energy started gathering. ¡°¡­!¡± Elnore, who was stuck on the wall, tried wriggling her body to move. s, it was all futile. Her current state already reached the limit just by breathing. -! A ck beam pierced through my chest. It was certain death. A shallow scream escaped from Elnore¡¯s mouth. ?I was expecting something special aftering all the way here¡­ turns out it''s just nothing.? I hear these words as my vision gradually turned ck. ¡°¡­¡± A smile curved on my lips. There''s nothing to hide, you fcking bastard. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Amidst my crumpling body, I red at him with all my might. ¡°I won.¡± The moment this guy had stepped ¡®inside¡¯ the academy... My n began. ?...Yes?? I could hear Marquis Riverback''s confused voice distantly. Through my flickering vision, I could see something ¡®condensing¡¯ inside Elnore¡¯s body as she screamed. And. [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been activated. ] Just as my consciousness was about to get cut off, I saw a window pop up. Yeah, nice to meet you. Honestly, I didn''t want to meet you, but given the circumstances, I had no other choice. [ ?? ???????????????C???????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????¨°????????????¡ã???????????????3???????????????????????? ???? ???????????????¨¢????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????¨¢?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????????¡À????????????????¡Á??????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????1???????????????????????????? ???????????????] {*Target... XXXXX.... you....XXXX} With that message. The world turned to gray. Chapter 29.1 Chapter 29.1 EP - 029.1 - Purifier (3) ¡°This works?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence spread around Elijah¡¯s words. Perhaps it''s because everyone all share the same sentiment. Man Eaters were strewn all over and wriggling the ground. ¡®¡­Everyone was against it at first.¡¯ Elijah chuckled, sword resting on his shoulder. When Tallion first told everyone about the "n," they thought he was crazy. Even Elijah, who was urgently summoned here, would have reacted the same way if she hadn''t been told that it was Dowd Campbell who came up with this n. In a state of emergency of monsters appearing in the city, the standard solution would be to call the knights and buy time until civilians evacuate. No matter what anyone says, the strongest force in the Empire is the knights, and there are always knights residing in and around Elfante. However, what about Dowd¡¯s n that Tallion told them about? ¡®¡­We can deal with this with a dozen or so students, a few knights, and several academy professors.¡¯ Recalling the contents of the n, Elijah still found it absurd even now and let out a bitterugh. It was basically just to round up the nearest people around and throw them to deal with the monsters. To put it bluntly, it was a death wish. It had been quite some time since demonic power manifested, and Man Eaters were ssified as enemies of humanity. Even if their intelligence had deteriorated, they possessed simple but brutalbat capabilities that even warriors find difficult to deal with. Therefore, dealing with Man Eaters is fundamentally based on the premise that "more humans" will confront "fewer Man Eaters." So, the fact that less than 20 humans had unterally suppressed hundreds of Man Easters was almost miraculous. The motivation behind the n was even more absurd. ¡®¡­There would be too many casualties.¡¯ If civilians are evacuated while waiting for the knights to be dispatched, casualties inevitably ur in the process. However, if they just subdue all the Man Eaters before that, they could eliminate such risk. Truly a man with great foresight. When ites to the conviction of saving people first during a crisis, Elijah couldn''t help but doubt that this man was more keen than her, despite being the hero candidate. ¡®Is there any special reason?¡¯ Elijah tilted her head in wonder. ¡°Good job.¡± As she was having such thoughts, the Dean of the Knights School, Conrad Baltador, approached her and patted her on the shoulder. He was one of the people who supported this n, along with President Atante, who had participated in the battle. Because their influence was so strong, the n was executed as is, shutting down the opposition. ¡°I''m relieved that both the Dean and the President are here. If even one of you wasn''t, such an achievement might not have been possible.¡± It really was. No, to be exact, if even one human here was missing, this achievement would have been impossible ¡°¡­It would have been impossible if even one is missing.¡± Conrad¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, I share the same sentiment. Do you know why me and the President happened to be around here?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°She rmended that we eat here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah frowned. ¡°is that so?¡± ¡°She already booked the seats, so I have no reason to refuse. But then, coincidentally, this happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A hypothesis started forming in Elijah¡¯s head. And as Conrad continued, the more it became concrete. ¡°And that guy over there, he''s a student from the Monster Research Department.¡± Conrad pointed to Evan Kramer, a sophomore in the Monster Research Department. Elijah remembers this face well. Because he was the facilitator of the mock battle at the orientation that she did with Dowd. Dowd had told Tallion to find this student as well. ¡°We probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve this result without him.¡± Definitely. Apart from their brutish fighting ability, monsters also have a variety of strange and bizarre traits. Even for a knight whose main profession was fighting against them, it''s impossible to memorize all of their characteristics. Unless one is geek who specialize in studying such things... If that student named Evan hadn''t provided them the Man Eaters'' weaknesses, they wouldn''t have been able to end the battle so smoothly. ¡°I heard that he was asked toe to the festival. He couldn¡¯t refuse because it was from a benefactor¡¯s request.¡± ¡°A benefactor?¡± ¡°The Monster Research Department is the least popr department among the Knights School. We were considering closing it by the end of this year.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But when I ¡®coincidentally¡¯ checked the mock battle stage, I found capable people. So I revoked that decision.¡± Elijah¡¯s pupils trembled slightly. Right, we''re saying it was a coincidence. But it happened because of ¡®a certain person¡¯ Conrad was eyeing. And coincidentally, the student from the rarely-visited Monster Research Department happened to be nearby. At a terrifyingly perfect timing. Because of someone''s request. "..." Then it became clear. The students affiliated with the "House of Purification" foundation, who participated in this battle, were also said to have not mutated into monsters because Dowd had done something. The knights who were dispatched to this scene were also people that Dowd had called upon beforehand, after requesting it from the President. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± When viewed separately, it''s a series ofpletely unrted coincidences, but there is one focal point that connects all of these coincidences. ¡°Uh, Dean.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Has that person been preparing for this a long time ago?¡± Conradughed instead of answering. All the actions taken up until now, the people that Dowd has met, and the resulting oues - all point to this situation. Dowd Campbell has been designing a response to an unnoticed threat since the beginning. Everyone set in their positions. From the beginning, that person had expected that something like this would happen and prepared for it meticulously ¡®It''s impossible if even one person is missing.¡¯ It¡¯s a tightly knit n from the beginning to end! Elijah said disheartened. ¡°¡­What kind of person is he, really?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. In the first ce, it could really be just a series of coincidences.¡± Conrad replied while scratching his head. ¡°But if that''s really the case, then I feel like there shouldn''t have been one more thing.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have you seen Tallion during the battle?¡± That''s true. If he was there, he would have undoubtedly been a great asset, but his absence was puzzling. ¡°What do you think he is doing right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elijah¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°You think he''s nning more?¡± A boisterousughter was what she got instead of an answer. It had a carefree tone that didn''t require any further questioning as to what it meant. ¡°Seriously.¡± What kind of person is he? Elijah sighed and tilted his head back to relieve the fatigue from the battle. ¡°Eung?¡± Suddenly, her entire field of vision was covered in ¡®gray¡¯. Like a smoke that spewed out from somewhere, it rapidly expanded. It endlessly covered the sky, space, and eroded everything in its path. And then. Everything stopped. ¡ñ [T/N: I held on c28.2 hoping for this chap to not end on a cliffhanger (and double update instead like this), but this one is also a cliffhanger. Fck me Next chap is appx 2k words and lore] Chapter 29.2 Chapter 29.2 EP - 029.2 - Purifier (3) Time went still. No, not figuratively. Time literally stopped. ¡°¡­¡± Even with a hole in my chest, my consciousness remained intact and I could perceive the world clearly. However. Everything except my consciousness remained still. From Marquis Riverback''s twisted face in front of me, to the blood from my pierced chest, nor could I feel the wind. Even the air flow had stopped. Everything was dyed gray. It was frozen like a photographedndscape. ¡°¡­¡± Everything but one. And that was. Something was "descending" into my field of vision. The figure''s gentle descent is seemingly unaffected by gravity. No, thews of physics for that matter. Pure white hair flowing down to one''s ankles, crimson eyes that''s redder than blood, wless white skin without any blemish, and an immacte body uncovered by a single thread. This figure, this woman, looks familiar. If given a few years to mature, Elnore would look just like this person. But this was not Elnore. You can tell just by looking. Because if it were Elnore, or simply any human... They wouldn''t exude such a level of "evil." ¡®The Gray Devil.¡¯ In the game, it never really revealed its true form directly. It only appeared as a form of boss battle by possessing Elnore at the climax. So, the figure before me right now is basically an "avatar." The Devil''s Essence that Marquis Riverback infused with his body just contained a small piece of the devil¡¯s power. When all the fragments are pieced together, the real devil can be summoned. The Gray Devil fragments scattered throughout the scenario pool together in various events within the game, ultimately converging in Elnore. It is inevitable. In other words, the avatar in front of me right now is only a small part of it. The ''authority'' it possess is insignificantpared to the Gray Devil''s true form, and the duration it can materialize is only short-lived, at most a few tens of seconds. But even so. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX ss. ] Just by having this avatar front of me, the deactivated Desperation turned on again. ¡°¡­¡± It was ridiculous, fck. ''Her'' presence alone brought the entire world to a standstill. And her gaze made me threatened for my life. In other words. If I were to directly meet her eyes right now, I would die. That''s how vast the gap is. While I was thinking that, the ''devil avatar'' taking on Elnore''s form approached me. At the same time. [ ???????????????¨¢????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????¨¢?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????????¡À????????????????¡Á??????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????1???????????????????????????? danger ???????????????¨¢????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????¨¢?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????????¡À????????????????¡Á??????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????1???????????????????????????? ] [ ????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????¨°????????????¡ã???????????????3??????????????????????? ???? situation ?? ????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????¨°????????????¡ã???????????????3????????????????????????????. ] [ ????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????¨°????????????¡ã???????????????3???????????????????????peration raised to EX ss. ] My system window was broken. It''s like a part of it has been ¡®ripped off¡¯. ¡°¡­!¡± Of course, the Purifier also downgraded Desperation, but this is a whole different ball park. Just standing in front of this person... Made it seem like the entire ''system'' was rendered powerless. ¡°¡­¡± That''s right, the Gray Devil was originally depicted with such abilities. A transcendent being that distorts even the fundamentalws of the world just by staying still. The Gray Devil approached me a step further. As she came close, she caressed my cheek. She smiled that seems to melt in the heat. It felt weird because she''s doing so with Elnore''s usually expressionless face. And... I could see endless desire into those deep eyes. To a point that I saw an illusion, screaming that her sole existence was for the sole purpose of loving me. Then she lowered her head to my ear. Her lips parted. ¡°I?¨²¡ä ¨¢?¡älove¨¢| ????you¡± Just hearing these few words felt like my brain was being deep fried. The pressure was that much. I felt my skin crawl. There''s a nauseating feeling permeating my entire nervous system as if someone poured tar into my veins, causing a tingling sensation. If I could move my body freely right now, I might have just copsed and start vomiting. As I was suffering from this horrible feeling in my body, she leaned in towards me, still smiling. She reached towards my chest, then twisted her hand like she''s turning a dial. Then. Time ¡®rewinded¡¯. The hole that''s been pierced by Marquis Riverback''s demonic energy was healed. ¡°¡­¡± The pain was gone and I feel energized. At the same time. A tattoo was engraved on my perforated chest. [ Obtained ¡®The Fallen''s Seal¡¯. ] [ The Fallen''s Seal ????????????????¨¢?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????????¡À????????????????¡Á??????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????has the effect ????????????????¨¢?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????????¡À????????????????¡Á??????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????of. ] ¡°¡­¡± However, I have no idea what it was. As I stared at it in bewilderment, Gray Devil covered her mouth with a chuckle. Then, with a smiling face, she leaned towards me and rests her chin on her hands. Her casual attitude gives off a feeling of "Is there anything else I can help you with?" ¡°¡­¡± Even though its only a small part of the Gray Devil, the fact that one of the strongest in the world was being so friendly to me felt strange. Though, I do have an idea on why this is. [ Skill: Fatal Charm ] [ ss: ??? ] [ People with evil alignment are more likely to get attracted to you. The more extreme the alignment, the stronger the effect. ] The more extreme the alignment, the stronger the effect. This means that the Gray Devil, whose existence itself was to destroy the world, would show absolute, extreme affection towards me. The problem is. I don¡¯t know how this will work in the future. It''s just Chapter 1 and the story has already been twisted so much because I got entangled with Elnore and Elijah. Now, if I get acquainted with an existence like her, what will happen? ¡®¡­When did I ever care about such things?¡¯ I smiled and opened the system window. Anyway, I won''t be able to get through this without her help. I better get everything I need. [ Used ¡®Skill Copy Ticket¡¯! ] [ You can copy 1 skill from the target ''Elnore''. ] The Gray Devil is currently using Elnore¡¯s body. In other words, from a game perspective, if I use Skill Copy right now, I should be able to copy one of her skills as she''s systematically treated as ''one with Elnore''. ¡°¡­¡± It sounds ridiculous. Well, if it doesn¡¯t work, I could still copy one of Elnore¡¯s skills. That alone is not a loss. Navigating through the system, a list of skills that I could copy came to mind. ¡®Indomitable, Supreme Genius, Mind''s Eye, Warlord¡­¡¯ I scrolled past Elnore¡¯s list of skills and went straight to the end. [ Skill: King of Pandemonium ] [ ss: A ] [ -Bow down to the great monarch!- ] [ Embody the dignity of Hell''s absolute ruler. Upon usage, grants unconditional advantage against demonic beings for 5 minutes. ] Alright, as I suspected, my hypothesis was correct. This world works like a game. Just looking at its description, it¡¯s definitely not a skill that Elnore would have. This is something only a ¡®devil¡¯ boss would hold. ¡®¡­I want a lot of things.¡¯ As the Gray Devil, despite having a fraction of her full power, naturally has countless powerful skills. It''s just that except for this one, all the other skills have broken descriptions, making them unrecognizable. It''ll be basically like ying a lottery. If it drastically cuts my life force when used, or is only activated by killing someone close to me or any horrible effects, it will bring about irreversible results. ¡®In the first ce, what I can get right now¡­¡¯ Although it is very a specific skill, this would help in the immediate situation. With that thought in mind, I copied the skill. [ ¡®Skill: King of Pandemonium¡¯ has been copied. ] As this window appeared, the Gray Devil''s eyes widened. She might not know the specifics, but in that fleeting moment, she knew that something has changed within me. Moreover, she was looking back and forth between herself and me, indicating that she realized that I took something from her. ¡°!¡± Then she pped her hands with a big smile on her face. She was congratting me. It''s strange seeing a more mature version of Elnore engaging in childish behavior. However, when I think about the true nature of this existence, I can''t bring myself tough. This woman. She might be carefteely smiling, but she can absolutely destroy the world. ¡°¡­¡± And finally, time hase to an end. With her time on this earth exhausted, the Gray Devil started vanishing into particles. For onest time, she looked at me and said while still smiling. ¡°I?¨²¡ä ¨¢?¡älove¨¢| ????you¡± A voice reminiscent of a noisy radio with the frequency turned up pounded my eardrums. ¡°Okay?e??¡ã? UC?e??¡ã? Uthen ??????????????¡± However. ¡°SeeC?e??¡ã? UC?e??¡ã? U?C?e??¡ã? Uter.¡± She couldn''t finish herst sentence as her avatar body dissipated. ¡°At that time, definitely. You-¡° It was a clear voice that I will never forget. ¡ñ As the gray receded from the world, time began to flow again. I''m now back at the entrance of the academy with Marquis Riverback in front of me and Elnore pinned on the wall. ?¡­What the hell¡­ just happened¡­?? Marquis Riverback looked around bewildered. He seems to understand that something happened, but he has no idea what it was. On the surface, nothing has changed. Except for one thing. [ Skill: King of Pandemonium has been activated. ] [ You have unconditional advantage against demonic beings for 5 minutes! ] [ Canceled enemy¡¯s unique ability ¡®Skill: Purification¡¯. ] [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX ss. ] Standing up, I delivered a powerful uppercut right to Marquis Riverback''s chin. ?¡­!? With a sound akin to an explosion, Marquis Riverback''s body shot up several meters into the air. Yeah, that''s right. This cool, solid feeling. It''s been a while. ¡°Hey.¡± I smirked at Marquis Riverback, who hurriedly regained his bnce in the air. My body was brimming with vitality. It almost feels like I''m reborn. ¡°Round 2. Bring it on.¡± No more running with a tail between the legs. It''s back to Dowd Campbell, who one punched the hero candidate. Time to instill some manners in this btch. Chapter 30.1 Chapter 30.1 EP - 030.1 - Purifier (4) It was satisfying to finally hit back at Marquis Riverback. ?You little punk!? In reality, not much has really changed. I am still being pursued by Marquis Riverback, and there isn''t much of a way to deal significant damage to him. The absolute advantage I gained is great, but it is limited to erasing the opponent''s ''unique'' ability. Of course, considering that most of the unique abilities are incredibly powerful, negating them is a powerful effect of its own. However, it''s still difficult to ovee the current situation. Thanks to the activation of King of Pandemonium, I erased the unique skill ¡®Purification¡¯, but I can''t erase the devastating difference in stats between me and him. ¡°Uh, crazy fck.¡± As I throw myself to the side, a sculpture next to me shatters into pieces from a ck beam that flies past. Fortunately, there is no coteral casualties from all the attacksing at me. It''s probably because the students and faculty evacuated to the deepest part of the academy, following the emergency guidelines, with regards to the chaos in the city. I can thank Marquis Riverback for doing such a thing. ¡®That''s a problem¡­!¡¯ Turning my head, I saw a veil of darkness spreading around Marquis Riverback''s body. It was the same thing that struck me earlier and sent me flying hundreds of meters. The skill description was: [ Skill: ck Mist ] [ ss: A ] [ Demonic remnant from the Devil''s Essence. It can corrode nearby targets with demonic energy. Various applications are possible depending on the user''s abilities. ] It''s a skill that demonized bosses who have consumed the Devil''s Essencemonly possess. It allows for versatile offensive and defensive applications using demonic energy. Its offensive capability inflicts painful damage on anything that approaches within a certain range, and a defensive power that repels most attacks. This alone is dizzying, but there are additional headaches. [ Skill: Blessing of the Dark Soul ] [ ss: A ] [ All physical abilities are strengthened by the Devil''s Essence rooted in the body. Adds regenerative abilities. Gives strong immunity to all physical damage. ] In addition to basic stat enhancements and regeneration, this was this absurd effect because of the overflowing energy. There''s a reason why Elnore, who disys near-masterful skills in closebat struggled against this guy. ?Why, why can an insect like you negate God¡¯s grace-!? I heard this distorted scream from the back. It''s probably because he still couldn¡¯t catch me, much less maul me. Fortunately, this guy is finally enraged for real now, not like before. He''s been like that ever since he noticed that his Purification Skill was erased by the effect of my King of Pandemonium. ¡®Well, this is it.¡¯ Let''s try changing perspectives for a moment. Considering the background of this guy, he''s a shady merchant who started from the bottom and happened to get involved with the devil worshippers. After going through a teeth-gritting process, he finally gained recognition. Given the circumstances, there''s a high chance he views the Devil''s Essence, bestowed upon him by the Prophet, as the culmination of all his efforts so far. Thanks to that, he revels in that power and bask in a feeling of omnipotence. Even Elnore and I, who shattered the tower he had built over the years with ease, got defeated using his newfound ability without even exerting much effort. But then... The guy he thought he had killed suddenly resurrected, and in the blink of an eye, he''s using a skill that surpasses his own. His several years¡¯ worth of achievements was once again reduced into nothing. ¡°¡­¡± Thinking this way, it''s understandable that he would feel unjust. Imagine having all the achievements you''ve built over a lifetimepletely stripped away by the same person in less than a day. If it were to happen to me, I would also be furious. Well, considering they are viins, it doesn''t really justify nor matter if they feel that way. If anything... ¡°Is this ability good? I can''t tell.¡± I can use this to easily provoke his temper. Even while running away, I was smiling and threw such a sentence at Marquis Riverback. ?¡­? ¡°Hmm, I''m not sure if this ability is anything good, really. I just happen to get it. I briefly crossed paths with someone, and they told me to take it. But after using it, it feels a bit cheesy.¡± ?...You, you...? ¡°Wait, Marquis Riverback, is the ability you worked your ass off for years to obtain worse than this? Surely that can''t be¡­¡± ?Shut up!? Hmm, that''s right. Indeed, there''s nothing quite as effective in provocation as using politenguage. I continue to taunt and run while chuckling at the chasing, fuming Marquis Riverback. With his vanity and conceited character, it''s close to impossible for him to maintain a rational judgment when provoked. Even though he could effectively pressure me by exploiting the difference in our stats, he is only chasing after me andunching attacks impulsively like some child throwing a fit. With this, I could manage to get away just by using the un-nerfed Desperation. Of course, I was not just running away blindly without reason. ¡®Not much time left.¡¯ Checking my watch, the ¡®promise time¡¯ is due soon. In that case, I need to temporarily get rid of this guy. ¡°¡­Eum.¡± I confirm my current position and intentionally slowed down my fleeing speed. ?Die!? Naturally, Marquis Riverback''s attacks came at me like missiles. [ Soul Linker Activated. ] [ Magic Power Received. ] [ Skill ¡®Guardian Shield¡¯ has been used. ] Chapter 30.2 Chapter 30.2 EP - 030.2 - Purifier (4) The translucent shield generated by infusing magic into the Ultima shattered upon impact with Marquis Riverback''s magic. Since I didn¡¯t stack it with ¡®Penance¡¯, my durability stat was garbage. It''s basically impossible to endure such an attack. Still, since it¡¯s divine power, it was able to block it once. This was the inherent advantage against demons. It is alsorgely thanks to this why I was able to escape this far rtively easily. ¡®¡­Come to think about it, it makes no sense.¡¯ The ''King of Pandemonium¡¯ that could negate a demon''s unique ability and having divine power-imbued skills... It¡¯s an incredibly powerfulbination against demonic enemies. Even at this current stage, where my growth is practically non-existent, I can still make ample use of it. As the shield shattered, Marquis Riverback''s magic scatters in the surroundings. Witnessing this, he snickered. ?Ha! Big words for someone who only knows how to run and hide...? However, he suddenly stopped mid sentence and shut up. It''s because the magic that bounced off after breaking my shield destroyed part of the ¡®Cathedral¡¯ nearby. The holy relics were exposed. I purposely set up the shield angled, so that it would hit there. Fragments of stained ss rain down along with pieces of holy relics. Since this was a cathedral built inside Elfante ¡®Imperial Academy¡¯, it was naturally built using only the highest quality materials. The dispersal of holy power within would be akin to a grenade explosion, scattering its influence in the surroundings. Radiant white light began to sh in every direction, which is all divine power. ¡°Try taking a look at what¡¯s around you?¡± I turned around with a grin. From behind, I hear Marquis Riverback''s howl as his entire body burns brightly, fully exposed to the divine power. ¡®Good.¡¯ This should stall that guy for a while. It should be enough time for me to go to the rendezvous point and collect the item. Tallion is sharp and reliable. If I specified the time urately, he will undoubtedly perform the task ordingly. In fact, by the time I arrive at the rendezvous point, the rm also started beeping... ¡®Alright.¡¯ I then caught Tallion rushing towards me at full speed, holding the ''requested item,'' in my field of vision. Seeing that, I smiled and reset my watch. Everything is in ce. All that''s left is to wrap things up. ¡ñ Marquis River back''s head was boiling to the point where it couldn¡¯t get any hotter. ¡°I¡¯ll skin you alive, you fcking bastard brat, I¡¯ll chew your guts in front of you!¡± He''s never felt such rage in his entire life. It felt like his blood vessels were about to burst. In all his years, he''s never encountered someone who humiliated and insulted him to this extent! Wiping off the lingering burn from the contact with divine power just now, he scanned his surroundings with gleaming eyes. During the brief moment he lost focus from being struck, that damned Dowd had already vanished somewhere. Of course, this wasn''t an obstacle at all as he had consumed the Devil''s Essence. It wouldn''t be a difficult task to track down the opponent''s whereabouts, it doesn''t matter where they are hiding. ¡°¡­¡± He began to trace the faint lingering scent of human presence, which mingled with the swirling smoke. Coincidentally, there were no other humans around. Following those traces was even easier. And before long, Marquis Riverback, having found the location, let out a snicker. ¡®Gregory Hall?¡¯ The spire. It is one of the tallest buildings in Elfante. As he ran with his tail, Marquis Riverback wondered where he was possibly going. Turns out, it''s here, of all ces. Due to the nature of tall buildings, this is a dead-end with no ce to escape or hide. And to make matters worse, the man was currently at the very top of this ce. ?Idotic fool!? If it were the usual Marquis Riverback, he might have at least pondered why this man went to such a ce. However, anger had consumed his entire mind, deteriorating his judgment. In that sense, he immediately started flying towards Gregory Hall without any hesitation. ?Heup!? With his body elerating in an instant, he reached the top of Gregory Hall in no time. He ferociously scanned the surroundings immediately. It didn''t take long for him to find Dowd Campbell, who had boldly revealed himself in the open. There was something on Dowd''s waist that he didn''t see before. ¡®¡­What is that?¡¯ It was a cylinder the length of a human arm. It was something golden but showed no apparent features. It was suspicious, that much was certain. ?¡­? However, Marquis Riverback decided not to pay it any heed. Even though Dowd has been resurrected from the dead and received an unknown power, he was still a bug that he could chase and eventually crush. At best, it would just be some crude trick. He''ll finish this now, once and for all. ?I''ll make you feel pain, I''ll make you experience hell! I will make you beg to kill you instead!? He shouted and elerated forward. ck haze spread around him, as he raised his speed to the limit. This slick rat was always running, and it infuriates him to the core. This time, he won''t let that happen again. However, Dowd Campbell didn¡¯t even budge. He had defended the attack with the divine power shield a few times before, but he did not show any signs of running away now. ?¡­?? At this point, despite being consumed by anger, Marquis Riverback felt that something was off. What the hell is he doing? ¡®¡­If I kill him here, it will be over!¡¯ He had repeatedly drawn magic from the amulet he wore on his wrist, before injecting it to the incense burner in his arms. However, looking at the amulet now, it seems to have been exhausted all of its magic power. Thest time was probably its limit. Now, this guy doesn''t even have the means to defend himself! With that thought in mind, he raised his hand with a vicious smile and started gathering demonic energy. The distance between them was close. He had no defense, and considering the difference in strength, dodging is even more impossible. He couldn''t stop his relishing expression froming out as he imagined this guy being torn to pieces. ¡°I''ve told you before. Try taking a look at what¡¯s around you.¡± However, at the same time as those sentences were uttered. Marquis Riverback¡¯s body suddenly froze. No, he was ¡®fixed on to¡¯ to be exact. On a disk lying on the floor. ¡®¡­A disk?¡¯ Why would this kind of thing be here? He blinked his eyes in bewilderment. With a squeaking sound, the pole connected to the disk dug to the floor. ¡°Eum.¡± Dowd said with a smirk. He was also on top of the disk. ¡°Good thing I didn''t return it.¡± With such a sentence. The bodies of the two men wereunched into the air with terrifying force. Chapter 31.1 Chapter 31.1 EP - 031.1 - That''s What Happened ?What''s the point of this?? Marquis Riverback brought up while in the air. It was an expression of absurdity mixed with thick ridicule. He was literally chasing this man with his demonic flying ability. Naturally, he would have doubts what flying high like this would do. Much less, if it would even work. ¡°Well, of course, I have my reasons.¡± However, Dowd simply shrugged and replied. He seemed to be hiding something even here, but Marquis Riverback snorted and raised his hand. This was merely prolonging his puny life for a few more seconds. ?Hah, I guess you''re just at this level. Alright, go die¡­!? He''s finally going to kill him. At least, that''s what would have happened if the ck mist emanating from the essence embedded in his chest didn''t suddenly disappear. No, it didn''t just stop there. His entire body began to "melt away." His skin, form was just copsing, like a wax figure melting close to fire. ?What...!? Marquis Riverback looked down at his body with a bewildered expression. ?What is this¡­!? His body has fused with the essence he received from the Prophet. He had an invincible body that even this cunning guy couldn¡¯t do anything about. So, why is this happening? ¡°Let''s think logically, shall we? Somemon sense.¡± Seeing Marquis Riverback''s reaction, Dowd smirked and said. He did so while casually turning off the beeping rm on his wristwatch. It''s almost as if the rm had been set, knowing that this would happen exactly at this moment. ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange that you, who didn¡¯t even have a decent fighting ability, can continue to use such strong abilities without restrictions?¡± ?What...?? ¡°That¡¯s one of the representative side effects of fusing with the Devil''s Essence. Burnout. Using too much magic to the point where your body copses. Didn''t your Prophet exin that when they gave it to you?¡± ?¡­What, nonsense, I don''t believe, no-? In fact, he had not heard of such side effects. This was meant to be a ¡®sign of loyalty¡¯. ¡°It would have been really dangerous if you weren''t so conceited and didn''t take your time after you ate the essence. I don''t have that many cards.¡± Saying so, Dowd pulled out the cylinder on his waist. Just a few minutes ago, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to rx like this. In front of the transformed Marquis Riverback, all I could do was run away with all my might. But now. I could even sit back and watch as Marquis Riverback''s body copse in real time. It''s just that I won''t be doing that. I will be making sure he''s thoroughly defeated. Dowd silently smirked and manipted the cylinder case. It contained processed Ectosm, primed for explosion, imbued with divine power. ?¡­? Seeing this, Marquis Riverback had a hunch. He realized that he would never survive in this position. ¡°You had plenty of options. You could have joined forces with the Man Eaters and broke through the barrier, or you could have charged at me from the start with the intention to ''kill'' rather than just ''defeating'' Elnore. Honestly, you had the opportunity but you didn''t take it, did you?¡± That''s right. If he had attacked seriously from the start, he would have been able to kill either this man or Princess Tristan. ¡®If I had tried to kill him thoroughly from the beginning¡­!¡¯ He gritted his teeth thinking of this. ¡°I expected that you would do that, so I nned ordingly... It''s not bad.¡± ?Not bad, you say?? ¡°I only died once.¡± Dowd said with a still calm expression. ?...What?? ¡°If I did it wrong, I could have died two or three times, but because you were so cooperative, it ended with just one. Well, you did a good job.¡± ?¡­? Dowd''s tone remainedposed. Even if he seeded in killing this man two or three times. It seemed as though the end result was already predetermined. ¡®This bas?ard¡­!¡¯ Suddenly, cold sweat ran down Marquis Riverback¡¯s spine. Thinking about it, this was a familiar feeling. Throughout the day, facing this man, he felt something was off. It seemed as though everything about him was being seen through. He even knew things that Marquis Riverback himself didn''t knew. Dowd hadplete control over all possible variables. ?You, right from the beginning, everything was just to buy time¡­!? His appearance with Princess Tristan, just the two of them alone. His every action was deliberately aimed at provoking him. Even. Making Marquis Riverback believe that he ¡°died.¡± It was all an act with everything calcted from the beginning. Dowd knew from the start that he would be incapacitated like this after a while. From the beginning, everything Dowd did was not to defeat him, but to drag out time. The moment Marquis Riverback failed to notice that, he had already lost! ?This, this...!? He... Once again... To this guy, from the beginning to the end... He was dancing on this man''s palm! ?I''ll chew your bones up you bas?aaaaaaaaard-! ? Dowd chuckled and held the bomb in front of his body. I didn¡¯t ask Percy to make it resembling a ¡®cannon¡¯ for nothing. I don''t want to get caught up after triggering at close range. Although divine power cannot cause great damage to humans, it is a weapon made with the premise of detonating the ¡®whole academy¡¯. Safety rules must be followed. ¡°Hey.¡± Then, with that. ¡°Do you have anyst words?¡± The divine powered bomb exploded. ¡ñ ¡°You did excellent, Tallion.¡± ¡°¡­don''t mention it.¡± Tallion, who had been waiting at the prearranged nding point," looked up at the sky with an awkward smile. Due to the effect of the divine powered bomb I just detonated, a terrifying light was scattered around, reminiscent of a pr light phenomenon. ¡®As expected, it got incredible firepower.¡¯ I smiled while looking at it too. The Devil¡¯s Essence itself is such a dangerous item that if it''s not dealt with using such intense firepower, it could cause a big problem. Even if Marquis Riverback''s body copses, the essence itself could survive and parasitize onto another nearby living being. While I didn''t expect something like that to happen, it was wise to have prepared such an intense level of firepower from the beginning. ¡°¡­¡± To think that a small fraction of one''s power could bring forth such a thing, and the devil behind it was residing within Elnore''s body, or even Elijah who wouldter grow powerful enough to take down such an existence. It once again makes me realize what level of monstrosity I''m dealing with. And I managed to survive that. Thinking about this, I turn around. ¡°Uh, brother? Where are you going now¡­!¡± ¡°I need to go somewhere!¡± Saying that, I hurriedly rush off. My destination was the wall outside the academy, where Elnore was stuck. ¡®¡­I need to make it up to her.¡¯ I did give her the most basic first aid to prevent any serious problems, before I lured the Purifier away. However, for my sake, she was the one who had it the most difficult and worked the hardest. At the very least, I should personally escort her to the infirmary. While running with that thought in mind, several messages appeared in front of me one after another. [ Main Quest Completed! ] [ Granting Rewards! ] [ Received ¡®Evil Essence 1x¡¯! ] [ Received ¡®Hero Fragment 1x¡¯! ] [ Received 5,000pts! ] As those messages floated up, two gems appeared in my hand with a halo of light. One emitted a pure white radiance, while the other exuded ominous ck smoke. [ Evil Essence ] [ Item: Story ] [ A material that can interact with epic items. Something special will happen when fused! ] [ Hero Fragment ] [ Item: Story ] [ A material that can interact with epic items. Something special will happen when fused! ] ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 31.2 Chapter 31.2 EP - 031.2 - That''s What Happened I momentarily stopped running and just stared. ¡®¡­You''re giving me all of this?¡¯ These are items that could literally change the the entire scenario. Most items that had the word ''epic'' attached to them were as important to the story as their powerful effects. By influencing these items and determining their "alignment," various butterfly effects can ur throughout the entire scenario. Fusing the Hero Fragment gives random effects rted to the "good alignment", while fusing the Evil Essence results the same but rted to the "evil alignment" instead. Depending on which item you fused until a specific event urs, the oue of certain individuals bing stronger, weaker, dying, or surviving canpletely change. Even for the boss of Chapter 2, the "Ruined Boy King," the clear difficulty can vary greatly depending on how these items are utilized. {T/N: "Boy King of the Ruined Kingdom" simply changed to "Ruined Boy King"} To be precise, it''s practically impossible to clear the boss without them. ¡®But to give me both.¡¯ Originally, you would only get one; either the Evil Essence or the Hero Fragment. Perhaps, it''s because the difficulty of the quest went up and so the reward increased to match it. In fact, to have these as a reward was more than enough to cover all the hardships I¡¯ve experienced. Just one alone could already greatly change the scenario, and I now have two. With a smile, I put away the Evil Essence for now. I have no immediate use for it at the moment. The Hero Fragment on the other hand... [ Do you want to fuse the ¡®Hero Fragment¡¯ with the item ¡®Soul Linker¡¯? ] [ Y/N ] I chose ''Y'' without hesitation, and the white gem melted into the amulet I''m wearing. [ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ] [ Enchantment: Epic ] [ ¡®Hero Fragment¡¯ Fusion ] [ An item imbued with a great spirit that can awaken by increasing synchronization rate. ] [ Always retain magic power due to the influence of the great spirit. ] [ Current Charged Magic Power Rate: 0%] [ Current Synchronization Rate: 9.98% ] [ First Stage Spirit Awakening is imminent! ] [ Upon the awakening of the spirit, special effects from the Hero Fragment will also be unlocked! ] ¡®Nice.¡¯ The Hero Fragment is an epic item that, when fused with a positive inclination item, grants various positive effects. The synchronization rate also increased significantly as I feed it items, so as long as I steadily improve my priest skills abilities, it should awaken quickly. By then, we''ll see what this dormant ¡®great spirit¡¯ really is. However, my eyebrows suddenly furrowed as another message appeared before me. [ Confirming the use of a story item! ] [ A dedicated quest for ''Elijah Krisanax'' will be created! ] [ Meet the conditions to start the quest! ] [ The probability of getting involved with the ¡®Heretic Inquisition¡¯ increases! ] ¡®¡­What?¡¯ The sudden ''creation'' of the main character¡¯s dedicated quest immediately caught my eye. Elijah''s dedicated quest holds such significance that it even affects the scenario and the ''ending.'' And yet, it''s already appeared now? On top of that, the probability of me getting involved with the Heretic Inquisition, which is one of the two top notorious organizations in the Empire, increased? ¡°¡­¡± When necessary, I even briefly delved into the underworld, but even then, I would prefer to avoid the Heretic Inquisition. They are thest thing I want to get entangled with among the "viins" in the game. ¡®Dragon Fang, Feinol.¡¯ A Half Dragon Mage with exceptional magical abilities but an inversely proportional extreme temperament, and a key character in Chapter 4. In terms of simple risk, many would even say that this person was worse than the final boss of Chapter 4, ¡®The Investigator.¡¯ What would happen if I met this person and my Fatal Charm passive triggers? ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t even want to imagine. ¡®But this¡­¡¯ I just fed the amulet the Hero Fragment, and this all came with it. Which means these events are rted to the awakening of the spirit inside. ¡®Could it be that what''s inside this amulet is possiblyrger than I thought?¡¯ As I pondered such thoughts while looking at the amulet, the outer walls of the Academy soon came into view within my sight. I could see where Elnore was stuck. ¡°Oh, Dowd. You''re here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, there was no sign of Elnore. Rather, I was greeted by a waving President Atante. When did she get here? ¡°I''ve personally escorted the Student Council President to the ward, then came back. She''s badly injured, but she will recover soon. She won''t experience anysting effects thanks to your first aid.¡± Atante rapid fire said to me those words one after another, as she walked towards me with a smile on her face. Her lips were arched into a smile. ¡°¡­Are you angry?¡± Yup, she''s really mad. Her eyes aren¡¯t smiling at all. I could feel cold sweat run down my back. ¡°Oh, is it obvious?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She''s not even trying to deny it. If I don¡¯t want to die here, I need to carefully listen as to what she has to say. ¡°¡­It looks like you''ve been through quite a trouble.¡± Atante said as she sized me up and down. ¡°Shall we move to a morefortable ce to talk?¡± Well. It''s clear that I didn''t have the choice to refuse. ¡ñ ¡°¡­Is it okay for you to be here?¡± As I sat in Atante''s office and saw the tea being offered in front of me, I decided to start with that question. After all, a human had consumed the Devil''s Essence and wrecked havoc both inside and outside the academy. Perhaps, since I took care of Marquis Riverback, the Man Eaters in the city were also dealt with. However, quite a few things must have been destroyed during the previous chase. Not to mention that a while ago, there was a huge explosion of divine power in the sky above the academy. It¡¯s clear that chaos still lingers everywhere. ¡°It''s fine. I am not needed there. In the first ce, the students were active and managed to block everything without any casualties.¡± But Atante simply smiled casually and said so. ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Elfante is old, Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It''s a ce that has been operating for nearly a thousand years, right next to the location where the devils are sealed, and dealing with all sorts of powerful nobles and egotistical privileged sses. Do you think there''s anything worse than that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You think we can''t handle this degree?¡± Elfante. It seems to be a crazier ce than I originally thought. So this level of incident isn''t even at the realm of ''serious''. ¡°Above all, this much is within the expected range.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Atante looked at me and smiled again. As I stared nkly for a while, I suddenly realized the underlying meaning of her words. I got goosebumps. ¡®¡­Does she mean that she could''ve just resolved all this if she wanted to?¡¯ That¡¯s right. There are very few beings who can hold a candle near her, even when looking at the continent as a whole. In the story, she was always portrayed as a top-tier powerhouse. ¡°I let this time go. Since, it looked like student has nned and prepared everything from beginning to end. I just decided to go along with it.¡± After saying so, Atante rested her chin on the desk and said. ¡°This makes me angry, student.¡± Atante sighed, then she looked at me. ¡°You''ve got involved with the devil, didn''t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I already know. I just want to hear it from your mouth. I will not ept any excuses.¡± Atante continued with a sharp gaze. ¡°One of the Gray Devil''s abilities, ''Erosion,'' urred extensively around the student¡¯s location. The Heretic Inquisition will not overlook this, and even the Holy Kingdom, which oversees the heresy trials, will show interest.¡± She followed with a sigh. ¡°And I''m the only one who knows this. At the time of the erosion, you and the Student Council President were the only ones present in the area.¡± Cold sweat began to trickle down my back. I am involved. Very deeply. I was confessed to and treated by the absolutely powerful devil. ¡°Do you understand the situation you are in right now?¡± Having said that, Atante closed her eyes with a sigh. However, despite saying she''s "angry," when she opened her eyes again, her gaze was full of worry. ¡°Based on your track record so far, I presume you already know what you''re dealing with. Isn''t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But why didn''t you actively seek help? Am I not trustworthy?¡± ¡°Well, didn¡¯t I seed this time even without the President''s help?¡± ¡°Then what about next time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn''t open my mouth at Atante¡¯s sharp response. ¡°You are already at the center of all themotion, Dowd Campbell. You have be the eye of the storm.¡± Atante said in a stern voice. ¡°Devil worshipers are persistent. Once they discover that you and the Student Council President have something to do with the devil, they¡¯ll follow you to the depths of hell. The current chaos is likely just the beginning.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That''s right. It''s an undeniable fact that I''m deeply involved in the main scenario. With Elijah and Elnore by my side, it¡¯s practically definitive. At this point, I had long given up on living as an extra. I replied with a sigh. ¡°¡­No matter what happens next, it¡¯s hard to expect much direct help from the President.¡± This was indeed the case. Atante was an Eternal, a monster capable of handling the majority of situations alone. However, only a very small number of individuals, ''designated for such purpose,'' can directly confront devils and those associated with them. Elijah and the Hero Party fall into that category, and there are a few others as well... But at the very least, Atante is not one of them. It''s systematically predetermined. Regardless of your identity in this world, you can''t go against it no matter what you do. ¡°Then, do you intend to handle whatever happens next alone again?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯d love to receive some support.¡± The process is going to be fcking difficult, painful and arduous. However, there''s nothing I could do. My fate has already been sealed. I just had to do my best to survive. Atante pursed her lips at my answer. And then... ¡°Pahaha-!¡± She burst into cheerfulughter that echoed throughout the office. ¡®¡­Why is she suddenly like this?¡¯ It is such a sudden drastic emotional change and caught me off guard. ¡°¡­Looking at it from a President''s perspective, I can''t help but be ashamed of putting such a heavy burden on a student.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The n itself had beenpleted long ago. However, I couldn''t just bring myself to impose such a heavy load on a student. I was dying it till the final confirmation.¡± ¡°¡­So, what exactly.¡± ¡°I didn''t intervene in your activities to assess your capabilities. If you fell short even slightly, I was prepared to give up immediately... But you have proven yourself wlessly. Yes.¡± She started saying mysterious words, which made my eyes roll. What? Uh. What is going on really? ¡°And I have also witnessed your determination to ovee any obstacles thate your way. Thus, I am now confident that I can reveal it.¡± Having said that, Atnta sighed and straightened her back. Dignity dwells in the eyes. It was the look in the eyes that felt the dignified presence of a perpetuator that had passed through it for over a thousand years. ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± The solemn voice made me stand upright. what the heck What are you talking about? ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed beforehand that the academy is plotting something around you.¡± ¡°Ye, yeah.¡± That''s right. Is she going to talk about that now? ¡°What I''m about to tell you is a secret that no one else should know about. The only involved parties are the imperial family, the War Chiefs and Warrior Chiefs of the Tribal Union, and the Pope and Archbishops of the Holy Kingdom. Only a very select few know the whole story.¡± ¡°Uh, what, yes?¡± ¡°After all, this matter concerns the survival of the world.¡± Uh, uh? It''s that serious? What on earth¡­! ¡°First, let me tell you about the ultimate goal of the n.¡± Atante continued in her solemn voice. ¡°The fate of the entire continent is at stake.¡± Her eyes carried an overwhelming charisma, evenmanding the air around her. A n with the "ultimate goal" that determines the fate of the continent, spoken by an immortal being that has lived through over a thousand years. ¡°I want you to have several wives.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I tried cleaning my ears. Maybe I head it wrong. I coughed in confusion. Then after a few nk blinks, I finally gave a response to Atante. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No, yes?¡± ¡°What are you curious about?¡± Atante''s confident questioning gave me a splitting headache. Ugh. No, what the heII is going on? ¡°Was the sentence not understandable? I mean, um. Harem, you know? Harem. Polygamy. I want you to do that¡­¡± ¡°Hold on. Wait just a moment.¡± I weakly grabbed my head and stopped Atante on her tracks. ¡°Let me get this straight.¡± Ya. No. But no matter how you look at it. ¡°There is a n that only a minuscule fraction of the most influential and powerful individuals on the continent knows about, and it''s so important that it determines the world''s survival, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And the ultimate goal of that n is for me to have a harem?¡± ¡°To be precise, you must seduce a few people.¡± Atante shrugged and said. ¡°The Student Council President, whom you''d risk your life, is among those people. This is also the most important part.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All the necessary means to aplish that will be supported by the continent''s nations, be it overtly or covertly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I could barely catch my breath. ¡°So, in other words.¡± With a constricted feeling, I somehow managed to say thest sentence. Without any understanding of the reasons or the omitted middle processes, if I were to summarize what this person has been saying so far... The conclusion. ¡°If I don¡¯t have a harem, the world will end?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This is insane. I couldn''te up with any other reaction. ¡°¡­Why, could you please exin the reason?¡± In sharp contrast to my dying voice, Atante bursts intoughter. Chapter 32.1 Chapter 32.1 EP - 032.1 - Please ¡°Actually, the remnants of the devil are not that rare.¡± Atante continued. ¡°While the revival of the devil''s true form ceased with thest exploits of the Hero who wielded the Holy Sword, its remnants are still scattered throughout the world.¡± After the devil was ripped apart, its fragments were scattered throughout the world. Most of them exist in the form of wills and tend to cling to objects or ces, but the most dangerous type were those that use humans as ''vessels''. Once all the ''conditions'' are met, the Fragment would manifest through that vessel. Just like the Gray Devil fragment manifesting in Elnore before. ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯ Once a devil fragment manifests through a vessel, the other fragments would gather around that person, driven by an almost unavoidable inevitability. That''s why vessels are the most important, and at the same time, dangerous entities. They essentially serve as agents for the resurrection of the devil. ¡°¡­¡± I let out bitterugh inside. In the same vein, Elnore, who has manifested the devil once, will likely undergo significant changes. It is highly probable that a part of her ''emotions'' will be greatly amplified. It¡¯s my job to lead her to the best possible oue. ¡°If those devil fragments manifest in the material world, it would cause a catastrophic disaster.¡± Yes. I know. There''s something simr that had happened before. The Crimson Night incident. A disaster that urred when a human possessing several fragments of the ¡®Red Devil¡¯ manifested them all at once. It was also this incident that swept away the family of the current hero candidate, Elijah. ¡°¡­¡± One of the powers of the Red Devil is ¡®Hellfire¡¯, the ability to control near-infinite mes. Of course, regardless of the number of fragments, it''s impossible topletely recreate it. But, nevertheless. When I saw it in the game''s CG, it didn¡¯t really touch me. But if it was an ident that happened in real life, the horror of it would be unimaginable. One human. Erased several cities entirely from the map. In just one night. ¡°That¡¯s why when I noticed the erosion happening, the power of the Gray Devil, I came here at full speed. Since it extensively urred through Princess Tristan, we need to subdue it as soon as possible to reduce the damage.¡± At that time, it could be said that Atante was desperate. This was a fragment of the ¡®Gray Devil¡¯, the strongest being among the rulers of Pandemonium. A power that can kill even a thousand-year-old Eternal. No, more than that. ¡°¡­Were you aware that Elnore was a vessel of the Gray Devil?¡± ¡°I had my suspicions. But with the evidence this time, I''m now certain.¡± Atante received my words with a smile. ¡°The people that the Holy Land and Heresy Inquisition within the empire will dispatch are verypetent in that regard. Even if they can¡¯t pinpoint who exactly the ¡®vessel¡¯ containing the Devil Fragment is, they cane up with a group of candidates.¡± This sentence was followed by a sigh. This was great. Because the Devil Fragments seek hosts on their own. They attach themselves and lie dormant, remaining undetected for a long time. Once they eventually manifest in the material realm, they would inflict the most devastating damage. Thanks to this, I remember that even in the game, the presence of the fragments and who they attached to werepletely random. In other words, they have the ability to gather information detailed enough on candidates to create a list. Of which, it includes the things I am unaware of. It would be a big help. ¡°Thanks to their dormant nature, all the ¡®vessels¡¯ that hold the fragments are only triggered when they''re carelessly touched.¡± Whether it¡¯s social status or personal strength, the majority of vessels are individuals who have achieved great aplishments. These individuals are often intricately entwined with political affairs in their respective countries, making it difficult to casually interfere with them. Moreover, if by any chance they are mishandled and the fragment manifests, it can result in a catastrophe. That''s why the basic approach towards the vessel candidates is observation,issez-faire, and light management. ¡°Yes. But this time, somehow the conditions were right and we''ve gathered all the leading candidates to this academy.¡± That¡¯s great too. If an individual is a potential vessel, even a single mistake in handling them could pose significant repercussions. ¡°It was the right target and timing. Luck followed. Fortune favored us. Among them, your existence itself is the luckiest.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°The fragment that manifested in Princess Tristan ¡®helped¡¯ you. It used all its time to do so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, well. She seems aware that the manifested Gray Devil assisted me. But considering the circumstances, it¡¯s rather strange if she didn¡¯t know. ¡°It is a strange thing. There¡¯s no way that it didn¡¯t know that exposing itself was the same as revealing its weakness.¡± There''s naturally a reason for that. It¡¯s because of my special gift, ¡®Fatal Charm¡¯, which attracts inherent evil. Other than that, there doesn''t seem to be any particr reason. ¡°This part is key.¡± Atante continued, still smiling. ¡°The devil is unusually benevolent towards you, Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Her words didn''t stop there. ¡°I have a hypothesis.¡± Without noticing it, my brows furrowed on their own. ¡°In my near thousand years of experience, the amount of times I''ve witnessed this rare phenomenon can be counted with one hand.¡± Atante stated with confidence. The cause is uncertain, but there have been a few individuals throughout history who have caused such a phenomena. ¡°Human beings who exhibit an obsessive allure that even beings, whose purpose is to bring absolute destruction to the material realm, would willingly sacrifice themselves. There have been individuals with such spiritual qualities.¡± She went on to say. ¡°A chosen born with a destiny to be loved by all evil. Yes, from what I''ve seen, you are such a person.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Were my abilities really at that level? -That¡¯s a more powerful gift than you think. But how you handle it is up to you. The Angels have told me that before. At this point, I began to understand what Atante meant about the ¡®survival of the world¡¯. If everything she''s saying is true... I, with my mere existence alone, could exert influence over all those who constitute the axis of evil in this world. ¡°Personally, this is the first time I¡¯ve encountered someone who was born with such a nature, so I¡¯d like to research it somehow and find out the principles behind it. However, there are more pressing matters at hand.¡± Atante swept her face with a sigh. It didn''t seem like she''s bringing up a pleasant story. ¡°A person with such inherent qualities is destined to attract devils. No matter what kind of life you lead, you will inevitably be entangled with devil vessels. There has not been a single exception to this.¡± ¡°¡­So you''re saying.¡± ¡°Yes. It means that you, too, will inevitably be entangled with this generation''s devil vessels.¡± The following story that unfolded also followed that context. ¡°Of course, most people like you did not have a good end. As you would expect.¡± The majority of vessels are not ordinary humans, and the devils themselves are catalysts for chaos, always carrying numerous tragedies and disasters in their wake. If all of them were to converge, it would be beyond what a single human could bear. ¡°But.¡± But what, is there something else? After saying that, Atante smiled. ¡°Only once.¡± There has been a case where a vessel carrying a devil''s fragment and a person with simr spiritual qualities as me met. True love blossomed and they survived to the end. It happened above all miraculous odds. ¡°What do you think happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The fragment dwelling in the vesselpletely vanished from the material realm.¡± As a result, without any ¡®medium¡¯ to manifest with, the devil was practically sealed. And since there''s no vessel, the possibility of other fragments converging is also blocked. ¡°The exact conditions are unknown. There are stories that you must love each other even in death, or that it only urs when you truly, passionately love the other person. It¡¯s only happened once, so nothing specific is known. However, there is no dispute that a ¡®loving rtionship¡¯ is the key.¡± It¡¯s a beautiful story. True love destroying the seeds of ruin. Yes. ¡°¡­¡± But, for some reason, I kept feeling a chill down my spine. ¡°Do you know what, student?¡± Atante grinned. ¡°The vessel candidates identified so far are, well.¡± It was a really unpleasant grin. ¡°They coincidentally all women.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The chill felt cooler. Unless you¡¯re an idiot, you should be able to figure out where this is heading. ¡°¡­So.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You want me to seduce all of them and eliminate the fragments?¡± Atante smiled softly. ¡°It''s an opportunity bestowed by the Heavens. Being someone with such a nature, what would capturing a couple of maidens'' hearts be?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it won''t be easy. The devil worshippers aiming for the resurrection of the devil will continue to target you, and the vessels themselves are not ordinary individuals either. However...¡± Atante politely bowed her head. ¡°I humbly request student, Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The devil fragments are steadily converging through the vessels. As time goes by, more and more fragments will gather. At this rate, the destruction of mankind is inevitable. It''ll only be a matter of time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please, I beg of yoh. I will do everything to help. Whatever this old fool can do, I will do it. So, I implore you.¡± Please save humanity. Those words faintly echoed in the office. [T/N: If you like simple lofi music, please consider checking out my Spotify] Chapter 32.2 Chapter 32.2 EP - 032.2 - Please When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a white ceiling. It was a familiar sight. After all, Elnore was forced to visit this ce not long ago due to Conrad''s ''insistence''. ¡°¡­¡± This was Elfante''s infirmary. She''s inside the campus, not in the outskirts where she fainted. Then. ¡®What about Dowd?¡¯ What happened to him? This was the first thing that came to her mind and she hurriedly stood up. ¡°¡­!¡± But it was a decision she immediately regretted. Her body was so battered that she couldn''t even speak, much less bear a sudden movement. At the same time, she let out a silent scream from the ensuing agony¡ª ¡°¡­Eum?¡± Elnore''s eyes slightly widened as she looked down at her body. It didn''t hurt as much. Of course, it was still painful. Butpared to the injuries she sustained, this level of pain was a breeze. ¡®Has my recovery... be faster?¡¯ As the daughter of a renowned swordsman, she had a certain level of physical prowess. However, even considering that, this recovery speed was abnormal. ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it, the sinister aura that''s always raging in her heart, feels much calmer than usual. Recalling herst bits of memory, it felt like something had devoured her entire body from within before she lost consciousness. ¡®Something has changed.¡¯ As she looked down at her body, Elnore tilted her head. It felt as though theposition of her body hadpletely changed. As if the energy that had only been within her heart had affected her entire body. ¡°Hwa, the patient has regained consciousness! Call the doctor!¡± While she was lost in thoughts, one of the nurses suddenly eximed in surprise upon seeing her awake. It seemed that she¡¯s not the only one with the impression that there''s no way she could''ve recovered so quickly. Also, as soon as the nurse said that, the door forcefully opened. Before she could even form the impression that the doctor had arrived, the curtain beside her bed was violently pulled back. ¡°Hey, are you okay?!¡± Beatrix, whose face was stained with urgency, vehemently bombarded her with questions. ¡°You can remember, right? Can you move? How, how properly¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Calm down.¡± Elnore sighed and calmed her down. ¡°I''m healthy. And I have my memories.¡± Beatrix breathed a sigh of relief as she scrutinised Elnore up and down. Indeed, she looked perfectly fine. Both in terms of speech and appearance. ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± As soon as Elnore said that, Beatrix¡¯s palm exploded on her back. ¡°¡­¡± With her civil background, Beatrix''s smack didn''t inflict much damage. Then with tears threatening to flow out, Beatrix continued. ¡°You¡¯re worrying me, really! Ah! I really, ya, I really thought you were going to die this time¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Was it that serious?¡± ¡°As soon as I saw you, I thought you were going straight to the morgue!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, she did probably looked like one hell of a mess. ¡°Rather, what about Dowd Campbell? Where is he right now?¡± Her main concern right now wasn''t her condition, but this. As Elnore asked that with urgency, Beatrix looked at her incredulously. ¡°You almost died, and you''re worried about that? If he died, it''ll a big disaster-¡° Beatrix suddenly stopped talking. Because as soon as those words left her mouth, the radiance in Elnore''s eyes vanished. A chilling sensation ran down Beatrix''s spine in that instant, thinking that she might have misunderstood. ¡°No! He''s not dead! He''s not dead, so calm down!¡± ¡°¡­How is he?¡± ¡°He''s fine! He''s in much better shape than you!¡± Seeing the light return to Elnore''s eyes upon hearing those words, Beatrix let out a sigh of relief. ¡°¡­Anyway. It''s a mess, aplete mess. The amount of trouble with very little time-¡° Beatrix paused again. This time it was because Elnore''s brow wrinkled when she heard those words. No, it wasn''t that she was visibly upset by Beatrix''s words. It was a different type of feeling that made her shut up. Elnore was contemting her previous statement. ¡°¡­Hey?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly quiet? It''s scary.¡± ¡°No, someone said something like that before.¡± Elnore answered with narrowed eyes. ¡°Two people saying something, wouldn¡¯t it just be a coincidence?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No. Isn''t that just a coincidence? Elnore is just interpreting it the way she likes. ¡®Isn¡¯t it strange?¡¯ Like, it really is. She knew Elnore cared a lot about Dowd before, but it¡¯s a bit strange that this was what came to her mind as soon as she woke up. There were signs of it before, but this is... She doesn''t know. ¡®¡­It feels like her obsession is getting worse?¡¯ Is there any reason? It''s worrying. Beatrix thought so, but then she shook her head. Although it is concerning, there was something that needed to be conveyed immediately. ¡°Unnecessary thoughts aside, it''s been hard these days.¡± ¡°It must have been tough while I was absent.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just tough, it was very difficult. People are barging in.¡± ¡°¡­ People are barging in?¡± Beatrix sighed. ¡°Two people. They say there will be two big namesing.¡± Elnore tilted her head. Beatrix is the secretary of the Student Council and is used to mingling with high status. Who could make her struggle so much? ¡°First is the Saintess. She will being next week. The Holy Land pushed the idea so strongly that the empire had no choice but toply.¡± ¡°Did you hear the reason?¡± ¡°There is something they must investigate. And the Saintess would probably lead it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Themotion between you and Dowd Campbell. It seems that the Heretic Inquisition is also keeping an eye on it. Everyone''s in an uproar.¡± Seeing Elnore''s furrowed expression and silence, Beatrix let out a sigh. Indeed, it''s not a trivial matter. The Holy Land''s Saintess is a renowned figure known throughout the continent. As a representative of God, she may not possess substantial power like the Pope or the Archbishop, but in terms of symbolic significance, she is the most legitimate figure on the continent. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who would be happy to see someone like thate in saying ¡®there¡¯s something to investigate¡¯. That''s why Beatrix hesitated before revealing the following news. ¡°And this is something I was nning to tell youter, but since we''re on the subject, I''ll let you know now.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Your father ising to the academy. Sir Gideon.¡± Sparks flew from Elnore¡¯s eyes. Chapter 33.1 Chapter 33.1 EP - 033.1 - Training As a gathering ce for the privileged in the continent, the three academies always have a high influx of people. Thanks to this, the post town on the way to the Golden Triangle are always full of bustle and life. Even the luxury amodation where the Holy Land''s Saintess stay wasn''t free from the surrounding noise. ¡°¡­¡± The Saintess, Lucien, rose from the bed with an exhale. Her two-tone hair, a mix of gold and white, slid smoothly over her pristine white robe. As she breathed out, a cloud of cigarette smoke rose into the air. A Saintess and a cigarette. It was a bizarrebination that would make a devout believer''s eyes roll. But she didn¡¯t seem to care and even took out a new one. ¡°Could you please close the window?¡± ¡°Eung? Ah, was I interrupting?¡± The ¡®boy¡¯ who was sitting near the window turned his head towards her in response. It was a young man in histe teens, d in full body armor. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was just watching the people This city is lively, it feels good.¡± ¡°The sound is fine, but the light is annoying.¡± ¡°Do the modern-day Saintesses find the light bothersome?¡± ¡°Just a personal habit. I''ve spent most of my life in a dark chapel.¡± ¡°Don''t suddenly delve into such dark topics. You''re making me want to hit you.¡± ¡°¡­You are, in name, my escort knight. Please choose your words.¡± It was a very disrespectful tone for speaking to the continent''s Saintess, but Lucien showed no particr reaction other than that. Because considering this man''s personality, he would not do such a thing even if he died and came back to life. ¡°You''re not even afraid anymore. You were so nervous when we first met.¡± ¡°I would rather believe that the Emperor is a saintly man than you hitting women, Varkasus.¡± The boy chuckled as he closed the window. ¡°I must say, we have be too close.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah, a bit much for a devil worshiper and a Saintess, no?¡± Lucien raised her head and looked at the other person. ¡°¡­¡± As soon as she did, she felt a suffocating pressure enveloping her entire body, causing her to grit her teeth. Since the window had just been closed, blocking the only light source, she couldn''t make out the boy''s expression as it''s dark. However, his distorted ''form'' was clearly evident. Iprehensible, repulsive, disgusting, terrible. While it may be invisible in the light, but the moment darkness falls, the boy would reveal his ¡®true nature¡¯. An indescribably distorted, eon-old monster. Even she, who has one of the most sacred powers in the church, can barely maintain herposure when facing this grotesque existence, let alone subdue it. ¡°¡­Don''t worry.¡± She smiled wryly at the sight. ¡°You guys might be better than the human holding my leash.¡± Indeed, it was. Since receiving the ''shackles'' of being a Saintess of the Holy Land, Lucien had never once regretted having ties with these humans. Compared to the demons disguised in human skin, the devil worshipers were far better. ¡°Thank you for that.¡± The boy responded with a smirk, yawning as he spoke. ¡°But in the end, you also have a purpose for cooperating with us, don''t you? What was it again? You mentioned something about searching for someone?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lucien nodded slightly. ¡°¡­someone precious to me is in Elfante.¡± In a voice full of determination, she continued. ¡°There is something I must do.¡± ¡°Is that so? Someone precious to you...¡± The boy nodded in response. A faint glimmer flickered within the darkness. ¡°I had those things once too.¡± Followed by the voice of someone buried in the depths of the memories of the past. Simultaneously, a rotten energy began to surge from the boy''s body. Corruption overflowed. Lucien took a deep breath without realising it. Just by being near, it felt as though her body would break into pieces. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There was a time like that. Like the humans outside the window right now; lively,ughing, chatting, and loving each other. The joys of ordinary people. The heart-full and positive days.¡± A breath filled with the energy of the dead dispersed into the air. The miasma mixed in was dizzying. It was flowing out. The dead''s mistakenly held obsession, the greed of the perished, oozed out like a sticky residue clinging to the floor, slowly creeping forth. And above it. A mncholic voice. ¡°¡­then my kingdom, where the hell is it now?¡± ¡°¡­Ah, geuheuk¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, this.¡± The boy smiled and said. The flowing energy suddenly disappeared. At the same time, Lucien fell on the floor while gasping for breath. She was sweating all over her body. ¡®I thought I was going to die¡­!¡¯ Despite being a Saintess, facing the opponent who only revealed a hint of their energy, put her in a life-threatening situation. This boy is a monster at that level of ¡®stature¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­I''m fine, as you can see¡­!¡± ¡°Well, I sincerely apologize. I sometimes forget how fragile of a creature humans are. I tend to get worked up without realising it, when discussing serious matters.¡± ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you the one who said something dark?¡± ¡°Uh, didn¡¯t I apologise already?¡± Scratching his head, the boy stood up and opened the window again. Then, as soon as the sun came in, his face regained its human form. As the boy wore a cheerful smile,plementing his sharp features, he immediately got hit by a remark. ¡°I just asked you to close it.¡± ¡°You''re being loud. Why don''t you take the opportunity to pray while basking in the sunlight? Considering your usual conduct, you should be more faithful to your role as a Saintess.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hell, I will even join you. I memorize prayers better than you, wouldn''t you agree?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucien''s eyes narrowed after hearing a suggestion that shouldn''te from a devil worshiper. Seeing this, Varkasus chuckled and changed the subject. ¡°Anyway, I, like you, have something to aplish in this academy.¡± Having said that, the boy looked at the building nestled in the horizon, Elfante Academy. It was a ce full of vitality, just what he needs to achieve his ''goal.'' ¡°Until then, let¡¯s take good care of each other, understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucien let out another wry smile. If even a single person knew this fact, the entire continent would bepletely turned upside down. A devil worshiper and a Saintess coborating together was simply outrageous. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± However. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best, Varkasus.¡± This is her answer. ¡ñ ¡¸ My Dear Son, It''s almost summer. I heard that summer around there is especially hot. I sent a freeze stone and some fruits produced in the territory to add to your diet. Share it with your friends. . . . I heard that around this time of year, Elfante holds a visit event. Unfortunately, it will be harvest season soon and it would be difficult for me to attend myself. So I will send Butler Herman instead. He can apany you to the official events and be there if you need anything. Don''t worry about the estate; it''s peaceful. You''ve always been a clever child, so we''re not overly worried. That''s all for now. P.S. If you have any close female friend, bring her over during your vacation and introduce her. Isn''t it time for this old man to see his grandson¡¯s face? From Armin Campbell. ¡¹ ¡°¡­¡± With a dull expression, I folded the letter while holding a bunch of grapes. Yes, grapes. They''re from our territory and their quality is excellent. However, I feel so depressed right now. ¡®A close female friend.¡¯ Knowing his personality, it''s probably just a joke. Well, I can think of a few names that I can take with me. Like Elnore, or maybe Elijah. But if I were to bring either of them to the estate during the vacation, well. ¡°¡­¡± I don¡¯t even want to imagine. Who knows what kind of disaster they''ll bring. The problem is, considering my current situation, the likelihood of it ending with just these two is extremely low. ¡®Please save humanity.¡¯ I sighed, recalling the ''mission'' Atnte entrusted to me not long ago. And that is, to seduce all of the devil vessel candidates. ¡°¡­¡± I massaged my throbbing head. The president called it a ¡®request¡¯, when in fact, there was never an option to ''decline''. If it is inevitable that I will get entangled with the devil vessels one way or the other, and they be obsessed with me, there would be no way I can survive other than turning them favorably towards me. I¡¯m sorry, Father. The promise I made when I first set out, to never attract attention, was bing increasingly impossible to keep as time passes. ¡®¡­I don''t know.¡¯ Well, the more I brood about this, the moreplicated it will get. So right now, let''s just focus on solving what''s in front of us one by one. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ? Elnore Elinalise La Tristan [ Love Level 1 ] [ Exclusive Quest ''Curse Inheritance'' has been created! ] [ D-7 until Exclusive Quest-rted events ur ] ¨‹ Gideon Galestead La Tristan [ Curiosity Level 1 ] [ Exclusive Quest ''Curse Inheritance'' has been created! ] [ D-7 until Exclusive Quest-rted events ur ] Starting with this. [ Main Quest ]¡¼ Chapter 2 ¨C Ruined Boy King ¡½ [ Rted events will ur soon! ] Chapter 33.2 Chapter 33.2 EP - 033.2 - Training I¡¯ve been waiting for this. ¡®¡­Surely, in a week.¡¯ As mentioned in the letter, there is an event that always happens in Elfante around this time of year. It''s a ss observation event with the house representatives of the students. Simply judging by the name, it¡¯s really not a big deal. However, if it¡¯s a ce where a lot of privileged people gather, such an event is bound to get twisted from all the varying interests shing. Their presence is to intimidate, not be intimidated. And the more privileged they are, the more they care not to be looked down upon. Now, the event has been blown out of proportions with considerably increased significance. So much so that people, who don¡¯t even understand why they are there, sometimes appear. And since Elnore and Gideon''s Exclusive Quests were created at the same time, well... It''s obvious how things will unfold. ¡®¡­I will finally see his face.¡¯ Gideon Galestead La Tristan. Originally, there wouldn''t even be a chance to make contact with such a person. Because in most of the main scenario, he always appear as dead. ¡°¡­¡± Ah, but that doesn''t mean that Elnore is going to slit his throat. While she does dislike him, she wouldn''tmit patricide. However, it''s true that their rtionship isplicated. Gideon... for ''certain reasons,'' has been cold towards Elnore ever since she was a child. And Elnore, influenced by that, also hasn''t been particrly fond of him either. Rooted from a certain event involving Elnore''s ''mother,'' their rtionshippletely shifted. But in all the storylines, the trigger for theplete copse of Elnore''s mental state and awaken as the Gray Devil''s vessel always starts with Gideon''s death. So it''s not like they''re blood enemies. Remembering what happens, I couldn''t hold in my sigh. Right, so I know all this. ¡®What¡¯s certain is that¡­¡¯ If I evere face to face with this person, there will definitely be something to "take away" there. It would be of great help in confronting the main antagonist of Chapter 2, the ''Boy King''. ¡°¡­¡± It might be rude to think of the Empire''s strongest knight like that, but it can¡¯t be helped. The danger I am in is in the extreme, where I could die at any given moment. I can''t do nothing. Even more so from Chapter 2 onwards. ¡®The Enlightened.¡¯ Executives of the devil worshippers, the main viins of the scenario. They start appearing prominently from Chapter 2, and the Boy King is one of them. They possess power that far surpasses that of the Purifier who have consumed the Devil''s Essence, reducing him to a speck of dust. ¡°¡­¡± In the first ce, it''s not a boss battle designed to be won through conventional means. If you think about what kind of character the Boy King is, it bes even more apparent. ¡®So, that¡¯s that.¡¯ In the end, solving it will start with Gideon¡¯s event that is just around the corner. If I can exactly get what I need, the progress will be much smoother. ¡®For now, he''s ssified as a viin.¡¯ Considering the way his character is setup and how he''s portrayed in the scenario, it does align to some extent. With his background, how you treat him is key. Now what does this mean? ¡®I don¡¯t know how much effect Fatal Charm will have.¡¯ My gift bes stronger the more extremely aligned to evil the other person is. In that case, with someone like Gideon, who is hard to read, it''s uncertain to what extent it will be effective. ¡®And, well¡­¡¯ I have a n. So that even if I cannot rely on Fatal Charm on this one, I have a backup to still get the thing I need to help myself. However, in order to do that, I have to improve. < Status Info > ¡¸Dowd Campbell¡¹ Strength: F Agility: F Endurance: F Luck: F Power: F < Mastery Info > [ Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship ] [ Grade: Basic ] [ Current Proficiency: 58% ] [ Master Sword Technique of the Tristan Duke Family. ] [ ¡ö Can exert a certain level of power regardless of weapon. ] [ Attribute: Breathing Technique ¨C Duckweed ] [ Grade: Basic ] [ Current Proficiency: 67% ] [ ¡ö A breathing method that dramatically increases the body''s endurance and strength when trained for a long time. It has a highpatibility with the Tristan Style Swordsmanship. ] I have to train this. In my n, there is only one way to establish a direct connection with Gideon, and that is through "swordsmanship." I don''t need to suddenly disy a genius-like talent. I just need to show decent-enough proficiency in Tristan Style Swordsmanship. The problem is that I have to achieve it without using Desperation. Meaning, I need to have my stats and attribute level at a certain point to aplish it. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s find a way.¡¯ Fortunately, I have quite a few people around me whom I can rely on in times like this. ¡ñ ¡°You want me to teach you swordsmanship?¡± Elnore asked with wide eyes. This was the response I got when I asked on the way out of the ssroom after ss. ¡®¡­But how long is she going to take sses with the freshmen?¡¯ As soon as Elnore fully recovered from her injuries, the first thing she did was cut in my ss. Even as the Student Council President, shouldn''t she eventually return to her original ss? Isn''t this breaking the rules? ¡°Eung. There is no such thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think we''ll probably take sses together until you graduate. So you don''t need to worry about that part.¡± Is this what a Student Council President should say? Elnore then nodded, as she puffed her chest out like she''s proud of what she said. Her face was still expressionless. ¡°¡­¡± But this is abuse of power. What are you so proud of? ¡°Anyway, I¡¯d like to ask for some guidance on swordsmanship.¡± ¡°By the way, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to study Theology? You''ll soon start your major sses, so why invest time in something like this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t intend on doing it for that long. For now, I need to achieve results in a short period of time. In that respect, the one I can trust the most is Elnore.¡± Whatever the case may be, she''s the first person to consider in this field. She''s the most familiar with it, and there''s no doubt about her swordsmanship skills. Above all, there is no better teacher in learning ¡®Tristan Style Swordsmanship¡¯ than her. So I asked again, and Elnore''s eyes widened as she looked at me for a moment. Then, she suddenly turned her back to me. ¡°¡­What''s wrong?¡± ¡°It''s nothing, I''m just in a good mood knowing that you trust me.¡± ¡°If you''re in a good mood, why are you turning your back to me?¡± ¡°Hmm. I practiced my happy face for times like these. Wait and see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After fidgeting for a while, Elnore finally looked back at me. Her eyebrows were slightly raised more than normal. ¡°¡­How is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± So, are you going to teach me swordsmanship or not? You still didn''t give me an answer. ¡°Ora, quite the interesting topic you got over there.¡± Hearing the neer''s voice, Elnore¡¯s ''happy'' expression immediately crumpled. ¡°¡­You have no business interfering. Step aside.¡± ¡°Ehei, is learning swordsmanship limited to one teacher?¡± Elijah replied with a smile, which made Elnore¡¯s eyebrows grow fiercer. ¡°¡­Dowd asked me, not you. This is unrted to you-¡± ¡°Oh, but before entering the academy, I had good experience as a swordsmanship instructor. While the Princess probably haven''t taught anyone before, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite her menacing demeanor, it seems that Elnore¡¯s personality is still the same. She didn''t lie to have taught someone to just counter Elijah, and simply stayed silent. She can be quite stubborn in peculiar ways. I smiled and suggested to Elijah. ¡°How about we learn together? I do think that Elnore can provide us some great insights.¡± Well, this is the truth. As far as skill is concerned, there is still a clear gap between the two. If Elnore were to teach her, Elijah would have a lot to learn. Anyway, considering the scenario, Elijah¡¯s growth is essential. In that sense, this is a good opportunity to foster her development. ¡°¡­¡± Elijah pouted at my words, while Elnore¡¯s expression rxed. ¡°Um, is that so?¡± However, Elijah grinned as if she remembered something. ¡°Then she''ll be the ¡®lone¡¯ instructor, while we learn ¡®together¡¯?¡± Hearing this, Elnore¡¯s expression darkened again. ¡°¡­¡± Don¡¯t fall for these childish provocations. Please. ¡°¡­Since you insist, be an instructor yourself, then.¡± Saying so with a sigh, Elnore¡¯s expression rxed again. But as soon as she heard that, Elijah grinned. As if this was what she''s been aiming for all along. ¡°Oh, is that so? It''s apetition then?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Me or the Princess, who is the better teacher?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why does it have to be like that? As I squinted at that thought, Elijah continued. ¡°Naturally, whoever is better should be the one ¡®regrly¡¯ teaching in the future, don''t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What is she talking about now? I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Elnoreughed as she brushed her hair. ¡°Looks like the fledgling freshman has a big ambition. Are you challenging me now?¡± ¡°Oh, but I don''t think Princess would be good at teaching?¡± ¡°Can you take responsibility for that statement?¡± No. Hello, I''m here too. Hey! Chapter 34.1 Chapter 34.1 EP - 034.1 - Training (2) It''s fair to say that Elnore and Elijah have both reached a profound level in the field of swordsmanship. On one side is the person who will destroy the world, while on the other is the person who will save it. Hencewhy, I''m mulling over this. Their skills and teaching abilities arepletely different. ¡°Why are you taking a step back! Use that brain in that thick skull of yours!¡± ¡°You call this swordsmanship? This more like flirting than fighting. Are you trying to seduce your enemy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching the two''s fierce back and forth made my head throb. To be exact, they are having a heated discussion about my ¡®curriculum¡¯. Their overwhelming passion has drawn the attention of everyone in the gym, probably wondering what on earth is happening over here. ¡®¡­At first, they started rtively amicable.¡¯ But the debate that initially began with mutual respect and courtesy has now devolved to personal attacks. ¡®Come to think of it, was it always like this in the story?¡¯ These two, well... They''re inherently ipatible. Recently, I was hoping that they would at least be somewhat friendly through my mediation, but it seems like that''s a too far-fetched idea. The Tristan Duke Family and the Hero. These two are destined against each other until the end of the scenario. That''s just how the setting is defined. ¡°¡­¡± So. Unless I intervene, the story will continue as it is. ¡®The further I go, the more I¡¯ll need these two.¡¯ Just looking at the Purifier boss battle, an item that shouldn''t be here, appeared. Considering this variable, who knows what''s waiting for me ahead. And the only people that can defeat the devil is the devil''s vessel herself and the hero who has received the angel''s blessing. These two are my most reliable allies. Their assistance is essential for the progression of the scenario. ¡®¡­Isn''t this also in the game?¡¯ Depending on the route you take, their rtionship can improve to a fairly good level. However, if I want to directly use the ¡®situation¡¯ to my benefit. It would get dangerous. Mainly. A yboy that''s caught is as good as a cold corpse. How much more would the consequences be if the final boss and the main character is involved? If exposed, I''ll be ripped to shreds. Literally. ¡°¡­¡± Even though I''m in a position where I have to create a harem to prevent the extinction of humanity, I don''t really want to do that. There''s probably a branch option in the uing ¡®ss Observation¡¯ event. ¡®I''ll never do it.¡¯ Eung. I won''t do it even if I die. ¡°¡­¡± I''ve thought about this before and it always ends up strange. However, I won''t do it under any circumstance. Whilst I was pondering this, a voice suddenly came from the side. ¡°Ah, really! This isn''t going to work, let''s just do it separately! Mister!¡± ¡°¡­Eung?¡± An angry Elijah suddenly ced a reverse de sword in my hand. It¡¯s a steel sword with a cutting edge on the inward curve. [T/N: a Japanese Sakabatou ¤µ¤«¤Ð¤È¤¦: https://namu.wiki/w/%EC%97%AD%EB%82%A0%EA%B2%80 ] As I nkly stared at it, she took a step back and proudly puffed her chest out. ¡°Try following along!¡± Then, she drew her sword and stomped the ground. Her sword style is probably self-developed. Free-spirited, practical, light and snappy. Whilst still having a fierce and solid attack. At first nce, it just looks like a bunch of erratic movements, but her swift reflexes brought those movements together as one. Even the surrounding students from the Knights Department, who were devoted to self-discipline, looked at her with their eyes wide open. ¡°There! Did you see it?¡± After finishing her demonstration, Elijah wiped off her sweat and grinned at me. ¡°Now give it a try!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Are you kidding me? ¡°¡­I thought you''d teach me?¡± ¡°¡­I learned this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyone can do it, right¡­?¡± Her voice gradually faded. Probably because she sensed the bewildered looks from the Knights Department students staring at her. I could feel a headache crashing straight into my brain. Is she just bragging her genius? And didn''t she just say she''s experienced in teaching swordsmanship? ¡°¡­You, are you kidding me? You don''t even have the basics of education.¡± Elnore, who was watching on the side, rebuked with a sigh. Shen then drew her sword in front of me and assumed a stance. ¡°I''ll start with the basic, but most important, stance. Let''s begin with a downward strike.¡± Having said that, Elnore demonstrated a few simple movements. ¡®Oh, ohoh¡­¡¯ Starting with the footwork, shifting your center of gravity, precise gaze control, and the upper body''s posture. With each step being apanied with a detailed exnation. I thought that she would end up being the same with Elijah, but she''s actually teaching standard. ¡°Give it a try.¡± ¡°Yes, this much should be...¡± Saying so, I grabbed my sword and attempted the downward strike. But. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Um.¡± ¡°¡­Uh¡­¡± I failed miserably. No, this is harder than I expected. I thought it would be a simple downward motion, but in reality, it''s a struggle just to avoid falling over while trying to maintain bnce. This is especially true for an untrained person like me. Without the Desperation skill, just holding on to the sword was an ordeal in itself. Not to mention swinging it. The expressions of those who were watching around me were ambiguous. If it were obvious that I was simply a novice, they might have found it cute and cut me some ck. But with such an artistic h?o?r?r?e?n?d?o?u?s? failure, the atmosphere was more like, "What was that?" ¡°¡­At this level, shouldn''t you start by training your body before swordsmanship? Would it even make sense to receive instruction right now? No, didn''t you handle monsters easily¡­?¡± Even Elijah had a puzzled look on her face. However. ¡°No, you did well.¡± When Elnore said that expressionlessly, everyone''s looks became strange. ¡°¡­Yes? That was good?¡± ¡°That''s right. You could use it in realbat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Facing Elijah, whose face was saying, ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Elnore drew her sword with a sigh. ¡°Watch closely.¡± Standing in front of the training dummy, Elnore raised her sword. ¡°Heup!¡± She shed straight down. However, it looked clumsy through and through just like the one I did earlier, not a hint of proper posture. Frankly, it''s embarrassing to even call it a ''strike''. It''s just trying to avoid falling over. Normally, the sword strike would''ve done near zero damage and simply bounce off the dummy. But then... -! -!!! -!!!!!!! Chapter 34.2 Chapter 34.2 EP - 034.2 - Training (2) It sounded as if there was a bomb exploding. The dummy shattered into powder-like fragments, creating a crater on the ground as if it had been hit by a meteor, and the shockwave even reached the walls - leaving visible cracks. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone in the training room stared at the scene with their mouths wide open. ¡°See?¡± Elnore tly said, as she retrieved her sword. ¡°There is nothing wrong with your stance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She continued without batting an eye. ¡°So, starting today, this man will receive regr training from me. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell did a splendid job. There is no problem with his learning capabilities.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, Student Council President.¡± Elijah sighed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don''t you just want to meet him every day?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Is that right? What does even a lecture mean to a person of this level in the first ce-¡± ¡°I said no. I only ept rebuttals in a duel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While Elijah squinted in silence, my gaze remained glued on the wreckage that Elnore had left. ¡®¡­Is she stronger than before?¡¯ I know that her exceptional physical ability was formidable, but it was unlikely that she could disy this level of power at this point in time. There is only one hypothesis I coulde up with. ¡®Has she fused with the fragment to that extent already?¡¯ If a devil¡¯s vessel is rapidly progressing in strength, there is no other possibility. Completely fusing with the fragment would boost one''s stats and would give rise to special abilities. This is a fortunate development that could greatly help me in the scenario, but it''s not entirely pleasant either. Especially considering how events usually unfold within the game. ¡®Devil vessels are greatly influenced by each other¡¯s presence.¡¯ If Elnore has fused with the fragment to this extent, it is highly likely that other vessels with devil fragments will also be affected, increasing the likelihood of awakening the devil within them. In other words, this is a warning sign that another ¡®vessel¡¯ is about to emerge. In addition, this is also a catalyst that elerates progression of the main scenario. ¡®¡­This isn¡¯t the time to be rxed.¡¯ The devil vessels usually appear in ordance with the progression of the scenario. Thus, it is almost inevitable that another vessel, other than Elnore, will appear over the course of Chapter 2. In short. I will soon meet a powerful and dangerous woman who will be obsessed with me. Which basically means that I''ll get caught up in several events that could cost me my literal life. So as to not die, getting stronger faster is practically a requirement. ¡®Swordsmanship is important, but I also need to develop other areas.¡¯ If it''s urgent, then divinity-rted things are necessary. The amulet''s growth will increase my overall survivability and adapting skills so I should put this on the list. And, one more thing. ¡°No, you''re just taking advantage of the situation!¡± ¡°Hmm. Didn''t I say I only ept rebuttals in a duel?¡± ¡°¡­Well, neither of you can teach, so please be quiet.¡± I sighed and stopped the two from wrangling again. Even though I did say that they are my most reliable allies. But I can''t learn swordsmanship from these two. ¡ñ There is only one remaining option. Something that can train both swordsmanship and divinity. ¡°¡­You want a pass to the ¡®equipment room¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When I confidently made the request, Atante''s expression subtly changed. ¡°Do you know what¡¯s in there?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already met her once.¡± I ran into her when I was taking the Ultima. A swordsman who cuts everything thates three steps around her. Yuria Greyhounder. The Final Boss of Chapter 2. And, along with the Saintess, she is also a promising ''vessel'' candidate. ¡°¡­¡± That''s right. The Final Boss of Chapter 2 is not the Boy King, but her. In more ways than one, the Boy King is not someone the yer character can handle, so the actual final battle will take ce with her. ¡°To be honest, she''s not a good person to touch right now.¡± Atante took out a key with a sigh. Nheless, she seems to have epted my request, like a noble who listens to anything I say. Still, she couldn''t just do it without giving me a word of warning. ¡°Her existence itself is a risk factor that can trigger a war between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom. I didn''t hide her out of sight in Elfante for nothing.¡± With a serious face, Atante continued. ¡°And, you know about the uing ss observation, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°During the event, members of the Holy Kingdom, including the Saintess, will be staying in Elfante. Yuria Greyhounder''s existence must not get exposed during that time.¡± With a wry smile, I nodded in response to Atante''s words. Certainly, if Yuria''s existence rises to the surface, that itself would be a disaster. ¡®Precisely, the problem lies in the sword she''s holding¡­¡¯ The Holy Kingdom''s national treasure, which creates a ¡®Curse of Severance¡¯ that prevents people from getting close to the wielder. Likewise, the wielder can''t get close to other people. It¡¯s an item that Yuria stole and ran away with a long time ago. As I¡¯ve said before, this is the reason why she manically cuts down anything thates three steps within her. Quite literally, if Yuria is caught with the sword, there¡¯s a high possibility that things will go haywire between the two countries. That¡¯s how important the Holy Kingdom regards it. ¡®¡­That being said.¡¯ The closer the distance between herself and the other person, Yuria¡¯s fighting power also skyrockets. Especially if the distance is within two steps. Even if Elnore and Elijah attack at the same time, they''ll probably still lose. The reason why Elnore and Elijah¡¯s closebat skills are only ¡®top tier¡¯, and not the ¡®strongest¡¯, is because of Yuria¡¯s existence. ¡®¡­¡¯ The problem is that the national treasure of the Holy Kingdom, in conjunction with the Boy King, inevitably stirs a major incident in the Academy. It''s also a key item in Chapter 2. ¡°So, I need to at least know what business you have with her. If I deem it too dangerous, I have no choice but to reject this request.¡± Atante solemnly said. ¡°The curse itself is highly dangerous, and politically, its very existence is no different than a ticking time bomb. There are many reasons why important people like you shouldn¡¯t be in contact with someone like her. Your actions must bepletely devoid of any risks.¡± ¡°Ah, then you can be rest assured.¡± No matter how dangerous Yuria may be, it''s not that risky for me to go there. It''s just a way for my divinity and swordsmanship to rapidly grow at the same time. I answered with a smile. ¡°It''s nothing grand, I just want to have a little sword spar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I n to do this every day for the next week or so.¡± Atante''s expression rapidly soured. Chapter 35.2 Chapter 35.2 EP - 035.2 - Preparations [¡­You''re here again?] However, the next morning, the man came in the same way. At the same time she woke up, with the same sword, and at the same distance. Briefly engaging inbat, and then withdrawing. Finally, he threw her some food and disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± Yuria pondered as she stared at the lunchbox left behind by the man. Yesterday, it was 9 hours. Today, it was 12. Her brain, which had rarely been put to use due to living a monotonous savage life, was being pushed to its limits. ¡®Could there be something special he wants from me?¡¯ She thought of a reasonable hypothesis. The first time they met, he said he was ¡®asked¡¯ by someone to take care of her. It seems that there has been a recent change in that regard. ¡®¡­But what''s with the sword fight?¡¯ In the end, she couldn''t reach a conclusion until she fell asleep. ¡°Are you awake?¡± The next day, the man came again. Following the same routine, he threw her a lunchbox. ¡°Hey, do you know?¡± But this time, he didn''t leave right away and engaged in small talk with her. It was simply trivial conversation. He talked about the happenings at the Academy, the current nice weather, and something he found amusing recently. Really, it was a dreary story with no value whatsoever. She didn¡¯t even respond. She didn''t know anything, so she had nothing to give back. Meanwhile, the man just tells his stories as he pleased. ¡°¡­¡± However, for Yuria, who has not had the opportunity to interact with people for a long time. For the first time in a long while, she felt like she had a "human" conversation. ¡°Hey!¡± However, perhaps because the man stayed longer than usual, someone came to pick up him up. It was someone Yuria knew, President Atante. The person who provided her a ce to hide and stay. ¡°I warned you not to stay for too long! How many times have I told you that if someone like you gets hurt, it will cause a big problem¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit too rude to just exchange swords and then leave. And it''s not dangerous if you chat a little farther away. I''m just being friendly, what are you getting so antagonistic about?¡± ¡°Student always like to talk misleadingly! I¡¯m telling you not to stay long because I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll cause an ident while talking nonsense!¡± ¡°¡­That, I can¡¯t argue.¡± Yuria heard such a conversation in the distance, as the man got dragged away by Atante. Perhaps they thought Yuria wouldn''t hear them, but it was futile because she was keenly listening. ¡®A student, huh.¡¯ She managed to gather a few fragmented pieces of information. He obviously knows about her curse. He''s a student at the Academy and someone impressive enough for Atante to personally take care of. And yet... He wants to be friends with someone like her. ¡°¡­¡± -You will be alone until you die. Once again, that sentence came to mind. Yuria chuckled to herself. She knows. She knows it too. That''s why she had no intention of harboring such futile hope of it actually happening. She''s just curious, that''s all. Like what could they be thinking? And so, she spent almost the entire day thinking about that person. Continuously, endlessly. About the mysterious masked student. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t know anything.¡¯ Simr days followed with the same pattern. An bout of swords, giving her a lunchbox, engaging in small talk, and then disappearing immediately. She doesn''t understand why he keeps wearing a mask, nor does she have an idea on who asked him toe give her food every day. Even more, despite fully knowing the viciousness of her curse, he kept entering within her range. Saying ¡®I want to be friends¡¯ while getting stabbed felt iprehensible. She doesn''t know anything for sure. Even after contemting for 22 hours, sacrificing sleep, she made no significant progress in her mind, just a headache. ¡®Will hee again tomorrow?¡¯ On that day, she had this thought before going to bed. As if, even just a little. She was hoping for his return. ¡ñ ¡°¡­That wasn''t too bad, right?¡± I mumbled while taking off the mask. The fastest way to mastering any skill, like I said before, is engaging in realbat against strong opponents. In that regard, Yuria confidently ranked at the top in what the yers call a "Skill Grinding Optimization NPC". Because despite her being ridiculously strong, you can end the fight by controlling the distance. Through constant battles, you can rapidly increase your Attribute level. Moreover, since the closer you are, the stronger Yuria bes, once you''ve umted enough proficiency to withstand the current distance, you can simply get closer and further elerate the growth of your Attributes. That''s what I''ve been doing. ¡®There¡­¡¯ It is risky as shees straight for your life, but from my point of view, the more dangerous it is, the better my stats. So it doesn''t really bother me that much. Because even if I have a swordsmanship attribute, if my stats arecking, I won¡¯t be able to use it properly. Given my horrendous stats that barely allows me to swing a sword, let alone wield it, this is actually a cheat. ¡®¡­And, well. I''ve got safety measures in ce.¡¯ Thinking so, I looked at the illusion mask in my hand. This is the same mask I wore the first time I met her. It is a must-have item for the so-called ¡®Yuria Skill Grinding Mechanic¡¯. This is a tip that only veteran yers know. Due to the Curse of Severance, the automatic attacks are slightly less powerful if the opponent had their face covered. ¡®There should be a reason for it.¡¯ If used properly, it¡¯s helpful in the finale of Chapter 2, but I can¡¯t remember what it was. It looks very trivial, yet it is so important¡­ ¡®¡­I¡¯ll think about itter.¡¯ I''ll definitely remember it when the timees to use it. But for now, I have other matters to attend to. [ Inspection Sessful! ] [ Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship Proficiency Increased. ] [ Proficiency Upgraded! ] [ Attribute Grade promoted from ¡®Basic¡¯ to ¡®General¡¯! ] < Mastery Info > [ Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship ] [ Grade: General ] [ Current Proficiency: 0% ] [ Master Sword Technique of the Tristan Duke Family. ] [ ¡ö Can exert a certain level of power regardless of weapon. ] [ ¡ö When equipped with a longsword, can use ¡®Deflect¡¯. ] [ ¡ö When equipped with a longsword, can partially ignore the opponent''s defense and inflict damage. ] ¡°¡­¡± The speed of progression is unusually fast. Even though I had some prior umtion of proficiency, going from Basic to General proficiency in just 7 days is a crazy achievement. Wasn''t it supposed to take at least a month? ¡®And the listed effects¡­¡¯ Deflection is amon parrying technique in the game. By timing the defense against the opponent''s attack, you can negate the damage and gain a turn to counter-attack. The ability to ignore defense and inflict damage. It is exactly as described. It''s simple yet powerful. ¡®¡­Alright, then.¡¯ With these two things, it should be sufficient. I can consider all the preparations done. < Gift-rted Character Notification > ? Elnore Elinalise La Tristan [ Love Level 1 ] [ Exclusive Quest ''Curse Inheritance'' has been created! ] [ D-1 until Exclusive Quest-rted events ur ] ¨‹ Gideon Galestead La Tristan [ Curiosity Level 1 ] [ Exclusive Quest ''Curse Inheritance'' has been created! ] [ D-1 until Exclusive Quest-rted events ur ] To get the results I want in tomorrow''s ¡®ss Observation¡¯ event. ¡°¡­I should go to bed early today.¡¯ The umted fatigue in my body from fighting Yuria every day is no joke. I fell asleep as soon as I got back to the dorm. Then... [ Skill: Fatal Charm Activated! ] [ The Viin¡¯s favor has greatly increased! ] [ Target ¡®Yuria''s'' favorability raised to Interest Level 1! ] [ Rewards are added to the Gift tab! ] I was greeted by such a message the next morning. ¡°¡­¡± What the hell is this? . . . [T/N: I''m terribly sorry for theck of updates in all of my projects. This past few months has been rough for me. But don''t worry, I''ll pick up the steam and will strive for at least an update every other day] Chapter 35.1 Chapter 35.1 EP - 035.1 - Preparations The worst thing about nightmares is that you can¡¯t escape them even if you close your eyes. So was the dream that Yuria Greyhounder had every day. [Young Lady, why¡­ Why?] The restless voices of the dead constantly echoed in her ears, the smell of blood lingers on her hands, and the pieces of flesh at her feet that she didn''t even recognize anymore. Corpses formed a mountain. And everything was her doing. The gardener who cultivated a small bonsai with her, the housekeeper who made her favorite carrot cake for dessert with a warm smile, and the maid who always gives her a nagging but is worried about her wellbeing. All of them. She cut down everyone. Just because they were within ''three steps'' of her. ¡°¡­¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs. She didn''t mean to. She didn''t want this to happen. No, never. Shedding tears of blood, she pleaded while vomiting. However, not a single word is reached. Her mouth won''t open. Everyone red at her with resentful eyes, wishing upon her curses as they morph into a cold corpse. Then, she saw a man emerging from the sea of bodies. A robe of pure gold. A pure white wand. A swinging rosary. A man boasting a perfect beauty as if he''s meticulously created by a God. Yuria knew who it was. The Pope. The pinnacle of all religious figures in this era. [Are you still hoping for someone to save you?] An eerie sound, like a jade bead rolling on a tray, echoed out. [Are you still hoping to get close with someone?] However. To her, it was the voice of a ¡®predator¡¯ that made her body shake just by hearing it. [You cursed apotropaic.] She dreams of this. Always. [You will be alone until you die.] It ended with the Pope''s whisper. ¡ñ ¡°¡­!¡± Her eyes opened with a shallow scream. Her whole body was drenched in cold sweat. ¡°¡­¡± Yuria Greyhounder rubbed her face and looked out the window. Fortunately, she hadn''t overslept. Her day always started at a regr time. Living a self-sufficient life in a ce far from people, even a refined greenhouse flower would get ustomed to the life in the wild. Through the window, she caught a glimpse of the Academy building. A civilized society filled with vibrant energy. ¡°¡­¡± Yuria averted her dry gaze from that direction. She had no time for such ces. She had mountains of tasks to aplish. She needs to reinforce her tent, check the traps and snares she set up to catch prey, and also wash the clothes she''s been wearing for a week. That was her life. A savage living in a cepletely disconnected from society, no other human interaction. A sparkling and brilliant civilization awaits her, and it was only half a day''s walk away. However, she was never a human who could approach it. Curse of Severance. The bondage of a lifetime of istion. She just needs to do her role and today is no exception. Yes. That''s how it should be. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­¡± That''s what would have happened if it had not been for this strange man suddenly appearing out of nowhere. A masked face, an altered voice. ¡®¡­Uh?¡¯ She knew this person. More precisely, she recognized that familiar mask. This is the person who visited her once before and gave her delicious snacks. And, he also said that he knew something about herself and her ¡®sister¡¯. Recalling such information, Yuria instinctively calcted the distance between herself and this man with sleepy eyes. Three steps, then. He came closer! ¡°¡­!¡± Again, she violently drew her sword out against her will. Her face turned pale seeing the sword lunging towards the man at lightning speed. This time, once again. She''s about to kill someone again against her will. ¡°That''s right.¡± However, the man pulled out the sword he had prepared as if he had been waiting for this. Then, he effortlessly parried her attack. Continuing on, he stood his ground and blocked her sessive strikes. As if he had intended to do so from the beginning. After the continuous exchange of blows, he swiftly went outside the three-step range when he slowly started getting pushed back. ¡°¡­This should be enough. Enduring it is worth, and I''m getting closer¡­¡± He mumbled something with a satisfied tone. As if her attacks were worth receiving. ¡°¡­¡± Yuria was stunned for a moment as she alternately looked at her sword and the man. It wasn¡¯t the first time she''d seen someone ¡®receiving¡¯ her attack. Especially if it''s about three steps. The way her sword works is the closer the opponent, the more herbat abilities increase. Likewise, the farther the opponent within her range, the less powerful her attacks are. The problem is... ¡®This is the second time, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ On their first meeting, this man also got attacked after closing the distance. That''s why, afterwards, when hepletely disappeared, she understood. ¡°¡­¡± -You will be alone until you die. These words that she always hear in her dreams echoed in her mind. That''s right. She knows very well that it is her destiny. After all, who on earth would want to get entangled with someone who''ll slice you up if you get even an inch closer than permitted. ¡°Okay. Judging from your swings, you seem healthy. Have you been well?¡± Except for this strange man in front of her. As Yuria looked at the man perplexed, he slumped down and caught his breath. It seems that the intense exchange they just had has exhausted him considerably. [¡­What is, what the hell?] Characters formed by manifesting divine power floated before her eyes. As someone afflicted by the Curse of Severance, she couldn''t use her vocal cords. Hence why she''smunicating this way. It was a question filled withplex doubts. What is the point of doing this? What the hell are you doing? Last time, he just disappeared and didn¡¯te back for a while. Then now, he suddenly came back with a sword andpeted against her. Moreover, he skillfully maneuvered within her "danger zone." As if he knew about her curse. ¡®¡­No, what is it really?¡¯ Truly, his existence is just iprehensible. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I''ll asionallye to bring you food.¡± However, the other party simply replied like so. In fact, along with those words, a lunch box filled with food slid towards her. ¡°Eat. I''m taking my leave. Someone will get angry if I stay for too long.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yuria nkly stared at the man leaving. What kind of person is he, really? The day passed just like that. She spent the rest of the day pondering over thoughts of that man while attending to her tasks. ¡®What''s going on? What kind of person is he?¡¯ She was ustomed to the solitary life. She had plenty of time for thinking. ¡®It''s probably just a whim.¡¯ In the evening, just before she''s about to sleep, she sessfully came to that conclusion and wore a satisfied smile. It was the result of thinking only of him for 9 hours. Yeah, that''s right. He hadn¡¯t shown himself for a while after visiting her once. It will probably be the same this time. Chapter 36 Chapter 36 EP - 036 - ss Observation < Gift-rted Character Notification > ¨‹ Yuria Greyhounder [ Interest Level 1 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] I stroked my chin as I stared at the system window in front of me. ¡®¡­Interest Level 1 right from the get-go.¡¯ I guess it''s because her affiliation is evil, that''s why her favorability progressed faster than normal. It¡¯s all the more if you consider that Elijah was still at Interest Level 4. I have no idea how this happened. ¡°¡­¡± Well, when has this ever happened at a time I expected? And this. [ Received Gift Reward from ¡®Yuria¡¯. ] [ ¡®Skill: Swordsman''s Focus¡¯ has been acquired! ] < Skill Info > [ Skill: Swordsman''s Focus ] [ Grade: B ] [ Temporarily grants heightened focus duringbat. When used, reaction speed and precision are maximized. ] ¡®¡­Is this allowed?¡¯ Desperation increases my stats, therefore increasing my physical abilities. However, this particr type of enhancement had a different feel to it. It maybe graded as B, but ifbined with Desperation, the performance it would yield would be close to a cheat. Even when used alone, the benefits that can be gained duringbat would be tremendous. ¡°Young Master! Long time no see!¡± As I was thinking so, I saw a gentleman in a suit waving at me from afar. Butler Herman is an elder who has served the Campbell Family for a long time. He has been with the family longer than my own father, who is the master of the house. With the above said, Herman had a peculiar aura that only a master of their craft exuded. Everything he does felt unhurried and rxed. ¡°¡­Is Elfante always like this?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± Yet, even someone like Herman couldn''t hide his surprise by the scale of the event that is Elfante''s ss Observation. In fact, there''s not that a lot of people nearby. However, if you look closer on who they are... There were big-time merchants, nobles, and even a nation''s royalty. Who would''ve thought that such giants would gather in one ce for some school ¡®ss observation¡¯? ¡°No, even so¡­¡± Herman brushed his beard and looked at the massive square arena in the center of the building. ¡°¡­That, doesn''t it seem a little dangerous?¡± Herman''s gaze was drawn to the magitech disy installed near the arena. With such a heavyweight crowd, the ss observation is filled with things that deviates significantly from its original purpose. Presenting subpar spectacle that would bore high-profile people, that came here from all over the ce to watch, is simply impossible. That''s why they''ve prepared this. A student battle royale. ¡°¡­¡± This isn''t an event you''d normally expect to find in an academy but rather in a colosseum. However, surprisingly, this is a historic tradition that''s been going on since the early days of Elfante''s establishment. Truly a dreadful ce. ¡°But, if I may ask, is the Young Master also participating in the middle there?¡± ¡°¡­Well, yes.¡± Herman said with worry. However, I can¡¯t just let this opportunity pass. This is my only chance to capture Gideon''s attention. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if the Lord will be proud or terrified with this.¡± I smiled wryly as Herman said so. ¡®We''re not even at the terrifying part yet.¡¯ Be it Elijah or Elnore, no joke, even one of them will turn the whole territory upside down. ¡ä¡äThis matter¡­ concerns me. It seems like all sorts of people are in attendance. I even saw people from the Holy Kingdom on my way here.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± I responded with a squint. Considering the timing and affiliation, that group probably includes the Saintess and the ¡®Boy King¡¯. Their time of arrival was much faster than expected. Originally, the earliest theye should''ve been the next month. ¡®As expected.¡¯ The flow of the scenario is elerating. The fact that both of them areing here means that both the Holy Kingdom and the devil worshipers are starting to make big moves. The reasons may be different for each, but it is clear that both sides want something within this academy. ¡®¡­I have some rough ideas on what they might be.¡¯ And my task is to make it hard for them. I neither want to get close to the Holy Kingdom nor the devil worshipers. As I pondered, Herman continued with a smile. ¡°Well, since it''s an event with arge number of participants, it would be nice to show a great performance. It will also increase your poprity among the female students.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, well.¡± ¡°That''s right, isn¡¯t there another event following the ss observation? It will be easier to find a partner. I heard that the Lord also met the Lady there¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± You shouldn''t bring up such scary stories. I could feel cold sweat rolling down my spine as Elijah and Elnore¡¯s faces came to mind. ¡®I got work to do¡­¡¯ That is, to impress Gideon, who will be among the crowd, using the Tristan Style Swordsmanship. < Mastery Info > [ Attribute: Tristan Style Swordsmanship ] [ Grade: General ] [ Current Proficiency: 0% ] [ Master Sword Technique of the Tristan Duke Family. ] [ ¡ö Can exert a certain level of power regardless of weapon. ] [ ¡ö When equipped with a longsword, can use ¡®Deflect¡¯. ] [ ¡ö When equipped with a longsword, can partially ignore the opponent''s defense and inflict damage. ] The key thing here is the second effect. Deflect. It''s a parrying technique that can neutralize the opponent''s attack if timed correctly. It''s a system that exists in almost every game in some shape or form. And. For a veteran who has mastered the ¡®timing¡¯ in the game to a perverted level, one would be able to create some pretty interesting situations. ¡°¡­¡± With a bitter smile, I grasped my longsword. To be honest, what I''m about to do is halfway between a scam and a farce. You could even call it a skit. However, this skit... Will be gobbled up by the Empire''s strongest Knight. ¡ñ A dry tension filled the spectator stands. Given their status, they''d probably chat and have some social interaction with each other. After all, everyone here is either a Leader or a Head, or someone close. Well, ''probably''. That''s what would have happened if it had not been for the presence of the man sitting in the middle. ¡°Why is he here¡­?¡± ¡°Um, I don''t know either¡­¡± The two people talking look like royalties from somewhere. However, this ''person'' was someone even they cannot afford to offend. Gideon Galestead La Tristan. The Empire¡¯s strongest Knight. Archduke Tristan. Everyone''s eyes were focused on him, but despite being in the spotlight, the man remained unfazed. He simply looked down at the arena with indifference. ¡°Huh, Gideon? What brings you here?¡± Of course, in Elfante, there is usually at least one individual who can initiate a conversation regardless of the other party''s position or title. For example, Conrad Baltador, the Dean of the Knights School. Gideon¡¯s gaze slowly turned to his direction. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Gideon only give a slight nod, without getting up or saying a word, Conrad smirked. That''s right. This much of a response is already significant. If it weren''t for the fact that they both trained under the same Master, Gideon would have justpletely ignored him. ¡°So what kind of wind blew a guy with such a heavy hip here?¡± Without waiting for an answer, Conrad casually slumped down beside Gideon. Being so close together, Conrad was able to discover something that others hadn''t noticed. ¡°¡­What happened to your arm?¡± Conrad pointed out Gideon¡¯s bandaged arm, which made him momentarily frown. Seeing Gideon quickly cover his arm with his cloak, Conrad chuckled. ¡°You''re still at it, huh? Catching up with the First Archduke Tristan?¡± If the Empire''s strongest knight was getting hurt to this extent, then there''s no other exnation. Gideon often does this. He would engage in crazy endeavors that others would not imagine as ''training''. And all of it was to catch up with the First Archduke, the Sword Saint. ¡°Hey, you don''t need to push yourself too hard, you have a child-¡± ¡°Seonbae.¡± Gideon spoke in a low voice. ¡°That''s enough.¡± At the same time, a chilling air swept up like des slicing through the air. ¡°You know what I hate.¡± The surrounding people were cold sweating buckets. Meanwhile, Conrad was surprised. ¡®¡­This bastard, he got even stronger?¡¯ Although Gideon was stronger than him before, the gap he felt from the aura just now was bewildering. In the past, he''s at least able to win three or four times out of ten fights. But now, he feels that no matter how many times they would fight, he''ll lose every single one. ¡°¡­Ah fine. I get it. I won''t bring up your daughter. So, how did your arm end up like that?¡± As Conrad causally let it go, Gideon took back his frown and regainedposure. Then, with a shallow sigh, he replied. ¡°¡­I was training based on the passages left by the Sword Saint. It is a virtue that is the foundation of all swordsmanship he left behind.¡± ¡°What was it?¡± ¡°Take Mt. Tai as your own.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is he serious, what the hell is he talking about? Conrad asked with a frown. ¡°So what did you do?¡± ¡°I tried cleaving a mountain first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t go well.¡± ¡°¡­You thought that would work?¡± Right. Looking at it like this, they are definitely father and daughter. They''re so simr to each other. Elnore inherited that nk expression while saying something oundish. ¡®Blood doesn¡¯t lie¡­¡¯ Right in time as Conrad smiled bitterly, the ¡®yers¡¯ also started entering the stage. They were all carrying their respective weapons with a tense atmosphere. Conrad snorted seeing one person trembling all over. Although they are highly regarded talents from various regions of the Empire, most of them are inexperienced and have never been in a real battle. It''s only natural for them to tense up in front of arge crowd. There are also those who''s pushed by their families in the name of honor. Meanwhile, one of them stood out like a sore thumb. ¡®He''s here too?¡¯ Among the group, one person didn''t seem to be tense at all. No, rather than ack of tension, he almost looks bored. Dowd Campbell. With a dazed expression, he walked out using a long sword like a cane. ¡®¡­Eum?¡¯ And. Noticing Gideon¡¯s gaze also fixed in Dowd''s direction, Conrad grinned. ¡°So, did youe to see him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But Gideon merely continued looking without giving any answer. Every move, each gesture, he was scanning everything. It''s as if he''s trying to analyze something. Then, his eyes flickered for a moment. ¡°Seonbae.¡± ¡°Eung?¡± ¡°What is the rtionship between that man and my daughter?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Has my daughter ever taught him the sword? No¡­¡± Gideon paused for a moment, before he continued. ¡°¡­He definitely learned something. How much did he learn? A few months? A year?¡± ¡°Hey, hold on. Wait a moment.¡± Facing such sudden questions, Conrad responded bewildered. ¡°They seem quite close, but I don''t know anything about learning swords or something simr. Besides, he¡¯s a freshman. It¡¯s only been two months since he came to the academy.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Confusion crossed Gideon¡¯s face. Cosidering how he usually doesn¡¯t show any emotion on his face, no matter the circumstance, this was very unusual. ¡°¡­it can¡¯t be. That''s definitely our family''s-¡± ¡°All yers, mutual salute!¡± The resounding voice of the referee in the center of the arena cut off Gideon''s words. ¡°Ready!¡± At this time, everyone in the arena took their positions. The Knights School with their weapons, Mage School with their spells, and Theology School with their blessings and miracles. ¡°Begin!¡± With the referee¡¯s deration, the arena quickly plunged into chaos. You are left to fend for yourself, no allies other than your own efforts, and surrounded by enemies from all sides. It¡¯s a messy mix of multiple battles unfolding in every direction. In an instant, nearly half of the participants were wiped out. Even in the ongoing battle, the numbers were also dwindling at a terrifying speed. Likewise, the hidden gems were also quickly getting uncovered. Conrad smiled as he looked down at the arena. The reason why such a crude and savage event had continued for so long was because it''s amazing at what it does. That is, to find talent. Some individuals would showcase their true worth in such chaoticbat situations. With enemies on all sides, they would disy overwhelming skills and abilities. ¡®There are already some decent ones.¡¯ A man wielding a spear, overwhelming his surroundings. Conrad was familiar with him. Tallion Armand. The eldest son of Viscount Armand. And there''s also a woman with only her fists and some gloves on, knocking down everyone around her. But her deep hood made it difficult to see her face. ¡®These two are the most overwhelming.¡¯ At the freshman level, these two are almost beyond the standard. If it weren¡¯t for Elijah, the hero candidate, they''re more than capable of aiming for the top of their grade. ¡°So, what do you think? See¡­¡± Just as Conrad turned his head to ask the opinion of the person next to him, he suddenly stopped. It was because he noticed that Gideon¡¯s gaze never once moved. The Empire''s strongest knight was solely focused on one person right from the beginning. ¡°¡­¡± Dowd Campbell. As soon as the sparring started, he positioned to a corner of the arena and holed himself there, not moving a single step. Yes. That¡¯s all. ¡®¡­He¡¯s holding up well.¡¯ Though, he remained on the defensive. Standing in ce, blocking and repelling those whoe at him. Well, it''s a survival strategy, it''s not hard to understand. Butpared to the previous two stars, he''s only like a firefly next to them. ¡°This is unexpected. Did you like such a modest way of fighting?¡± ¡°Is that all you see?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In my eyes, it looks a little different.¡± Saying so, Gideon rose from his seat and walked towards the fence. It was as if he wanted to get a closer look at the man. ¡°¡­¡± Gideonughed. ¡°You''reughing now?¡± There''s not even a point denying it. It felt like a puzzle he had been pondering for a long time was solved all at once. Take Mt. Tai as your own. This is what the Sword Saint said. He continued to watch the man standing in a secluded spot, defending against the attacks. However, it wasn''t simply defending while standing still. He anticipated every attack, waited for the perfect moment, and "deflected" them. ¡®The basics of Tristan Style Swordsmanship.¡¯ Deflection. The fundamental technique of ''bouncing off'' the opponent''s attack to create an opening. But used to its extreme. Magic, miracles and blessings, Everything was nullified as if blocked by a massive wall. With just that, the opponent''s attacks were rendered futile, as they stumble and lose their ground. And with those openings, he inserts a light attack and effortlessly push the opponent back. ¡®¡­a freshman.¡¯ What a joke! If he''s "just" a freshman, then the Empire''s Knights, including himself, are nothing more than inexperienced novices. Conrad¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the other party''s expression from the side. A twisted smile hung on Gideon¡¯s lips. It was as if he had discovered something genuinely interesting. Or. ¡®It''s not just about defending.¡¯ It was an expression of ¡®Win-win¡¯[1]. The Empire¡¯s strongest knight to a mere freshman. ¡®You win by blocking.¡¯ Fancy attacks and all, they mean nothing. Everything is optimized. Standing in ce, not moving a single step, all while creating a suffocating pressure. It almost looks like... ¡°Mt. Tai.¡± This is probably the ¡®virtue¡¯ that the First Archduke Tristan spoke of. Gideon¡¯s eyes shed fiercely. & & & TL Notes: [1] ''Win-win'' or ???(Hoseungsim) is the hunger or desire to seed or win. *specific term/word taken from https://fireemblemwiki.org/wiki/Rivalry Chapter 37 Chapter 37 EP - 037 - ss Observation (2) [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ Activated! ] [ Viin¡¯s favorability has greatly increased! ] [ Rewards are added to the Gift tab! ] Eum. That''s right. I smiled as I nced at the audience. I can¡¯t see where Gideon was because there''s simply too many people. But since I got this system prompt at this time, it only meant him. ¡®¡­Actually, this is a scam.¡¯ The setting of the story was that the foundation of the First Archduke Tristan''s swordsmanship is the ¡®basics reaching the peak¡¯. Anticipating everything the opponent will do and moving one step ahead, dominating the opponent through defense alone. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, if someone could do that, there wouldn''t be any opponents they couldn''t defeat. It''s a level of swordsmanship where one could slice through space and distort time. If you can''t do such a thing, you wouldn''t even be at the starting point. And, if you can actually do that, then that¡¯s a whole different story. ¡®¡­I can use Elnoreter.¡¯ In the game, it''s called ¡®Infinite Veil¡¯. It is an absolute defense that blocks and deflects all attacks, needing nothing but a single sword. Compared to such an insane skill, what I''m doing right now is practically a joke. However, I can roughly imitate the effect. Swords, magic, miracles and blessings. Whatever it may be. As long as I know the timing, I can ¡®deflect¡¯ all of them using Tristan Style Swordsmanship. ¡°What, what is this?¡± ¡°How can you use a sword against magic¡­!¡± I casually knocked down the poor confused fe who said that. Even when Desperation is only raised to C Grade, it''s more than enough to deal with an average freshman. Having my back to the corner covers my blindspot, so I don¡¯t need to worry about attacksing from behind. I could simply focus on the students in front. As a result, only a total of three people, including myself, were left standing on the arena. Well, one person¡­ ¡°I will forfeit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t beat Hyeongnim anyway. 2nd and 3rd ce have the same reward, right?¡± Tallion readily raised his hand, while saying so. His clean forfeit deration was so surprising that even the referee was taken aback. ¡°¡­What were you even doing here then?¡± ¡°Oh, I came because they said there''s prize money.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aren''t you the son of a Viscount, why are you impoverished? Don''t you have pocket money? ¡°I have to pay an additional fine for getting involved with Marquis Riverback.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yeah. Oh, by the way.¡± As Tallion exited with light steps, he passed by me and slightly lowered his head. ¡°Be careful of that person, Hyeongnim.¡± At the end of Tallion¡¯s finger was thest other person on the arena, who''s wearing gloves. They were cracking their knuckles. Purple hair poked out from their hood. Judging by their physique... ¡®¡­A woman?¡¯ As I frowned, Tallion spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m just here for the money¡­ but that person over there seems a bit dangerous.¡± ¡°Dangerous?¡± ¡°She seemed to enjoy beating people, and has been tormenting her opponents to the end.¡± In fact, I could see several students lying around, half covered in blood. As Tallion left the arena, I scanned the other party from head to toe. ¡°¡­¡± Yes. I totally agree with what Tallion said. A person like that would thrive in a ce like this. ¡°What, you''re noting?¡± As I looked at her with a firm expression, she suddenly said. ¡°Then shall I go?¡± Then, a chill ran down my spine. It¡¯s a familiar feeling. This was the same gap that I felt when I faced Elijah without any stat boost. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX Grade. ] ¡°¡­!¡± As soon as the opponent''s figure "disappeared," I instinctively activated the skill. [ ¡®Skill: Swordsman''s Focus¡¯ has been activated! ] [ Reaction speed and precision has been increased! ] The world around slowed down. My reaction time has improved dramatically to the point where it feels like the entire world had been turned into slow-motion footage. This was because of the ovep between this skill and Desperation EX. ¡®¡­Such a cheat.¡¯ While thinking so, my expression suddenly hardened seeing what''s in front. Even in a slow motion world, someone was moving exceptionally fast. Sure, it was at walking pace, but considering the speed at which the surroundings was slowed down, this was an insane speed. ¡°¡­!¡± I gritted my teeth and tried to take a defensive stance, but my body was too slow. ¡®¡­Ah, that¡¯s right.¡¯ Just because my reaction speed is faster doesn''t mean my body is the same. After waiting for my body to be in position, I released the skill with a wry smile. And at the same time, a fist came crashing against my sword. -! ¡­Was there just sparks? From a sword and a fist? ¡°¡­¡± As I took a few steps back from the rebound, the woman wiggled her hand in surprise. She didn''t seem to expect that I could block her attack. But. ¡°Eh, I thought you''re inept?¡± Soon, her momentum violently changed. Since she''s wearing a very low hood, her eyes weren''t visible, but the sinister smile exposed under definitely was. It''s the look of a beast who found their prey. ¡°So you were holding back?¡± Then her arms and legs started to emit a colorful aura. It feelspletely different from the magic that mages use or the divine power of priests. As soon as I saw that, another chill ran down my spine. ¡°I concede.¡± I promptly raised my hand and said so. ¡°¡­ You concede?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I replied to the dismayed referee. I didn''t have a single scratch on me. And the situation became even more absurd considering that I boasted a speed that rivals Tallion''s. ¡°¡­¡± Uh. No. It would be delusional to think that I can defeat this person, who will be charging at me with full force, with my current strength. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Thinking so, I tried to quickly leave the arena, when the other party called out. ¡°What are you doing? It was starting to get interesting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No. I already forfeited. But if I just leave without saying a word here, I felt like she would chase me down. So... ¡°No, that would be troublesome.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If you start using magic here, what do you think would happen?¡± It''s true. A magic power that only the members of the Tribal Union can use is particrly effective in body enhancement. Even with Desperation at EX Grade, I cannot guarantee victory against her. No. It''s impossible to confront this person in the first ce. ¡®Warchief¡¯s daughter, please¡­!¡¯ Riru Garda, a key character in Chapter 5. The second daughter of the Tribal Union''s Warchief. A sadist who enjoys beating people. Above all... ¡®¡­She''s currently stronger than Elnore, right?¡¯ Especially considering that Elnore and Elijah haven¡¯t fully grown yet. If I were to face her right now, I would be a cold corpse in less than three seconds. I don''t know why she participated in this event, but anyway, running away is the best course of action right now¡­! ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± I quickly made my way down the arena with my back facing the other party. I have no intention of turning around. Meanwhile, Riru¡¯s eyes followed me all the way. Unwaveringly. Until my figurepletely disappeared from her sight. That is why. ¡°¡­He knows my magic? A man from the Empire.¡± I was no longer there to hear Riru¡¯s muttering. ¡ñ [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been conditionally activated! ] [ Excellent timing! You nted a seed that will explosively increase favorability in the future! ] [ Next sessful activation will have double the effect! ] ¡°¡­¡± I don''t know, I couldn''t be bothered. I have long given up trying to analyze why this happens. I can understand that I''m starting to get Gideon''s attention, but who is this supposed to be? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, what is even more iprehensible is the current situation. Right after the sparring, I was kidnapped by someone as I was leaving the arena. A maid standing nearby hands me a cup of tea. Of course, I don''t have time to care about such things. Because the person I was facing in front was enough to make me break out in a cold sweat. ¡°¡­It is an honor meeting you, Archduke Tristan.¡± He simply closed his eyes and nodded. It¡¯s been this way since earlier. It feels suffocating if I leave it quiet for too long. The atmosphere felt like ice. There''s a certain aura emanating from him that puts those around on edge. And, this person is a leading powerhouse of the Empire that could not only erase me, but also my entire family''s territory with a single word. This is just one of the many reasons to be nervous about. ¡®¡­I did expect him to be interested.¡¯ For some reason, this man has great interest in the swordsmanship of the First Archduke Tristan. Just by showing him a little bit of insight, he immediately called me for a 1:1 meeting. Or, perhaps, it''s because of his daughter. ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± I jumped in surprise hearing him suddenly talk like that. ¡°What is your rtionship with my daughter?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It sounded like a father grilling his daughter¡¯s boyfriend, but I know that that''s not what he meant. ¡°¡­The Princess always helps me. She has been of great assistance in my academy life-¡± ¡°Did you learn the sword from her?¡± No. This is a signal. I forced a smile in front of Gideon, who''s exuding an icy chill. ¡°¡­She only taught me the simple downward sh.¡± Gideon¡¯s eyes, which were closed, slowly opened. The sharpness of his eyes made me feel like he could cut me with just his gaze. I could feel my palms getting moist. ¡°Then where did you learn our family''s swordsmanship?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Facing his gaze, I took a deep breath. Yes. There¡¯s no way he wasn¡¯t able to recognize it. From here, it bes crucial. In fact, this is the beginning of the n in Chapter 2 Boy King. First things first, let''s do what we do best. ¡°I''m sure the Archduke is aware of it.¡± And that is. Scamming. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The Sword Saint has always been unpredictable. Even going as far as discovering ¡®talented children¡¯ in rural areas.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°With enough talent, he even teaches them the difficult Tristan Style Swordsmanship.¡± Gideon¡¯s eyes narrowed. The coldness in the air seethed even stronger, threatening to freeze up my blood. Of course, that''s a lie. The Sword Saint, who is both the teacher of Archduke Tristan and the current head of the Elfante Knights School, is a person who repeatedly seeks out geniuses throughout the continent and trains them in swordsmanship. As his existence is hardly known to the public, just the fact that I know his identity adds some credibility to my lie. ¡°¡­Are you implying that we''re under the same teacher?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I dryly swallowed hearing Gideon say that. Next, the game starts. To be honest, this lie will easily be exposed. Someone like Gideon has plenty of ways to verify the truth. ¡°¡­¡± That''s why, I have to cover it up. ¡°And, he entrusted me with a request. He asked me to do something if I ever meet the Archduke.¡± From what I¡¯ve experienced so far. The best way to hide a tree is to create a forest. A big lie to cover a little one. ¡°¡­Request?¡± So, what I¡¯m going to do is... ¡°Archduke Tristan.¡± Keep on scamming. ¡°How about learning the sword from me?¡± And if I''m gonna do it. I''ll do it as grand as possible. [T/N: I will change the update schedule to weekly (on weekends like today) instead of every other day since I see that most dont like the cut up(parts) chapters. I''ll be following slightly below the standard of 3 chapters a week of big groups, and only guarantee 2 chaps since the word count of this novel varies. Of course, I''ll do 3 if the chaps are short.] Chapter 38 Chapter 38 EP - 038 - Scam Sometimes, if people are too dumbfounded, their reaction wouldn''t be as expressive. Looking at Gideon''s unchanged poker face, it seems that it''s true. ¡°¡­¡± No, is this really dumbfounded? Say something, anything. ¡°¡­¡± But the silence continues. He just gazed at me with an emotionless expression. Then, he snapped his finger. In empty space. ¡°¡­?¡± What is he doing? I have no idea what he''s doing, so I just stayed still. ¡°Learn the sword from you?¡± Finally, after a long time, these words broke the silence. ¡°Master asked for it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gideon fell silent again. As if trying to measure something, he continued to gaze at me with slightly narrowed eyes. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t seem capable of that.¡± Again, it''s only after a long silence, did wordse out of his mouth. And well, his words is only natural and for him to think that- ¡°You, are already dead.¡± Having said that, Gideon flicked his fingers. And at the same time. -! The space right in front of me was ¡®cut¡¯. It''s as if someone put it in the void of nothingness in advance. ¡®¡­Intangible Sword?¡¯ A skill that allows for a fatal strike even without a sword. A state where killing an opponent is just a matter of snapping one''s fingers. Although it is not at the level of the First Archduke Tristan, who can slice through entire spaces, it is still a crazy skill that can prate through most armor when used with a sword. There are records of it even piercing through dragon scales. ¡®¡­Is he insane?¡¯ No, isn¡¯t this near the final tier of knight skills? This made me truly realize that the title of the Empire''s Strongest Knight couldn''t just be obtained by ying cards. Considering the unknown whereabouts of the current Sword Saint, there is practically no one else in the Empire who can use this skill, and reaching such a level of mastery. Meanwhile, here I am conning such an existence. ¡°You have to be better than me to teach me. But you couldn¡¯t even react.¡± Gideon continued, still expressionless. ¡°If you¡¯re going to make a ridiculous proposal, why don¡¯t you make it a little more believable?¡± ¡°I simply thought there was no need to react to something unfinished.¡± But. ¡®¡­Got you.¡¯ I inwardly smiled. If I did react even a little bit, it would simply expose my weaknesses. But because I didn''t show any reaction, I still have an opening I can exploit. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If it was apleted technique, the ''action'' itself would have been omitted. Don''t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Originally, this is information that no one should know It is only an imitation skill, and not a single soul should know thepleted version. ¡®¡­Except me.¡¯ Uh. Really. Even though it was a movement used by a character in a game, I perfectly understand the direction,pletion, and application of this skill. I have grounds to ¡®pretend to know¡¯ as much as I want. ¡°¡­¡± In fact, Gideon¡¯s eyes slightly widened when he heard my words. He should agree with me. He knows best that this is iplete. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence follows. Gideon was ring at me with a slight frown. ¡®¡­¡¯ However, it is different from before. Because I can clearly feel that I have the upper hand. I can just sit back and rx. Calctions are probably racing like mad in Gideon¡¯s mind right now. Like ''who is this guy?'' Or ''what''s his identity?'' Despite showing his strongest skill, this kid saw through it while sitting and doing nothing. ¡°¡­You¡¯re quite good with your tongue.¡± He''s backed off and will continue observing for now. Which is a relief for me. I''ve passed the most difficult obstacle. The worst case scenario was that he put a de to my throat, believing that I was mocking him. Fortunately, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. Perhaps the points I scored during the previous sparring was ying a role here. Then, one more thing. ¡°Try to increase the rotation a bit more.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The line is not drawn perfectly when the image is formed. Try to rotate it a little more at that moment.¡± In fact, I don¡¯t even know what the hell I''m saying. But these are the words that this person himself leaves in the future. ¡®Gideon¡¯s diary.¡¯ This is an item that Elnore obtains after Gideon¡¯s death in the story. Itys out everything, detailing the process through which he trained his swordsmanship. Elnore''s growth also exponentially increase because of this. It could be said that Elnore¡¯sbat prowess, capable of slicing through dozens of regr knights with a single strike, can be attributed to the foundationid by this person. And I remember all the contents of that valuable diary. I inwardly let out a wry smile. ¡®¡­The whole Master thing is all bullsht.¡¯ In other words. I am simply giving Archduke Tristan the enlightment he will gain in the future. And wrapping it up as ¡®teaching¡¯ him with a bow on top. ¡°¡­¡± Gideon, who had a frown upon hearing what I had just said, was silent for a moment before closing his eyes. And, this time. Without any movement or gesture, a sh magically appeared above the space. ¡°¡­¡± Witnessing such a sight, Gideon''s eyes widened. ¡°¡­What?!¡± Apanying Gideon''s slightly trembling voice were several windows, appearing before my eyes in session. [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been activated! ] [ The viin is shocked at your far-reaching achievement! ] [ Rewards are added to the Gift tab! ] [ The number of viins who felt emotions other than ¡®like¡¯ to you has exceeded a certain range! ] [ Gift enhancement condition fulfilled! ] [ ¡®Gift #1: Fated Love¡¯ has been enhanced! ] ¡­This can be enhanced? As I silently blinked at such prompts, I heard Gideon''s voice. ¡°You.¡± But what hangs on Gideon''s face was not the icy expression from earlier. ¡°¡­Just, who are you?¡± And, there was undeniably ¡®tension¡¯ying underneath. It can be said that the Empire''s strongest knight has now acknowledged me as a ''powerful opponent.'' ¡®¡­Well, not really.¡¯ He can literally kill me with just one finger. However, making him react and think like this was already a sess. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± That is why, this time, I calmly delivered my words. ¡°I was asked to teach you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I continued speaking to the silent Gideon. ¡°I heard that you have a purpose you want to achieve.¡± I chose my words carefully. ¡°You have someone to defeat.¡± This time, there was a reaction. Seeing how his brow twitched, he seemed somewhat surprised. The only other person who knew this was the Sword Saint himself. ¡°¡­¡± However, the problem is that the person he wants to defeat is a crazy guy who rivals a natural phenomena. This is also why Gideon wants to reach the level of the First Archduke Tristan. The madness that has been passed down through generations in the Tristan Duke Family is all derived from the curse associated with that person. He wants to cut it off. Finally, after a long silence, Gideon opened his mouth. ¡°¡­That¡¯s something even Master couldn¡¯t do.¡± Those words bring a smile to my heart. ¡°Do you have confidence that you can do it?¡± The strongest knight of the Empire, Is looking to ept ¡®teaching¡¯ from me. So, I sincerely answered. ¡°It is possible.¡± Gideon¡¯s expression became serious. Yes, it is possible. If you think about how far Elnore''s abilities could reach, it is usible that this person can experience a simr growth. And if that¡¯s the case, he can definitely do it. He can break the family curse. ¡®And if I were to strengthen this side¡­¡¯ It can drastically reduce the likelihood of Elnore''s degradation. It is no exaggeration to say that the catalyst for the Gray Devil''s resurrection depends on whether this man is dead or alive. ¡°But.¡± However, who says I''m ending it here? Gideon''s expression momentarily froze at my addition. ¡°I haven''t said that ''I'' will do it for you yet, have I?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I gave the dazed Gideon a broad smile. ¡°¡­What do you mean¡­?¡± Gideon asked with an incredulous tone, to which I replied, still smiling. ¡°Honestly, what''s in it for me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let''s talk negotiations, shall we?¡± Ajushi. I will do it. But I never said a word about doing it for free. I wantpensation. ¡ñ I looked down at the sheet of parchment in my hand with a grin. After I made this demand, Gideon was hesitant. But it waspletely overturned with my remark, "So you don''t want to learn swordsmanship?" I can¡¯t help butugh thinking about it. [ Exemption Writ ] [ Item: Special ] [ This document delegates the privilege of exemption granted to Archduke Tristan for one instance. ] Being granted the privilege of exemption means that, in short, regardless of the situation, one will never face the judgment of thew. Even for an Archduke like Gideon, possessing such an extraordinary legal authority is enough to cause a sensation. This aligns with the reason why he is assigned as a "viin." ¡®The Empire''s Executioner.¡¯ Hidden in the background, he takes on all sorts of dirty tasks from the imperial pce. However, although he seems to hold unparalleled power, in the end, he''s tied down in a leash by the imperial pce. ¡°¡­¡± I couldn''t help but sigh when I think of the garbage littering the imperial pce. It would be best if I don''t get involved with them. Anyway, obtaining this is a remarkable achievement, even if it''s only for ''one time.'' ¡®¡­Midterms areing up soon, right?¡¯ Going through the timeline in my head, it¡¯s about time for the event to happen. An event that marks a pivotal moment and the official start of Chapter 2 in the scenario, involving Saintess Lucien and the Boy King. It is also the time when one of the viins who ounts for arge proportion of the scenario, the ¡®Pope¡¯, makes his entrance. And I''ll be there. Making sure that the Boy King and the Pope is screwed over. ¡°¡­¡± Um. Originally, doing so would be sprinting to your own death, but the mess will be taken care of by Archduke Tristan, who gave me this document. This is enough. ¡®Oh, one more thing.¡¯ Come to think of it, I obtained something else besides this. Gift #1- Fated Love [ Obtain rewards as you gain favorability of characters with an evil alignment. ] ¡õ First Enhancement [ The more evil characters acknowledge you, the more rewards you receive. ] ¨‹ Rted Individuals Crescent Moon''s Hasmed Riverback Galdier Gideon Galestead La Tristan [ Rewards Avable! ] ¡®Gain their acknowledgment?¡¯ The meaning is a bit vague, but I can grasp the general nuance. Perhaps the more they feel fear, admiration, or awe towards me, the more rewards I can obtain. So, what''s the reward? [ ¡®Skill: Guidance¡¯ has been obtained! ] < Skill Info > [ Skill: Guidance ] [ Grade: E ] [ If you improve the ability of an evil character, the same ability is added. The added ability can be used temporarily in the same manner. ] ¡°¡­¡± I halted as soon as I read the description. ¡®¡­Am I going crazy or what?¡¯ If I improve others'' abilities, I can acquire those same abilities? Although ites with the limitation of being temporary, I literally have just established a teacher-student rtionship with the Empire''s strongest knight. One can only see it as an incredibly opportune reward, the timing couldn''t be better. ¡°¡­¡± And, in addition. This skill will be giving me wings to what I am about to do. I stride towards the Student Council room. I am, of course, looking for Elnore. We need to do something together. ¡®The ability I need to grow¡­¡¯ After improving my swordsmanship, the next one to develop is my divinity. It won''t be long before I awaken the consciousness of the spirit embedded in the amulet, and divinity itself will y a significant role in the uing Midterm Exam event. And right now, I''m about to employ one of the easy methods to enhance it. ¡°I''m looking for Professor Griver Lanfeld. Is he currently in his office?¡± ¡°Ah, that bast¡­ I mean, the Professor is on probation right now, so he¡¯s probably in the Theology School''s faculty building. You can try finding him there.¡± ¡°I see, thank you.¡± Hearing such a response from the faculty member on the way brought a smile to my face. Professor Griver Lanfeld is that guy. The priest affiliated with Marquis Riverback''s faction, who intentionally refused to unleash his blessing, when Elnore asked him to, during themotion at the Freshman Wee Party. I still remember how people were on the verge of death because of inaction due to his political interest. If I hadn''t intervened, Elijah and Elnore would have killed him on the spot. It¡¯s obvious why he¡¯s on probation. With the r evtion of Marquis Riverback''s association with devil worshippers, all rted individuals are being punished. Naturally, he wouldn''t be safe either. His reputation within the academy is in the gutters. ¡°¡­¡± A chuckle slipped out of my mouth. In other words. No one would give much care even if something were to happen to him. ¡®It''s not like I spared him for no reason.¡¯ Now is the time to make full use of him. Albeit, I might be a little rough. Chapter 39 Chapter 39 EP - 039 - Spiritual Body ¡°¡­Therefore, divine power is an energy that fundamentally exists within the bodies of all human beings, the creations of God. It is unlike the magic power or dharma that the chosen are born with. However, that''s also why it''s difficult to train to be used in practice.¡± Professor Griver Lanfeld swallowed the anger boiling from within as he spoke. The atmosphere in the ss was a mess, no matter how you look at it. In the first ce, there''s already not that many people attending. And now, most of them aren''t even listening. Even those who had once made efforts to catch his eye and get a good evaluation are now ignoring him without a care. ¡®¡­If only that bastard wasn¡¯t a devil worshipper.¡¯ He gritted his teeth, thinking of Marquis Riverback. Since the Marquis was a young and prosperous businessman, Griver thought that he would be enjoying a sweet filling by using the Marquis. But, in the end, all he got was a damned gangjeong[1]. That''s right. An empty gangjeong. Griver didn''t care whether Marquis Riverback was a devil worshipper or not. The only thing that matters was whether he brings him benefits. In that sense. ¡°Um, I have a question.¡± Griver wasn''t having this person raising his hand. Dowd Campbell. This was the guy who took his emergency tool and erected the barrier during the monster incident. ¡°Then, what is the best way to quickly increase the total amount of divine power and proficiency in blessing?¡± ¡°¡­The best way to increase divine power and proficiency is by actually using it.¡± He replied in a stern voice. ¡°Don¡¯t ask for the obvious. That¡¯s a very low-level question for an Elfante student.¡± ¡°Yes, my bad.¡± ¡°Devote yourself to training. I''m ashamed to even listen to that.¡± Although Griver intentionally used such an aggressivenguage to belittle the other person, the guy was simply smiling without any sign of anger. However. Those eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all. ¡°¡­¡± Griver felt a chill run down his spine and averted his gaze. He could clearly feel something weirding from that side. ¡°¡­That''s it for today''s ss.¡± He didn''t really want to spend any more time facing that guy. In that context, he ended the ss a bit earlier than usual. Walking along the corridor, Griver thought about the student named Dowd. ¡®¡­He looks like that person.¡¯ A person who has spoken once through Marquis Riverback. A strange person who calls themselves the Prophet. He''s never seen their face or anything, but he vividly remembers the chilling impression he felt from them. The eerie sensation he felt from that guy just now is very simr to that. Hell, they might even be the same person. ¡®Well, either way, won''t cross paths in the future.¡¯ Now in his office, he thought with a smile. Then he took out a letter from thepartment under his desk, which was filled with information he would ¡®sell¡¯. They were all advanced information and secrets he obtained while teaching as a professor at the Academy. ¡®The Empire has always had many enemies.¡¯ He would sell this off and then disappear. This could potentially kill people or cause a lot of damage. But it was none of his business. However. ¡°Yeah, well. I apologize for interrupting your happy future daydream.¡± He suddenly heard a voice close by. At the same time, he felt a strong impact at back of his head. ¡°Aren''t you being too heartless to choose harm but wishing for yourself to be safe?¡± It was a familiar voice. Because it was the same person who he had just seen in ss. Dowd Campbell. And the one trampling over his fallen body was Princess Tristan. ¡°¡­You, what do you think you''re doing!? How dare a small dog baron lieeeekk-!¡± His words were cut off in a grotesque manner. Elnore¡¯s kick immediately dislocated his arm. ¡°¡­Hey, Elnore. You''re being too aggressive right from the start.¡± Dowdined, but Elnore only shrugged it off. ¡°It was just caressing him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Caress? This? Elnore felt the gaze directed at her, but she calmly responded without batting an eye. ¡°I didn''t insult him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I''m being very patient.¡± ¡°¡­Well, anyway.¡± After a few fake coughs, Dowd pulled out a book from his pocket. It was a textbook that contained basic prayersmonly given to new Theology students. ¡°¡­Wait a minute, so¡­¡± After reading it for a while with a frown, Dowd finally stammered something out. It was an awkward prayer. ¡°-so warmth may dwell in you. Heal.¡± Then, a faint white divine power snaked around his arm. ¡°¡­Hmm, so this is it. I''m getting the hang of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Griver looked at Dowd, who was proudly speaking, with an incredulous expression. This was a very poor execution of blessing even for a freshman, so what on earth is he so proud of? s, as soon as he showed that expression surfaced on his face, Elnore kicked his other arm. ¡°Euuuuukk-!¡± ¡°¡­Hey, Elnore. I told you to go slow.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this slow enough?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, that''s strange. The family interrogation training always started by stripping the skin off-¡± ¡°You! What do you want, whaaaaargh!¡± As Griver said that through tears, Dowd replied with a cough. ¡°Well, since we both know, let''s make it quick and easy. Who in the academy were you trying to sell this information?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Griver suddenly stopped his struggles despite the intense pain. This was something he couldn¡¯t give up. The existence of the seed nted by the Prophet hiding inside the academy. Because he knows that if he reveals this, he would never be safe. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking aboaaaaakk-!¡± This time, he couldn¡¯t even finish his sentence before his left leg got crushed. At this point, Dowd gave up in going slow and just held his head with a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you anything, so please-!¡± In the end, while shedding tears and saliva, Griver revealed the names of those involved one by one. Beside him, Dowd was jotting down every detail with a hmm, hmm. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°All, that¡¯s all¡­! Please, call a doctor¡­!¡± Griver begged in apletely hoarse voice. ¡®At least he''s better than this monster¡­!¡¯ Griver felt somewhat relieved that he could rely on this man, who, unlike the Princess who would break his limbs at any given opportunity, was more humane. However, Dowd smirked and shook his head. ¡°Eh, why bother with a doctor? I can treat you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am an aspiring Theology student. I know how to use blessings.¡± You can''t be a student at Elfante with such low-level skills, right? After adding that with a grin, Dowd stammering, recited another prayer. Thanks to his abyssmal use of divine power and the level of his healing magic, it took a while before Griver''s broken limbs fully recovered. ¡°Heo-euk¡­ hee-euk¡­¡± Griver took a deep breath and barely managed to stand up. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat, but at least he could move his limbs again. As Griver struggled to stand, he silently vowed to himself. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll kill you bastards¡­!¡¯ However, he had no way to do it now. He needed to leave this ce first, then prepare and find a way to kill these two. ¡°¡­Th, then now. Is this enough?¡± He said with a servile smile, while Dowd smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, for now.¡± That''s right. Griver grinned inwardly and staggered back. He''ll make sure they''ll regret letting him live here¡­ -! ¡°Eoouuuukkk-!¡± Griver, who was about to leave the room, copsed on the floor again. Princess Tristan broke his right leg from behind. Griver screamed in agony as he crawled on the floor. ¡°Why, why are you doing this!? I told you everything!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s.¡± As Griver crawled, Dowd approached him again and cast a healing spell on him. It was a healing spell with slightly more proficiency than before. During this exchange, Griver''s gaze met Dowd''s eyes. ¡°¡­¡± It was at this moment. Griver realized that he had severely misunderstood something. That is. He thought that this man was, at least, better than Princess Tristan. ¡°Didn''t you say it earlier? The best way to master divine power and blessings is to continuously use them.¡± There''s that weird feeling again. The horrifying sensation that he felt from the Prophet. ¡°You are someone whom I can torment without feeling guilty. I can¡¯t possibly miss such a good training method, can I?¡± There''s a greater fear felt from those who treat others not as a ''human'', but only as a ¡®means¡¯ to an end. ¡°Beginner blessing is usually focus on protecting and healing others. So.¡± This man, right now. ¡°You will keep torturing me?¡± He doesn''t even see him as a fellow human being! ¡°That''s the only way for me to practice.¡± Dowd''s words dawned over Griver¡¯s pale blue face. In no time. Again. Sounds of bones breaking and painful screams echoed within the office. ¡ñ Completely unconscious, Griver was handed over to the internal knights. They will take care of the rest. And on the way out, I went through the system prompts in front of my eyes. [ Confirmed rapid proficiency in ¡®Beginner Blessing''. ] [ ¡®Attribute: Divine Power Maniption¡¯ has been unlocked! ] [ The Epic Grade Item ¡®Soul Linker¡¯ resonates with your divine power! ] [ Checking the current condition of the target ¡®Elnore¡¯. ] [ The unique debuff ¡®Madness¡¯ has been improved under your influence. ] I guess you could call this, ¡°three birds, one stone.¡± This is what I got from torturing and healing a worthless human trash over and over again, and the oue is more than satisfying. It''s quite lucrative, I must say. Moreover, I obtained the most crucial attribute, Divine Power Maniption, which is a significant achievement. With this, I have gained an ability that I can independently utilize, like magic power or dharma. Of course, it is still very weak, but the difference between none and one is like night and day. ¡®¡­Now, with this.¡¯ I looked at the amulet on my wrist. Until now, growth was impossible, but now that I possess the Divine Power Maniption attribute, I can awaken the soul inside on my own. ¡°¡­Have you relieved your stress?¡± And finally, this woman. Managing Elnore''s mental state is always important. I will definitely need her assistance in the uing midterm exams. ¡°Eum.¡± Elnore replied with an expressionless expression that somehow looked much more refreshed than usual. Having been with her quite often as ofte, I can somewhat read her aura even though she''s expressionless. It¡¯s fascinating. ¡°¡­Is there something troubling you?¡± That¡¯s why I can say things like this. Although she appears refreshed, I can feel that there''s also a shadow cast over her. It''s as if she''s worried. ¡°¡­¡± As expected, upon hearing that, Elnore swallowed for a moment. But she didn''t deny it. It seems to be quite difficult for her to express it. ¡°¡­Dowd.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I heard you met Archduke Tristan.¡± Not ''Father'', but Archduke Tristan. This clearly shows their broken family rtionship. With a bitter smile inside, Elnore continued with difficulty. ¡°He must have done something terrible to you.¡± ¡°Something terrible?¡± ¡°If it''s that person, he would definitely think it''s a waste of time for me to interact with anyone.¡± Ah, that''s true. Even in terms of the setting itself, Gideon have always despised such interactions. Because of this, Elnore¡¯s rtionship pool is extremely narrow. Unless it¡¯s someone like Beatrix, who''s her friend for 10 years. ¡®¡­It''s all because of a reason.¡¯ I can''t exin it here. It''s a story that will be revealedter in conjunction with the main scenario. ¡°He didn¡¯t really do anything like that. But it was a little scary.¡± Well, if I had failed with my lies, I could have died right there on the spot. I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t scared. ¡°But well, I somehow managed to resolve it. I think I''ll continue to see him in the future.¡± ¡°¡­What, you''ll continue seeing each other?¡± Hearing Elnore ask such a question, I simply answered with a shrug. ¡°Yes, well. He is an important person to me.¡± ¡°¡­Important? To you? That person? Why?¡± Elnore said in an incredulous voice. Uh. Isn¡¯t that obvious? There are plenty of things I can absorb from that person with "Guidance," and he ys a significant role in the main scenario. And, above all. ¡°Because he''s rted to you. He''s your family.¡± In the end, this person is the most important. In order to reach the ending, isn¡¯t it the most important thing to control the final boss? And Elnore, hearing my words... Her face turned red? ¡°¡­¡± I blinked a couple of times. ¡®¡­Did she just blush?¡¯ Her? The person who seems like they could win against a stone in being stone-faced? ¡°You, that means, so¡­¡± Elnore struggled. ¡°You consider him important because he''s my family, and will continue to see each other¡­ that...¡± Then, she kept her mouth shut. It seemed like she couldn''t bring herself to say the rest. ¡°¡­Couldn¡¯t have you set the mood first or tell me beforehand? It¡¯s a little hard to react when you say it like that out of the blue.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I''m not sure what''s going on. [ Favorability level of the target ¡®Elnore Elinalise La Tristan¡¯ increased! ] [ The favorability level has been upgraded to ¡®Love Level 2¡¯! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] I realize I said something wrong. Uh. ¡ñ ¡°Young Master, have you caused another ident?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± As I returned to my quarters, Herman looked at me with a worried expression. Why is he like this? ¡°As someone who has served the Young Master for a long time, I feel like you have once again ignited someone''s heart without any awareness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It has always been like this. Even now, in Baron Campbell¡¯s territory, there are countless women shedding tears for you, Young Master¡­¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± He''s talking as if I''m some kind of natural yboy. Unjustly using me. ¡°¡­This old man really can''t tell if the Young Master really doesn¡¯t know or ju¡­¡± I heard Herman muttering something from behind, but I ignored it and quickly entered my room. There''s something I need to check. [ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ] [ Enchantment: Epic ] [ ¡®Hero Fragment¡¯ Fusion ] [ An item imbued with a great spirit that can awaken by increasing synchronization rate. ] [ Always retain magic power due to the influence of the great spirit. ] [ Current Synchronization Rate: 10% ] [ The First Stage Spirit Awakening can now be unlocked! ] [ Would you like to proceed? ] [Y/N] ¡°¡­Hu.¡± The reason why the Gregory Hall¡¯s Spirit is recognized by yers as an item that needs to be used especially quickly, is because most of the Spirits thate out when it is enchanted with other items are ¡®Great Figures¡¯ that can bring the yer a tremendous amount of growth. It''s not an Epic Grade for nothing. The problem is. ¡®¡­It''s randomized.¡¯ While there''s no doubt that there are great spirits, the specific individual assigned changes randomly each time. So, I hope that I get the optimal figure for me. There are plenty of crazy folks like "The Killer Ghost of the Misty Forest" or "The Giant Eater." ¡®¡­They''re definitely not ordinary even among the great figures.¡¯ As soon as they started to awaken, a series of events rted to Elijah and the Heretic Inquisition took ce. They will undoubtedly be an exceptional case. ¡®Please be someone good, please be someone good¡­!¡¯ With that in mind, I pressed the Y button on the status screen. Subsequently, a tremendous energy surged into the amulet. Amidst the swirling ethereal energy, an ''image'' emerges. At the dawn of a battlefield, a lone knight was carrying a tattered g. Armor shattered, body battered and wounded, yet pushing forward with unwavering determination. Indomitable. Was the first word that came to mind. ¡°¡­!¡± I recognize that figure. ¡®¡­This.¡¯ Perhaps. This might be even more incredible than I thought. With that in mind, a spectral figure suddenly emerged before me. ¡ñ TL Notes: [1] Gangjeong (??) is a Korean snack that is hollow on the inside. So Griver is saying that Marquis Riverback was an empty shell. Chapter 40 Chapter 40 EP - 040 - Spiritual Body (2) [ Upon the awakening of the spiritual body in ¡®Soul Linker, ? functions are unlocked. ] [ Confirming fusion of the ''Hero Fragment''. ] [ The level of the unlocked skill is enhanced. ] [ ¡®Skill: Image World¡¯ has been unlocked. ] As the spirit revealed its form, a white veil unfolded around me. It¡¯s as if the entire background was being swept away with pure white. It was simr to the ¡®erosion¡¯ phenomenon that urred when I summoned the Gray Devil, exerting its influence in the surrounding area. While it''s not as powerful as erosion, which literally stops time itself, this is by no means weak. [ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ] [ Enchantment: Epic ] [ ¡®Hero Fragment¡¯ Fusion ] ¡ò Built-in Skills ¡ò ¡ö [ Image World ] [ Skill Grade: A ] [ Summon a spiritual body to create a unique domain in the surrounding area. Within the domain, certain abilities possessed by the spiritual body can be used. As the spirit level increases, the wider the range of the domain and the more abilities to use. ] Current Avable Ability [ Attribute: Solidarity ] [ To a knight,rades are family. You can partially share the buffs you have to nearby allies. ] ¡°¡­¡± Sharing buffs¡­ is possible? Does that even make sense? Of course, there''s a caveat especially with the term ''partially,'' implying that the full extent of the buffs may not be transferred. However, there are no restrictions on the number of individuals or the grade of the buff that can be shared. And it is limited within the range of the domain. ¡®About a few meters.¡¯ At the very least, it''s at a range where it can be effectively utilized in closebat. Though, the fact that the recipient of this skill is a trash with an All-F stat, and heavily relies on ridiculous buff skills to resolve situations, couldn''t be more perfect. ¡®¡­It was a good decision to get it quickly.¡¯ Yes, really. It¡¯s not an epic item for nothing. To think that I got such a crazy skill this early. As I was thinking so, the spiritual body fully materialized in front of me. A visor covering the face and a full-body te armor. But what stood out the most was the lion''s head emblem engraved on the breastte. It''s the standard equipment of the Imperial Guards. They are considered the strongest unified force in the continent. The difference between an ordinary person and a regr knight is oftenpared to that between a newborn baby and an adult. And the difference between a regr knight and an Imperial Guard is depicted in a simr significant gap. And among the Imperial Guards, there are those who wear the ''Lion Breastte.'' They are behemoths who stand at the pinnacle even among such monsters. ¡®Guardians.¡¯ A groupprised of only the strongest knights of the era. They were a group that was a close match to Gideon, who is currently hailed as the strongest in the Empire. Hence why, they''re treated in such a high regard. They were the ones who got deployed during the ''Crimson Night,'' the incident that swept away Elijah''s family, and ultimately decapitated the main instigator. ¡°¡­¡± It''s such an unbelievable achievement, that it''s surreal. As seen in the boss battle against the Purifier, devil energy itself summons creatures from the Pandemonium to the material realm. Especially if several fragments were gathered at the same time. And yet, against someone who could summon thousands of demons with a single gesture, a few dozen people, who were urgently deployed, sessfully dealt with the situation. So, any one of them deserves to be called a hero. However. I think I know who this is. ¡°¡­Nice to meet you, Guardian.¡± Upon hearing my words, the knight''s gaze slowly turned towards me. [Who are you? Where is this?] The spiritual body''s voice echoed inside the Image World. As expected, it was the voice of a young man. It has the same feel from someone I know. For a human to be a spirit, they cannot simply be great. There has to be a "lingering attachment." It''s like having an unfulfilled goal that they couldn''t achieve before death, preventing them from closing their eyes even in death. Something along those lines. And among the deceased Guardians, there is only one person who would carry such sentiments. ¡°I have heard many things about you.¡± [¡­What?] It''s true. Not just in game knowledge, but also from someone else. ¡°Nice to meet you, Caliban.¡± The spiritual body''s movement came to an abrupt halt. Caliban Krisanax. Granted with the title the ''Knight of Dawn.'' The strongest andst Guardian. Even on a low estimate, he possessesbat power on par with a top expert like Gideon. A key figure in Chapter 4. And. ¡°Not long ago, your sister said that we look alike.¡± He is the older brother of the hero candidate, Elijah. ¡ñ [ Checking the current condition of target ''Elijah''. ] [ Current favorability level below ''Trust''. Confirmation of contact with target ''Caliban''. ] [ When favorability reaches ''Trust'', an Exclusive Quest will be unlocked. ] [ ¡®Heretic Inquisition ¡¯ is starting to take an interest in you! ] I read through all the messages that popped up. Caliban Krisanax ys a significant role in Elijah''s growth in the main story. He remains the object of Elijah''s admiration, and also, the fact that Caliban is herst surviving family member has driven her to desperately seek his whereabouts. ¡®¡­But, you can see for yourself whether he is alive or not.¡¯ If he was alive, he wouldn¡¯t have be a spiritual body. In the story''s progression, when Elijah eventually learned of her older brother''s death, she went through a tremendous emotional shock. However, she ultimately overcame this and bloomed into a true hero. The information the yer is given about Caliban is quite fragmentary. Unlike Gideon, who is still alive at the beginning of the scenario, Caliban passed away long ago. So, there are some pieces of information that even I didn''t know. [Iya, the memories are flooding back. Even after all this time, nothing has changed, huh?] ¡°¡­¡± [Ah, when did I start school again¡­] This guy is more of a chatterbox than one might initially think. ¡°¡­You''ve been resurrected as a spirit, aren¡¯t you shocked by the current situation?¡± As I whispered that to the amulet, a giggling voice echoed in my head. [With my memories, I am well aware of the situation I am in. But what''s the use of denying reality? Rather than that, isn''t it better to quickly adapt?] That''s right. And as you can see, he''s very good in adapting. He even epted my ¡®request for cooperation¡¯ without much fuss, saying that he was in no position to refuse given the circumstances. As long as it''s not tantly wrong, he promised to cooperate with anything. All of which was arranged in less than an hour prior to his awakening. [Well, I don¡¯t have a choice anyway. Won''t I have to do everything you tell me from now on?] He even left such ament. It felt like a ve signing a contract with the tone of "I''d prefer meat for dinner." ¡°¡­¡± I guess this justes packaged with good adaptability. As expected of the strongest man among the Guardians. His mental is nowhere near ordinary. [Well, I have conditions though.] The voice within the amulet momentarily softened. He seems to have suppressed an emotional reaction. But he soon went back to as cheerful as ever. [You can¡¯t talk about me to Elijah, unless I say so. Promise me that, alright?] ¡°¡­Yes, I promise.¡± I know why. The fact where Elijah knows about his life or death is itself¡­ ¡®danger¡¯. In the game, when Caliban''s soul awakened, events were triggered for both Elijah and the "Heretic Inquisition," which is known as the most ruthless organization in the Empire. There''s a reason why it urred. ¡®¡­Not unless he says so.¡¯ Recalling what happened, I stroked my chin in ponder. I think I have a rough idea on when that time is. The content rted to this person and Elijah is the main quest of Chapter 4. The search for the Holy Sword''s owner. After that, Elijah¡¯s fighting power would skyrocket to a level where she could face the demons in earnest. ¡®¡­But I have to deal with the Heretic Inquisition.¡¯ Just thinking about the recent system message makes me feel that way. I really don''t want to get involved with those people. But perhaps it¡¯s better to think that, sooner orter, we''ll be seeing each other face-to-face. I inwardly let out a sigh, meanwhile amidst my thoughts, dormitory supervisor, Madam Ophelia, pped her hands and drew the attention of the freshmen gathered in the auditorium. ¡°So, you all know why we''re here, right? It''ll be the midterms soon-¡° Madam Ophelia''s melodramatic voice prompted cries and sighs from various ces in the room. But then again, who in the world likes exams? This is especially so considering the strictness of Elfante¡¯s regr exam. ¡°Although there''s still many of you who had yet to choose a major, everyone takes the midterm exam fairly.¡± The regr exams for freshmen who don''t have majors are always conducted in a simr format. The Great ins Survival. Students are ced on a massive stage and engaged in team battles. After all, the main enemies officially defined by the Empire are monsters, demons and devil worshippers. Since Elfante itself is an institution established with the purpose of countering such threats,bat ability is naturally an important factor. The Knights School''s poprity wasn''t for no reason. ¡°A survival team will consist of a maximum of four members. Choose your teammates wisely, as you''ll be together for two days-¡± In fact, the reason why everyone was gathered in this auditorium was to form teams. Of course, I could do it alone, and it wouldn''t matter. The difficulty might increase, but so is the points. However, I don''t intend to proceed that way. This midterm exam is an extremely important event. It¡¯s not just because it¡¯s a test, but also because of the events that happen in between. ¡®Saintess Lucien, the Boy King and the Pope.¡¯ These three individuals are involved in the events simultaneously. It simply can''t be considered unimportant. Therefore, I have to form a team best suited for the situation at hand. ¡®For the team formation¡­¡¯ First of all, Elnore is out of the picture. No matter what, it''s unreasonable for the Student Council President to meddle in the freshmen''s exam. She has a separate "role" to fulfill. So, the first person I need to recruit is... ¡°Excuse me.¡± As I approached Elijah, who was chatting lively with her friends, the surroundings suddenly fell silent. Everyone was gathered here. Luca. Falco. Grid. Trisha. The hero party members. ¡°¡­¡± Originally, I would have let Elijah continue on with these guys, but I need her this time. ¡°¡­I''m sorry, but would it be okay if I take her with me for the midterm exam?¡± Hearing this, everyone''s face was nk. They exchanged nces with each other, clearly taken aback by the request. ¡®¡­Was I too sudden?¡¯ From their perspective, they were just having a good time with their friends, when suddenly some random guy appeared out of nowhere and tries to take one of them away. It¡¯s only natural to be stunned. ¡°Good for you, Elijah!¡± ¡°I knew it would turn out like this! You always talk about it!¡± ¡°Ah yes! Take her with you! Please, feel free!¡± Luca, Grid, and Falco all said so excitedly, as they patted Elijah¡¯s back. It felt like they were genuinely celebrating a good news that happened to their friend. ¡°¡­¡± What''s up with this atmosphere? ¡°¡­Um, is this something worth celebrating?¡± When I cautiously asked that, Mage Falco swept his nose and replied. ¡°No, Elijah has been singing songs about wanting to take the midterm exam with you. She probably felt threatened seeing you constantly around the Student Council President. This time she said she wanted to do something toge-¡± But he was cut off by a fist being lodged in his face. Seeing him copse like a puppet with no strings, he probably fainted in one hit. ¡°Ah, um, the teacher rmended it, so it''s a big deal! Yes!¡± ¡°¡­¡± With a still-clenched fist, Elijah said so in a slightly brash tone. Her face was a bit flushed, and her breathing was rapid. ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± Isn''t she overdoing it a bit? She doesn''t seem to be in a normal state. With that doubt in mind, I asked Elijah. She rolled her eyes while scratching the back of her head. ¡°Yes, I''m okay! Of course! Ha, haha!¡± ¡°¡­No, seriously, she received an invitation from the guy she cares a lot of, she couldn''t be more-¡° As Sniper Grid was saying this, he too received Elijah''s fist. Watching from the side, Warrior Luca admired the clean execution of the move. It seems like he also fainted instantly, falling straight to the ground. ¡°Really, I¡¯m fine! I''m okay!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Okay, let''s get out of here for now! Before we hear any more nonsense!¡± Good, she seems okay. Leaving this ce is a good suggestion as well. [¡­What is your rtionship with my sister?] Caliban''s bewildered voice sounded from the amulet, I ignored it and instead turned to Elijah. ¡°Un, that''s good. But we have one more stop.¡± ¡°Yes? Where to?¡± ¡°We''re forming a team. We need one more person.¡± To be precise, we needed someone rted to Saintess Lucien. ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, having them involved in this event is the worst case. But there''s no choice. ¡°Elijah.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have you heard of the equipment room?¡± That is why. It''s time for the monumental debut of the one and only Swordmaster-nim. ¡ñ ¡°¡­So, this regr delegation consists of Saintess Lucien Greyhounder and her escort knight. Thank you for graciously permitting this, President.¡± ¡°You''re too kind, Your Holiness.¡± At first nce, this was just a friendly conversation. In fact, Atante had a polite expression on her face as she faced the man behind the long-distancemunication magic orb. However, inside, she was fervently grinding the other person to the ground. Thoughts that between educated intellectuals, could get one kicked out. ¡®As if you didn''t just threaten to stab Elfante if I didn¡¯t give permission.¡¯ What a disgusting human. Atante¡¯s evaluation of the Pope could be summed up in one sentence. Saint Credo Paul II. The current Pope. A sly individual who would casually stab people in the back with a smile on his face. He''s a repulsive snake that treat people lesser than worms under the guise of being the leader of the greatest andrgest religious group on the continent. Furthermore, his divine power surpassed the current era''s strongest, reaching a level that contends with the mightiest in history. ¡®What is he thinking sending the Saintess here?¡¯ Most of the talents gathering in Elfante were individuals with his influence, especially those suspected of being devil¡¯s vessel candidates. Saintess Lucien was one of them, but even Atante couldn''t fathom the true intention behind this move. The Saintess. A religious symbol of the Empire and Holy Land. Handing over such an individual to the Empire without any hesitation was a striking, and strange decision. He was demanding to make it happen ¡®as soon as possible¡¯ and even threatened just to ensure the Saintess gets into the academy. He definitely has something nned behind his back. ¡°Showing gratitude with empty hands is meaningless. So I wish to offer a small favor to the President.¡± His next words naturally followed that context. ¡°Elfante is currently in the middle of its midterms, isn''t it?¡± Atante¡¯s expression twisted slightly. ¡®¡­The midterms?¡¯ What reason could a figure as significant as the Pope have to concern himself with the students'' affairs? Especially with something as insignificant as midterm exams. The difference in scale is too vast that it''s impossible to guess what his intentions are. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. However, it is entirely an internal event within the academy, Your Holiness. You don''t need to concern yourself with such insignificant matters-¡° ¡°No.¡± The Pope cut her off in a clear voice. ¡°Give Lucien a task, President.¡± But unlike his voice... ¡°She will undoubtedly be of help.¡± His gaze was venomous. Chapter 43 Chapter 43 EP - 043 - Midterm Exam (2) ¡°How¡­¡± A Knights School student said with a trembling voice, as he witnessed the giant kite shield shatteringpletely. It was a family heirloom, a symbol of the household that had proven its performance on the battlefield throughout the years. Although his father exaggeratedly imed that it could even block falling meteorites, it was undoubtedly a reliable piece of equipment. And yet. ¡°Hey.¡± The human who just turned the shield into scrap metal with their ¡®bare fist¡¯ scratched their head and said. Irritatedly, even. ¡°That''s it? Really?¡± This wasing from someone who defeated dozens of students without any weapons, just their bare hands. Most of the students at Elfante are confident in their abilities. And among them, even if it''s just a select few, some could be considered as skilled as the professors. However, it''s highly likely that even they couldn''t guarantee a victory in this situation. They probably wouldn''t evenst that long. Not to mention. Even from the perspective of a Knights School Student that specializes in the physique, it was evident that the opponent didn''t utilize even a fraction of their true power. This just means that there is that big of a difference between their ¡®trained¡¯ body alone. Considering that abilities that strengthen the body typically involve multiplying basic physical capabilities, this person''s ''true strength,'' is truly... ¡°What kind of monster are you¡­!¡± ... Frightening. ¡°Bullsht.¡± However, the other person simply sneered at such words. ¡°The problem is that you guys are weak.¡± Riru Garda snorted and kicked the student in the head. With a grunt, the student''s body rolled backward. This kind of violence was undoubtedly excessive for a midterm exam, which would end by simply taking their ne. Riru also couldn''t feel any enthusiasm for such violence. Isn¡¯t it natural for the weak to be beaten by the strong? But before any unnecessary guilt could even set in, she was consumed by endless frustration. ¡®Why can''t I find anyone decent?¡¯ Ever since her exile after the Tribal Union''s ¡®Civil War¡¯, the time she spent in the Empire was nothing short of a prison sentence. Having obtained a student status that she never experienced, she was poking here and there for ces to fight. Battlefield. Combat. Life and death. For someone whose entire life could be summed up with these three words, the academy was too peaceful. ¡®At this age, killing at least one person is already to be expected.¡¯ Because of the barren environment surrounding the Tribal Union, unless one grew up as an exceptional warrior, survival is impossible. Byparison, the people in the Empire were weak and indecisive. It''s only natural for frustration to arise. She didn''t even use her powers. ¡°¡­¡± Except for one guy. There was one individual who could keep up with her speed. His name was¡­ ¡®Do¡­ do¡­ What was it?¡¯ Unfortunately, Riru¡¯s memory wasn¡¯t very good. Anyway, that guy. The one who saw through her using Law Power. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± Law Power is a special power granted only to a tiny number of individuals in the Tribal Union. Not to mention the Empire, but even within the Tribal Union, there are only a handful of people who have witnessed its use firsthand. So seeing through it just like that means one of two things. Either he knows how to use it himself. Or he has met someone who does. And if at least one of the two is satisfied. Then he perfectly fits Riru''s conditions for ¡®someone she needs to fight against¡¯. Especially considering why she and her n were ''exiled'' from the Tribal Union. ¡°Ah, where can I find him? I want to hit him at least once.¡± ¡°If you do something like that for no reason, Riru Garda, you''ll be expelled from the academy. Since you''re in exile, it might be better to keep a lower profile, don''t you think?¡± Hearing her name casually called, Riru flinched and she immediately turned around. It was an unfamiliar individual. Dressed immactely in uniform, a ck longsword, silver hair and red eyes, and a name tag that reads ¡®Elnore¡¯ on her chest. The Student Council President. Riru had heard that the Student Council President was one of the people who knew her identity. And, above all. ¡®¡­There''s capable people after all.¡¯ Riru, who had roughly gauged the other person¡¯s skills level, smiled with satisfaction. She''s not sitting as the students'' representative for nothing. She''s a worthy opponent that Riru is willing to risk her life to fight against. She looks weaker than her, but still at a level that could give her a run for her money. ¡°The violence you aremitting has already gone too far. As an overseer of this exam, I can''t just let it go. I''m quite busy, but I got summoned because of you.¡± ¡°So what are you gonna do about it?¡± Riru smirked and raised her fist. ¡°Are you going to kick me out?¡± She had a feeling it''d turn out like this. Oh how she wished that Elnore would draw her sword, and charge at her with genuine intent to kill. That''s what she had been thinking. ¡°I will make you leave. Though, not by my own hands.¡± Having said that, Elnore pressed a switch she took out from her pocket. At the same time, white light emanated from the ne Riru was wearing. Before she could react, an aura had already enveloped her entire body. Riru frowned. ¡®Divine Power?¡¯ It didn''t feel like it''s going to harm her. More like there''s a strong intention to "remove" her from the Grand in. There''s such a blessing on all of the students¡¯ nes? ¡®¡­Has the Empire ever had someone with such powerful divine abilities?¡¯ A blessing that teleports the target to another location, it''s quite an advanced technique. Not to mention distributing it to all the students currently in the Grand in She even thought of the ridiculous idea that the Holy Land''s Saintess was here. Of course, even the Saintess wouldn''t be able to support all this. This is a magnitude that needs at least 10 Archbishop level personnel to stably operate it. If it''s less than that, well. It would only serve the purpose of inflicting torture on the user. This is especially true when ¡®Divine Power Depletion¡¯ is considered. Lost in these thoughts, she soon received a response from the other person. ¡°Anyway, go and cool your head. This may be apetition, but fighting for barbaric reasons like you are is prohibited in Elfante.¡± ¡°¡­Are all the Empire''s people just cowards? It seems like your father taught you so.¡± Among the things that a member of the Tribal Union can say are two top-tier insults. One is being called a coward, and the other, a disparaging remark about one''s father. However, upon hearing this, Elnore showed no reaction other than a sneer. ¡°Indeed that old man is a coward. You have quite an observant eye, Riru Garda.¡± ¡°¡­¡± On the contrary, she looked strangely satisfied. So it''s true that her rtionship with her father was bad. As expected, these Empire people are weird. However, she can''t just step back like this. At the very least, she''ll have to induce a reaction that will make her hostile when they meetter. Riru thought of a few more words to provoke her opponent. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s right.¡¯ There was one more regr pattern that worked especially well for the warriors of the Tribal Union. ¡°Well, you can''t deny that you''re a coward yourself. Seeing that, I bet everyone around you is a moron, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Elnore¡¯s eyes narrowed. Oh, there''s finally a reaction. Riru continued with a grin. ¡°Do you have a boyfriend? If you do, I''ll snatch him away right in front of you. We''ll see if you still act like a coward-¡± But she stopped mid-sentence. ¡°¡­¡± Elnore hadn¡¯t said anything. However, her eyes. Those eyes were glowing red. Almost, inhumane. It was like the eyes of a ¡®monster¡¯, not a person. ¡°¡­¡± Facing that, Riru unconsciously took a step back. Even she''s shocked from it. ¡®¡­Did I get scared? Me?¡¯ She, who had navigated the inferno of the battlefield countless times, was shaken by a mere gaze. And on top of that, it was from an opponent she believed she could confidently defeat. ?Riru Garda.? Elnore''s frosty voice resonated to the dazed Riru''s ears. The atmosphere around her hadpletely changed. As if... ¡®Something¡¯ different was inside her. ?I''ll let it slide this time. You seem to enjoy provoking others without knowing your ce.? As Elnore approached her step by step, Riru once again retreated a few steps back. The suffocating pressure made Riru''s breath hitch, and her legs refused to obey. ?So, there won''t be a second time.? And then... ?No one can take that man away from me. Do you understand?? With that voice ringing into her ears, Riru''s body was ¡®teleported¡¯ out of the Great ins. ¡°¡­¡± In the empty waiting room, she gazed down at herself with a nk expression. ¡®¡­Just what, was that?¡¯ One thing was certain. The ''unknown entity'' inside the Student Council President was something Riru could never defeat in battle. It''s not just a matter ofcking skill or ability. But rather, it feels different from the very ''nature'' of her being. That even if she trained all her life, she wouldn''t be able to ovee it. ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s been a long time since she felt like this. A wild grin appeared on her face. Her body was drenched in cold sweat, but her spirit was more excited than ever before. There''s finally someone worthy of a fight in this ce. An individual she wanted to battle to the death. In other words, she can be stronger through this struggle. ¡°¡­¡± The moment the situationpletely flipped was after she mentioned ''boyfriend.'' It was Elnore''s trigger topic. In other words, it''s a surefire way to provoke a fight. Then all she needs to do... ¡®¡­The key is that guy.¡¯ She''ll somehow ''conquer'' him. Her eyes glinted with determination. ¡ñ [ The target ¡®Riru Garda¡¯ has started taking an interest in you! ] [ The target ¡®Elnore¡¯ has unlocked a new skill under your influence! ] [ ¡®Divine Descent - Wrath¡¯ will be added to the target''s skillset. ] [ Skill will be added to ¡®Skill: Guidance¡¯ ! ] ¡°¡­¡± Sometimes, I really just want to grab the system by the cor and ask. I legit didn¡¯t do anything, so tell me why the hell are these things being added? And, to begin with... ¡®Divine Descent?¡¯ This is a technique that, albeit limitedly, manifests the devil fragment. The ''Wrath'' The ''Wrath'' part means that the corresponding emotion is maximized to unlock this skill. In other words, it''s not something that just an option you open when you''re angry. It only happens when you genuinely want to kill someone. ¡®¡­What the hell happened?¡¯ These thoughts crossed my mind, but now is definitely not the right time to leisurely ponder such things. I have my hands full. ¡°You heinous bastard¡­!¡± ¡°You dare wear a mask to do something like this, show yourself¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Listening to the torrent of insults right in front of me, I wanted to defend myself. Like. On one hand, I was dragging a woman as if she''s some luggage, and on the other, have another woman on a leash. ¡°He''s treating people like animals...! Miss! Hero! Please wait a moment! I''ll rescue you soon!¡± ¡°Yeah, take revenge for our fallen brothers¡­!¡± ¡°¡­You''re together with them?¡± I asked in a dumbfounded voice. I''ve been ambushed more than ten times getting here. So they''re all in on this¡­? ¡°Anyone who raise their sword at a trash is arade!¡± ¡°Look at how you fought first then tell me, you scumbag!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hmm. I don¡¯t have anything to refute. They were easily repelled by Elijah and Yuria. In the first ce, what could freshmen really do against the Hero Candidate and a devil vessel? Rather than blocking the blocks, it was more difficult to control Yuria''s distance and not have her within three steps of anyone. But this is exactly the problem. From an outsider''s perspective, me suddenly pulling the leash look like I was forcefully dragging Yuria around like a ve. ¡®¡­I saved you guys.¡¯ I never meant for it to be weird. Never¡­! [Why are they so angry? I¡¯m fine.] No. Even if the person involved says such things, it doesn''t exin the situation at all. It wasn''t a good look. Elijah smiled bitterly at the sight of Yuria tilting her head as she wrote out. ¡°Still, this time won''t be easy.¡± Elijah eyes narrowed as she looked at the people in front. The previous raids were rtively small-scale, but the group in front of us right now consists of almost a hundred people. Seeing all these people gathering here with the intention of taking me down feels strange. ¡®¡­Are they all Elijah''s fans?¡¯ Superfans can be so scary. I knew this would happen when I teamed up with her. ¡°This would need more than just fighting to get through all of this. If only we could bypass this, it would lead us straight to the sanctuary. Why does it have to be like this¡­¡± Even for Elijah, who had effortlessly dealt with the previous attacks, this number of opponents is overwhelming. It''s not just arge number; it''s a perfectly bncedbination of the Knights School, Magic School, and Theology School. To simply break through thisbination with just three people would be an absurd idea. ¡°No. This is fine.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Uh. Rather, I was waiting for something like this. Mainly in terms of honing my abilities. Improving skills through actualbat is one way, but there is a skill that can only be utilized when you have rades'' and rge-scale enemies.'' ¡°¡­¡± Obviously, that''s only possible whenbat is possible. But the current gap between us and them is like the difference between the Heavens and Earth. But I have a ''way'' to narrow that gap. If the opponents are bnced, there is only one way to break through. Overwhelming power. ¡°¡­¡± With a smirk, I tap the amulet lightly. Ajusshi. Wake up. [¡­Uh? Huh? What?] Caliban drowsily muttered inside the amulet. Thanks to my insufficient Divine Power, this person spends most of his time sleeping. Unless I specifically wake him up, he stays in a kind of hibernation state. I whisper quietly to the amulet. ¡°Could you please do me a favor ande out.¡± [¡­I don''t know what''s going on, but it seems dangerous.] At the same time Caliban muttered that, a white curtain unfolded around us. [ Spiritual Body has been summoned! ] [ Skill: Image World has been activated! ] [ Buffs are shared with nearby ¡®party members¡¯! ] And here. ¡°Oi.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± I looked at the wide-eyed Elijah and whispered. ¡°I apologize in advance. You can hit me as much as you wantter. I''ll take it all.¡± Even I think that this is a bit¡­ overkill. But this is necessary. Anyhow. Before she can respond, I pulled her tightly with one arm, drawing her closer to my body. [¡­Look at this guy. Did you wake me up just to show me this?] As soon as Caliban said with a chuckle. ¡°¡­!¡± While Elijah''s body stiffened, and Yuria''s eyes widened from the side. I smiled at the crowd in front, which suddenly fell silent. ¡°But you see, you guys.¡± Calm and collected, I spoke nothing but the facts. ¡°What gives you the right to take this guy?¡± Smiling slyly at the astonished crowd, I said. ¡°I never said I would give her to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Does the ¡®owner¡¯ need a stranger''s permission?¡± Silence spread all around. It went on for a long while. As Elijah¡¯s face turned flush, piercing screams echoed in the surroundings ¡°Kill that bastard-!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tear you up, you some of a bit-!¡± The various curses and shouts were soon drowned out by even louder roars as students, equipped with their weapons, rushed towards us. Oh wow, that''s scary. But the scarier they charge at me, the better. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation could result in serious injury. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to A Grade. ] Now then. The term ''buff'' generally refers to a skill that enhances the target''s abilities. In other words... [ Confirming activation of ''Skill: Image World''. ] [ Sharing ¡®Skill: Desperation (A Grade)'' with target ''Elijah'' and target ''Yuria''. ] That''s right.. ¡ñ Notes: [1] Tribal Union power from ''magic'' to ''Law Power'' for differentiation Chapter 44 Chapter 44 EP - 044 - Midterm Exam (3) ¡°With this¡­ it''s done!¡± As Falco shouted, a group of students was swept away by his wind magic. Simultaneously, Luca, who had swiftly approached the area in a lightning-like motion, retrieved all their nes. It all happened in such a short period that they didn''t even have a chance to react. ¡°Nice, let''s bounce!¡± Continuing with a roar, Grid held back the pursuing group of students, while Trisha deployed a protective barrier. Luca also picked up the slow-footed Falco and retreated together. It was a wless execution. ¡°Great job, guys!¡± As they withdrew to a safe spot, Trisha hopped and apuded energetically. Indeed, what they just did wasmendable. So much so that even the praise felt inadequate. ¡°With more than 9 nes, this should give us a perfect score!¡± Most of the groups consisted of around three to four students, each battle was a challenge. After all, they are students of the Elfante Imperial Academy. They wouldn''t just donate their nes. ¡°It should.¡± Falco grinned as he checked the map. It was a map of the Great ins distributed to all the students. In addition to disying the terrain andndmarks, it also shows the current ranking of the ''top group'' who had collected the most nes. ¡®We are¡­¡¯ All four of them had easily secured a ce in the top-scoring section among the hundreds of freshmen. Rather, it''s more surprising that they didn''t lead as number one. 3rd ce. This was where they got ced even with their score. ¡°¡­¡± The rumours when he enrolled in the academy were nowhere near lies. Falco smiled and scanned the names of the people that ranked above them. Second ce is¡­ ¡®Feinol Raifec? Was there such a person¡­?¡¯ Falco was familiar with the exceptional freshmen. However, this was apletely new name for him. Then. ¡°¡­Wait a second. Is this person alone?¡± ¡°What?¡± The others huddled around, hearing such a revtion from Falco. ¡°They alone collected 15 nes without forming a group? How?¡± ¡°Why are these monsters in our ss¡­¡± Trisha let out a sigh of exasperation, but Falco just smiled and brushed it off. Well, getting third ce was already confirmation of a perfect score. There''s no need to be gloomy about it. More importantly, who was first, that it made someone with 15 nes only number two? ¡®Ah, it¡¯s Elijah''s group.¡¯ A wry smile formed on Falco''s face as he confirmed their identities. Dowd Campbell, Elijah Krisanax, and Yuria Greyhounder. It was the group of the next hero candidate. A group of standouts among the freshmen. As for the number of nes¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Falco blinked for a moment. ¡°Wait, is this broken?¡± ¡°Why?¡± The others gathered around again to check the numbers. And soon, they immediately understood Falco''s bafflement. Because. ¡°¡­It''s over 100?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone was at a loss for words. ¡ñ When they first got together, there was a voice among the students asking if this was too excessive. After all, no matter how bad the other party was made to be, gathering more than 100 people against three was overkill. Everyone probably shared simr thoughts. Ah, they were so arrogant. They thought that having ''just'' a hundred people was something. ¡°¡­!¡± Elijah and Yuria pulled out their swords and swung at them, but they did not have any special intent. They probably only wanted to counterattack since opponents wereing after them. However, the result was... In the first second. The moment their swords were drawn, reactions were alreadying from all around. Air pressure surged and the surrounding objects were swept away, as if a typhoon was sweeping through. Then two seconds. Anything in the path of the swords was sessively swept away by the tremendous torrent. The faces of students who intuitively realized how much power this has turned pale. Three seconds. The two swords collided with the approaching students nearby. At the same time... The wholendscape was ¡®torn apart¡¯. -! -!! -!!!!! The ground was upheaved. Rocks in the path of the sword strikes were pulverized, trees were uprooted and sent flying into the sky, and the group of students rushing in was all sent bouncing away. But it didn¡¯t stop there. The extended burst of force swept through the back, sending the students who were preparing spells or blessings tumbling. It wasn''t quite as dramatic asunching them all into the sky, but they fell like autumn leaves in a gust. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence hung heavily in the atmosphere. What the hell was this? Even some knights who have honed their body-enhancing techniques to the extreme wouldn''t be able to produce such a spectacle. To create a typhoon by swinging a sword, that kind of thing can only be found in fairy tales or myths! And yet... Here are two people pping them with reality by ¡®swinging their sword once¡¯. Yuria and Elijah were the ones that sent the students flying, but they had their mouths dropped to the ground. ¡°¡­This, what is this¡­?¡± [¡­] Even these two were shocked at the power they wielded. As if they didn''t expect this either. Yuria, who has cut a lot of people, and Elijah, who has participated in multiple monster subjugations, had no idea what just happened. So, naturally. All eyes focused on the only ¡®calm¡¯ person in this situation. ¡°Not bad.¡± As Dowd Campbell''s lips curled into a cheerful smile, a shiver ran down everyone''s spine. Everyone instinctively sensed it. The surreal scene they just witnessed was entirely orchestrated by this man ''alone.'' ¡°¡­¡± They heard that he''s a prospective Theology student. Of course, skilled priests could enhance theirpanions to an incredible level through their blessings, but to create such a phenomenon... What level of mastery had he reached? ¡°¡­Surrender.¡± The utterance of those words sounded perfectly natural. Simply because, the target of their hostility... Whether it was a hundred or two hundred people... Deep down in their bones, they realized that the opponent they were facing was simply beyond their capacity to handle. ¡ñ First, a few pieces of information. The duration of Image World was shorter than I had anticipated. In the end, the skill''s usage condition involves summoning Caliban with my Divine Power, and with my current limited reservoir, I can only maintain it for one or two attacks at most. Of course, that doesn''t change the fact that it''s dreadfully powerful. ¡®Isn''t it too strong?¡¯ Even I, who shared the buff, thought so. Just now, the students who got exposed to Elijah and Yuria¡¯s attack would have turned into minced meat if I hadn¡¯t used Ultima to cast a shield in conjunction with Penance. I knew that most stat buffs are applied multiplicatively to the base stats, but isn''t this going a bit overboard? Considering that the physical-rted stats of these two are currently hovering between B and C, it''s even more excessive. ¡®Since my stats are all at F, I can only draw half of the skill''s performance at most.¡¯ I shook my head with a sigh. ¡®I''ll need to raise them.¡¯ Stats are among the most difficult traits to raise, even for veteran yers. I wasn''t just putting it off for no reason. Fortunately, there will be a chance to boost them soon. Once the midterm exam is over, various opportunities will arise. ¡®Well, right now¡­¡¯ There''s something else I''ve gained. I navigated around the system window. [ ''Party members'' have received significant boosts inbat performance through buffs! ] [ ¡®AP(Assist Points)¡¯ has been granted! ] [ You can use AP to increase proficiency in desired attributes! ] That''s right. Sera has a system called AP. Even if I don¡¯t fight myself and just help my party members, I can still umte experience. And just now, two of my buffed party members cleared 100 enemies in one shot. And the AP I got from that is... [ Attribute: Breathing Technique ¨C Duckweed proficiency has increased. ] [ Attribute: Shifting Wind proficiency has increased. ] [ Proficiency in both attributes has improved! ] [ Both attributes are promoted from ''Basic'' to ''General'' Grade! ] [!Information!] [ Confirmed achievement of all conditions. ] [ The two attributes will be fused! ] ¡ý¡ý¡ý¡ý [ Attribute: Arcane Gale ] [ Grade: Basic ] [ Proficiency: 0% ] [ Return a significant portion of the damage received if opponent''s attack is ''deflected'' at the right timing. ] ¡­It was enough toplete all this in one go. It''s a satisfying oue. Just with this, mybat prowess has considerably increased. Lost in these thoughts, I heard someone nearby and something being dropped. ¡°¡­Wow.¡± Elijah eximed as she looked at the sack full of nes. All these were left behind by those who surrendered earlier. ¡°How many points will we get with all this?¡± ¡°It won''t be about points.¡± I responded with a wry smile. Getting a high score in the midterm exam naturally drops rewards in Sera¡¯s main story. Collecting 3 nes is high rank, 10 is top rank, and 20 is the best. However. If a yer decides and collects more than 100 nes, there is another hidden reward one can get. Primarily, the Crafting School where they create all sorts of equipment and items. ¡®Those guys.¡¯ It''s time to start prepping the stuff I need to clear Chapter 2. This is a pretty impressive achievement. ¡°By the way, Mister.¡± Elijah, with her arms folded, suddenly slipped in front of me. She looked like she has something to say. ¡°Did you do something strange without telling me?¡± ¡°¡­Uh. Yes.¡± At Elijah''s words, Yuria looked at me. Judging by the way her eyes were darting around, it''s clear that it has also caught her attention. ¡°There were a lot of people watching. Right? Won''t there be rumors?¡± ¡°¡­That''s right.¡± ¡°Mister, do you remember thest time when you apologized to me and said you¡¯d do anything I want?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It did seem like that happened. When they went into the Netherworld farming ectosm, Elijah got really mad and I made that promise to her. But why is she suddenly bringing this up now? I felt uneasy. ¡°Then I have two wish coupons now, right?¡± Seeing my expression, Elijah smiled mischievously. Her look just doubled my anxiety. ¡°¡­What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Se¡ªcret. I won''t ask twice, I''ll do a one for two, alright?¡± Elijah giggled as she stuck her tongue out. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after the midterm exam, so please take good care of me then.¡± ¡°¡­After?¡± As I was wondering why specifically that time, suddenly, an earlierment made by our family butler popped into my mind. -Isn''t there an event happening soon? It''ll be easier to find a partner. I heard that the House Lord met the Lady there... ¡­No. Surely she''s not talking about that, right? If she really is, I''ll have to take her with me to our territory. As I was silently breaking out in cold sweat, Yuria raised her hand. [I¡­] ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± [¡­I don¡¯t think it''s strange that you dered yourself the owner.] ¡°¡­¡± [Actually, it might even be better¡­?] Elijah and I locked eyes. We seemed to have a tacit agreement not to pay attention to the floating characters on the side. Elijah cleared her throat and asked. ¡°By the way, Mister. Are you familiar with Margrave Kendride?¡± ¡°¡­? No?¡± Margrave Kendride acts something like a foster father to Elijah. One of the most prominent Holy Knight on the continent. In the game, you have a chance to get him as apanion character in theter stages of the game. I remember him as a sustain character, with abination of rigorousbat skills and high-level divine abilities. ¡°Your fighting styles are very simr.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. You''re good at closebat, you handle blessings well, and you know exactly when and where to strike. If the Marquis himself sees it, he''d probably take quite an interest.¡± ¡°¡­Tell him it''s unnecessary.¡± Gideon and Margrave Kendride''s oil and water rtionship is infamous among the great nobility. If it weren''t for the Imperial Family''s intervention, they would have already had several wars long ago. And, though it''s not official, I have a sort of informal ''teacher-student'' rtionship with Gideon. I see him on a regr basis. The moment I get involved with Margrave Kendride, chaos is guaranteed. ¡®I wonder how Gideon is doing.¡¯ Right now, he''s probably deep into training somewhere under my direction. But once hees out... his growth will be impressive. Truly. ¡°¡­Honestly, it''s already noticeable. It''s just a matter of time.¡± Ignoring the mumbling Elijah, I gaze ahead. ¡°Oh, we have arrived.¡± A small stone building surrounded by a blue hemisphere. It is the sanctuary that marks the end of the midterm exam. Once you enter and submit the nes, the event ends. ¡®¡­It''s unlikely that it''ll end this smoothly.¡¯ A wore a wry smile as I looked ahead. Considering the experience I¡¯ve had so far, there¡¯s no way it will end peacefully inside. The midterm exam has always been the beginning of a big event in Sera. No exceptions. ¡°Why are you standing still, should we not go in?¡± ¡°¡­No, let¡¯s go.¡± Of course, I still have to go. With that thought, I approached the sanctuary. I pushed the heavy stone door and step inside, where... ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Elijah eximed in a panic. ¡°What, what is this? Is this also part of the test? No, still, this doesn''t make any sense¡­!¡± Because inside, there was a person sprawled on the ground, covered in blood. It''s a horrific sight. It¡¯s almost as if someone intentionally tortured them. ¡°¡­¡± And. ¡°¡­!¡± The moment I recognized ''who'' it was, a chilling sensation gripped my heart. This is someone I know. Unfortunately. Why unfortunate? Because there was a person near me right now who should never have seen this person like this. Turning to the side, I see Yuria staring nkly in that direction. Vacant. Perpetually. Her eyes was devoid of light. As if her mind just copsed. ¡°¡­Unnie?¡± Then, an empty ''voice'' came out of Yuria instead of ¡®letters¡¯. A window popped up in front of me. [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Chapter 2 ¨C Boy King ¡½ [ Stop the rampage of the Apotropaic magic possessing the ''Curse of Severance''! ] [ If ¡®Lucien Greyhounder¡¯ or ¡®Yuria Greyhounder¡¯ dies, it will be deemed as failure! ] [ Reward: 1x Sanctification''s Echo ] [ Reward: 1x Evil Seed ] Yup. What did I just say? Fck. Chapter 45 Chapter 45 EP - 045 - Duel Divine Power, unlike other abilities, is an ability that every individual possesses. In other words, you could say it''s one of the ponents" of the body. That also means, unlike other abilities that be unusable for a while once depleted, when all of the Divine Power is drawn out, the rebound was quite severe. Whatever happens, well. The Saintess in front will be showing everything from one through ten. ¡°Uu¡­ uk¡­¡± Organ damage, muscle ruptures, cells within the body necrotizing and rapidly regenerating, it''s a repetitive vicious cycle. For an ordinary person, this level of rapid consumption of Divine Power would be fatal. She''s enduring it because she''s the Saintess of the Holy Land. Lucien coughed a mouthful of blood, as it dripped into the divine barrier drawn on the floor. ¡°¡­¡± The moment I realized the ¡®meaning¡¯ of the barrier, a hollowughter escaped my lips. ¡®¡­Is she supplying Divine Power to the entire Great ins by herself?¡¯ She, alone, was providing the Divine Power needed for the barrier surrounding this vast area and the blessings on the nes given to all the students. An ordinary priest might not even be able to handle a few dozen people, let alone the insane burden required for an entire expanse. ¡°¡­Please hold on, I¡¯ll save you!¡± Any sensible human being can tell that something is very wrong. If it were someone who considered rescuing people to be their responsibility, it would be strange for them not to step forward. Elijah drew her sword and focused her breath. Breaking the entire floor would likely destroy the barrier. That''s probably what she''s aiming for. ¡°Oh no, this won''t do, student.¡± A voice suddenly sounded, while a heavy blownded on Elijah¡¯s sword. With a ''ting'' sound, the sword flew and got embedded in the ceiling. ¡°¡­!¡± Elijah''s eyes widenedin surprise as she saw her sword get sent flying, which even tore through her palm. To orchestrate such a scene, there must be a significant ''gap in skill'' between the two parties. Even though she couldn''t have anticipated the existence of an opponent, she''s the hero candidate and is on par with a regr knight. In other words. The person wearing the equipment of a ''Battle Priest'' of the Holy Land right now was of a high enough level, where it''s hard to find such expertise even on a national scale. A high-ranking Battle Priest, a possessor ofbat strength that truly befits the title of a ''human weapon.'' ¡°¡­¡± I quickly scanned the name tag on his chest. Klein Garrison. ¡®¡­I¡¯m not the type to meet here in the first ce.¡¯ A minor antagonist who briefly appears in Chapter 2. Given his prominence, he''s an unexpectedly strong figure. In the first ce, the option to fight and capture him is practically non-existent. As evidenced by how Elijah was rendered powerless in a single blow, it''s clear that he''s not someone a student can handle. Then, his gaze briefly shifts to Yuria before eventually returning to Elijah. This is as expected. The truth about Yuria still isn''t fully grasped in the Holy Land it seems, the fugitive who stole the national treasure. This itself serves as a catalyst that leads to the highlight of Chapter 2. It''s safe to say that this part remained the same as the original. ¡°The Saintess voluntarily undertook this act of ¡®service.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t it be rude to intervene in her noble intentions?¡± ¡°¡­Are you telling me she willingly got herself into this state? That doesn''t make any sense!¡± Elijah remained undeterred, even after being incapacitated with a single blow. She retorted to Klein with a determined spark in her eyes. It''s undoubtedly a valid argument, but in the Holy Land I''m familiar with, such words would be easily shrugged off by these insane people. Just look at the immediate situation. ¡°Hmm, an intriguing perspective. Shall we hear it directly from the Saintess, then?¡± After saying that, Klein turned his head towards Lucien with a sly smile. ¡°Tell me, Saintess. Did someone force you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucien gritted her teeth. Even now, she was enduring a level of agony akin to being dismembered alive. Demanding such an answer so brazenly from someone undergoing such excruciating pain is simply disgusting and sinister. ¡°¡­Ah, no.¡± However. The response that came out was unmistakably affirmative. Lucien replied in a terribly cracked voice. Even now, blood dripped down from the corner of her mouth, but she continued speaking. ¡°This, I, am. I''m, willing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Elijah was left dumbfounded, her mouth agape, Klein continued speaking with that smile still etched on his face. ¡°See? She''s saying it on her own ord.¡± However, his words carried an oppressive weight. ¡°Or perhaps, you''re saying that you would go against the Saintess'' undertaking? That would go against the entire will of the Holy Land. Certainly, the hero candidate would know that, right?¡± ¡°¡­This pile of, garbage¡­!¡± Elijah gritted her teeth. Given the context, one could understand the meaning behind her words. Indeed, externally, the Saintess represents the will of the entire church. For such a person to say, "I will do it myself," and then be prevented by someone, even in a situation as obviously contrived as this, would have significant international implications. ¡®¡­They''re iparably trash.¡¯ The Holy Land act no different than thugs despite being one of the three major powers. They both have the strength and slyness to do such diplomatic debauchery. Nobody knows what insane antics they might engage in as a pretext. It wouldn''t even be strange if they randomly start a war. You can see it from how Atante, who would normally oppose such behavior, eventually allowed this to pass. She probably got pressured from all sides to just let it slide without making a fuss. To not get herself caught up needlessly. The fact that the Saintess is the most valuable ''expendable'' in the Holy Land is an open secret known to all the major rulers. ¡°¡­¡± Because of such things, even in the original, it''s clear that the Saintess was subjected to harsh treatment under the Holy Land''s coercion. However, this is a bit strange. This horrific act is at a level of madness I¡¯ve never seen in the original work. ¡°Well, if you intend to have a little talk. I might as well ask a ¡®request¡¯ in the Saintess'' behalf.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± While Elijah coldly asked, Klein simply replied with a grin. ¡°The ¡®devil-rted incident¡¯ from a while ago. The Pope is very interested in it.¡± His gaze flew straight at me. ¡°I¡¯m believe you know what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And as soon as I heard those words, it felt like the pieces just clicked into ce. Devils are a significantly important element of the ''great cause'' established by the Pope. Even within the game, he''s continuously described to be interested in them. Which means that he''s paying close attention to the Gray Devil incursion incident caused by Elnore during the Purifier boss battle not long ago. And clearly. Whether I like it or not, ¡®my information¡¯ was leaked. ¡®He''s provoking me.¡¯ My nape felt chilly, as I inwardly muttered. This was deliberate intimidation. He''s basically saying, ''If you don''t cooperate, we''ll torment the Saintess more. So listen while we''re still being nice.'' And thanks to these guys pulling off such a stunt, the progression of the main quest that I remember has been significantly altered. ¡®A raging vessel and a battle¡­¡¯ The main quest says to stop the rampaging Yuria. That¡¯s just s_icide. At least in the case of Marquis Riverback there was some basis to go off of. On the other hand, it is absolutely impossible to subdue a vessel that could manifest a devil fragment. ¡®¡­Then.¡¯ In other words. There is only one way. That is, to take lead. Avoid fighting with the ¡®vessel¡¯. Rather, let''s go set this trash aze. ¡°¡­¡± With a wry smile, I started walked towards the Saintess. She''s still inside the barrier, vomiting blood and being sucked dry. ¡°Ah, if you approach it any further, I will have to show my hand. We can''t allow any interference with the Saintess''s task-¡° As Klein was saying so in a rxed voice. ¡°Try it.¡± I expressionlessly replied. At the same time. ¡°¡­¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes widened as she snaps out of her daze. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Try whatever nonsense you''re saying.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I''m going to save her. Try me.¡± Klein¡¯s expression hardened for the first time. ¡°¡­It will be an international issue. Are you sure you can handle it?¡± Ignoring whatever the guy muttered, I approached the Saintess. What I was waiting for was about three steps away. [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation to result in serious injury. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to Grade A. ] As soon as this window popped up, I activated the skill. [ ¡®Skill: Swordsman''s Focus¡¯ has been activated! ] [ Reaction speed and precision are increased! ] The world began to slow down. With thebination of Desperation and Swordsman''s Focus, Klein''s attack whose power far exceed mine, be clearly visible. I drew the sword from my waist and met his attack. -! Klein¡¯s face was once again stered with a vile smile. Even the knights of the Empire who are in the same realm as a high-ranking battle priest would hesitate to directly engage with them. While they may possess finesse with the sword and physical resilience, battle priests canyer various types of buffs onto their weapons. Dealing with them by just exchanging blows is simply impossible. A student blindly doing so was nothing more than a mockery. However. If the timing is right, I have a skill that can render any damage ¡®null¡¯. As soon as his attack came, I ¡®deflected¡¯ at the exact moment. [ Perfect Deflection! ] [¡®Attribute: Arcane Gale¡¯ has been activated! ] [ Returning a portion of the opponent¡¯s attack! ] All the ''attack blessings'' imbued into his sword strike were reversed and unleashed back towards Klein. -! His body was propelled at a terrifying speed, creating a cloud of dust as he crashed against a wall. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, the reflected damage wasn''t that major. Considering that Desperation was only raised to A Grade, he clearly didn''t unleash a full-powered attack. A high-ranking battle priest wouldn''t crumple just from receiving a bit of his own attack. However. The expression of pure bafflement on his face was golden, looking like a big mouth who suddenly ate a fly. A high-ranking battle priest, someone who''s regarded as one of the topbatants in the country, was sent back by a mere academy student. He''s probably in immense shock. ¡°You know, you''ve been bbering nonsense for a while now.¡± I supported Lucien, who was still coughing, to her feet. Once we stepped outside the barrier, her coughing finally subsided and she stopped vomiting blood. The white aura around Yuria also began to recede as she approached Lucien with teary eyes. Alright. This side is safe for now. Setting Lucien down, I took a piece of parchment and approached the still-dazed Klein, who was stuck in the wall. ¡°What was it again, an international problem?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I grinned at the nk Klein. Well, his response was reasonable. This isn''t an issue that a mere student can lightly address. It''s a matter that could potentially turn the entire continent upside down. But. So what? I threw the parchment, hitting Klein¡¯s face. ¡°What is this¡­!¡± His expression contorted, while I responded with a wider smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have gloves. So let''s make do with this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His twisted face froze once again. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t know why I would throw a glove at his face. Yes, that¡¯s right. A duel challenge. I inwardly offered an apology to Gideon. You''ll have a bit of troubleter, Archduke. This is going to cause quite a stir. ¡°By Exemption Writ, my actions henceforth is the responsibility of the Imperial Family and the Tristan Duke Family.¡± Since he''s always threatening with international power, then I''ll summon an authority on part with that. Oh yeah, the Holy Land? I have the Imperial Family and Archduke Tristan, so what? With that said. It''s time to take out the trash. ¡°You, let''s have a dance.¡± Starting with this one. Chapter 46 Chapter 46 EP - 046 - Duel (2) ¡°¡­What were you thinking?¡± Atante murmured while holding her face. It was a mixture of anger andmentation. I don''t have anything to say. She''s running around trying to clean up the mess I''ve caused. Despite the fact that what I''ve done is a colossal diplomatic and political disaster, she still went ahead and handled all the necessary procedures for the uing duel. I guess she''ll trying to amodate everything I do. Of course, that doesn''t ignore the fact that this was crazy. ¡°An academy student requested a high-ranking battle priest to a duel. Were you fully aware of what you did?¡± She questioned with a sigh. ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as I answered so in a t voice, Atante''s sigh deepened. ¡°Regardless of your exemption, you have caused quite a stir. Even the Imperial Family and Tribal Union have started paying attention to this matter.¡± Atante spoke in a hushed voice. ¡°Why did you do this? Considering your disposition, it''s hard to believe you did it without reason.¡± I smiled at her words. The reason? Of course, there''s a reason. ¡°You told me to seduce the devil vessels. I found one. This is all part of the n.¡± ¡°¡­I have already confirmed that a ¡®fragment¡¯ manifested in Yuria Greyhounder.¡± Atante replied in a somber voice. ¡°She was already one of the possible vessel candidates, but her manifestation was the fastest. This speed is undoubtedly unexpected.¡± Definitely. The list of ''candidates'' she gave contained various names. Given the circumstances and conditions, there were several people who were more likely to manifest their fragment faster than Yuria. For example, Riru Garda, a key character in Chapter 3, and Feinol Raifec in Chapter 5. Yet, it was Yuria who manifested the fastest... ¡°¡­Is it because of my frequent contact?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Atante gave a wry smile. The nature of my soul, ''loved by all evil.'' No matter which way you look at it, it''s a trait that''s designed to reel in the ''devil fragments''. ¡°Do you know what the ''butterfly effect'' is, President?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah? What is it about?¡± What is it about? It''s about how much of a btch it is. Ever since I got involved in the main scenario, it never seemed to favor me. Every choice I made so far just kept on growing bigger and bigger, and it alwayses back to this. ¡®¡­Ultimately, I''m the cause of it all.¡¯ Honestly, hoping everything will go ording to the ''original'' while doing what''s convenient for me is quite conscienceless. Still, I was going to overlook most things and just move forward. I''m just surviving. I didn''t really think of even touching the story. But. Still. There is a limit. Yuria and Lucien. They were significantly affected by my presence. Yuria might have never awakened as a vessel her whole life and Lucien wouldn''t have experienced extreme torture. ¡°¡­¡± Then Elnore and Elijah''s faces also shed through my mind. Them too. I''ll eventually have to face the consequences. ¡°Well, anyway.¡± I said with a bitter smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any reason why I shouldn¡¯t have saved her right away. Rescuing someone from torture isn¡¯t a bad thing, is it?¡± The ¡®gust from the butterfly''s wings¡¯ that triggered the current situation was, after all, caused by me. That''s why, I will take responsibility. ¡°¡­¡± Atante looked at me in the eye for a moment before sighing again. It looked like she resigned herself to the situation. ¡°A high-ranking battle priest is no random thug. There will undoubtedly be a reaction from the Pope''s side. They might even observe directly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, it''s not a situation we can just brush off.¡± Atante¡¯s gaze sank. ¡°The Pope is dangerous. I don''t know what you''re nning, but if you get involved, it might be wise to reconsider.¡± I fully understood Atante¡¯s words. After all, this wasn''t just anyone were talking about, it''s the Pope. Credo Baor II. The strongest among the priest ss and the leader of the Holy Land. Even in the game, he was a viin who tormented yers until thete stages. Some might even argue that dealing with him was more challenging than the devil worshippers, who were the biggest hurdle in the scenario. Even someone as capable as Atante couldn''t just intervene. It''s not like she''s simply watching Lucien suffer for entertainment, rather, her intervention would be as effective as throwing eggs at a rock. In other words, he''s nothing but danger. However. I have to do this now. I don¡¯t have a choice. ¡®¡­This is so dogsht.¡¯ This situation is just absurd. I can¡¯t afford to fail the main quest, otherwise my life would be game over. Because of my constitution, I have to tie the knots of the devil vessels that keep on intertwining with me, and at the same time, take care of their mental health. Else, who knows how the devils they harbor would rampage. ¡°¡­¡± Well because of my gift, the devils naturally like me, so it might not matter. But depending on the devil''s disposition, they could genuinely chop off my limbs, throw me into some isted cell, and rear me like livestock. They''re called ''devils.'' I can''t even begin to imagine what twisted definition their affection is. The fact that the Gray Devil within Elnore simply treated me and then withdrew is very unusual. So. 1. Clear the main quest. 2. Get close to the devil vessels and manage their mental. If I can''t do both of these things, I''m dead. The difficulty level is off the charts. ¡°¡­¡± So, if there is a way to break through both... Even if it¡¯s dangerous, I have need tomit. Regardless if the Pope''s sidees. What else can I really do? ¡°The Greyhounder sisters, artificial beings created by the Holy Land.¡± Hearing what I muttered, Atante looked at me in shock. This, under normal circumstances, is one of the highest ssified secrets of the Holy Land. The Homunculus n. The vile byproduct of the lifelong ''grand endeavor'' of the Pope. ¡°The President is aware of the nature of those two, right? In order to prevent Yuria, who awakened as a vessel, from getting worse, the two must be brought together. Otherwise, her sanity will truly copse.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°For that, I have to do this duel. We have to shake off the interference from the Holy Land.¡± ¡°¡­Is that even possible? From one duel?¡± ¡°Yes, without a doubt.¡± Currently, it''s not possible. But I n to make that happen "during" the duel. An impact that will force the Holy Land to withdraw. ¡°¡­¡± The means are there. I didn¡¯t prepare for this situation, but if my prediction is correct, I definitely have a bination¡¯ that has the value and power to ovee this situation. ¡°¡­What on earth are you thinking?¡± I smiled at Atante, whose voice slightly trembled. ¡°You mentioned the possibility of the Popeing, right?¡± What am I thinking? In the end, all problems stem from that side. To prevent this from happening again, something has to happen, be it negotiation or confrontation. ¡°Please make sure hees. It¡¯s rather difficult if he''s not here.¡± Let¡¯s see that face. ¡ñ The dueling venue was a small circr arena located below the academy. The referee was President Atante. Spectators include several members of the Holy Land, Butler Herman representing the Campbell Family, as well as a few obvious official representatives from the imperial pce. Although the number of people wasn''trge, those that are present hold a significant presence. ¡°¡­¡± However, one stood out even amidst such figures. Klein nced to the side with a slightly tense expression. Under a luxurious canopy was a munication phantom¡¯ of a young man, who''s seemingly wrapped in gold. The Pope is watching this duel. His real body was probably in the Holy Land''s headquarters. This was merely a projection of himself. Then, with narrowed eyes, Klein turned his gaze at the impudent guy in front of him. ¡®Just by appearances, he looks like a nobody.¡¯ There is no need to look at him that deeply to realize that... While he might have some proficiency in swordsmanship, it''s clear as day that his overall ability is no higher than a crawling worm. How this guy managed to hit him previously is still a mystery. ¡°The rules are as follows.¡± With both swords drawn, Atante''s voice resounded. ¡°This is an informal duel, so death prohibited. If there''s clear serious injury sustained, the duel will be stopped immediately and the victor will be dered. Otherwise, the duel will continue until one side surrenders. Do both parties understand?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Despite confronting him, a high-ranking battle priest, the other guy lookspletely rxed. Hearing his dull voice, veins bulged up on Klein¡¯s forehead. Even professors from a decent academy couldn''t raise their heads properly before him, let alone a student. What the hell is with this guy? ¡®I''ll wipe that expression off your face.¡¯ Klein didn¡¯t know what this man was thinking, but since it was the other party who challenged him to a duel, he can legally beat him up without any restriction. ¡°¡­It''s toote to beg for forgiveness now.¡± He said with a sardonic smile. As he uttered those words, various blessings formed around him. Scared characters formed from Divine Power materialized and began to circle around him. Each character had an immense effect. Enhanced regenerative ability, increased physical defense, increased agility and dexterity... An ordinary priest would need to use a holy piece and pray for some time to conjure such blessings. The simultaneous emergence of these blessings left even those who were watching nearby in awe. ¡®¡­What a fool.¡¯ And Klein, who summoned it in an instant, smirked at Dowd, who was staring at him. The Holy Land''s Battle Priests are regarded as one of the four major forces alongside the Empire''s ''Knights,'' the Tribal Union''s ''Warlords,'' and the Mage Tower''s ''Mages.'' While Knights possess versatility to handle nearly all situations and Warlords focus on meleebat prowess like humanoid beasts, thepetitiveness of Battle Priests stems entirely from blessings. The longer the battlests and the more blessings stack, the more vitality and defense Battle Priests possess. They get bonus physical attributes approaching infinity. The brief moments before these blessings were created marked thest chance given to Dowd Campbell. Yet, he stood still like a dummy target. ¡®Well, even if he knew, it wouldn''t make much of a difference.¡¯ How quickly these blessings were cast determined the skill of a battle priest. If they''re ssified as ''high-rank,'' the only people who would be able to keep up are knights or warlords of the same level. No matter how good his skills might be, he''s just a student. ¡°-!¡± Then, Klein''s body quietly shot forward. The solid stone floor from which he was just standing suddenly got crushed, as if a mine exploded. It''s only one stack of blessing, yet it''s already this much power. ¡®I won''t let my guard down this time.¡¯ He was careless previously and allowed a strike to connect. But right now, the Pope is watching. Such a disgraceful disy can never be tolerated. -! Chaeng-, they made their first contact. Given the gap in their skills, it was probably a bizarre scene, but Klein was no longer as surprised. He knew that what''s on the surface was not all it seems, after having experienced it and hearing about it beforehand. ¡®Don''t rush in to kill him.¡¯ ¡®¡­What does His Holiness mean?¡¯ Klein recalled the advice the Pope had given him right before the duel. ¡®The more aggressive you charge, the stronger he will be. It''s that kind of ability.¡¯ The Pope said in a soft voice. It¡¯s an incredible ability. Without any special talent or condition, just by having an opponent who rushes to kill you, you automatically be stronger. ¡®I''ve seen something simr before. I didn''t expect to see it again.¡¯ ¡®¡­There''s someone else who uses such an irrational ability?¡¯ ¡®Right. Yes. There was.¡¯ To that question, the Pope responded with a subtle smile. ¡®Though it''s a bit ambiguous to call it a person.¡¯ He never revealed who it was, but Klein was grateful to be given such information. It was clear by observing how Dowd kept up with his attacks. He was bridging the gap between student level and a high-ranking battle priest, that''s akin to heaven and earth. It¡¯s ridiculous. If Klein had rushed in with no knowledge and used his full power from the start, he might have beenpletely overwhelmed. ¡®However.¡¯ That same ability not only responded to the difference in their individual strengths. It was also sensitive to how much ''hostility'' the opponent harbored. In that case, Klein just needed to take action without putting too much ''intent''. There probably wasn''t a human who could perfectly exert that level of control, but even this significantly diminished Dowd''s powerpared to before. And at the moment, that alone was enough. Dowd, who had lightly countered his attacks, couldn''t deflect any of his strikes now. Far from counterattacking, he was either hit or barely managing to defend against them. And here. ¡®Blessing stack.¡¯ The light emitted by the swirling characters intensified. This was when the unique ability of battle priests, began to reveal its true worth, growing stronger over time. His already vicious physical abilities were further amplified, bolstering his momentum. The slight gap between the two just a moment ago started growing wider. Attacks that couldn''t be deflected or blocked began to umte, and wounds started to appear on Dowd''s body. From here on, that gap would only get bigger. His defeat was already set in stone. The sardonic smile reappeared on Klein''s face. The situation was unfolding like he expected. As the blessings stacked, Klein grew stronger, and the wounds on Dowd¡¯s body gradually increased. ¡°¡­¡± If there¡¯s anything Klein didn''t like. It was that the other party was still expressionless. As if this irreversible, hopeless situation was within his calctions. Which lead to Klein, in displeasure, do the following action. ¡°Oi.¡± After a round of exchanges, Klein, who had left a long gash on Dowd''s arm, slightly stepped back and said. ¡°How about this? If you start begging for mercy, I won¡¯t leave you with too deep of an injury.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Though, Dowd''s face remained dull. There was not even a response. Seeing this, Klein''s fury turned up a notch. ¡°As long as it''s not life or death, anything goes. So, do you want to experience what it''s like being torn apart alive? I''ll make sure that you wish to be dead instead.¡± He tried to threaten the other party. Yet, nothing. Absolutely no change. Dowd still looked blunt. ¡°Oh. What a coincidence.¡± Just that. ¡°I''ll also do that to you now.¡± He finally received a reply, but it was this. ¡ñ As I said those words, a look of disbelief filled Klein''s face. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°No, as you said, it¡¯s not life or death.¡± I replied while scanning the floating window in front of me. ¡°I need to make sure that you''ll live. You might just die right away if I don''t let you stack your blessings.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Klein''s expression momentarily went nk. It seems that he couldn''tprehend the words I just said. But soon, an eruption of anger akin to a volcano appeared on his face. ¡°¡­You bastard. Are you saying that you were letting the blessings stack?¡± ¡°I guess you''re not that stupid, after all.¡± Klein''s eyes immediately went bloodshot. ¡°I see that you still have the leisure to engage in such a meaningless provocation.¡± ¡°Well.¡± First of all. I don''t have that much leeway. I was busy calcting in my head. Like how the actions I''m about to take mean. Or what aftermath they''ll bring. Second. It is not a meaningless provocation. I''m merely stating facts. If the blessings aren''t sufficiently stacked, this guy will really die within seconds against me. ¡°¡­I¡¯d rather it just be a provocation too.¡± I probably have at most a few dozen seconds. But, that¡¯s enough. ¡°Ha. Let''s see how far that cocky mouth can go¡ª¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I let out a sigh and interrupted. Come to think of it. The reason the Holy Land is on my as$ is ultimately because they''re interested in the ¡®devil¡¯s power¡¯. Because it''s necessary to fulfill the Pope''s lifelong ambition, the ''great endeavor.'' The power of transcendents that twists even thews of the world. ¡°A really serious piece of advice.¡± So. I''ll show it to you then. ¡°If you don''t want to die right away, shut your mouth and focus.¡± Right after I said so. [ ¡®Skill: Guidance¡¯ has been used. ] ¡þ Currently Avable Features ? Divine Descent - Wrath { Elnore } [ Checking Devil Energy. ] [ ¡®The Fallen''s Seal¡¯ is responding. ] The world... Was dyed gray [T/N: Got sick after the school''s reopening ''fun'' run in prime heat. Of course I recovered much earlier than this but I prioritized doing Taming the Viinesses first as it''s my main project. I''m almost halfway done with c47 and posted it so click next after this] Chapter 47 (Unfinished) Chapter 47 (Unfinished) EP - 047 - Duel (3) Come to think of it. It makes no sense for the devil to descend as the person attempting to summon it didn''t even get chosen by them. And although I did activate the skill, the spread of color around me wasn''t as distinct as when Elnore awakened the fragment within her. Originally, it probably won''t even adhere to my body and would simply scatter. However. [ ''The Fallen''s Seal'' responds. ] [ The devil energy gathers around the Fallen''s Seal. ] Yes. I expected this. I don¡¯t know exactly what the Fallen''s Seal does. And its description was also broken in the system window. ¡°¡­¡± I couldn''t help but let out a bitter smile. If you think about what role the ¡®seals¡¯ that devils leave on humans in the game, it¡¯s clear that this will have a big impact on me in some way in the future. I don¡¯t know, but it could affect my mind as deeply as the vessels with actual devil fragments in them. But, for now. I can imitate a vessel for a very short time using this. ¡°¡­¡± The world slowed down. It¡¯s simr to before. However, there is a clear difference from Elnore''s. At that time, when the devil energy touched the world, everything stopped moving. Whereas now, it is moving, albeit slowly. To the extent that I can grasp it with my naked eyes. ¡®¡­That¡¯s why.¡¯ A wore a wry smile. The gray devil¡¯s basic ability, ¡®Erosion¡¯, is the power of absolute control over any space its energy touches. Even with only one fragment in a vessel, it will activate. This slow movement meant that even with the help of the seal, I can''t even use the most basic ability. Nevertheless. I can''t faintly see her. The Gray Devil in the form of Elnore. It''s so obscure that even the outline is barely visible. It''s natural since I''m not aplete vessel. But it''s also thanks to this that there''s less pressure. While before it felt like I would die just by meeting her eyes, now it''s bearable. ¡°¡­¡± She slowly descended from the sky and approached me without saying a word. She has the same expressionless face as Elnore usually does. Though,pared to the childlike reaction she had shown before, this was foreign. ¡°¡­¡± And seeing those crimson eyes meticulously scanning the scars on my body, that feeling was reinforced. In other words, she''s expressionless, but not emotionless. ¡®¡­Ah, I see.¡¯ She''s angry. She pouted and stomped her foot. Her expression was still nk, but I could feel her dissatisfaction with the current situation. She''s probably saying something like, "Why do you keep getting hurt everywhere you go? Take care of yourself." ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s interesting. Compared to other devils, she seems to show a ''human perspective'' of affection. If she were the ''harsh'' type like the White Devil or Blue Devil, when they descend like this, whether I''m hurt or not, they''d try to restrict or confine me as they please. Knowing this, I summoned her with some confidence. ¡®¡­I can''t help it.¡¯ In that sense, I bitterly smiled. Time hasn''tpletely stopped, it''s just moving very slowly, but this is enough. ¡°¡­¡± She eventually stopped stomping her feet but her cheeks were still puffed up. Maintaining that expression, she approaches me a little more. Then she reached out and touched my chest. ¡°Where¨¢| ????go¡± She finally said something. ¡°HitC3/4e3/4?¡ã?UC3/4don''t get.,??????????????. ??????????????????¡À????????????????¡Á??????????????hurt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, I''ll remember that. I never imagined I would hear such warm words from a devil. Then, a faint light rose from my chest [ Attribute added to the devil energy gathered in the ¡®Fallen''s Seal¡¯. ] [ While the energy remains, all your physical abilities are greatly increased by the power of the ¡®Gray Devil¡¯. ] [ All your attacks will gain an additional advantage against ''Holy Blessings''. ] ¡°Hit3/4?¡ã?Uas much3/4?¨¢|?return.¡± ¡­I guess that¡¯s why she raised my physical abilities. Well, it''s more than enough. I can tell just from the power coursing through my body right now. With this much, I''d stomp on Klein in no time. But after doing this, as if she had used up all the power she could manifest, her body began to disintegrate and scatter. ¡°¡­¡± As before, she smiled and parted her lips. Her existence was depleted to the point that her voice isn''t audible anymore, but I can still read her lips. ¡®I love you. See youter.¡¯ It¡¯s a familiar sentence. This guy, thest time we met at the Purifier boss fight, she said this to me right before we parted ways. And. ¡®At that time, definitely. You.¡¯ I remember that clearly as well. But, this time. ¡®With me, to the end of the world-¡® She added such words. ¡ñ ¡°¡­What, was that?¡± Klein muttered. There was this feeling. Even now, his hands were slightly shaking. It was fleeting, but something was here just now. Something that evokes instinctive fear just by being close. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat as if proof of that. ¡°Hmm.¡± However, there was no time to be lost in it. A snorting from the other side pulled his consciousness back to reality. In an instant, he regained his senses and gripped the sword, and assumed his stance. ¡°¡­¡± His gaze was stuck at the other side, stunned. Because Dowd Campbell had put his weapon on the floor. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± Is he surrendering? Why is he abandoning his weapon? ¡°Well.¡± The other party tly replied, slightly clenching his fist with a light frown. It seemed as though he wasn''t ustomed to his own body. And from that look, Klein instinctively noticed one thing. This guy. Something changed. Compared to earlier, there''s something ¡®within¡¯ him. ¡°I figured you might die in one hit if I used a sword.¡± -! Then came Dowd¡¯s light punch, whichnded on Klein''s chin. It''s more like a fist bump really. It looked so half-hearted. But, that alone. ¡°¡­!¡± Without having the time to express his astonishment at the sight of his stacked blessings tearing like paper, Klein exhaled as he stumbled backwards. He couldn''t even bnce himself before another attack came flying in. It was a kick this time, but equally half-hearted. It was almost as though Dowd was making an effort to be gentle with his attacks. However. ¡°Keoheok-!¡± Apanied by a sound that was hard to believe came from a collision between bodies, Klein''s body flew through the air like a projectile. As he tumbled chaotically on the ground, his coughed-up blood left a long streak on the floor. Even with that ridiculous move, all of Klein''s blessings were pierced once again, his ribs breaking. The broken bone pierced his lungs, causing internal bleeding. Almost immediately, his eyes were tinged with crimson. ¡°¡­This¡­ worthless bstard¡­!¡± Klein didn''t how the other party suddenly became stronger. However, he couldn''t afford to show such an embarrassing scene to the Pope. With that thought in mind, the holy characters surrounding his body emitted an even stronger light. For now, let''s activate regeneration. His bones swiftly returned to their original positions, his breathing stabilized, and vitality surged through his body. Next, he converted all the blessings around his body into a single attribute. ¡®¡­I never thought I¡¯d use this!¡¯ Instantaneously, white mes ignited on his sword. One of the offensive ''miracles'' that only high-ranking battle priests could use. ¡°Ether me?¡± A disconcerting voice came from the other side. ¡°Hey, isn''t that something used forrge monsters¡­¡± This wasn''t a duel to the death, and it''s absolutely not an ability to use against a student. A heavenly me that''s inextinguishable unless the target finally dies or the user puts it out voluntarily. Compared to blessings, it''s reputed for its viciousness and power among miracles and boasted a might dozens of times greater. However. ¡°I just need to keep you alive!¡± The white-med sword shot towards Dowd. The goal was not to kill but to inflict unbearable agony on the other party, burning them alive until they begged for the sweet release of death. That''s what he thought. ¡°Eum.¡± Until Dowd casually shrugged and carelessly punched. And with that move. The mes were extinguished by the wind. ¡°¡­¡± Klein''s mouth was wide as he looked at his sword. For abatant of his caliber, making such a basic mistake of losing focus during a fight should never happen. Thinking about it, this was more embarrassing than the bloody fall earlier. At the very least, not show it in front of the Pope. However, he was currently engulfed in such a tremendous shock that he couldn''t care less. An offensive miracle that he, a high-ranking battle priest, had conjured was blown out like a candle. ¡°¡­This works too. Is this what it means to be superior in the matchup?¡± ¡°You, you, what the hell did you do¡­!¡± He shockingly uttered in response to the other party''s casualness. But before he could even finish the sentence, another fist was thrust into his jaw. Once again, all of his defenses were breached, and his consciousness grew dim. ¡°Geok¡­!¡± Several more attacks followed against his airborne body. A strike to his unprotected abdomen. A knee to his face as his body contorted. And a straight punch that hammered down on his lowered head as if driving in a nail. ¡°Keok, heok¡­!¡± All he could do was scream in agony as he endured all those attacks. In terms of technique, there''s nothing at all. It¡¯s no different from an ordinary person with little to no fighting experience. Yet, despite that, he couldn''t cope. He couldn''t even react. He had already redirected all of his defenses towards regeneration, allowing him to recover from even fatal injuries, but the speed at which he was being injured far surpassed his ability to heal. And his opponent wasn''t even putting effort into the attacks. It was such an overwhelming power gap! ¡°Ah,e to think of it.¡± Dowd smirked. ¡°It''s okay as long as I don¡¯t kill you, no?¡± -! -!! The pain continued without stop. His nose waspletely crushed, and the thick, crimson blood was everywhere. Then, a kick sent his head crashing into a nearby wall, which left spiderweb-like cracks on the surface. ¡®He''s toying with me¡­!¡¯ Dowd could''ve knocked him down long ago if he wanted. The power difference was overwhelming. This wasn''t a fight to begin with. His opponent was treating him like a bug! ¡°St, stop¡­!¡± Another blow. His recently regrown teeth shattered once again, sending pieces flying all over. He had not gotten a chance to recover at all. Then came another strike. He could feel a lump of blood rising in his throat after getting punched in the abdomen. Just like this, he continued getting pummeled, taking blow after blow. To the point where blood pooled in puddles on the arena. Kick, punch, knee... Repeat. Finally, Klein couldn''t take it any longer, and he screamed. ¡°Stop, stop it! I was wrong! That''s enough¡­!¡± His will to fight was long gone. And whether the Pope was watching was a secondary concern. Escaping the excruciating pain that felt like his whole body was being torn apart was the most urgent matter! Wirh the scream, where he had thrown away all his pride and dignity, Dowd briefly halted his actions. ¡°¡­!¡± Perhaps, he stopped because of his plea. He looked at his opponent with a glimmer of hope. And then... He felt shivers running down his spine. There was nothing in the other party''s eyes. He was indifferent despite all this heated violence. Like he''s just doing ¡®work¡¯. ¡°Hmm.¡± Just. As if it were only natural that this level of suffering befall the ''enemy'' he had judged. His subsequent words followed the same trend. His voice still t. ¡°No.¡± Thest thing Klein remembered was a fist flying at his face. ¡ñ What do you mean, ''you were wrong''? You shouldn''t have tortured someone from the start. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I looked at Klein, knocked out cold on the ground, then nced around. There was a stifling silence. It¡¯s probably because a student just beat up a high-ranking battle priest, but it was also because of the power I had just disyed. I''m sure most of the people here have noticed. That what I just wielded was the ¡®devil¡¯s energy¡¯. ¡®It would be strange if they''re shocked.¡¯ I had briefly triggered the power of the Gray Devil, one of the most potent among the devils''. ording to the setting, there''s more than one or two groups drooling for such power. However, it''s natural for them to be surprised since I, who they never considered, was the one wielding this power. Furthermore, unlike ordinary vessels who would lose their minds and run amok, I remained perfectly in control of this ability. Even delving into history, there probably hasn''t been a single instance like this. ¡®¡­That¡¯s because I¡¯m not a real vessel.¡¯ This is just an imitation. If it were a genuine vessel skillfully handling the devil energy, this level of control is just child''s y. What I''m showing is merely a taste. However, I''ve likely seeded in implying to everyone here the image of a "human who can rationally control the devil''s power." Just that alonepletely changes my standing. ¡°¡­¡± A sad way to put it is, the support that Atante mentioned from the major powers about helping manage the vessels, likely didn''t mean they''ll provide me with tangible support. They acknowledged my "necessity" but not necessarily my "worth." But from what I showed here. A lot will change in the future. ¡°¡­¡± As for how much. Well, enough to be able to do this. ¡°Heo¡­ peueuk¡­¡± I grabbed the spouting Klein by the cor and began dragging him. And then, I tossed him into one of the spectator seats. -! As Klein¡¯s body flew, a shallow scream sounded. But no one got hit. Because his body was blocked by a ¡®holy barrier¡¯ mid-air. ¡°¡­What is the meaning of this?¡± Saint Credo Baor II. The current Pope. Had there not been a barrier, he would have directly collided with Klein''s body. ¡°Don''t you see it, Your Holiness?¡± I continue speaking with a smirk. ¡°I''m picking a fight with you right now.¡± Everyone''s jaws around us dropped. Chapter 48: Setting the Stage Chapter 48: Setting the Stage ? Setting the Stage ? ¡°Picking a fight with me, you say¡­¡± Anguid voice flowed out from the Pope¡¯s mouth. ¡°There must be something that just doesn¡¯t sit right with you. Please, do tell.¡± Even as he casually spoke, he had a calmposure to an almost terrifying degree. It was almost as if this situation had no relevance nor meaning to him whatsoever. ¡°¡­¡± Well, so what? I just needed to convey my intentions anyway. With a wry smile, I gestured with my chin towards Klein, who had copsed on the ground. ¡°For now, please stop sending bastards like this to harass the Saintess. You know the saying right? The water at the summit of a mountain must be clear for the water at its base to be clean as well. Because of your dirty and sinister thoughts, your subordinates reflect upon you by acting out like the unrestrained bitches that they are.¡± The mouths of the surrounding spectators gaped once again. They couldn¡¯t seem to believe that such words were being spoken to one of the most powerful figures on the entire continent. ¡°Also, there¡¯s something you¡¯re desperately looking for right now, right?¡± I was referring to Yuria¡¯s sword, the national treasure of the Holy Land. ¡°Don¡¯t bother, that thing is mine. If you insist though¡­ Let¡¯s say that you¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡± My short-term goal was to somehow deal with the source of the Curse of Severance. There were only four days left to do so. Only then, would I be able to gain the means to clear Chapter 2. Thus, to achieve this goal, I needed to stop this guy from going in a mad rush to try to get his grubby hands all over the treasure. ¡°¡­Thank you for the advice.¡± His voice flowed smoothly once again, almost as if nothing I said fazed him. ¡°Your Holiness¡­¡± I let out a faint smirk, as my words echoed throughout the chambers. ¡°That wasn¡¯t advice, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For reference, most of the individuals attending my audience with the Pope would have already gone through a considerable amount of trials and proved their capabilities. Each had their special abilities and unique nature that made them shine enough to get to where they were now. That meant jack shit though, since their reactions were exactly the same. Unique who? Their silence was apanied by astonishment. ¡°How dare you! Who do you think you are to act this way!¡± I looked towards the person who shouted that out, his voice shrill with overwhelming anger. Huh, he seemed like quite the ancient-looking priest. He was probably the Chief Aide of the Pope. ¡°In the first ce, we all heard you say that you were the one who was picking a fight with us! Although the duel itself couldn¡¯t be helped because it is proper procedure to respect it, resorting to this unnecessary brutality and disrespect ispletely uneptable! The Holy Kingdom will never overlook such actions!¡± ¡°So what?¡± When I gave him that nonchnt response, the priest¡¯s jaw dropped in shock. ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°So what if you won¡¯t overlook it. What are you going to do? Kill me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The priest¡¯s body began to tremble, his mouth still hanging open. If he just stayed still without saying anything, he would¡¯ve at least looked mildlyposed and respectable. However, now, with his entire face reddened and his beard quivering, he looked like aplete joke. ¡°Using¡­ Using such a brute in an honorable duel! Are Duke Tristan and the Imperial Family in their right minds?¡± ¡°If you want to talk about sanity or shit, look at yourself in the mirror first! You¡¯re the one who looks like a crazy bastard!¡± I wasn¡¯t the one who said that. A nearby individual who had been silently observing this situation until now, spoke up as he rose from his seat. His entire body was covered in muscles and scars, perfecting the stereotype of an ancient barbarian warrior with his attire and appearance. ¡°When you bullied that Saintess chick or whatever she was called, even though she was clearly innocent, we didn¡¯t do jack to you. It¡¯s fair, since it¡¯s none of our business.¡± Aid-back voice echoed. ¡°But this case is different. Even the Tribal Alliance knows who that kid is, knows how important he is. The moment you send a trained soldier against a kid who isn¡¯t even a warrior yet, we¡¯ve already suspected that something was amiss.¡± The warrior let out a chuckle and continued to smirk as he spoke. ¡°But even with all the cards stacked against him, you still lost overwhelmingly, so shut the fuck up. What that kid does from now on is a perfectly eptable use of his rights as a victor.¡± I instinctively let out a bitterugh internally. ¡®¡­It is as expected but¡­¡± I already expected that someone would back me up if I openly challenged the Pope. That was why I started this fiasco in the first ce. However, the ¡®importance¡¯ that this man talked about was something that arose just now, when he saw me handling the devil¡¯s power without any penalties. So obviously, there was a reason why he took my side. ¡°¡­¡± In other words¡­ From now on, I¡¯ve be ¡®prey¡¯ who held the attention of not only the Imperial Family, but also the War Chiefs of the Tribal Alliance. It seemed like I was bound to face all sorts of bothersome issues in the future. As I mulled over these bitter thoughts, the priest was furiously addressing the words of the Chief. ¡°Please refrain from speaking withoutprehending the full story! This is a matter of the Pope¡¯s safety!¡± ¡°So what, you old fossil? I¡¯ll repeat what the kid said earlier. What are you gonna do about it? Are you going to kill me or something?¡± With that, the priest instantly shut his mouth. This time, it wasn¡¯t that he was at a loss for words because he was so angry. It was because he could read the killing intent oozing from the lunatic¡¯s eyes. Even the faces of nearby individuals, who weren¡¯t even the target for such murderous energy, started to go pale and blue from the pressure and fear. ¡°Even our Tribal Alliance¡¯s Chieftain can¡¯t order me around. So why should I listen to you? I don¡¯t give a shit about what people from other countries say. Got it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In a way, this situation was just a continuous series of diplomatic disasters, but even so, the priest remained silent. Moreover, the Pope didn¡¯t say a word either. ¡®¡­Ha¡­¡¯ To be honest, I had a pretty good idea why they kept their silence. I counted the number of marks near the neck of the War Chief. The warriors of the Tribal Alliance tattooed their body with fang marks equal to the number of monsters they have hunted alone. ¡®Ten marks.¡¯ Another thing to note was that what the Tribal Alliance hunters called ¡®monsters¡¯ were at the level of drakes or basilisks. Although they couldn¡¯tpete with special-grade monsters, such as dragons or the Four Cardinal Gods, they were still magical beasts at the level of a natural disaster if one was to run amok. In other words¡­ This individual had hunted down ten of such monsters alone, when the Imperial Knights wouldn¡¯t dare to face even one of them unless their Captain was present. In that regard, his achievements were even greater than Gideon¡¯s or Atante¡¯s, who were both renowned monsters in their own right. ¡°¡­¡± I knew who this man was. Hatan U-Jul. He was the War Chief of the ¡®Blue Dragons¡¯, one of the main tribes in the Tribal Alliance, and the world¡¯s greatest monster hunter. He was also a recurring antagonist who frequently appeared in Chapter 3. Moreover, he was a tenured professor at the ¡®Forge of Struggle¡¯, an esteemed institution with influence akin to Elfante. With all these titles and des draped all over him, it was easy to understand why they would let him strut around like a thug without repercussions. To be more precise, they probably wanted to avoid confronting a fucking lunatic like him. ¡°Also, you.¡± And now, that very same lunatic directed his gaze towards me. ¡°I like your spirit. Even without considering the peculiar power you wield, you have the capabilities to be an exceptional warrior.¡± System Notification [ Skill: Fatal Charm is activated. ] [ A viin is pleased with your fighting spirit! ] [ Rewards avable! ] ¡°¡­¡± Huh. As expected of a madman, it seemed like he found me appealing when I performed those crazy deeds. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± As I gave my gratitude towards a fiercelyughing Hatan, he replied in turn. ¡°Come visit the Forge of Struggle sometime in the future. I will treat you well as an esteemed guest.¡± With that, a piece of jewelry flew towards me. It was an unassuming essory akin to a dreamcatcher. However, my eyes widened in delight as soon as I caught it. [ Lion¡¯s Ne ] Type: essory Item Grade: Rare Description: A ne bestowed upon promising warriors in the Tribal Alliance. When worn, it enhances the vitality of the body and improves the efficiency of physical training. ¡®This? Already?¡¯ While it was only a ¡®Rare¡¯ grade, the fact that I, a person of the ¡®Empire¡¯, received this item brought forth many implications. Out of all the superpowers, the Tribal Alliance was the most conservative when it came to their vignce against foreign nations. Giving this to a citizen from another country was something unimaginable. To obtain it, one would usually have to work their ass off to gain favor with Hatan, but I seemed to have received it so easily, thanks to the effects of my ¡®Fatal Charm¡¯. ¡®¡­Now, that¡¯s what I call stonks.¡¯ Although it won¡¯t grant great benefits right away, it was still an item that can potentially alter one of the acts in Chapter 3 ¡®Academy Exchange Event¡¯ entirely. After all, it was one of the conditions required to save an existence originally fated to die in Chapter 3. To be more precise¡­ It was my ticket to save the person that the chapter¡¯s main character, Riru Garda, risked her life to protect. ¡°You guys can go ahead and resolve the rest of the situation on your own. I had a fun time watching. See ya.¡± While I was contemting, Hatan yawned out those words and proceeded to dip. The spectators gave him incredulous looks, as if to ask ¡®What is wrong with him¡¯, but he didn¡¯t pay them any mind. ¡°¡­¡± Yep. This was how he always acted. Like an unpredictable force of nature. Always did whatever he wanted at his own pace. Even so, thanks to that guy¡¯s unpredictable actions, there was simply no one here who could challenge what I said. The only thing left for them to do was to simply wait for the Pope¡¯s response. As he let out a sigh, I glimpsed at his silhouette faintly visible across from me. Even with the situation that had unfolded so far, he did not seem to have any intention of responding. He merely continued to gaze at me in silence. Even now, this bastard¡­ Without the slightest hint of emotion, he calmly scanned me from head to toe. ¡°I understand.¡± Shortly thereafter, the Pope¡¯s smooth voice finally flowed out. ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly a duel that I wagered something on, but conceding to something of only that level won¡¯t be too difficult. Feel free to do as you wish.¡± With his words, everyone¡¯s eyes trembled in shock. It meant that he epted the so-called proposal of the person who caused this entiremotion. Moreover, he did it on a public tform, thus iming that he will take personal responsibility over this decision. This guy pledged to not interfere with Lucien and Yuria from now on, and also dered that he would give up the national treasure of the Holy Land that Yuria currently possessed. Of course, he would still work behind the scenes and scheme to thwart my ns, but there was a world of difference between publicly making such a decision and not doing so. ¡°Your Holiness!¡± At his pledge, the Chief Aide turned towards him in astonishment, but the Pope merely spoke in his unchanging smooth voice. ¡°This is my will, Chief Aide.¡± ¡°However¡­!¡± ¡°I said, this is my will, Chief Aide.¡± The priest fell silent immediately. It was because there was a subtle anger mixed in the Pope¡¯s previously even voice. ¡°¡­¡± I let out a faint smile. This bastard was not one to casually let this matter go. He was desperately suppressing his anger when he epted my proposal, yearning to rip me apart at any moment. ¡°¡­You¡­You truly are a cunning individual. I¡¯ll give you that much.¡± Hearing these words, I couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat disappointed. It would¡¯ve been better if he refused my proposal with a hint of arrogance. If he did so¡­ I could¡¯ve ripped him off even more. -! The very next moment, light descended from the sky. It enveloped Klein¡¯s writhing body on the ground in an instant. Blessing of Transportation The purpose was probably to transport this guy back to the Church headquarters. ¡°¡­Teleportation to the Church headquarters? From this distance?¡± ¡°I have heard of the Pope¡¯s prowess, but¡­!¡± From nearby, there were numerous voices expressing utter disbelief. . I mean, it was understandable. A distance of several thousand kilometers separates the Church headquarters of the Holy Land and Elfante. Knowing this, to send a person there with just one teleportation¡­ Now that was the definition of just built different. It was a truly incredible feat that could perhaps only be seen if one actually brought a dragon. Also, considering the fact that teleportation abilities using divine power were extremely challenging, his actions were even more unbelievably insane. ¡®¡­What a fucking monster.¡¯ In my past life, he was jokingly referred to as the ¡®Devil in Human Skin¡¯ by the yers of the game. Even without that twisted personality, his true abilities were worthy enough to bepared to that of a Devil. As expected, him carrying the title of the strongest priest in history wasn¡¯t just for show. ¡°¡­Let us meet again. Dowd Campbell.¡± He enunciated my name urately. Almost as if he would engrave every syble of it into his memory. ¡°We will undoubtedly have a chance to meet once again.¡± And with those words¡­. The projection of the Pope vanished from Elfante. In the inner sanctum, located deep within the Church headquarters of the Holy Land. Pope Credo Baor II was smiling while wiping his face. As the light dissipated from the scepter next to his chair, he began to speak. ¡°Seraph.¡± Simultaneously with his call, a woman who had been quietly waiting by his side offered him a cup. As expected of the headquarters of the Church, the cup was adorned with the symbols of fate, however, in contrast to them, the dark liquid inside emitted an unmistakably unholy aura. ¡°¡­¡± Silently, the Pope took a sip of the drink, as a deep sigh escaped his lips. Having unfathomable levels of divine power was a double-edged sword. After all, the human body was not able to withstand the bacsh, even if only a small percentage was unleashed. To expel the lingering energy within his body, he had to constantly carry and consume such substances. Creating such items would undoubtedly cause immense suffering for someone. Perhaps, they would even need to sacrifice their lives. However, he didn¡¯t care in the slightest. ¡®¡­At the very least, until I achieve my goals.¡¯ He would do whatever it took, no matter the cost. Toplete the ¡®Great Covenant¡¯ that he had devoted his life to. His nextmand stayed consistent with this line of reasoning. ¡°Use the teleported battle priest as materials for the Chimera Project. He will be quite a useful battery.¡± He had no need for failures. It wasn¡¯t like casually throwing away a high-ranking battle priest would bring about huge repercussions anyway. ¡°I understand. I will announce that he passed away while receiving ample treatment.¡± The woman called Seraph lowered her head quietly as she received hismand. However, the Pope tilted his head in confusion because she did not act instantly to carry out his order as she usually did. ¡°Seraph? Is there some kind of a problem?¡± ¡°¡­May I ask a question?¡± ¡°You may.¡± It was an unexpected situation. He never expected that she, someone who was akin to a perfectly obedient doll, would ask a question to him. ¡°Why did His Holiness ept that man¡¯s proposition?¡± ¡°¡­Ah. Are you talking about the matter regarding the Greyhounder sisters?¡± The Pope let out a bitterugh. Certainly, anyone would find it strange that he had nonchntly indulged the request of a youth who openly disyed disrespectful behavior. However¡­ ¡°He threatened me, so I had no other choice.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A dazed mutter slipped out of Seraph. Threatened? Rather, after themotion he caused, wouldn¡¯t the Pope have the right to pressure that insolent man, Dowd, instead? Given the Pope¡¯s authority, it was only natural to think that way. ¡°That youth¡¯s ¡®value¡¯¡­ You must know it too, Seraph.¡± However, the Pope merely continued with a sigh. ¡°The Empire, the Tribal Alliance, and even us. We already knew that boy had some sort of connection with the ¡®Devils¡¯. Additionally, we have seen him skillfully handle some aspects of that power during the duel.¡± With just that alone, Dowd Campbell¡¯s value had risen to an impossible level. In the entire history of the world, there had never been a human capable of such feats. While the support of the Tribal Alliance¡¯s War Chief may have been partially due to theirpatible personalities, the value of Dowd¡¯s existence probably yed the most significant role in Hatan¡¯s decision. Moreover, the first thing Dowd Campbell did, after dering himself as such an existence in front of everyone, was to pick a fight with the Pope first. ¡°As soon as he so tantly confronted me, he ¡®showed¡¯ everyone that there¡¯s an disagreeable rtionship between him and me. That alone was enough for him to ¡®win¡¯ against me.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Since others now know about our ill rtions, if anything were to happen to him, handling the brunt of the aftermath will entirely fall onto me and the Holy Land.¡± Seraph, who blinked for a moment, suddenly hardened her expression and faced the Pope. The Popeughed bitterly once again. Indeed. She finally seemed to have understood now. ¡°If anything unfortunate happens to Dowd Campbell¡¯s well-being, the Tribal Alliance and the Empire will first suspect that the Holy Land orchestrated something. They¡¯ll use that as a pretext for an amalgamation of espionage activities and unreasonable demands.¡± ¡°But we would never orchestrate something like th¡­!¡± ¡°In truth, the rtionship itself isn¡¯t that important.¡± The Pope interrupted with a low voice. ¡°International politics are ultimately based on the logic of power. If the bnce of power is maintained, you can hold the other party ountable for misdeeds, regardless of the truth. In that regard, any matter regarding Dowd Campbell is an unimaginably strong justification. Since everyone considers themselves as valuable, he demonstrated his own worth through this duel.¡± And as a result¡­ ¡°¡­Arrange for some intelligence and operative personnels to be ced near Dowd Campbell. We must provide him with assistance no matter what.¡± Ironically, the Holy Land were now trapped in a situation where they had to ¡®protect¡¯ Dowd Campbell, who openly picked a fight with them. As soon as something were to happen to him, the Empire and the Tribal Alliance would use it as an opportunity to exert significant pressure on the Holy Land. This was also what the Pope meant when he said he was ¡®threatened¡¯. In such a situation, confronting Dowd Campbell forcefully would only lead to him navigating the entire circumstance in a way that benefits him. ¡°¡­If you say so, Your Holiness.¡± With a slightly trembling voice, Seraph spoke. ¡°It is impossible to believe but¡­ The fact that they even sent an appeal to Your Holiness to personally witness the affairs in Elfante was because¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s what that boy requested.¡± The Pope chuckled coldly. ¡°It was part of his n all along. He knew it would turn out like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seraph fell silent with bewilderment as goosebumps rose all over her arms. Purposefully requesting such an absurd duel. And shortly thereafter, challenging the Pope like a rabid dog. Everything that seemed like the actions of a madman was actually a n with such meticulous calctions for every circumstance. All this. From a single student. Moreover, against one of the strongest nations on the entire continent. To put it simply, a single student¡¯s machinations were enough topletely turn the tables against a nation that was among the top powers of the continent. The Pope let out a quiet sigh. This feeling¡­ He had felt it in the past as well. ¡®¡­He¡¯s simr to that man.¡¯ From the way he had the ability to ¡®suddenly be powerful¡¯ when he was weak, to the overall atmosphere he exuded. He was terribly simr to the most chilling and unpleasant ¡®thing¡¯ the Pope had ever encountered. ¡°In any case, we will undoubtedly meet again someday.¡± Perhaps, those two as well. They might encounter each other soon. It was an intuitive feeling that ran down his spine. The Pope once again wiped his face with a sigh. His expression remained as emotionless as always, but his eyes were also still gleaming brightly. ¡®Dowd Campbell.¡¯ That name. He would never forget it. TLN: Hi everyone! The previous trantor has asked us to take on this novel since he will be getting busier and won¡¯t be able to do justice to it. So chapters 1-47 are credited to DuhLion(he gave us permission to upload them on our site. We will also re-edit them soon!) The n for now is at least 4 chapters/week. We are very happy to get our hands on this novel and hope you will all enjoy it! Don¡¯t forget to join our discord! to stay updated on the novel. I¡¯ve also uploaded all the illustrations there. Lastly, if you like this novel you can rate/review it here. Cheers! Chapter 49: Conversation (1) Chapter 49: Conversation (1) ? Conversation (1) ? The situation was resolved far more quickly than I thought. Anyway, since the central figure of the incident, the Pope, had chosen not to make a big deal out of it, it would be difficult for others to interfere orin as well. ¡°¡­Still, thanks to this incident, there will likely be more factions interested in getting involved with you.¡± Atante stated her concerns while sighing. ¡°From now on, the Empire and the Tribal Alliance will be more active in regards to observing you. It would be wise to steel your heart and prepare yourself in advance.¡± ¡®You don¡¯t need to tell me that, Headmistress.¡¯ ¡°¡­This oue is inevitable anyway.¡± If I were to progress further into the main scenario, I¡¯d have to face those cliques whether I liked it or not. If anything, it would be better for me to draw their attention sooner thanter so that I could hold the initiative to set up the stage however I wanted. Whether it was the Tribal Alliance¡¯s War Chiefs or the Imperial Family, various schemers would go all out to pursue their own interests. Not to mention, even the Holy Land would be trying to get a piece of my ass. Just by having the status where it¡¯d be impossible for them to recklessly touch me, I could prevent most of their attempts to manipte me. Well, this still wouldn¡¯t prevent all the troublesome issuesing my wayter, though. ¡°More importantly, what happened to the matters regarding the sisters?¡± Anyway, anything rted to my new status could wait untilter. The most important part of Chapter 2 was still the sisters. In fact, the reason why Iid my hand on the Holy Land was partly because of them. ¡°The Saintess still hasn¡¯t fully regained consciousness. But, there¡¯s nothing serious, she should wake up in a day or two. As for her younger sister, she¡¯s practically joined at the hip while nursing her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± My brain was overheating as I tried to theorize the multitudes of scenarios that needed to be resolved. ¡°In that case, will they be prepared to follow the delegation¡¯s schedule?¡± ¡°¡­Are you seriously saying that after I saved you, even while getting reprimanded by the Pope?¡± ¡®Sorry Headmistress, that¡¯s literally the most important part of my n, so it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ I chucked at Atante, who red at me for acting so nonchntly. In the Holy Land, delegations were regrly dispatched to thoroughly inspect and survey the entire region off Elfante while performing their ¡®blessings.¡¯ And getting involved in this was the first step in breaking the Curse of Severance on Yuria¡¯s sword. As the event itself would be a trigger to treat her trauma. ¡®There¡¯s not much time left¡­¡¯ I had three days at most. Considering how the ¡®Purifier Boss Battle¡¯ went back in Chapter 1, it would be better to always assume that shit would hit the fan, and the worst-case scenario would happen. Additionally, taking into ount what woulde 3 days from now, it was correct to assume that the events surrounding the ¡®Boy King Boss Battle¡¯ would explode in chaos. . In other words¡­ If I couldn¡¯t dissipate the Curse of Severance on Yuria, it would be Game Over. ¡°When the Saintess regains her consciousness, please send word that I¡¯d like to see her.¡± Well¡­ I already cleared any bothersome conflicts with the Holy Land that could pose a threat on my n. So, what remained was¡­ ¡°¡­I should probably talk to them about their ¡®wish¡¯.¡± To truly bestow salvation upon them.
System Notification [ The Main Quest has beenpleted! ] [ 1 ¡®Echo of Sanctification¡¯ has been received! ] [ 1 ¡®Seed of Evil¡¯ has been received! ] While looking at the windows that popped up, I stroked my chin with delight. I had already fulfilled the quest¡¯s clear conditions by rescuing Lucien earlier, but due to my various other tasks, I was only receiving the rewards now. [ Echo of Sanctification ] Type: Growth Material ¨C Divinity Description: When fused with items rted to ¡®Divinity¡¯, it can raise the item¡¯s grade by one level. I gazed at the blue gemstone in the palm of my hand. ¡®Not too shabby, ain¡¯t it?¡¯ Usually, the reward items for main quests varied depending on who was primarily involved in the quest. Anyone could see that the reward was clearly rted to Lucien and Yuria, both of whom were obviously users of divine power. ¡®And¡­¡¯ Luckily, I had an item that fit perfectly with this new reward. With a snort, I examined the palm-sized incense burner in my hand. Most likely, in the original game, when the Divine¡¯s Ultima was upgraded, it would also enhance the embedded skills. ¡®Penance,¡¯ which can turn all additional stats into endurance, and ¡®Guardian Shield,¡¯ which can summon a shield as tough as one¡¯s endurance stat. Both were already useful in their current states, but considering the usual level of enhancement when consuming growth materials like the ¡®Echo of Sanctification¡¯, it was already a foregone conclusion that they would be much more powerful. ¡®It seems like the Crafting Department will have their work cut out for them.¡¯ I would probably need to go to them sometime soon in order to request various tasks, so while I¡¯m there, I might as well ask them to use this to enhance the Ultima. With that thought in mind, I swiped to the next window. Aside from this, there was one more item I had acquired. [ Seed of Evil ] Type: Special Currency Item Grade: Rare Description: Can be exchanged for special skills in the Point Store. Current Amount Owned: 4 This. In addition to what I obtained from Elijah and Tallion, after clearing the main quest this time, the total quantity of Seeds of Evil that I owned was increased to 4. Originally, I nned to use it for the Purifier Boss Battle, but because I couldn¡¯t find any suitable skill back then, I saved it instead. ¡®But now¡­¡¯ With 4 of them, there was definitely a skill worth buying. For example¡­ [ ¡ò Scan ] Type: Special Skill Price: 4 Seeds of Evil Description: Once a day, you can check a target¡¯s information. Something like this. [ Skill Store ] [ ¡®Special Skill: Scan¡¯ purchased! ] [ Starting today, you can check a target¡¯s information once a day. ] Since the Seeds of Evil themselves were rare items that would only appear as gifts or rewards from main quests, this skill, which ate up a whopping four of them, was an incredibly powerful one despite its simplicity. After all, it was safe to say that there was never a situation where having more information could be considered a disadvantage. ¡°Ah, Dowd.¡± And in perfect timing, an ideal test subject appeared before me. I gazed at Elnore, who had noticed me from the end of the hallway and was now walking towards me with her usual expressionless face. System Notification [ Using ¡®Scan¡¯. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] First and foremost, obtaining information about this person was my top priority. Whether it was Elnore or Elijah, my future course of action would change drastically depending on their growth. After all, they were crucial characters in the scenario. [ Elnore Elinalise La Tristan ] Characteristic: Vessel ¨C Grey Devil Status: Calcting the distance between Duke Tristan¡¯s headquarters and Marquis Campbell¡¯s headquarters to push away drowsiness. Special Note: Currently tailing someone for 72 hours ording to Dowd Campbell¡¯s orders. Extremely tired but feeling better after just seeing Dowd Campbell. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing that it could extract such detailed information, it certainly seemed like a skill that was worth 4 Seeds of Evil, however, what was most important was what was beneath it. [ Status Info ] [ General ] Strength: S Agility: S Endurance: S Luck: C Power: A+ [ Special ] Magic Power: B Law Power: F Divine Power: F ???: EX [ Misc. ] Current Merged ¡®Devil Fragment¡¯ Amount: 1 Stage 1 Merging Progress: 80% Corruption Progress: 2% ¡®¡­As expected.¡¯ Setting aside the dazzling and eye-catching stats, I nced towards the phrases ¡®Merging Progress¡¯ and ¡®Corruption Progress¡¯ that were listed at the bottom. These weremon elements that were indicated for all Vessels of Devils. ¡®Huh¡­ Her merging progress is already at 80%¡­¡¯ This was a measure of how much the Devil Fragment had begun to ¡®merge¡¯ with the Vessel. The most noticeable impact of this merge was the change in personality and abilities. It was simr to the case with Yuria, where her dependency and obsessive disorders were exacerbated under the influence of the White Devil¡¯s Fragment. It was clear that getting furious in the past, to the extent of awakening a divine skill, had a significant impact on the merging progress. When it reached 100%, her personality would undergo a tremendous change, simr to how Yuria did. For now, it seemed to have only ended with the addition of the unidentified stat ???. ¡°¡­¡± At the very least, I hope Elnore won¡¯t turn into another creep like Yuria¡­ With that, I focused on the other important part of the window. The Corruption Progress showed how poor the mental state of the Vessel was. If this meter filled up, the fragments within the Vessel would flood their mind, making all hell break loose. Even if there were only one of these fragments, it would cause a cmity, but if all the fragments congested together¡­ Well¡­ It would be Game Fucking Over no matter what. ¡®¡®2%¡¯ isn¡¯t that bad for now.¡¯ Usually, in the beginning of Chapter 2, Elnore¡¯s corruption would already have progressed by at least 20%. However, thanks to me, Elijah and Gideon, who were her biggest causes of stress, didn¡¯t focus their attention on her anymore. While I was engrossed in my monologue, Elnore had finally approached me, looking as if she wanted to talk with me. ¡°I feel like dying.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What the fuck? Aren¡¯t you at 2% right now¡­?¡¯ ¡®Could you not say something that should only be said when your Corruption Progress is 92%?¡¯ ¡°¡­But, why?¡± ¡°The one you told me to tail¡­ That person is definitely not a normal human being.¡± Elnore flipped her hair as she let out a deep sigh. Hearing something like thating out of her mouth felt jarring somehow, but considering who she was talking about, it waspletely understandable. ¡°¡­Still, I managed to roughly deduce their behavioral patterns.¡± Yep, I should¡¯ve known¡­ That was why it felt jarring when you brought up depressing shit like that all out of a sudden, Elnore¡­ ¡°¡­Really?¡± I asked with widened eyes, Elnore handed me a bundle of papers. On it were detailed records of what a certain individual did and where they were inside the academy during the midterm exams. ¡®¡­Wow.¡¯ She actually pulled this off. I knew I was the one who asked her to do it, but I thought it was a task that was nearly impossible to achieve. ¡®What can I say? As expected of the Final Boss.¡¯ As I was admiring her nigh-omnipotence, she held her waist with both hands and pushed her chest forward. She let out a fake cough. All of these actions, with the same emotionless expression. ¡°You could be a bit more thankful to me¡­¡± Suddenly, I grabbed Elnore and pulled her into my embrace, hugging her tightly. It was an unintentional action driven by the sudden burst of joy I felt. ¡°You worked so hard, Elnore! Really, truly, thank you so much! I¡¯ll make sure to repay youter!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I left Elnore frozen in the same pose, as I rushed away in quick strides. After all, I had to meet the individual who was the ¡®target¡¯ of this information right away.
¡°¡­¡± Elnore silently looked down at her uniform. With an expressionless face, she removed her outerwear and neatly folded it, draping it over her arm. ¡®¡­I should store this somewhere safe.¡¯ Hm. At the very least, she had no intention of washing it for as long as possible. While having such inexplicable thoughts, she suddenly recalled Dowd¡¯s ¡®hands¡¯ that pulled her into his embrace just moments ago. ¡®They were¡­ Bigger than expected, no?¡¯ In that case, it might be better to make the size of the ¡®ring¡¯ that¡¯s being crafted just a tadrger. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®When he receives it, what kind of expression will he make?¡¯ ¡®Surprised? Pleased? Or perhaps¡­¡¯ ¡®He¡¯ll immediately¡­¡¯ ¡®Give his consent¡­?¡¯ ¡°¡­Let¡¯s not have unnecessary expectations.¡± While muttering to herself, she resumed walking with determined steps. However¡­ The corners of her mouth were tilted ever so slightly. A sign that she could not hide her anticipation, no matter how hard she tried to.
Onemon misconception held by those who have witnessed the future bing the past an uncountable number of times was the belief that such a person would not value time at all. That misconception couldn¡¯t be further than the truth. Valkasus was someone who understood better than anyone else how precious the ¡®the present time¡¯ was. His hobby of appreciatingndscapes was a testament to such a philosophy. The Academy¡¯s Clock Tower. When one sat inside this towering structure that seemed to pierce the sky, they could see the sun passing beyond the heavens better than anywhere else in this world. As the sunlight vanished and darkness gradually crept in, the appearance of his arm, positioned in a ce where the light did not reach, changed. That wasn¡¯t the right word to describe it, as it was more so that it revealed its ¡®essence¡¯. The contours of his arm melted down, transformed within the darkness, emitting a venomous aura. This was the price that he had to pay for carrying the weight of immortality. The shackles imposed upon him by the naturalws of the world. ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, he gazed at this phenomenon, before chuckling and stroking it. ¡°¡­I suggest you go to the gym once in a while.¡± And just as those ominous words ended, someone ascended to the top of the clock tower, panting heavily in exhaustion. Any healthy Elfante student could get to where he was as long as they put in a little effort, but this particr student was so drained out of his stamina, as if he had traversed through life and death just toe here. Seeing his swollen eyes and heavy breath, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Valkasus were to mock said student, but instead, he addressed him with respect. ¡°You are Dowd Campbell, am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Do you¡­heuk¡­know¡­me?¡± ¡°Take a seat first, try to catch your breath.¡± With that, Valkasus gestured towards a seat with his gaze. While staggering, Dowd took a seat next to him and finally spoke after gasping to catch his breath for a while. ¡°How do you know me?¡± ¡°The Prophet went to great lengths to give information about you, so how could I not know? It was mentioned that you¡¯d be the biggest obstacle to the task I mustplete.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Dowd nodded slowly, as he responded curtly. In his mind, he was recalling all the information he knew about the individual sitting before him. The Boy King. The ¡®Backdrop¡¯ of Chapter 2. As for the reason why he was called ¡®Backdrop¡¯ instead of the Final Boss was because he wasn¡¯t someone that can be beaten inbat. The King of the Ruined, who hadid in rest for thousands of years. Rather than a ¡®human¡¯, his monstrous existence was far closer to a ¡®phenomenon¡¯ or ¡®concept¡¯. A ruler who willingly took on the most terrible form, as a price for a simple and warm wish that all his subjects would remain happy for a long time. Such a person would cause a catastrophe here. Considering the main scenario, Dowd already knew the answer he¡¯d give to his question. Nevertheless, he still prayed that the Boy King wouldn¡¯t give out the absurd answer that he expected. ¡°¡­Are you nning to kill everyone here, resurrect them, and turn them into the Ruined for you to rule over?¡± Valkasus nodded solemnly. The subsequent words rang out with such a simple and nonchnt tone. ¡°Three days from now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd let out a heavy sigh. TLN:
  1. Changed Atante¡¯s position from President to Headmistress
  2. ¡®Backdrop¡¯ refers to how Valkasus is a major part of Chapter 2 but not the actual final boss. He¡¯s more like part of the setting or the one who the entire chapter is BASED on but doesn¡¯t y any relevant role except killing everyone in the game
  3. ¡°Ruined¡± actually refers to undead! It¡¯s just the specific name of Valkasus¡¯ undead!
ENJOY!! You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 50: Conversation (2) Chapter 50: Conversation (2) ? Conversation (2) ? System Notification [ Using ¡®Scan¡¯. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] With a heavy sigh, I activated the skill. [ Valkasus n Armada: Status Info ] [ General ] Strength: C Agility: C Endurance: C Luck: F Power: F [ Special ] Magic Power: F Law Power: F Divine Power: F Valkasus was a key figure in Chapter 2. Seeing his stats alone, you¡¯d wonder why they named the chapter¡¯s title after him. Considering that the average stat of a person was around C grade, it seemed like he was only a little stronger than me, whose stats were all in F grade except for my Divinity, which had barely crossed into D grade. However, this being¡¯s true valuey elsewhere. [ Valkasus n Armada: Status Info ] [ Misc. ] Current Number of Forbidden Jutsu Engraved: 2,134,423 ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the numbers on the window made my head spin due to shock. Although it was a characteristic not disyed in a typical stat window, this was the driving force that made Valkasus an unstoppable monster. Forbidden Jutsu was one of the forgotten ancient Jutsu. It was a concept simr to engraving ¡®techniques¡¯ on the body in advance to use when truly needed. However, the upper limit of power that could be exerted with a single Forbidden Jutsu was overwhelmingly strong, even if you were topare it with the three major powers; magic,w and divinity. But, here¡¯s food for thought¡­ The number of people who were obsessed with gaining as much power as possible, regardless of the strength they already had, weren¡¯t small. But, even those guys couldn¡¯t handle the drawback the Forbidden Jutsu had. This was the reason why the Jutsu had been lost in time. What exactly was the drawback? It was a simple one; using it required you to lose your own life. Straight up. No way around it, if you were to use it, you¡¯d die. End of story. GG. ¡°¡­¡± And now, in front of me¡­ There was a being who had embedded over two fucking million of such Forbidden Jutsus into his own body. Perhaps, it would be enough to amount for an entire ¡®kingdom¡¯. The Boy King who bore the weight of a fallen kingdom. Thest ruler of the Kingdom of Armada. The person who sealed his own subjects with Forbidden Jutsu. The being who ¡®collected¡¯ them into his own body. ¡°Are you done examining me?¡± Valkasus, who was still gazing at the sky, spoke in an unchanging calm voice. His words made me let out a bitter smile. It seemed as if he was already aware of everything I would do ¡°It would be difficult to use it during battle. I doubt there would be anyone like me who would just sit down and let you calmly inspect them while in the midst ofbat.¡± ¡°¡­Normally, when I use it, most people wouldn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°The Prophet seemed to be quite concerned about you, you know? In the future, you may have to face all the ¡®Chosen Ones¡¯ because of this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While I had prepared myself already for that event, hearing it directly from another person made it all the more hellish. As Valkasus had stated, the ¡®Chosen Ones¡¯ were individuals who could scan information even from a distance, a skill that could be evaluated as ¡®impractical¡¯. However, in my perspective, these same individuals could kill me dozens of times after just a few seconds of observation. It was also why they were often the ones who took on the role of the Final Boss in most chapters. ¡°¡­I doubt there will be many at your level of prowess anyway.¡± Even though there were plenty of monsters among them, when it came to purebat power, there weren¡¯t many who could surpass Valkasus. There might be quite a few who coulde close though. This man had the power to single-handedly destroy a small nation if he so desired after all. ¡°¡­¡± After hearing my words, Valkasus scrutinized me up and down with his discerning eyes. ¡°You¡­ Do you really know everything?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Prophet has already tipped me off. Apparently you¡¯ve gained understanding about all of our ns and information.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Now, that was quite unexpected¡­ To what extent had this bastard known about me? When I began racking my brain over this newfound information, Valkasus let out a chuckle as he continued. ¡°But, if you¡¯ve really known who I truly am, isn¡¯t it a little strange for you toe all this way to have a conversation with me?¡± He had a point. Not only was he an existence who could annihte an entire country alone, he also nonchntly stated earlier that he would kill everyone in the academy in three days. Only a crazy motherfucker would approach him after knowing all this information. And I was one of those crazy motherfuckers. But, as he had said¡­ ¡°¡­I mean, I already know everything.¡± I flopped onto the seat next to Valkasus, who was staring at the now setting sun, as I continued. ¡°Including why you are trying to go through with this in the first ce.¡± At this point, a logical person would probably ask a very obvious question. Why was such a terrifying person introduced so early? During Chapter 2, practically the very start of the game? The answer to this question was much more simple than you might think. This personcked the most important aspect that generally defined an ¡®enemy¡¯ of humanity. Evil Intent. Valkasus was not an evil person. Even if you were to consider his deration tomit a massacre in three days. You only needed to closely look into his true intentions to know what I was talking about. ¡°¡­¡± I gazed towards a part of his body that was ¡®flowing down¡¯ as it was exposed to the darkness. If someone were to possess the lives of over two million individuals in the form of Forbidden Jutsus, that person was pretty much an immortal already. Of course, as a consequence of epting such immense power, his body would decay and rot, and his mind would be burdened by the unfathomable number of subordinates that had ced their faith in him. It would not be unusual if he were to perish in a matter of seconds if he were an ordinary person. However¡­ This guy had endured all of this for ages. Without even showing a hint of the pain that he had to suffer through. All for one single goal. And that goal was¡­ As far as I understood, exceedingly ¡®human¡¯. It was to the point where you could call it humble. ¡°Would you like to make a bet?¡± ¡°A bet? What kind of bet?¡± Seeing Valkasus smile in response to my words, I inwardly let out a sigh. ¡°As someone who supposedly knows everything, this is my proposal.¡± Within my mind, I decided to flip a coin. Valkasus¡¯ ¡®goal¡¯ was ultimately to save himself and his kingdom. All that bullshit about turning the people of the academy into the Ruined was just a very rough summary of that. As such¡­ I was nning to propose something that he could not possibly refuse. ¡°Please go ahead with what you¡¯re already nning. Your attack on the academy in three days, I won¡¯t dissuade you from doing it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You have no choice but to do so after all. The whole reason why you cooperated with the Prophet was because you had a purpose that you must fulfill no matter what.¡± Yeah, really. Even though he would attempt tomit such terrible deeds, the fact that I did not call him a viin would surely hold significant weight. ¡°Go ahead and do what you must for now. I will make sure to stop you by then.¡± After hearing my deration, Valkasus¡¯ smile changed to one of bewilderment. ¡°Are you saying that, despite knowing who I am, you will not avoid confronting me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but I won¡¯t confront you in the way you think I will.¡± I did not have the means or the reason to fight him with my life on the line. Instead, what I would try to do was¡­ An action that was a bit more tailored to this person. ¡°I will save you, Valkasus. Both you and your kingdom. In three days.¡± What I had always done until now. Something that a sane person could not even fathom. However, judging solely from the Prophet¡¯s actions, it was clear that things have already gone beyond my predictions. To adapt to that, I needed to be a little unpredictable as well. ¡°And so, if I managed to keep my word¡­¡± How to Survive in a Transmigrated World: Chapter 1 ¡®Always act in unpredictable ways¡¯ ¡°Please be my subordinate. For life.¡± To do that, I¡¯ll start by capturing someone whose very existence was a cheat code.
¡°¡­Mmm.¡± Lucia Greyhounder opened her eyes as a moan escaped her lips. The scent of medicine. The bandages wrapped around her body. The soft, plush bed. As these pieces of information registered in her mind one after another, a new thought formed in her mind. ¡®¡­Is this convenience provided by the Empire?¡¯ The Holy Land would never treat her like this. Given that she was already born with a significant amount of divine power, they would¡¯ve probably mocked her, telling her to just recover on her own. ¡°¡­¡± To be more precise though, she was ¡®engineered¡¯ from birth to have such power. A Homunculus. An artificial life form. She wasn¡¯t born with a normal human body; instead, her body was created bybining an amalgamation of ingredients. Instead of being born naturally into the position of ¡®God¡¯s Chosen¡¯, she was created for it. Lucia Greyhounder was a girl nurtured from birth for this very ¡®purpose¡¯. The only one she could truly call as family was her younger sister, who was born around the same time. A homunculus who was created as a ¡®charm¡¯ that would assist and protect the Saintess. As a result¡­ Those two sisters were treated as ¡®inhuman¡¯ from the very beginning. ¡®¡­Yuria was¡­¡¯ Lucia gripped the nket with her hand, involuntarily squeezing it hard because of the thoughts filling her mind. Originally, she was supposed to ¡®synthesize¡¯ with the Holy Land¡¯s national treasure to increase her divine power even further. However, her younger sister stole this treasure and ran away. Thest known location of her was right here: Elfante Imperial Academy. As she recalled her memories, Lucia thought she might have seen her sister briefly before she lost consciousness. She couldn¡¯t react properly due to the excruciating pain that made her feel like her entire body was being shredded though¡­ ¡®I think she¡­seemed okay¡­?¡¯ Lucia desperately tried to remember. In the first ce, since she arrived at the academy, she was only thinking about Yuria. ¡®¡­By now, the curse should have spread considerably.¡¯ Lucia and her sister were created to be a pair. If one did not have a ¡®defect¡¯, the other would undoubtedly have one. At least for her, the defect ended with her not being able to fully exert her ¡®original power¡¯, but her sister had been left alone with a cursed object for a considerable amount of time. If she wasn¡¯t able to resist it properly¡­ ¡°¡­¡± As her uneasy gaze darted around her surroundings¡­ Her eyes caught the figure of Yuria, who was lying near the bed. ¡°Ah.¡± An involuntary sigh escaped her. She couldn¡¯t understand why she was here, and there would surely be a mountain of exnations to listen to but¡­ For now, her sister was right there, within arm¡¯s reach. As Lucia was about to rise and approach her sister, she suddenly noticed something and froze in ce. Yuria was cradling a sword even while asleep, its de wrapped in chains. The Holy Land¡¯s national treasure. A sword capable of creating the Curse of Severance. Severer. ¡°¡­¡± As long as Yuria held that sword, anyone who approached her would be struck down, including Lucia. Even if she was the Saintess, there were no exceptions. Her eyes were momentarily filled with contempt and revulsion. Given the circumstances surrounding how that sword became a national treasure, such a reaction from her was perfectly justified. ¡®¡­But for now¡­¡¯ She pushed her feelings aside. There were more important matters at hand. Instead, she scrutinized her sister intensely. She checked for any signs of ¡®deterioration¡¯ from the curse and the smallest changes that might have urred since theirst encounter. Although the traces of her arduous life on the run were evident everywhere, luckily, there did not seem to be any parts of her that deteriorated significantly. ¡®¡­Thank goodness.¡¯ Lucia wiped away a tear that had welled up in her eyes and murmured softly to herself. She had hoped that, despite the mistreatment in the Holy Land, Yuria would be better cared for in the Empire. However, there was obviously no clear guarantee that that would be the case. Thankfully, besides the fact that she lost a bit of weight, she seemed to be in good health. There were also no visible signs of harsh treatment. ¡®I¡¯m so d you didn¡¯t seem to have suffered too much here, Yuria.¡¯ As she was thinking this, Lucia¡¯s gaze locked onto something. She found a ¡®cor¡¯ around Yuria¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­¡± Her expression instantly froze. A cor? Why on earth would a human be wearing something like this? Yuria¡­ What kind of treatment was she being subjected to in the Empire? ¡°¡­Lord Dowd, please¡­¡± In front of Lucia, who was starting to have murderous thoughts, Yuria began to mumble in a pleading tone. ¡°I¡¯ll serve you as my master, so please, don¡¯t do something so cruel¡­¡± Perhaps, if Dowd had been present currently, he could have exined the significance and circumstances behind Yuria wearing this cor and assured Lucia that the ¡®cruel¡¯ things Yuria was murmuring was just a plea to not leave her behind. Unfortunately, the man in question was not here. ¡°¡­¡± Lucia¡¯s face morphed into a twisted expression of shock and dismay. ¡®Who on earth is this Dowd¡­!¡¯ How beastly and monstrous of a person was he to make her adorable little sister utter such words even in her sleep¡­!? ¡®¡­I will make you regret this. I swear it¡­!¡¯ Anger red up in her mind, as it raged like a fire.
The next morning. I stretched and got up, preparing for the day ahead. The bold move I made yesterday was still ying in my mind. Valkasus didn¡¯t give me any notable response. He just smiled at me, as if to say, ¡®Do as you please¡¯. ¡®¡­Yeah, well¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m gonna do whatever the fuck I want then.¡¯ Did you think I wouldn¡¯t? I mean, it wasn¡¯t like he said he wouldn¡¯t take the bet anyway. So, I¡¯d just continue as nned. To stop Valkasus, save him, and make him my ve¡­ No, I meant ¡®subordinate¡¯ LOL oops. ¡®And¡­¡¯ This was the first step. When I woke up in the morning, I checked the letter that was ced next to my bed. [ The Saintess has regained her consciousness. She also wants to talk to you, so it would be best to find her as soon as possible. ¨C Headmistress ] POG. For once, the timing was great. It aligned perfectly with my n. In just two days, Chapter 2 would begin with an assault on the academy. At that time, my aim would be to lift the curse that was on Yuria¡¯s sword, the ¡®Severer¡¯. ¡®Originally, that would only happen at the end of Chapter 2.¡¯ Normally, you¡¯d have to suppress Yuria, who appears as the Final Boss at the end of the chapter, and then recruit her as arade. Sad to say, but I wouldn¡¯t have enough time to do all that. Luckily, I could still make it work somehow. There were always ways to bend the rules after all. Additionally, if I could release the curse on the sword¡­ Yuria would be a crucial element of my strategy for Chapter 2. ¡®¡­It doese with certain conditions though.¡¯ Once the curse was lifted from the Severer, its wielder, Yuria, would be a powerhouse of closebat, even surpassing Eleanor and Iliya in ¡®specific situations¡¯. She could handle both of them even if they were to attack simultaneously. And in Chapter 2, there were plenty of conditions that could be met to definitively create at least one of these ¡®special situations¡¯. ¡®If I think about how to trigger it¡­¡¯ For the ¡®cheat¡¯ I was thinking of, I would need the cooperation of the Saintess no matter what. Besides, I needed to recruit her assistance anyway, so it was far more favorable that she asked to meet me first. At least, that was what I was thinking¡­ System Message [ The target ¡®Lucia¡¯s¡¯ anger has crossed the threshold! ] [ Currently kindling the will to take vengeance on you! ] [ Marked with Negative Tendency! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated! Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] Until I saw this window that had appeared while I was asleep. ¡°¡­¡± How strange. Didn¡¯t I save this person by fucking over the Pope? Why was something like this taking a massive shit all over my ns¡­? TL/N: We changed a lot of the names to more appropriate forms! Here is a list below! Elijah ¨C> Iliya Atante ¨C>Atnte Elnore ¨C> Eleanor Lucien ¨C> Lucia Yuria ¨C> Yuria We will continue to update you guys when a name changes! Have fun reading! You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 51: Curse Removal (1) Chapter 51: Curse Removal (1) ? Curse Removal (1) ? ¡°¡­It¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± I carefully gave out a retort after seeing the chilling gaze that was directed at me. No, seriously, what the hell? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It wasn¡¯t like I was some kind of serial pervert with weird kinks or some shit like that. I literally just did what Yuria asked of me. It felt like if I didn¡¯t listen to her, that girl would have beenpletely possessed by the Devil and gone on a rampage. ¡°After several years, I finally reunited with my younger sister, my only family.¡± However, Lucia continued with the same cold atmosphere. ¡°But as soon as we had reunited, I found out that my only family apparently doesn¡¯t seem to mind serving some foreigner as her master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The fuck was she on about with this ¡®master¡¯ bullshit? I wished she would stop saying that title because just hearing it made me feel like shit. After all, every human was equal in the world. Praise equality! Well, Sera¡¯s worldview was inspired by a feudal society, but yeah anyway¡­ ¡°Apparently, Yuria said that as long as that man doesn¡¯t leave her, it doesn¡¯t matter what is done to her. Moreover, to show how eager she is, she said she¡¯d even put a cor on herself and hand over the leash to him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was curious as to why she became so obsessed, so I did a little research on my own. It turns out that Yuria waspletely isted from everyone, she couldn¡¯t meet any other person. She said that person was the only person who cared for her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She said that person suddenly disappeared one day without a word, making her cry a sea of tears alone. She even prayed several times, begging to see him again until he reappeared.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, in that kind of situation, I think anyone would be obsessed with that person, there¡¯s no need for another special reason for it, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, can you exin which part I ¡®misunderstood¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I remained silent, unable to answer, the Saintess red at me with stern eyes and asked once again. ¡°So?¡± ¡°¡­None, but¡­¡± When she summarized it like that, I did sound like an irredeemable piece of shit. I admit it. ¡°Still, let¡¯s put that aside for now. Even if you yed a part in this, it¡¯s clear that it¡¯s not entirely your fault that Yuria went this far.¡± Lucia sighed as she said this and I nodded like a broken machine. Cold sweat ran down my face. ¡®Yes, please. Let¡¯s just move on, I beg you.¡¯ ¡°Besides, I¡¯m greatly indebted to you. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to pay it back.¡± Shortly after, Lucia respectfully bowed towards me. ¡°¡­I heard that you confronted the Pope and demanded that he doesn¡¯t interfere with us anymore.¡± Unlike earlier, her tone was extremely polite. One could even say there was a hint of sorrow in it. ¡°With just the strength of us two sisters, we would have never escaped from his grasp in our lifetime. Meeting you was nothing short of a miracle, truly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± System Message [ The favorability of the target ¡®Lucia¡¯ has greatly increased! ] [ The favorability level has been upgraded to ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Reward has been reduced due to the good alignment of the target! ] I scratched my cheek as I looked at the window before me. ¡°¡­You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± Well, I had to deal with the Pope eventually whether I liked it or not, anyway.. Among the antagonists, there were a few that could be dealt with somewhat peacefully, but that would never be the case for the Pope. ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, I understood what he wanted. To put it very simply, he was trying to build a ¡®paradise¡¯; His own ideal utopia on the ne of existence beneath Heaven. Regardless of what he was actually doing, he could always gaslight himself to think that he was doing something noble and all that shit. However, unlike Valkasus¡­ He was a fucking trash. I would never cooperate with him, no matter how much I needed to. As the scenario progresses to thetter stages, he would reveal more of his true nature. ¡°And, well¡­ He won¡¯t divert his attention away from you for long. It wouldn¡¯t be weird for him to shift his attention back to you at any time.¡± Throughout the scenario, the Greyhounder Sisters had one of the main storylines that ran alongside scenarios rted to the Pope. It was true that I had temporarily neutralized his interference through my oh so subtle negotiation. However, in the end, the Homunculi only had their immunity from the Holy Land and the Pope until the Pope¡¯s n waspletely shredded to pieces. Until then, their situation remained precarious. Moreover, considering what I could achieve if I continued to develop these two as a pair, all the way until the end of the scenario, it became even more important to remain wary of the Pope¡¯s intentions. ¡°¡­Certainly, that¡¯s true.¡± Lucia replied with a slightly gloomy tone. ¡°Yuria and I are essential to the Pope¡¯s ¡®Great Covenant¡¯. I don¡¯t intend to give up on resisting but¡­¡± As she continued, a bitter smile adorned the Saintess¡¯ beautiful face. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I have any intention of taking what you¡¯ve done for granted. How can I express my gratitude¡ª¡± ¡°Alright then. Can you grant me some of my requests?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucia¡¯s expression instantly turned nk. She seemed a bit taken aback that I spoke as if I¡¯d been waiting for this moment. Bruh, why were you so surprised?¡¯ Nothing in this world was free, you know? ¡°¡­Requests, you say?¡± ¡°Yes. Requests.¡± ¡°Of course, I shall listen to whatever you have to say, but despite my grandiose title of ¡®Saintess¡¯, what I can actually do is¡­¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t really expect much from you anyway, Saintess.¡± Yep. I really didn¡¯t expect much from her. It would be heartless and tactless of me to expect something extravagant from someone who had been oppressed by the Holy Land not too long ago. ¡°¡­¡± Lucia¡¯s expression slightly soured. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°¡­Wait, why do you look so disheartened? You were about to say that you can¡¯t do much anyway, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but hearing you say it directly in front of my face is a bit¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Timidness must run in the family, huh¡­. Even with her dyed hair and delinquent aura that seemed like she might chew gum and spit at any moment, Lucia was unexpectedly the epitome of an introvert. ¡°¡­First of all¡­¡± Anyway! Onto more important things! There were two things that I wished for. ¡°Please help me improve my proficiency in abilities rted to divine protection. There aren¡¯t many people in the Church who are even close to being aspetent as the Saintess in that regard, right?¡± I intended to entrust this person with the training needed to expand my divine power, which was currently hovering between grades E and D, having barely escaped from F. Since I was going to ride or die with the priest skill tree, all abilities using divine power were essential. In that regard, this person should be of great assistance. ¡°That request isn¡¯t all that difficult. By any chance, could you tell me how much divine power you have¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s at the level of dogs, bugs, and worms.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It takes me about three minutes to create the simplest Grace of Healing. I think the Saintess could do around 200 of those at once, even without divine artifacts, no?¡± ¡°¡­Could you tell me what level of proficiency you¡¯re aiming for?¡± ¡°My goal is to reach about a third of what you¡¯re capable of in a month.¡± I needed to roughly achieve at least that level to be of real help to the problems I¡¯m currently facing. If I considered just the issues that will immediately affect my ¡®Divine Power Utilization¡¯, it was even more urgent. Solving Eleanor¡¯s household curse, finding Iliya¡¯s Holy Sword which involved Caliban in Chapter 4, and dealing with future issues entangled with the Heretic Inquisition¡­ None of them were easy tasks. Actually, with my current growth rate, it would be impossible for me to achieve them. However, if I could truly achieve that level of proficiency, my range of adaptability would also greatly expand in turn. I would be able to handle any situation that arises, no matter howplicated or difficult it turned out to be. ¡°¡­¡± Lucia¡¯s lips trembled. I guess it might sound like an irrational request from me huh? ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try my best.¡± As expected of the Saintess. Instead of shitting on me as soon as she heard this, she responded in such a kind manner. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not entirely impossible.¡¯ It was ez p to use the ¡®System¡¯ as a way to elerate my growth rate; there were tons of options after all. However, to master the practical use of these skills, I would need excellent instructors like Lucia. ¡°And, for my second request¡­¡± To be honest, this was the crux of the matter. It was something urgent at this very moment, and more importantly, it was a pain in the ass. ¡°It involves your younger sister.¡± Lucia¡¯s expression instantly became serious. ¡°She¡¯s not in great shape. It¡¯s not critical at the moment, but she¡¯s on the verge of being so.¡± Considering the malevolence of the curse inflicted by the ¡®Severer¡¯, she looked astonishingly healthy right now. On the surface, at least. However, curses typically erode the bearer over a long period of time. Considering the fact that only a few years have passed and parts of her body are already being affected, the situation was not as manageable as it might have seemed. The fact that she couldn¡¯t even use her voice when Lucia wasn¡¯t nearby was more than enough evidence of this. ¡°¡­For now, she can at least stay close to me, so the situation is somewhat better.¡± Indeed, as she said, Homunculi could receive a significant stat boost when they¡¯re close together. Her resistance to the curse was also increased ordingly. ¡°We have bought some time, so if we can find a better solution¡­¡± But¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag it out for that long. After all this time, you were finally able to reunite, but now, you can¡¯t even get closer to each other properly. That¡¯s absurd to me.¡± Honestly, because of that damn curse¡­ I was a bit hesitant in keeping these two together for too long. We wouldn¡¯t know what kind of ident might happen. While it was possible to keep Yuria partially quarantined until Lucia had regained her consciousness, now that thetter woke up, it would be too risky to leave them to their own devices. Because of that, these two haven¡¯t even been able to have a proper conversation. Did that even make any fucking sense? Those girls haven¡¯t seen each other in years¡­. ¡°¡­¡± At my words, Lucia¡¯s eyes started to tremble, momentarily losing their focus. ¡°We need to release the curse. Immediately.¡± By principle, even a bull¡¯s horn should be pulled out in one move. There were only three days left until the Valkasus Event. There was no point in dragging this out. Yuria¡¯s sword, the ¡®Severer¡¯, was not only cursed, but it also had a Devil¡¯s Fragment attached to it. If I didn¡¯t resolve either of these issues properly, progressing in Chapter 2 would be impossible. Also, it was much easier to deal with the curse than to resolve matters regarding the Devil¡¯s Fragment. And more importantly¡­ ¡®I have to release the curse so that she takes off that fucking cor¡­!¡± If I could eliminate the attribute that prevents her from getting within three steps to anyone, I could finally get rid of that shitty cor roleying as an essory. To me, that was more important than anything else right now¡­! ¡°¡­¡± As I was gleefully thinking this¡­ I noticed Lucia ring at me with a slightly reddened face. ¡°¡­? Do you have a fever? Have you not fully recovered ye¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I think I understand you a bit better now. You seem like a reckless human whocks self-awareness and irresponsibly throws out grandiose ims like it was nothing. Also, you are fucking dense.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why did she suddenly diss me? The fuck did I do wrong? ¡°¡­You also don¡¯t seem like the type to fix your ws after listening to mere words¡­ Whatever. Just go ahead and say it. Do you have a solution?¡± ¡°Specifically for yourst question, yes.¡± Of course I had one. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was more than enough when using it as a cheese. I exined it well enough for the Saintess to understandpletely. ¡°Are you perhaps a fucking lunatic?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd Campbell, a recipient of a lifetime achievement. Someone the Saintess swore at two times in a row. Seriously¡­What did I do so wrong¡­?
The tasks of the diplomatic delegation sent from the Holy Land to Elfante were always the same. Maintenance and upkeep of religious facilities. A few simple ceremonies. As such, normally, the ceremonies wouldn¡¯t be so crowded. Well, normally, as in, if the popr kid, a.k.a the Saintess, wasn¡¯t present. ¡°The Saintess looked this way!¡± ¡°She must have been looking beyond the horizon.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sure she looked in my direction!¡± ¡°¡­¡± You know how the popr kid would always be in their own little clique and a crowd would just gather and chatter around them likes orbiting a star? Yeah, that was what was happening now, and it was giving me a massive headache. lliya, who was next to me, wiped her face with a tired expression. As a Hero Candidate, she was summoned to an important event to serve as the Saintess¡¯s escort, but even she probably didn¡¯t expect so many people to gather. The Saintess merely sat quietly inside a carriage with all sides covered, but on the outside where the crowd was being pushed back by the escorts, it was an utter shitfest. ¡°Why did the escort position suddenly be vacant¡­¡± I chuckled at Iliya¡¯s grumbling It was originally Valkasus¡¯ duty to nominally be Lucia¡¯s escort knight. But that guy¡­ [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Boy King ¡½ [ ¡®Academy Assault¡¯ Incident: D-3 ] Was probably working his ass off, preparing for this. From what I remember, it was not usually arge-scale event. But he was probably putting in more effort to prepare for it now. As I was chuckling to myself, I heard a voice from the side. ¡°¡­Mister.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Could you please help me out a bit?¡± ¡°With what?¡± ¡°For starters, can you cut that out¡­?¡± With that plea, she pointed towards the scene of me holding onto the leash of Yuria¡¯s cor while she desperately tried to get closer to me, panting and smiling like a puppy. Of course, I was doing my absolute best to maintain distance every time she did so. Fortunately, it seemed like the Saintess had cast a Grace of Barriers, so any visible signs of this indecent situation were blocked. ¡°Oh, is this a kind of kink or roley? Are you really that desperate to spread such rumors about yourself?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Right now, this kid was suffering from severe separation anxiety to the extent where it was unbearable for her if I were to move even a little away from her. It wasn¡¯t like I had any choice on the matter. The best solution here was to do what she wanted¡­ ¡°Wait, what? Mister, you were busy with who knows what, and disappearedpletely for about two days after the midterms. How did she manage during that time then?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Also, when I woke up this morning, I found that she had broken my dorm room window and climbed in. She was crouching right next to my bed, fast asleep.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, it wasn¡¯t like I gained absolute nothing. I got some valuable information after all. Yuria could withstand not seeing me for a maximum of two days. It seemed that she barely managed to endure due to Lucia not regaining consciousness for those two days, but as soon as she heard that her sister was awake and healthy, she pulled this shit. ¡°¡­Then why did you participate in the regr diplomatic delegation ceremony with such a dangerous person?¡± ¡°Because it was necessary, blud¡­¡± When have I ever done something thoughtless, you fool? I have to be at least on the status of the Saintess to gain ess to the ces I needed to go. And, just as I foresaw, the final location of this scheduled event was one of such ces. ¡°¡­This ce seems more and more impressive every time Ie.¡± The Heart of the Star This dome-shaped building was a space where one could clearly feel the immense divine power residing, even from the outside. It was a facility found only within the three academies that surround the Void Zone. Its role was to supply power to the barriers surrounding the academies. This was a ce where even a person like the Saintess could not enter on a whim. It would be a miracle for someone like me to be able to enter. Originally, the itinerary would be to just go in, offer some prayers of thanks, and then leave. Well, big emphasis on the ¡®originally¡¯ part. ¡°I heard during ss that the holy relics left by the Seraphs are still intact inside. Apparently, those holy relics serve as a perpetual power supply to the barriers. Isn¡¯t that incredible?¡± Iliya continued to mention various things with a slightly excited voice. Well, she was technically an existence born to have a strong interest in the ¡®celestial¡¯ and ¡®angels¡¯. In the first ce, the person she idolized the most was Caliban, a Holy Knight. ¡°And apparently, there is also a security system to prevent terrorist activities!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If you tamper with the holy relics inside, the guards prepared by the Seraphs will jump out to take care of its security! The angels really took their work seriously!¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Since Iliya excitedly chatted away, I gave her nd reactions out of courtesy, but suddenly she stopped talking. She must have finally realized something was strange. There were only three people who had entered the ¡®Heart of the Star¡¯ right now. Me. Yuria. Iliya. The rest were all waiting outside. This was the situation I specifically arranged with my request to the Saintess. ¡°¡­What is this?¡± Her eyes had narrowed instantly, looking towards me with suspicion. She must have sensed something strange and ominous instinctively. ¡°What are you cooking?¡± ¡°What cooking¡­¡± I yawned and looked at the massive ore that had appeared before us. This was the ¡®Heart of the Star¡¯, as well as the reason why this building was named as such. It was also the material that Iliya would eventually use to craft her Holy Sword. A whole ass perpetual engine. ¡°¡­¡± Iliya¡¯s expression twisted even more as her ominous premonition grew. Meanwhile, I slowly approached the Heart of the Star. ¡°Mister. You wouldn¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t what?¡± ¡°¡­That¡­ You wouldn¡¯t, right?¡± I didn¡¯t know what ¡®that¡¯ was. But if she was talking about ¡®this¡¯, then, she was correct. I drew my sword and immediately struck the Heart of the Star. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A frozen silence stifled the surrounding area. ¡°What the fuck are you doing, you crazy bitch?! Are you actually fucking insane, you psycho?!¡± I chuckled at the figure of Iliya screaming hysterically. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This much won¡¯t even leave a scratch.¡± ¡°The problem isn¡¯t whether it leaves a scratch or not¡­!¡± -¡­ -¡­ -¡­!!!! Immediately after the Heart of the Star sensed the ¡®impact¡¯, it emitted a red light in all directions. Obviously, it didn¡¯t seem particrly friendly. As the Heart of the Star began to ¡®beat¡¯ faster, the light followed, growing brighter and stronger. Almost as if it was trying to ¡®summon¡¯ something. ¡®YOSH. This is it.¡¯ Meanwhile, I chuckled while observing this phenomenon. ¡°Yo, by the way. I agree with you. The angels really do take their work seriously.¡± ¡°What are you even saying all of a sudden?!¡± ¡°So, I wanted to have a little meeting with them ASAP.¡± I had mentioned this time and time again, but the Curse of Severance was one of the most malicious curses in the game. Attempting to alleviate it quickly was not something an average person could do. That¡¯s why, for removing that curse, I would need the assistance of the angels, who were basically specialists in this field. ¡®However¡­¡¯ A Seraph was among the highest ranking angels; a being I could not easily meet. Aaanywaay¡­ You see, there were two ways to meet a busy person. The first was to book an appointment in advance. But fuck that, I only had three days left. ¡°¡­¡± And the second way was¡­ To cause an incident. A reaaaaally fucking huge incident. So that it would be reported all the way up there. ¡°¡­Yeah, I forgot for a moment but¡­¡± Iliya had started to mutter with a soulless expression. ¡°This guy was always one crazy motherfucker.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As soon as that hurtfulment was spat out. -! -!!! -!!!!!!!!! A burst of red light erupted, enveloping the interior of the dome with an overwhelming aura. TL/N: Hierarchy of Angels: Highest orders Seraphs Cherubs Thrones Middle orders Dominions Virtues Powers Lowest orders Principalities Archangels Angels You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 52: Curse Removal (2) Chapter 52: Curse Removal (2) ? Curse Removal (2) ? In reality, even if it was a security system prepared by the Seraphs, merely touching it wouldn¡¯t immediately trigger mass hysteria or cause the Seraphs themselves to emerge. Let¡¯s say that an important facility was being infiltrated and rms started ring, would the higher-upse running to stop the trespasser by themselves? Of course not. Logically, the first ones who¡¯de running would be the ¡®security force¡¯. -! And the security force that angels usually deployed was the Automaton, an autonomousbat doll equipped with a core. A mechanical giant made of steel marched its way out from within the light cluster. Fitting of its size, every stomp of the giant made the entire dome tremble. ¡°¡­An Automaton made of starsteel? How are the three of us supposed to deal with something like that!?¡± Iliya let out a scream of panic. Speaking about starsteel, it was the metallic substance making up the core of the Heart of the Star that I just struck. In terms of strength, hardness, or any other criteria, it was the highest-grade metal that one could wish for in this world. Like, there was a reason why they used it as a base material for the Holy Sword. As Iliya mentioned, a couple of mere students would never be able to take it down. We would at least need to bring someone at the level of a department head to match the power difference. ¡°¡­¡± I remained silent as I stared ahead. System Notification [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to Grade A. ] Grade A, huh? The fact that it didn¡¯t get raised to EX grade felt strange, but¡­ This was probably because they were just machines that followed predefinedmands. And so, they failed to fulfill the ¡®hostile intent¡¯ condition during the grade adjustment process of the Desperation skill. ¡°¡­¡± I let out a bitterugh. Well, when someone openly tried to harm a holy relic left by the Seraphs, it honestly didn¡¯t matter whether it was an angel or a machine that came out. The thing was, because of the ¡®Commandments¡¯, angels were prohibited from directly harming someone anyway. Even in situations where they had to resort to force, they still couldn¡¯t directly intervene. As such, the reason why this machine was so sluggish was because it was trying to find a way to subdue its opponent without using force. ¡®¡­When you think about it, it¡¯s quite ironic.¡¯ Devils rtively had more freedom to intervene in the material world. Fragments of their main bodies were already scattered throughout the material world, and even though their followers might not unt their status, they were enormous in number. Additionally, under the right conditions, they could manifest themselves directly through the Vessels by using the fragments that they attached. In contrast, angels could, at most, only indirectly provide graces or blessings to someone. For their actual body to emerge directly into the material world, it required more than just a Devil¡¯s Fragment attaching itself to a Vessel; it demanded a level ofplexity beyond the Vessel going wild. ¡°¡­¡± This situation happened because of the ¡®Commandments¡¯. A covenant made between those old men at the pinnacle of Heaven and the rulers of Pandemonium. It was a really important setting in thetter parts of the scenario as it could directly influence the game¡¯s ending itself. Hmm, how should I put this¡­ Heaven and its angels were technically an ally to humanity. However, their stance wasn¡¯t as concrete as you might think. An example of this could be someone like the Pope. He could wield an enormous amount of divine power, but was not necessarily an ally to humanity, nor was he ¡®good¡¯. The main reason behind this phenomenon was that there were ¡®factions¡¯, even within Heaven itself. ¡®¡­Anyway¡­¡¯ Thanks to the contents of the Commandment, the means by which the angels could influence the material world were extremely limited. Therefore, when they wished to do something in the material world, their influence was usually concentrated on a single human. In the material world that we lived in, we called this human a ¡®Hero¡¯. And by ¡®Hero¡¯, I was talking about the orange-haired girl next to me who was drawing her sword while clenching her teeth. ¡°Seriously! You! I can¡¯t anymore¡ª!¡± While saying this, she tried to approach me, but I extended my palm towards her. Anyone could tell that it was clearly a gesture to tell her not toe any closer. ¡°¡­No, what¡­? What is it this time?!¡± ¡®Dude, I know you¡¯re irritated and all, but¡­¡¯ ¡®This time, I didn¡¯t bring you along to get help in battle.¡¯ ¡®On the contrary¡­¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t join in.¡± In the current situation, it would be better if she did not get involved at all. ¡°¡­¡± Iliya¡¯s mouth opened slightly, as her pupils trembled with a fierce intensity. ¡°¡­What¡­ Uh¡­ What¡­ What are you¡­ What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Hm? I meant exactly what I said.¡± As I mentioned before, the setting of the game was that a human who received concentrated graces and blessings from angels was called a Hero. Additionally, our MC over here was currently a Hero ¡®Candidate¡¯. Considering that she was supposed to be officially appointed as the Hero, if any traces of her involvement were left behind in what I was about tomit, a shitshow would bound to happen. ¡°I¡¯m not saying I don¡¯t need you because you¡¯re weak or unhelpful, okay? So don¡¯t start fanfictioning weird thoughts on your own.¡± Of course, I couldn¡¯t exin every little thing in detail. The Karen nature of those in Heaven were often far worse than the Devils in Pandemonium. There was a high chance that they would try to dig into how someone like me, aplete outsider, knew about the inner workings of Heaven. ¡°Then why¡­!¡± ¡°Whoops.¡± Before Iliya could say anything again, the Automaton raised its weapon and struck down at my location. There was no need for me to trigger Swordsman¡¯s Focus. An A Grade in Desperation was more than enough to handle this. The problem was, I didn¡¯t really have a means to deliver an effective blow on it. ¡®Well, I guess that¡¯s why these Automatons are the best thing they could pick as a guard.¡¯ The reason why angels frequently used Automatons, even with their sorelycking attack power, was because they were optimal for ¡®buying time¡¯. These motherfuckers just wouldn¡¯t die. Even if Desperation was EX Grade instead of A Grade, it would still take a tremendous effort for me to take it down. ?It looks quite tough. Can it even be cut with a sword?? Next to me, Yuria disyed such words while tilting her head. She didn¡¯t react to my actions like Iliya did, and she showed zero signs of tension even though a gigantic and powerful enemy had appeared. ¡°¡­¡± As I lightly dodged another attack from the Automaton, my mind started drifting elsewhere. I realized this quite often, but Yuria¡¯s emotions were definitely more twisted than normal people. The majority of potential Vessels for Devils were like that, but she was particrly worse even among them. To be more specific, most of her emotions seemed to be concentrated in a direction rted to ¡®me¡¯. Joy, sadness, fear, anger. Honestly, anything, really. ¡®¡­That¡¯s lowkey scary¡­¡¯ It really do be like that sometimes. I guess it could be because, due to the nature of the White Devil, she had already undergone fusion between the Devil¡¯s Fragment and her own soul. Regardless, it was still he terrifying. After all, I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what kind of bullshit her sporadic emotions would cause in the future. Well, at least for now, even if she were to stay far away from me, she¡¯d only feel a mild case of anxiety. However, if things went awry¡­ She could actually say something like ¡®I want to be together with you forever¡¯, and start nning a double suicide with me¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Goosebumps rose all over my body. At the very least, I should make more of an effort to prevent Eleanor from turning out like that. After all, she would probably alsoplete her merging process with the fragment soon. ¡®Putting that aside¡­¡¯ There was a way to immediately deal with the Automaton. I could use her. Yuria Greyhounder. But, that method was a bit¡­ Well, it wasn¡¯t ideal. I¡¯d turn into the biggest piece of shit in the world if I were to use it. ¡°¡­¡± I sighed and alternated my gaze between her and the Automaton. Well, whatever, there was no other way around it anyway. I mean, that was why I brought her here in the first ce. ¡°Yuria, so¡­¡± ?Yes. I¡¯ll do it.? ¡°¡­¡± No, wait, time out. How about actually listening to my request before making a decision? ?More importantly, Owner called me by my name for the first time! Oh my gosh! I¡¯m so happy!? Stop it. Don¡¯t do this to me. STOP MAKING ME FEEL LIKE A BIGGER PIECE OF SHIT THAN I ALREADY AMMM!!! ¡°For now, take that off and put it around your wrist.¡± I pointed to the cor. No, like, I knew we needed it, but, it would be too much to do it while she was still wearing that. ?D-Do I really have to take it off¡­?? ¡°¡­¡± Why were you tearing up?! It wasn¡¯t like I said something deranged or even unreasonable! ¡°No, that¡­ You know what? Whatever. Just leave it there¡­¡± It felt like it would take too long to persuade her, so I just gave up and firmly gripped the leash in my hand. It was sturdy and strong. I now understood why the one who made it assured me with an ominous expression while saying, ¡®It will never break, no matter how much you y with her¡¯. Even though I had emphasized multiple times that I had no such intentions of using it for ¡®ying¡¯, I would still get a little angry when I recalled how he looked at me with a face that said ¡®Yeah, yeah, sure you won¡¯t¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± Anyway¡­ Since that was the case, I could use it for something like this. ¡°Heup!¡± With a shout, I pulled the leash behind me. Then, immediately, I ¡®threw¡¯ Yuria, as if she was a stone fired from a sling. Since Desperation was at an A Grade, this much should be manageable. With a ¡®Keuk¡¯, Yuria let out a choking sound, as she soared high into the air. A momentter, she collided with the Automaton¡¯s head with a loud Bang!, and slid down its body while making nking noises. It was like a scene out of a manga. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I asked, what the fuck are you doing?!¡± Although Iliya red at me as if I was a shit stain on the ground, I just ignored her. It was all part of my master n. -! The Automaton spotted Yuria nearby and turned its target towards her. Its arms rose to strike once again. If itnded directly, it could pose a lethal threat to her, so¡­ I eyed the distance between the Automaton and Yuria. One and a half steps away. That should be enough. Well, I think. ¡°Wait, it¡¯s dangero¡ª¡± Before Iliya could even finish her sentence¡­ Yuria pulled out Severer at lightning speeds. And the next moment¡­ -! -!!!! In a single blow. The Automaton was split in half. ¡°What the¡­!¡± Iliya¡¯s mouth hung open in shock. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t even see her moveme¡ª! No wait, how is she a student?! Isn¡¯t she stronger than Dean Conrad?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her astonished reaction. She finally got it. I didn¡¯t twist my body around, trying to avoid getting within three steps away from her for no reason. The Curse of Severance; The closer an opponent got to the bearer, the more ruthlessly it tore them apart. Within two steps away from the bearer, the attacks would be even more ruthless. Even a starsteel Automaton couldn¡¯t do shit against it besides getting its asshole split apart. Now, if it had been one step away, well¡­ Among the characters in the current scenario, there was absolutely no one who could withstand Yuria¡¯s one-shot kill. ¡®¡­.That¡¯s why there was a cheese strat that tantly used this trait.¡¯ Within the gamemunity, it wasmonly referred to as the ¡®Blender¡¯. The method was simple: use any means necessary to push Yuria right into the heart of the enemy. As a result, anything nearby gotpletely shredded to pieces. And what I just did was a simr maneuver to that. ¡°¡­¡± It might have been incredibly shitty of me, but it worked wonders. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll dly abuse this in Chapter 2.¡¯ In the showdown against the Boy King, this ability was beyond important. The ¡®penalty¡¯ imposed by the Curse of Severance was that Yuria indiscriminately projected such destructive power, regardless of the victim¡¯s identity. However¡­ The reason I came to this ce was to give her the ¡®ability to distinguish¡¯ between friend and foe. ?W-Wow! I took it down with one hit!? ¡°Hey, hold on. Wait! Don¡¯t!¡± The problem was, even with such terrifying qualities, she still tried to recklessly stick to me without any hesitation. I stepped back in panic to adjust the distance between us. As such, Yuria became sullen and suddenly stopped walking. It felt like I was looking at a puppy that brought back a frisbee and was waiting for her owner to pat her on the head. ?Won¡¯t you praise me¡­?? ¡°¡­¡± I reluctantly picked up a long stick that came out of the demolished Automaton. Using this, I gently stroked Yuria¡¯s head from afar. ¡°¡­Good girl. Well done.¡± ?Hehe¡­? I wonder¡­ Should I be happy because she still liked me, even after I treated her like this? Or should I be terrified instead¡­? ¡°¡­Are you kidding me? What are you two even doing? ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Shut up.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve only been dissing me since earlier.¡¯ Well, it wasn¡¯t like I had time to hear her rebukes anyway. Since the Automaton was destroyed in an instant, the angels would probably be in Code Red at this moment. Someone woulde out soon. And just as I was thinking this¡­ The radiant mass of light in the surroundings surged even brighter. -! Then, from within the white light, a winged figure in white armor appeared. A woman with blue hair that reached all the way down to her feet. She was someone I was familiar with. In the first ce, females were extremely rare among angels. A Virtue15th ranked in angel hierarchy. Not a name! Simr to Archangels, Seraphims, Thrones, etc. . With qualities of nobility and virtue, they were known to bestow ¡®miracles¡¯ upon humans who dwelled on the surface. When considering the hierarchy of angels in Sera, she was quite high-ranking; around the level of a high-ranking government official. ¡°A-An angel?!¡± Beside me, Iliya was gaping in shock. Well, I guess from her perspective, it was probably akin to seeing a celebrity in person. However, to be honest, I was also surprised by the appearance of this specific angel. ¡®¡­Higher ranked than I expected.¡± From the very start, I never expected toe face to face with a Seraph. Those boomers would only show their faces near the end of the scenario. No matter how much of amotion I caused, it would be impossible to meet them. After all, position-wise, they were antipodes of Devils. That was why, I thought maybe some random low-ranking angel woulde out, but who would have imagined that a Virtue appeared instead. What a surprise. ¡®¡­Honestly, isn¡¯t this pretty nice?¡¯ All things considered, this was a pleasant surprise. It¡¯d help to save me some time. I needed to negotiate with a high-ranking angel in order to lift the Curse of Severance, but since she was only a Virtue¡­ I could ¡®rip her off¡¯ more than I had originally nned. Time to take a more radical approach. ¡°¡­Thismotion. I see that you were the one who caused it?¡± The angel wore apassionate smile as she spoke in a chiming voice. ¡°¡­¡± However, when I looked into those eyes, it made quite the contrast to the demeanor she wished to retain. The corner of her eyes were trembling and even her lips couldn¡¯t stop twisting, as her supposedly benevolent smile continued to fall apart. She was fucking pissed. Well, a tyrannical superior gave her a task to handle and someone was fucking with it. She had all the right to be upset. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were thinking when youmitted such an act but¡­¡± The Virtue spread her wings wide. Her golden feathers majestically fluttered. Subsequently, divine power began to gather ominously around her. ¡®I think what happens next would be¡­¡± More than often, angels would employ mental ¡®suppression¡¯ in situations where they could not physically overpower their target. They¡¯d directly infiltrate their opponent¡¯s mind to manipte their actions without causing direct harm. Instead of trying to cause me serious harm, she¡¯d simply restrain me as punishment for fucking around ces where I shouldn¡¯t be. ¡°Are you prepare¡ª¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m prepared. Hurry up and do that shady thing you angels always do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I interrupted the angel¡¯s threatening words, she momentarily turned speechless as she nkly stared at me. Oops. You can¡¯t deny that, can you? ¡®¡­I can¡¯t even begin toprehend why they shamelessly call it divine power when its nature is so wicked.¡¯ I deeply sighed, my thoughts wandering elsewhere once again. A significant amount of skills that used divine power interacted with the mind. Allegedly, thepatibility between the two was good. And it seemed like even ¡®holy¡¯ and ¡®pure¡¯ beings such as angels freely exploited this without a care. ¡®Bruh, what kind of angel resorts to brainwashing or mind maniption?¡¯ ¡°You really need to be taught a lesson!¡± With that, the Virtue shot her divine power towards me. Shortly thereafter, I felt a sensation of something ¡®intruding¡¯ into my consciousness. It was probably simr to a feeling of someone else¡¯s mind mixing with mine. It was the divine power that an angel directly manipted. Even a powerful opponent wouldn¡¯t be able to resist it. ¡°¡­¡± I let out a wry smile. But, well¡­ From my perspective, I was practically weing the angel¡¯s actions with both arms. ¡®She just activated my trap card. GG.¡¯ If she was ¡®infiltrating¡¯ my mind directly¡­ I had prepared some glorious surprises for her. ¡°¡­!¡± And in the next moment¡­ The angel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. TL/N: Hey guys! I know there has been a lot ofints about ng, memes, cringe, and inconsistent with previous TLer! So I¡¯m here to clear everything up with you! The author of FLV uses quite a lot of ng, Korean humor, and Korean idioms/sayings. I try my absolute best to trante a funny Korean joke into an English one. Obviously, it misses the mark sometimes, so I will try to make the humor more pleasant from now on. Bear with me! However, please know that we are ALWAYS keeping in line with the author¡¯s intentions AND tone. I never pull something out of nowhere, just because I want to troll you guys. If you feel like the character¡¯s personality, attitude, or word choice has changed, it has not. This leads to how it seems inconsistent with the previous TL. Once again, I will repeat. When I¡¯m tranting, I follow what the author wants. If Dowd seemed eloquent before, but now, he seems like a NEET? That¡¯s because HE ALWAYS WAS. So PLEASE, be understanding even if you are not happy with the changes in personality. The author meant Dowd to be one of us! A gamer, webnovel reader, anime lover, etc. That makes him just the more rtable, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love to see him as more time passes. About references: This novel is INCREDIBLY difficult to add every single nuance and reference. If you wish to know a brief list, there has been: WOW, LOL, Chainsaw Man, Abrahamic religions, Naruto, etc. It takes a long time to research all of these and try to bring the best experience to you guys! Please understand and show this novel (and our team) a lot of love! With that, I will briefly mention a release schedule because a lot of people have been asking: Our goal is to have at least 4 chapters per week. This week¡¯s daily releases were special because we have just started the novel. However, you can depend on us to deliver consistent chapters every week. Who knows? Maybe if you guys shows enough love, I¡¯ll release daily :)) And for our premium readers: We will have 5 premiums next week! And maybe more the following ?? We¡¯ll see! Anyway, look forward to the adventures of our yandere-rizzler MC! I¡¯ll always try my hardest to allow you guys to read the best TL quality of all thends. GIVE US LOVE AND SUPPORT! I WANT TO SEE ONLY GOOD VIBES IN THE COMMENT SECTION AND DISCORD! I hope you guys enjoyed today¡¯s chapter! See you tomorrow! -DOMINUS You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls
  • 1 5th ranked in angel hierarchy. Not a name! Simr to Archangels, Seraphims, Thrones, etc.
Chapter 53: Curse Removal (3) Chapter 53: Curse Removal (3) ? Curse Removal (3) ? Honestly, the ability to run through other¡¯s minds to subdue them was a pretty dumb skill. In a way, it was justbat without physical force. The user would just infiltrate the opponent¡¯s subconscious, defeat them in a duel, then do it over and over until they surrendered. After that, the user would coerce them with divine power, making them agree to certain conditions and that was it. ¡®So this is how it¡¯s actually implemented, huh?¡¯ While nodding my head, I looked around at the entirely white space, void of anything and anyone. This seemed to be my subconscious. It seemed like this divine power worked by plopping the two of us in the middle of this new ne. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± And as expected, the Virtue was looking around at the surroundings, just as I was. Albeit, with a somewhat bewildered expression. ¡°W-What¡¯s this? Why is there nothing here?¡± When I heard her exmations of confusion, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. Indeed, my current situation was a bit special. ¡®¡­I think the subconscious is said to be directly influenced by Karma, right?¡¯ I scratched my head as I tried to recall my memories. Oh yeah, there was this thing called the Karma Counter, a measurement of someone¡¯s disposition, whether you could categorize them as evil or good. The Karma value umted not only from murder, but also from other wrongdoings. Conversely, through acts of kindness adhering to universal moral standards or through mental discipline, the Karma value could also gradually get lowered. Your subconscious would disy a hellish atmosphere when you had a high Karma value, while if you had a low one, it would disy idyllic and harmonious scenery. That was why, my ¡®empty¡¯ subconscious was quite a peculiar sight. Perhaps it meant that I couldn¡¯t be categorized as either good or evil? ¡°We-Well! It might look a bit unusual! But don¡¯t think for a single second that I¡¯m just an angel for show! You made a big mistake!¡± The Virtue confidently stood upright, boosting her confidence with her own exmations. ¡°No matter who the opponent is, angels are the best when ites to mental discipline through penance and restraint! No matter who the opponent is, we never falt¡ª¡± ¡°Just a moment ago, you seemed quite flustered though.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the case!¡± Hm¡­ Instead of penance and restraint, it seems like they are the best at being utterly shameless, yeah? ¡®¡­To be fair, this person has always been this way.¡¯ Among angels, females were already extremely rare, and if she was a Virtue of ¡®Elfante¡¯, it didn¡¯t take a genius to narrow down her identity. Users often called her Klutzy Angel. Heaven was so rigid and highly regted that even breathing properly was difficult. But within such an environment, there was a certain heterogeneouslyx angel. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were thinking by dragging an angel into your subconscious, but you¡¯ll surely regret it! Okay?¡± With that, Klutzy Angel spread her wings wide open. Then, a tremendous white aura began to surge around her. She certainly had overwhelming divine power. It was on par with or even greater than the divine power I had felt when directly facing the Pope. Even though angels were limited in exerting their power in the material world, within a subconscious, they could freely wield their entire strength. ¡°¡­Uh yeah, but¡­ How should I put this?¡± While scratching my head, I met her eyes directly. ¡°I think it would be better for you to prepare yourself, for now¡­.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The subconscious is directly linked to the soul, you know?¡± If I recall correctly, that was the setting in this world. It was a space that unfolds based on the information stored in the soul. Klutzy Angel creased her brows, as she frowned slightly. ¡°Yeah, so what? That means you¡¯re more at a disadvantage. Most abilities of material world beings are tied to their physical forms, so in a mental space, angels, who are spiritual entities, are always far superi¡ª¡± ¡®Uh¡­I don¡¯t think you have time for such an exposition, my dear Klutzy Angel.¡¯ I sighed and cut her off. ¡°Hey. I said that because whenever a space that is ¡®connected¡¯ to my soul is created, there are those who¡¯d rush over like a lunatic.¡± If I remembered the exnation Atnte gave correctly¡­ My ¡®soul¡¯s personality¡¯ was exceptionally good at attracting something. A certain extreme ¡®something¡¯. One of them was literally near my physical body in the material world. ¡°Ah, she¡¯s here.¡± Simultaneously with my words, Klutzy Angel¡¯s expression quickly stiffened. That was because she could feel something was squeezing their way into this space. Of course, it was a bit¡­ misleading to simply say that she was ing¡¯. -¡­ I also wouldn¡¯t use ¡®appearing¡¯ in this instance¡­ -¡­! It was probably more fitting to say that she was ¡®descending¡¯. Thendscape of my previously empty mental world was subsequently dyed ¡®white¡¯. It encroached so quickly that it was more apt to describe it as being ¡®sshed¡¯ white than ¡®dyed¡¯. However, the sensation emanating from that color was far from pure or clean. Rather, it was so white that it felt like my mind might shatter. Just looking at it made me feel like I would lose my mind because it gave off an immense sensation of ¡®obsessiveness¡¯. It honestly wasn¡¯t easy to provoke difort with such a color, but there was one being that could make it a reality. ¡°¡­¡± Klutzy Angel¡¯s wings thumped against the ground. Her mouth hung open. Her pupils shook. ¡°A Devil¡­?¡± As her muttering echoed¡­ A girl ¡®ripped apart¡¯ the space and revealed herself. Just that singr action was enough to make the entire space tremble. ¡°E-Eeeeek-!¡± Klutzy Angel fell t on her ass as she saw all of the divine power she spread get devoured by a white demonic power. Seemed like her legs had gone weak. Normally, angels could just close the subconscious they opened and return to their physical body in the material world. However, the control of the space had shifted to someone else, so this ce had be her prison. Basically, whether they could leave this ce or not was entirely dependent on that being over there. ¡°¡­T-This¡­ This is impossib¡­! Why is a Devil here¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Uh, didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t falter no matter who your opponent was? Seeing her muttering as if she had lost half her mind, it was hard not to let out a pitying sigh. See? What did I say? You should¡¯ve listened to me and prepared yourself. ¡®¡­Well, I understand her feelings, though.¡¯ I looked at her with a wry smile. To match a Devil¡¯s Fragment one-on-one, an angel on a level just below a Seraphim would be needed. While a Virtue was not a low rank, if they were to throw it down, there would be such a considerable gap that she would be ripped apart easily like a torn piece of paper. In the first ce, the ranks didn¡¯t match up anyway. After all, Devils were the rulers of Pandemonium, while Virtues were, at best, slightly powerful angels. System Notification [ Skill: Fatal Charm is activated. ] [ The target, ¡®White Devil¡¯s Fragment¡¯, is showing interest in you! ] I gazed at the window that popped up with narrow eyes. ¡®The system isn¡¯t being torn apart.¡¯ This was noticeably different from when the Grey Devil¡¯s Fragment appeared. Back then, whether it was the window or some other shit, everything was obliterated, so I couldn¡¯t read anything. This probably signified a clear ¡®difference in power¡¯, even among Devils. The fact that Desperation was not immediately activated was also clear proof of that. [I found you.] However¡­ [My mate.] As that voice resounded chillingly, a shiver ran down my spine. The girl who descended into this space was approaching me slowly, step by step. She wore the figure of Yuria, except without even a stitch of clothing. Since fragments operate through their Vessel, it was natural that it would be influenced by her appearance. However, unlike the usual puppy-like atmosphere Yuria carried, the fragment gave off an undeniably ¡®dangerous¡¯ feeling. [I wanted to meet you so, so much. I missed you.] Even though the face was of a young girl, her expression excluded such an overwhelmingly seductive aura that I felt faint. [You felt the same way, right?] The air was sweet. Just breathing it in made me want to kneel before her. ¡®I am yours. I will crawl to the ground just to kiss your feet. I desir¡­ Wait. Fuck. Wait what¡­¡¯ ¡®I desire your entire being. Lust burns within me. No matter what happens, I will make this girl mine¡­ ¡® System Notification [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ conflicts with ¡®Authority: Seduction¡¯! ] [ Resisting the effects! ] ¡°¡­¡± As soon as my senses returned, I flung a fist at my jaw. Because of mypletely unrestrained blow, both the girl who had been approaching and the fallen Klutzy Angel practically had question marks floating on top of their heads. However, from my perspective, I felt like I hade back from the brink of death. ¡®¡­I almost got fucked¡­ Both literally and figuratively.¡¯ I touched my tingling jaw and shook my head to clear my mind even further. If the basic authority of the Grey Devil was ¡®Corruption¡¯ when spreading its influence over the surrounding time and space, the White Devil¡¯s authority was ¡®Seduction¡¯. Any sentient being who acknowledged its presence would instantly develop an overwhelming favor towards her. Even with my preparation, I was on the verge of bing her snack. If it were any other human, they would have instantly be her ve, the moment they met her eyes. ¡®It¡¯s such a relief that I have the perfect skill to counteract it.¡¯ Just like how she could seduce me, I also had a skill that could rizz her up. After all, ording to the game system, when these kinds of simr effects interact, they¡¯d cancel each other out. However, there was something more important that needs to be said right now¡­ [¡­Why did you reject me?] Despite receiving merely the mitigated effects of Fatal Charm, this bitch remained in the same state. The light vanished from the White Devil¡¯s eyes. Even her focus started to waver in different directions. All I did was refuse to be her ¡®ve¡¯, but she already looked like she hadpletely lost her fucking mind. [I-I want you. But why do you¡­] ¡°¡­¡± Distorted possessiveness. Obsession. Blind and passionate love. These are the keywords that symbolized the White Devil. [Why? Why? Hello? Huh? You¡­Don¡¯t like me? Huh? Why? Why? Do you¡­Hate me? Why? Why? Why?] Like a malfunctioning radio. Monotonous. Short. With the aura of a madwoman, she stepped closer and closer as she spit out short words. White demonic power sporadically writhed around her like a torrential flood. [I¡¯ll¡­Give you anything. I¡¯ll do anything you want. W-What do you want? Should I put the entire world in your palm? Do you want to be Emperor? Do you want the power to kill other humans like insects? With me, anything is possib-] While approaching with such mutters, the White Devil suddenly noticed that her foot snagged a chain and stopped in her tracks. It was Klutzy Angel, trembling and shedding tears. [Angel.] Shortly after the White Devil indifferently muttered¡­ Her eyes suddenly regained their light. [¡­Would you like this as a gift? Do you want to eat it?] ¡°¡­¡± Bruh. She was talking about a Virtue as if she was some random street snack at a marketce. [I¡­Be quite powerful¡­When I rip apart an angel to devour her. You¡­You¡¯ll surely like it too¡­] ¡°AHHHHHHHH-!¡± As soon as she heard those words, Klutzy Angel tried to hastily escape by spreading her wings, but she was immediately restrained by the white demonic power that moved like lightning to grip her ankle. [How¡­Would you like it? Raw? Medium? W-Well done? I sighed with exasperation when I heard the White Devil¡¯s nonsense, and instead, looked up at Klutzy Angel who was hanging upside down in mid-air. ¡°Anyway, yeah. That¡¯s what she says.¡± ¡°W-What do you mean that¡¯s what she says! H-Help! I think you know her, rig¡ª!¡± ¡°Why would I do that for free?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Klutzy Angel chewed on her lips. She wanted to bombard him with swears, but her current predicament made it impossible for her to say anything aloud. ¡°W-What do you want!? I¡¯ll give you anything s-!¡± ¡°A holy relic that can conditionally alleviate the Curse of Severance¡± ¡°¡­¡± Klutzy Angel began to chew on her lips even more severely. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make this decision on her own. The Curse of Severance was a particrly malicious curse, ranking highly even when considering the entirety of Sera. In order to weaken it, she would need to bring something quite valuable, even to Heaven. However¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯ll give it! I¡¯ll give it to you so¡­!¡± That¡¯s fucking right. You had no choice anyway, you bumbling idiot. However, this much wasn¡¯t enough for me. ¡°Swear it. Oh also, put one wing as coteral.¡± ¡°You, how do you also know the regtions of ange¡­! E-EEEEEK-!¡± In the end, with snot and tears running down her face, Klutzy Angel followed my requests(?) and swore it on her wings. Well, I mean. If she didn¡¯t¡­ I guess she could just die here. ¡®Death¡¯ in a mental space would directly influence the physical body as well. With great fatality at that. [¡­Not eating?] The White Devil spat out such a question, clearly displeased. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m just gonna let you know in advance, so¡­¡± I took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°If you touch even a strand of her hair, I¡¯m never going to forgive you.¡± ¡°Wh-What are you doing right now¡­! How could you possibly fight against a Devil¡­!¡± I smirked at Klutzy Angel¡¯s bumbling response. Who said I was fighting? Not me. Have you heard anything from me? I don¡¯t think so. Of course I couldn¡¯t fight her. I whipped out the sword on my waist and ced it on my own neck. ¡°If you don¡¯t listen, I¡¯m going to kill myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± [¡­] ¡®Well, I won¡¯t actually do it. But what are you gonna do about it, huh?¡¯ If I understood the White Devil¡¯s personality properly, she would go fucking bonkers at just the thought of ¡®He might actually do it¡¯. It could seem a bit much to treat my admirer like this, but if she was going to make me choke on her love and affection without even asking for my opinion, there was more than enough reason to at least gaslight her by this much. And just as nned, as soon as I mentioned such words, her pupils started shaking like crazy. She bit her lips. Anyone could see she was beyond anxious. As silence befell amongst the White Devil and Virtue, I continued to speak with a smirk. ¡°So, release the angel and get us out of this ce. I¡¯ll deal with youter.¡± [¡­Deal with me?] ¡°You know what I mean. Won¡¯t we meet againter?¡± I spoke calmly, looking straight into her eyes. Well, in the end, I was destined to ¡®meet¡¯ her, and the rest of the Devils, face-to-face even. Since she was a Devil, she must have instinctively felt it as well. [¡­] For a long while, she stayed quiet, before opening her mouth again. [¡­That¡¯s¡­A promise?] ¡°Promise.¡± I nodded my head in affirmation. Promise or not, it was something that was fated to happen anyway. [¡­Okay.] With that, the White Devil pouted as she dropped Klutzy Angel onto the ground. Klutzy Angel copsed back to the ground, the breath knocked out of her body. Then, the White Devil¡¯s fragment, who had taken on the figure of Yuria, slowly stepped towards me. She immediately began to stroke the outside of the mask covering my face. It was something I always wore whenever I was with Yuria. Of course, I wore it today as well. ¡°¡­¡± The portion of the mask that the White Devil¡¯s hand touched felt like it was melting. Although she didn¡¯t overwhelm me as much as the Grey Devil, her position as the White Devil was definitely not for show. ¡°¡­¡± Oh, right. I finally remembered why I always wore a mask when meeting Yuria. Uhhhh, it was to prepare for the case where Yuria would be the ¡®Vessel¡¯ of the White Devil, just like she was currently, [Face.] Oh fuck. This was¡­ The trigger for the White Devil¡¯s ¡®rampage¡¯. There was an event that urred the moment she recognized my face. Even among the Devil-rted ones, I remember it being so fucked up that it was in the honorary rankings for dogshit events. [Show me¡­Later, for sure.] ¡°¡­¡± No fucking way. There was no shot that I¡¯d ever show it to you. As I engraved this resolve into my very soul¡­ My subconsciouspletely crumbled away. TL/N: Hey guys! I¡¯m sick so I¡¯m going to take a break for a few days. But don¡¯t worry! There still will be 4 chapters a week. Hope you guys enjoyed and found this chapter better than the other ones. I think I¡¯m slowly approving! Please always give this novel a lot of love! ¨C DOMINUS You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 54: Butterfly Effect Chapter 54: Butterfly Effect ? Butterfly Effect ? After concluding all my business, I walked out of the dome, only to see the Saintess clutching her head with a heavily twisted expression. There was a lit cigarette in her hand. ¡°¡­Is it okay for the Saintess to smoke?¡± ¡°When I¡¯m stressed, yes, it¡¯s okay. If I don¡¯t do this, I probably would¡¯ve just died ages ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why was she suddenly making such an ominous remark? ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time right now as well. Because of you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did you know? When one contains divine power beyond a normal amount, there are times when they canmunicate with beings from the Astral Realm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s an angel in that building who is very angry with you. They kept screaming about how trashy you are. Their voice is ringing in my head.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so¡­?¡± Well, I didn¡¯t actually need her to tell me that. Seeing this was enough to tell me all I needed to know. System Message [ Target ¡®Virtus A1101¡¯ recognizes you as irredeemable trash! ] [ Marked with Negative Tendency! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated! Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± These days, it felt like my reputation was plummeting to the ground quite frequently. Well, shit, it wasn¡¯t like there was anything that I could do. Actually, fuck it. There was something more important than that. I brought out several metal ingots the size of Lucia¡¯s forearm in front of her. As soon as she saw them, Lucia¡¯s expression quickly turned serious. ¡°¡­This is¡­¡± No matter how much she shit on me, she was still the Saintess. She seemed to have recognized what it was right away. I mean, it was a bit hard not to know, since the ¡®Heart of the Star¡¯ inside that dome was made out of this exact material. [ Starsteel Ingot ] Type: Material ¨C Weapons and Armor Description: It has high conductivity for all types of powers, but is especiallypatible with divine power. It can only be damaged by Starsteel or Pandemonium Metal. ? Strong resistance to all curses when crafting equipment. ? Whenbined with specific materials, it has special effects. Just looking at it made me cum a little. As expected of the core material for the protagonist¡¯s signature weapon, it was practically smothered in all kinds of utilities. ¡°Where on earth did you get this much starsteel? This is a metal that only appears in myths¡ª!¡± ¡°Well, if you want to nitpick, isn¡¯t the being inside, the one who is cursing me, also someone who only appears in myths?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucia closed her mouth as if to say, ¡®Wait, he got a point.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m nning to give Yuria a present by using one of these.¡± When I continued talking while scratching my cheek, Lucia¡¯s eyes briefly lost her focus. ¡°¡­Sorry?¡± Then, she blinked her eyes a few times in session. It seemed like she was slowly digesting the significance of what she had just heard. Suddenly, she jumped up from her seat. With a look of astonishment, she alternated her gaze between the starsteel ingot and me. ¡°W-Wait, just a moment. This is starsteel we are talking about! In some cases, wars would have broken out to obtain just half the amount you just gave me!¡± Yep, that was true. This thing definitely wasn¡¯t your average everydaymodity. But the curse on your younger sister wasn¡¯t some ordinary curse either, you know? ¡°Well, I¡¯m not even giving you all of it anyway. I¡¯ve set aside the amount I¡¯m going to use, so just take it.¡± I wasn¡¯t lying. This was barely half of what I had ripped off from that Virtue. After all, I intended to save the rest for other purposes. ¡°That¡¯s not the issue he¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, there will be problems if I don¡¯t give you two at least this much.¡± With a determined tone, I said those words. When I said that the Curse of Severance was one of the most vicious things in existence, I wasn¡¯t spewing some exaggerated bullshit. The amount that I got from ckmailing that Virtue was almost enough to make a holy relic, but it would still be impossible to remove the curse in its entirety with only that much. ¡°¡­That is¡­indeed true.¡± Lucia responded with a gloomy expression, her head drooped as she fell silent. ¡°However, only receiving one-sided favor like this¡ª¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I interrupted with a serious tone. ¡°Both of you are that important to me. I can afford to give you some of these, so just take it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± To be more precise, to effectively utilize Yuria in the uing Chapter 2 Boss Battle, they had to receive this starsteel. Considering the roles that these two sisters would y in the Boy King Boss Battle, I could not emphasize enough how important this matter was. It wasn¡¯t only for their sake, but it was for mine as well. ¡°In the first ce, this is just the beginning. I intend to stay with you for a long time. Just consider it a token of my sincerity.¡± And, well¡­ This girl was one of the key figures of thete-game main story line, the ¡®Pope Subjugation¡¯. Giving away mere chunk of starsteel wasn¡¯t even that big of a de¨C System Message [ The target is aware of your history with women and therefore has doubts. Resists seduction! ] [ However, she eventually fails to resist! ] [ The favorability of the target ¡®Lucia¡¯ has slightly increased! ] [ The favorability level has been upgraded from ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯ to ¡®Interest Level 1.5¡¯! ] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What the fuck is this shit?¡¯ ¡®What seduction did I do? What the fuck did resisting it even mean?¡¯ ¡°¡­Please don¡¯t do this to me. Please.¡± Lucia, with a deeply blushing face, opened her mouth with a stammer. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I only had suspicions before, but now I¡¯m certain. Just how many girls have you seduced like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When you¡¯re saying words that would cause misunderstandings, there¡¯s a line that you should never cross¡­ If I didn¡¯t know Yuria was in this state, I might have been fooled by you too¡­¡± ¡°¡­What does that even mea¡ª?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Don¡¯t make me exin my own words, you shameless person!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd Campbell, recipient of a second lifetime achievement. Someone the Saintessbeled a shameless person. How far have I fallen? ¡°Anyway!¡± The Saintess, still with a red face, continued speaking after clearing her throat a few times. ¡°Thest time you helped, you said nothing in this world is free. So, what do you want from us this time?¡± She was definitely quick on the uptake. As expected, it seemed like the fuckery she had gone through while roleying as the benevolent Saintess was not a waste at all. ¡°Yes, well. Um. It¡¯s not that big of a deal but¡­¡± I tried to choose my words carefully. Like, really, REALLY, carefully. As I mentioned time and time again, these two sisters were the key figures of the Boy King Subjugation. Because of this, their roles were also quite¡­spectacr. Yes. Totally. However, I found that when I usually exin these kinds of things, I¡¯d get misunderstood way too often. That was why, I had to exin the n in a more stable and careful mann¡ª ¡°You know, I can tell that your request is fucking deranged just by looking at your expression, so just cut to the chase and say it. What do you want?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why was she so mean to me¡­?
Honestly, I was already prepared for the fact that everything wouldn¡¯t follow what was ¡®predetermined¡¯. However, I guess I should¡¯ve paid more attention¡­ As always, the butterfly effect was more of a motherfucking pain in the ass than I anticipated.
[ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Boy King ¡½ [ ¡®Academy Assault¡¯ Incident: D-1 ] I read the window in front of me. ¡®Only one day left now, huh?¡¯ Various things happened, but I had prepared everything I could for now. On one hand, the scale of the boss battle would be far greater than the Purifier, but on the other, the chances for sess were far higher as well. After all,pared to back then, not only did I have a multitude of back-up ns at my disposal, but I also had grown considerably. I had strengthened Divine¡¯s Ultima using the main quest reward, ¡®Echo of Sanctification¡¯, and hadmissioned starsteel equipment that could contain Yuria¡¯s curse. Additionally, I ryed instructions to the Greyhounder Sisters on what to do with such equipment. Suddenly, I recalled Eleanor¡¯s words. ¡°Professor Vulcan from the Crafting School wants to see you some time.¡± ¡°Really? I guess he must be grateful for receiving such a specialmission that utilizes rare materials, right?¡± ¡°No. He wants to kill you for requesting him toplete such a derangedmision in just one day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He wants to at least buy you ast supper before your funeral.¡± How incredibly kind of him. Even so, he was still a professor at Elfante¡¯s Crafting School; his skill was beyond doubt and I was sure that thepleted equipment had already been delivered to Yuria by now. Just like how this had just been delivered to me. [ Divine¡¯s Ultima ] Item Grade: C+ ¡ú B+ [ Applied 1 Echo of Sanctification! ] [ Changes in Built-In Skills! ] ¡ò Built-In Skills ¡ò Skill: Penance ¡ú Proof of Faith Skill Grade: C ¡ú B Description: For a short time, converts all stat bonuses into ¡®Endurance¡¯ and ¡®Divine Power¡¯. Consumes a small amount of mana. ¡ù Evolvable Skill: Upon evolution, the skill will change to [Martyr]! ¡ò Built-In Skills ¡ò Skill: Guardian Shield ¡ú Stigmata Skill Grade: C ¡ú B Description: Creates a continuously regenerating shield for a certain period of time. Consumes a small amount of mana. The strength of the shield is affected by the ¡®Endurance¡¯ stat. The regeneration speed of the shield is affected by the ¡®Divine Power¡¯ stat. ¡ù Evolvable Skill: Upon evolution, the skill will change to [Shallow Tomb]! ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡¯ This was the majesty of evolving a skill in one shot with an item, instead of grinding for a year, as I was originally supposed to. Whether it was ¡®Proof of Faith¡¯ or ¡®Stigmata,¡¯ their enhanced capabilities from their previous counterparts were impressive. Proof of Faith was particrly valuable because even though it was a temporary, the buff to the ¡®Divine Power¡¯ was enormous. While Desperation increased General stats, it didn¡¯t boost the Special ones. When considering the stat bonuses thate with higher grades of the skill, the impact of these bonuses being entirely applied to ¡®Divine Power¡¯ would be tremendous to see. Additionally, the advantage of having a ¡®regenerating¡¯ shield was also noteworthy. You see,this meant as long as my enemies didn¡¯t fuck me over in one blow, the shield would remain. Even at a nce, you could tell that its defensive capabilities were several times greater than Guardian Shield. ¡®This will definitely save my ass in the future.¡¯ With that thought, I stretched my back, groaning like an ancient sage. All that was left was to give Atnte a basic outline of countermeasures for tomorrow¡¯s assault. ¡°¡­Also, it¡¯s prettyte outside now.¡± I muttered to myself while walking through the academy¡¯s corridors. Dusk had set, casting a reddish glow on the nearby surroundings. During this time of the day, the academy was always bustling as students finished their sses and scattered away. ¡°¡­¡± And if I said that I never envied those students, I would be lying. Oftenly, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what it felt like to live a ¡®dedicated¡¯ school life. You know, since I¡¯ve never actually attended school properly. It held true, whether it was in the past or the present. I didn¡¯t experience school even ¡®outside¡¯ this game. I transmigrated inside a school-themed game and even possessed a student. However, it felt like I spent more time wandering around to solve incidents and clean up other people¡¯s shit than actually attend proper sses. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± While I dwelled in my musings, I suddenly heard a voice. When I turned around, there was a woman wearing a mask. Her demeanor was unassuming, but there was an indescribable presence about her that made it hard to look away. ¡°¡­¡± How strange. I couldn¡¯t sense any danger from her. Which was weird since her odd mask and distorted voice made her incredibly suspicious. Instead, she emitted a ratherforting atmosphere, making me feel all warm inside.. ¡®¡­Hm.¡¯ I examined her from top to bottom. Usually, when someone approached me like this, I would start getting suspicious in various ways before thinking about anything else, but, with this person¡­Well¡­ Simply put, because they seemed so weak, I did not feel the need to be wary. I didn¡¯t even need to use Scan to know it. After all, I had developed an instinct for such things after being around strong individuals. Seeing as Desperation had not triggered, it meant she was only at a level slightly better than me. To be more precise, perhaps just slightly below the average individual. I tilted my head and responded. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Oh, no. Not at all. This is our first time meeting. It¡¯s just that I noticed you looking at other people with eyes drenched in such mncholy.¡± ¡°¡­Was it really that bad?¡± ¡°It was really that bad.¡± The woman giggled as she bounced towards me. When I began to walk towards the headmistress¡¯ office, she followed me so naturally that I was almost fooled to believe we were meant to go together in the first ce. ¡°Was there perhaps a girl you like in that crowd? If there was, your girlfriend would be quite mad, you know?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± Not only did I not have one right now, but I had also never had one in my previous life. How depressing. ¡°Oh, really? You don¡¯t have a girlfriend or anything else? With your face, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be unpopr among thedies..¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitterugh. It was the first time I had heard such apliment in my entire life¡­ ¡°¡­You¡¯re not wrong.¡± If we were going to dwell on the technicalities, then yeah, I was pretty popr. To people that I shouldn¡¯t fuck around with, that is. ¡°Mmmmm? I feel like thatugh seemed to hold some backstory behind it, no?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re on about. Backstory? There¡¯s none.¡± Backstory? The story of my life was to struggle for my continued puny existence as I inadvertently got involved in the absolute fuckfest that came with attracting an amalgamation of people. Just like the Butterfly Effect. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t have backstories, but I do have responsibilities.¡¯ No matter how dense I was or how misconstrued my intentions were or all that dogshit that somehow came naturally to me, their favorability levels were always right in front of my eyes. It was unreasonable to im that I waspletely unaware of their feelings. So, whatever backstory there was, if it led to them clinging onto me because of their affection and love¡­ Even if it wasn¡¯t right at this moment, some day, for sure¡­ I would take responsibility. I had to settle it some way or another. No matter how much of a piece of shit I was, I surely had at least that much awareness. ¡°Huh. Hey, your expression is getting gloomy again.¡± ¡°¡­Rather than gloomy, ¡®afraid¡¯ is more fitting.¡± Yep, sure. Taking responsibility was good and all, but¡­ All Devils had this coded personality that made them inherently possessive and obsessive. To put it bluntly, if such Devils started to fight amongst themselves for someone¡¯s love and affection, it wouldn¡¯t be some simple argument in a ro. It would likely turn into a terrifying and apocalyptic scene of utter destruction. Huh, I wonder what would happen to me? I mean, y¡¯know, I was literally in the center of it¡­ Perhaps, most humans with a soul constitution like mine had already died because of that, yeah? As Atnte had mentioned previously, I agreed that my only path to survival was to rizz up every single one of the Devil¡¯s Vessels. At the same time, however, I would also be the one who had to bear all the risks that came with it. ¡®¡­You can do it, future me!¡¯ In the end, my top priority was leveling up for dear life. This wasn¡¯t some joke, okay? Just drowning in women who liked me was more than enough to pose a pretty high possibility of death¡­ Before I could ept their feelings or whatever freaky kinks they wanted from me, I needed to have the strength to handle the risks thate with it¡­! ¡°¡­¡± As I fell into such deep contemtion, the masked woman, who had been quietly observing me, bursted intoughter. ¡°You¡¯re quite a fun and interesting person to watch, you know? Even if you are doing your own thing, it isn¡¯t boring at all to spectate.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s much more entertaining than I thought.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°¡­More than you thought, you said?¡± This woman. She knew something about me. Honestly, it was more likely that it wasn¡¯t anything important. Rumors about me had spread to the point where anyone could easily know who I was. It wasn¡¯t difficult to assume that she had probably heard some random tidbits. However¡­ Something¡­felt off. ¡°Mmm, So¡­¡± The masked woman nodded while briefly humming. ¡°Do you happen to know what the ¡®butterfly effect¡¯ is?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I stopped in my tracks as I heard some eerily familiar words. ¡°Originally, I had no interest in you. I didn¡¯t even n toe here today. However, little by little, you caught my attention, and now, you¡¯re the only one I can see.¡± A strange feeling crept in. A shiver ran down my spine. ¡°All your actions led to this result; me being here today. It¡¯s a textbook definition of the butterfly effect, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Honestly, since you always prepared ahead of time, I thought you¡¯d be more meticulous and have that calctive mastermind vibe¡­¡± The masked woman leaned forward with her hands behind her back. ¡°But that¡¯s not the case at all. You¡¯re much more peculiar than I thought. You¡¯re so ordinary that it made you somewhat special. It¡¯s quite strange that someone like you still holds the upper hand, even when entangling with Devils.¡± The strange feeling intensified, bing more and more concrete. Throughout the entire continent, only a few humans knew about my involvement with ¡®Devils¡¯. And even among the leaders of superpowers, only a certain few had such information. As she started throwing such information casually, I stopped considering her as a normal human. ¡°This is why I like you. I like you so much more now that I went out my way to see you directly, instead of just hearing stories about you.¡± Even with such words, the masked woman¡¯s demeanor remained utterly unchanged. Calm, quiet, and did not seem harmful at all. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°Just know that I am Mr. Dowd¡¯s Number 1 Fan. I might value you much more than those devil-affiliated girls who are desperately chasing after you, okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that it¡¯s unpleasant to have those cursed bitches anywhere near you.¡± And right when those words flowed out in herposed voice¡­ ¡°I want to kill them all whenever I see them hanging around you, acting as if they amount to something. How dare they do such a thing when they know nothing about you? Seriously, they need to know their ces.¡± At this point, it was inevitable that I would break out in a flood of cold sweat. I couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying at all. The demeanor she gave off remained the same. It was as harmless and ordinary as ever. No matter how I looked at it, there was no threatening atmosphere. However, even though this was the conclusion I came with rationally¡­ Instinctively, I felt that this person was ¡®dangerous¡¯. I felt it more strongly than ever before. The feeling was so overwhelming that my head started to spin. There was no physical pressure whatsoever, but I found myself involuntarily stepping back before I even realized, due to the ¡®twisted sensation¡¯ emanating from her. ¡°Only I can understand you. Only I can see through your ¡®true self¡¯.¡± The masked woman giggled. For every step I retreated, she matched with her own step, as she advanced. ¡°In this world, I am the only one. Only me. Only I can face you as an equal. The only ¡®viin¡¯ capable of that is me. Even the Devils can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°¡­You¡­¡± ¡°The others are just puppets that dance to your tune. They¡¯re just pieces on a chessboard. No matter how you look at them, theyck the brilliance that you have.¡± She continued in a voice mixed withughter. In her usual calm tone, she poured out sentences dripping with such venom that it made me dizzy. ¡°So boring. So annoying. I want to kill them all. I want to kill them all and leave only you and me in this world. Life would be a bit more enjoyable that way.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± It felt like my stomach was turning inside out. I was barely able to squeeze out my voice ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± The masked woman took a step back, smiling slightly. ¡°You can just remember me as someone who came to scout you, okay?¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t finished preparing for Valkasus¡¯s assault, have you?¡± A chill ran down my spine. ¡°It seems that you have several ¡®measures¡¯ prepared to counteract him¡­But the important ¡®deployments¡¯ aren¡¯t finalized yet. There should probably be at least four near the Clock Tower. Even if only that part is set up properly, you could easily subdue Valkasus.¡± I froze. I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°The n is perfect. Also, the measures are appropriate. I would¡¯ve done the same. However¡­¡± This bitch. ¡°If the timing of the incident was moved up by just ¡®one day¡¯, most of your n would be neutralized, right?¡± She was repeating the exact same actions that I had been doing to my ¡®enemies¡¯ until now. Anticipating everything they would do and then unleashing a counter-punch one step ahead. ¡°I want to expect something more from you.¡± The woman gazed towards the Clock Tower and continued. ¡°About the disturbance that I will cause starting from now¡­ I don¡¯t think I could handle it if I was in your position. However, if it¡¯s you¡­¡± Once again¡­. ¡°If it¡¯s you, you can do something about it, right?¡± The sentences continued to pour out. ¡°You can make me fall for you even more, right?¡± With that, she pulled out something from inside her clothes. Although it looked simr to a tiny awl¡­ I knew what it really was. ¡°¡­Sky Splitter?¡± ¡°Oh? As expected, you know it?¡± How could I not? This item marked the beginning of Chapter 2. Itpletely disabled the surrounding barrier, allowing Valkasus¡¯s Forbidden Jutsu to permeate throughout the entirety of the academy grounds. A truly powerful and rare artifact. Only the Leader of the Devil Worshippers would even know of its existence, let alone possess one. ¡°¡­¡± I clenched my fists tightly. If that was the case, this proved¡­ Who the woman before me really was. ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet.¡± The masked woman swept back her hair before speaking. ¡°Hello, Dowd Campbell. I am the Prophet. It¡¯s not my name, but that¡¯s what people call me.¡± The Prophet. Leader of the Devil Worshippers. ¡°But, you see, by any chance¡­¡± She left me onest line. ¨C Do you know the ¡®butterfly effect¡¯? And soon after¡­ A huge light burst out from the Sky Splitter. As the light hit the dome-shaped barrier in the sky, web-like cracks started to spread. ¡°¡­¡± As I watched this scene that all but signified the start of the Chapter 2 Boss Battle¡­ !! Alert !! [ A change in the scenario has urred! ] [ An Emergency Event has urred! ] [ The remaining time for the Main Quest has drastically decreased! ] I had only one thought on my mind. Do I know the butterfly effect? Yeah. I know. ¡°¡­¡± I knew it better than anyone. It was my true mentor that taught me this one fact; In this world, absolutely nothing would go my way. [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Boy King ¡½ [ ¡®Academy Assault¡¯ Incident has begun! ] [ Protect the Academy! ] Yep. I¡¯m fucked. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 55: Boy King (1) Chapter 55: Boy King (1) ? Boy King (1) ? ¡°Phew¡­ Another day has passed¡­¡± As Iliya spoke in an exhausted manner, Trisha, who was walking alongside her, let out a bitterugh. ¡°Aren¡¯t you pushing yourself way too hard these days?¡± Her words were true. The sses at Elfante¡¯s Knight School were well known for its rigorous nature. Even among them, the training course Iliya had been enduringtely was infamous for being exceptionally demanding. Her seemingly masochistic tendencies and the additional one-on-one training sessions with the Dean after ss had even reached the ears of Trisha, a Theology School student. It was to the extent that it had be a hot topic of discussion among students. They wondered if this was what one had to undergo to be a Hero Candidate. ¡°¡­Well, you know¡­¡± Iliya pursed her lips before speaking once again. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling quite inadequatetely.¡± ¡°¡­Inadequate?¡± Her seemingly ridiculous words were met with Trisha¡¯s incredulous voice. Inadequate? Where exactly was the inadequacy she spoke of? It had been a well-known fact that there were absolutely zero freshmen who could evenpare to half of Iliya¡¯spetence. Even Talion, whom people had some expectations for, got utterly demolished the moment they crossed swords. ¡°¡­Trisha, do you know Heaven¡¯s Automaton?¡± ¡°Huh? Where did that suddenlye from?¡± Of course she knew. Heaven, located within the Astral Realm, used them as weapons when they needed to intervene in the Material Realm. Because of their incredibly tough exteriors, it was immensely difficult to harm them in any way, thus making them a formidable opponent to all humans in the Material Realm. From what she knew, an academy student shouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to meet something like that though¡­ ¡°One of the freshmen was able to cut it down in one strike. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What? What kind of monster is she talking about?¡¯ ¡°And once again, that freshman has a connection with Teach¡­ I don¡¯t know how that person keeps getting intertwined with such women¡­¡± As Trisha observed Iliya¡¯s ¡®Color of Emotions¡¯, she jumped in surprise. It was ck again, even though it had been white for quite a while. ¡°¡­R-Really? Still, I doubt there¡¯s anything special between Mr. Dowd and that freshman. Didn¡¯t you say he had already fallen for the Student Council President?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a bit moreplex than that.¡± Iliya let out a sigh before continuing. ¡°Even though so many girls desire and chase after him, he never seems to like any of them. Not even a little.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Didn¡¯t that mean he was just a trashy phnderer? Although such a thought came up oh so naturally, Trisha swallowed the sentence back down her throat, hiding it behind her sealed mouth. No matter how tough she seemed, Iliya was someone who was sensitive regarding this matter. She couldn¡¯t speak out of turn. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried. I¡¯m worried that he will suddenly stop paying attention to me one day.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Iliya¡¯s expression turned dark in an instant. Almost as if she was remembering a bad memory. ¡°Last time, he even removed me frombat. Doesn¡¯t it sound like a red g to you?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Trisha slowly blinked for a brief moment. ¡®No, wait. Uh, I thought she was¡­?¡¯ Weirdly, the focus of the conversation was off. Why was this discussion continuously leaning towards herbat prowess? ¡°¡­Uh, Iliya?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Uh, weren¡¯t we talking about Mr. Dowd¡¯s ideal type¡­?¡± For a moment, silence fell upon both of them. ¡°¡­No. Anyway, since that person is stronger than me, isn¡¯t it likely that Teach would focus on her and not me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Um. For some reason, her friend always had questionablemon sense. Since when did the pursuit of youth turn into a spective arena for ranking who was stronger than the other? ¡°Why do you think that way?¡± ¡°How do I put it¡­ Isn¡¯t that part of me the only thing that keeps mepetitive and in the running?¡± ¡°¡­Where did that conclusion evene from?¡± Iliya shut her mouth, clenching her teeth as she did so. After kicking the ground a few times for no apparent reason, she cleared her throat with embarrassment. ¡°I-I mean¡­If you take my fighting prowess away from me, I¡¯m basically worth nothing¡­¡± As she looked at Iliya squirming, Trisha speechlessly grabbed her forehead. She realized that this girl had really a long way to go. ¡°¡­Be more confident. You¡¯re pretty popr among the boys, you know?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s true though?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was true though. Trisha could not fathom why IIiya was always in firm denial over something like this. ¡®¡­Her looks are pretty, her skills are incredible, she gets along with everyone¡­¡¯ In truth, from her perspective as a friend, Trisha felt that Iliya was wasted on someone like Dowd, who had a rather questionable history with women. She wished Iliya would realize that fan clubs weren¡¯t made for no reason. ¡°¡­Well, anyway. So that¡¯s why I¡¯ve been training hardtely! Maybe if I do that, Teach would, uh¡­ You know¡­ Spend more time with me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, her way of thinking itself waspletely and utterly wrong. Trisha gave up trying to convince her and shifted her gaze upwards. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± When she did, she was startled. The reason? Because she saw a towering ¡®pir of light¡¯ that seemed to shatter the sky. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Uh, I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± -¡­ In the midst of their conversation¡­ The pir of light struck directly at the barrier epassing the entire academy. With that, the protective barrier, the same one that the Seraphs hadid long ago, began to form web-like cracks. ¡°¡­!¡± Both Iliya and Trisha¡¯s faces turned pale instantly. They weren¡¯t too sure what the exact situation was. However, there was no one in the academy who didn¡¯t know what losing the protective barrier meant. Firstly, there was the Void Zone nearby, the ce where the Devils¡¯ ¡®true bodies¡¯ were sealed. Secondly, if the protective barrier disappeared, an indescribable cmity would undoubtedly strike this ce. And just a few secondster¡­ In the distant Void Zone, a massive shroud of darkness surged up, contrasting with the pir of light. Almost as if it immediately detected the damaged barrier. And shortly after¡­ ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Through the cracks on the barrier, a ck darkness began to scream as it rushed in.
Main Quest: ¡¼ Chapter 2 ¨C Boy King ¡½ [ !!Alert!! ] [ Emergency Event in progress! ] [ Repel the ¡®Academy Assault¡¯! ] [ If too many casualties ur, it¡¯s Game Over! ] [ This quest has been altered due to an Emergency Event. ] [ Additional Rewards avable uponpletion! ] [ Reward: 1 Hero Fragment ] [ Reward: 1 Evil Essence ] [ Reward: Special Interaction with ¡®Heretic Inquisition¡¯ ] [ Reward: 10,000pt ] Without even being able to properly read the window, I gazed at the sky stained with darkness and gritted my teeth. ¡°¡­¡± When I finally looked around, the Prophet was already gone. It seemed like she hid herself and erased the traces of her existence when she activated the Sky Splitter. While letting out ear-bursting screams, the evil spirits and specters gathered at the gap of the barrier, continuously throwing themselves in an attempt to shatter it. Every time a collision was made, the screams of students exploded out nearby. They seemed to have instinctively realized that if that barrier was to break, something terrible would happen to all of them. There was certainly a reason why even the Seraphs descended to create this barrier. The Devil¡¯s Killing Aura lingering around this area was a blind hatred of all life. ¡°¡­¡± Originally, they wouldn¡¯t go this far. However, inside this barrier, there were things that they ¡®coveted¡¯. Devil¡¯s Fragments. And the Vessels that housed these fragments. The very people that Atnte had gathered in an attempt to seal all the fragments through me. ¡°¡­¡± This dogshit situation was also a product of the butterfly effect. Originally, they wouldn¡¯t have tried to shatter the barrier like this to get inside. But, because of my existence, this phenomenon was unfolding before my eyes. -! However, Elfante Academy was a ce that had the manpower capable of instantly dealing with any threats. Among them, there was a certain person who leapt up to the very heart of the darkness. Someone who had instantaneously created ¡®flight¡¯, a technique considered difficult even when using a Special Power. Atnte the Eternal. The Headmistress of the academy, holding thousands of talents befitting the millennium she had lived, was instantly reaching the gap in the barrier. White light emanated from her hand. It was clear that her intention was to repair the cracks. Soon after, more people arrived one after another to support Atnte. They were clearly the professors from the Magic School and Theology School. The faces of Magic School¡¯s Dean Percy and Theology School¡¯s Dean Walter could also be glimpsed briefly. -! And when such manpower joined, even if it was merely a temporary measure, the darkness that was trying to infiltrate through the barrier gap retreated while screaming. It was a tremendous feat. No matter how many extraordinary humans helped, this was still a barrier made by the Seraphs. It was remarkable and nearly inconceivable that they could somehow control the situation, even if it was temporary. Cheers and relieved apuse could be heard from the surrounding area. They probably thought that group of people managed to prevent the incident from happening. However¡­ ¡®¡­It¡¯s not looking good.¡¯ From what I know, this wasn¡¯t even the main course of the Boy King Boss Battle. It was just the appetizer. The fact that ¡®all¡¯ of those people were gathered there was, in itself, a huge red g. While all the elite personnel inside the academy were concentrated there, another enormous aura had begun to gather in one ce. ¡°Wh-What¡¯s that?!¡± ¡°The Clock Tower¡­!¡± The Clock Tower was located at the very center of the academy, its ¡®tallest¡¯ building by far. Above that very tower, several huge ¡®Hieroglyphs¡¯ had begun to appear. Incantations that were brought forth by an ancientnguage. A forgotten sorcery. It was Valkasus¡¯s Forbidden Sorcery. Shortly after, these Hieroglyphs emitted an ominous energy and began to generate various ¡®Arrays¡¯ in the surrounding areas. Crawling out from within were a group of immense monsters that were clearly rotting and decaying. Among them, the most conspicuous one was a gigantic monster with a size of several tens of meters. Made of multiple flesh parts stitched together, this massive golem was the very personification of hell. Flesh Tearer. ording to the ssification of the Imperial Adventurer Guild, it was a ¡®Special-Grade¡¯ demonic creature that could cause a city-wide emergency just with its appearance. To deal with it without any casualties, I would need monstrous existences on the level of Gideon or Margrave Kendride. ¡®Can¡¯t I catch a fucking break for once¡­?!¡¯ As I observed this entire shitstorm, my head started spinning. ¡®Are you fucking with me? Were you seriously expecting me to clear this quest?¡¯ Ruined assembled with Forbidden Sorcery. Setting aside Flesh Tearer, their power might have been simr to the Medium-Grade demonic creature I dealt with before, but because of their maliciousness, they were far more dangerous. And there was also the fact that those fuckers wouldn¡¯t die. In the first ce, destroying them was impossible. What? Did you expect me to kill a long-dead corpse once more for the shits and giggles? There was only one solution to deal with them. It was to deal with Valkasus, who was controlling them with his Forbidden Sorcery. -!!! -!!!!!!!! The Ruined that emerged from the Arrays roared in unison. Their vocal cords had probably decayed due to their rotten state as a mix of a hoarse voice and the disgusting sound of wind escaping their bodies could be heard. Perhaps due to this, it made them even more grotesque. ¡°H-Hieeeeeek¡­!¡± ¡°Run!¡± Upon seeing this scene, the students¡¯ faces turned pale as they started fleeing. The faculty and some higher-grade students who managed to keep theirposure were trying to maintain control of the vicinity. However, it was honestly more strange that anyone could stay sane after seeing such a sight. And thus, a hell on earth had unfolded. ¡°¡­!¡± Eventually, Atnte, who was still in the sky, gritted her teeth and gestured to the nearby professors. It probably meant that she would hold this ce alone, so they should go to the surface to make sure there weren¡¯t any casualties. While it was a rational decision, it was impossible for her to indefinitely face thebined killing intent from the Void Zone, which was still pounding against the barrier. The professors who knew this hesitated, but Atnte urgently gestured to them again. If they let those Ruined attack uncontrobly, the barrier was not even the issue at hand. A massacre would happen right here and now. In the end, the professors, understanding this logic, descended back to the surface with grim expressions. ¡°¡­¡± Since this was Atnte we were talking about, she could hold on for about 30 minutes. 30 fucking minutes. In that time, I had to break through those monsters and reach the top of the Clock Tower to confront Valkasus. Otherwise, the barrier would be breached and countless people would be swept away by that darkness, thus failing the main quest. Game Over. Currently, I was without myrades and none of my prepared ¡®measures¡¯ were properly in ce. Could I seed? ¡°¡­¡± I bit my lips until blood came out. If the quest had progressed normally, there shouldn¡¯t have been a ¡®time limit¡¯. I had to assemble my forces that haven¡¯t even been properly deployed, break through the undying monsters to advance to the Clock Tower, and deal with the Boy King at the very top floor. If I had time, I could manage somehow. Even if it was just one night. However, if I had to do it all in 30 minutes¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I grinded my teeth. The time needed was too tight. Myposure was copsing from the sudden intrusion of a massive variable that was far beyond my n. ¡®¡­Come up with a suitable solution¡­ Fuck,e on¡­¡¯ I clenched my teeth harder and racked my brain. The situation at hand caused me an extreme amount of pressure, iparable to the preparations for my original ns. If I couldn¡¯te up with something here, the inevitable would soon follow. Game Fucking Over. R.I.P. Dowd Campbell. ¡°You!¡± At the sound of a familiar voice, I turned my head. Eleanor was rushing towards me with her sword drawn. Perhaps, even in the midst of this chaos, instead of avoiding thismotion, her first thought was to find me no matter what, so she had been searching the entire academy grounds for me. ¡°Are you okay? You need to get out of here quick¡ª!¡± ¡°Eleanor.¡± I grimly made eye contact with Eleanor. However¡­ ¡°¡­I cannot run away. I need to solve this first.¡± Right now, this was the only thing I could say. As soon as she heard my words, Eleanor¡¯s eyes shook intensely. ¡°Solve this? What nonsense are you¡ª! This is not something for a mere student to handle!¡± ¡°¡­As long as I cane up with a solution, I can do it.¡± Rather, I had no choice but to do it. Or else¡­ ¡°If I don¡¯t, I will die.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yes, I gave her zero context and went straight to the conclusion, but this was the best exnation I could give at the current moment, I clenched my teeth once again. If I were to think hard enough, I should be able to find a solution. It would definitelye to me. However, my focus continued to break apart. My head was spinning even faster now. Right at that moment¡­ Eleanor grabbed my shoulders tightly. ¡°You.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will not ask for the reason. There must be some circumstances pushing you to do this. But there is one thing you should be certain of.¡± Eleanor looked at me dead in the eye. ¡°If you die, I will die as well.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Think of it as a matter of life and death for two lives now. Find a way to survive. I will do whatever I can to help.¡± ¡°Eleanor, what are you say¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you not to die! I don¡¯t know what is going on, but I¡¯m telling you not to die no matter what!¡± Her agitated voice hit me like a hammer. I did not expect this person to make this kind of voice. It was only then that I could see her face properly. There were tears welled up at the corners of her eyes. It was a face that contrasted starkly with her usual impassive expression. It seemed as if I was that precious to her. ¡°¡­¡± Okay, look, sorry for doing this when you¡¯re so serious but¡­ No, really, I¡¯m really sorry, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but feel a reflexiveugh bubbling inside me. You see, it didn¡¯t seem like she knew how to use the muscles on your face properly. It was as if this was her first time making this kind of face. ¡°¡­Mm.¡± When I suddenly covered my face and lowered my head, Eleanor looked at me as if puzzled. ¡°¡­Dowd?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Because of the situation at hand, I choke down theughter in my throat. However, thanks to that, I felt refreshed¡­ My vision had returned. My mind had cleared. Myposure was regained. ¡°Please wait a moment, Eleanor.¡± I smiled slightly in gratitude. Shortly after, I closed my eyes and sank deep into my thoughts, elerating them to their limits. I checked the ¡®cards¡¯ I had and assessed the current situation. ¡°¡­¡± A spark ignited in my mind. I had it. A solution. It came in a sh of insight. And Eleanor, who had been watching my expression, nodded slowly. ¡°You seem to have finally organized your thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. As expected, resolving the situation immediately is close to impossible.¡± ¡°Then, are you going to run away?¡± ¡°No.¡± With a sigh, I gaze at Eleanor. Run away? Who? Me? Nah, never. That bitch had set up all of this to fuck me over. As such, what I needed to do was simple. ¡°I said it¡¯s close to impossible, not that it¡¯s impossible.¡± I would confront it head-on and fucking demolish it. There were inevitably going to be many shes with the Prophet in the future. However, I was never going to show myself getting swayed by some childish prank from the very beginning. ¡°Eleanor, do you trust me?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I asked if you trust me. I need your help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a conversation we had before. After all, it was the exact same words I had said when facing the Purifier. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And the response that came back was the same as well. Eleanor looked me straight in the eyes and opened her mouth. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± A grin spread across my face upon hearing those words. Time. In the end, it was all about time. If that motherfucker gave me 10 minutes, I would have died. Even if it had been 20 minutes, I would have been utterly annihted. However, I, coincidentally, and rather luckily, had¡­ 30 minutes. ¡°¡­Let us go, Eleanor.¡± Apanied with a sigh, my voice practically resonated with determination. ¡°After all, we have to cut off the head of a millennium-aged monster in 30 minutes.¡± It was the perfect amount of time for me to sort out this situation. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 56: Boy King (2) Chapter 56: Boy King (2) ? Boy King (2) ? The setting sun. A sight that had always brought special memories to the Boy King. Such a phenomenon still held true even now, despite him having seen through more scenes than any person would ever experience. Family. Siblings. Friends. Acquaintances. He recalled the memories of everyone gathering whileughing loudly together, raising their sses in celebration under the setting sun and the emerging moon. That was the Armada Kingdom¡¯s final day. A memory of a time when everyone smiled and epted the impending ¡®destruction¡¯. Even after thousands of years, it still rooted itself firmly in his mind. It could be said that this memory was the only thing left between him and death. ¡°¡­¡± He closed his eyes and let out a shallow sigh. A venomous aura that could even crumble a sturdy stone building was emitted from inside him.. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left.¡± The origin of that venom was ¡®something¡¯ within his chest, which was bubbling and stirring even at this very moment. ¡°Soon¡­¡± He muttered while clutching his chest. There really wasn¡¯t much time left. Until he could fulfill the ¡®promise¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, his gaze lingered at a distant ce. A pair of a man and a woman was visible. Among them, the man was the one who seemed to capture Valkasus¡¯ attention. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, a smile crept onto his face. If what the Prophet had said was true, that man already knew his reasons for doing this. That man probably knew what he was capable of. The identity of the ¡®thing¡¯ that he was entangled with to end up like this. And yet¡­ -I will save you, Valkasus. You and your kingdom. He made such an audacious statement. That bold promation. ¡°¡­If you really can pull it off¡­¡± -Please be my subordinate. For life. Even if it was an outrageous request such as that¡­ ¡°There¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do.¡± With those words, Valkasus looked up at the sky. The sun would set soon. Simultaneously, it also meant there wasn¡¯t much time left until the ¡®end¡¯. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t keep me waiting for too long.¡± And¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve already waited long enough.¡± Such bitter murmurs faded away into the empty sky.
¡°So, what is the n?¡± Eleanor brought up such a question while carrying me like a piece of luggage. Honestly, this method of transportation made me feel like my dignity as a human had been thrown away, but whatever. I¡¯d do this all day if it meant we could move quickly. ¡°Our opponents will be extremely difficult to handle, especially the ones around the Clock Tower.¡± From the Arrays that Valkasus had summoned, all sorts of Ruined were pouring out. However, as Eleanor had pointed out, the most powerful ones were concentrated around the Clock Tower, where their ¡®real body¡¯ was. To safely deal with a medium-grade monster, it would take three or four official knights. And there were dozens of such creatures surrounding a single location. Even someone like Eleanor said that the difficulty of this operation was ¡®beyond normal.¡¯ ¡°Currently, we can¡¯t possibly take them all down one by one.¡± The time given to us was a measly thirty minutes. However, considering the time needed to deal with Valkasus and the boss battle, we were left with only five to ten minutes. It was impossible for us to break through that horde within that timespan. ¡°We need to delegate that responsibility to others.¡± ¡°But looking at the current situation, I don¡¯t think there are any more manpowers avable.¡± Like she said, most of the official knights that resided within the academy were already engaged in repelling the Ruined that attacked other areas. There was no way in hell we could ask them for assistance in breaking through that horde. However¡­ ¡°No, there are still some.¡± The Prophet had definitely believed that I wouldn¡¯t have any of my measures properly prepared if she caused this disturbance a day early. However, I still had one card avable. And they were people who were basically specialists when it came to the undead. ¡°Eleanor, I need you to find someone.¡± Thendscape rushed past us at a terrifying speed as I issued mymand. ¡°For now, we need to get to higher ground.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± With that, Eleanor kicked against the ground a few times. ¡®What the fuck? Is she actually human? Isn¡¯t she just a monster?¡¯ Because thendscape changed drastically with each kick of her feet, I couldn¡¯t help but feel that it was utterly nonsensical. It was even more so when I saw the ground shattered into pieces with every step. If only one fragment already did this, how strong would she be if she gathered all three? ¡°Is this enough?¡± While I was contemting such thoughts, Eleanor had reached a high vantage point where the surroundings were clearly visible. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s enough.¡± With that, I described the characteristics of the people I was looking for. ¡°Blue hair, slightly taller than the average citizen of the Empire. Males in their twenties to mid-thirties. At least three or more of them are together. Their characteristic is¡­ ¡®Incredibly¡¯ ordinary-looking.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± My strange description prompted Eleanor¡¯s puzzled voice, but this was honestly the best way to describe them. This was because they were people in a profession that intentionally puts in effort to have a forgettable appearance. As such, describing their characteristics were a bit¡­difficult. ¡°And, most importantly¡­¡± This would be the part that only Eleanor could detect. And that was precisely the reason why I needed her. ¡°As soon as you see them, you¡¯ll feel a great difort.¡± Even if they hid their characteristics¡­ The traces of ¡®exorcism rituals¡¯ they had honed to the extreme could not be concealed. To the extent where a Devil¡¯s Vessel couldn¡¯t help but be extremely sensitive to it. And even among them, the elites would exude a far more ufortable presence. ¡°Please find them. They are definitely nearby.¡± Considering the contents of their mission, they were unlikely to move far away from me. In fact, Eleanor, who looked around doubtfully while hesitating to follow my instructions, soon let out a frown. ¡°¡­What a nonsensically urate description. They¡¯re not far from here. All the conditions match them perfectly.¡± As expected. ¡°Can you get closer?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Once again, the scenery changed. After jumping around and smashing a few building floors, Eleanornded in front of several men. ¡°Hieek¨C!¡± ¡°What the¡­?!¡± The men were so startled by this sight that they took a few steps back. However, as someone who knew what their identity really was, their acting seemed so despicable that I couldn¡¯t help but let out an incredulous snort. ¡°Enough with the theatrics. We don¡¯t have time, so let¡¯s get down to business.¡± ¡°W-What do you¡ª!¡± ¡°I know that the Pope¡¯s order from the Holy Land was to help me without getting caught only applies when I¡¯m in extreme danger, but¡­¡± All the men¡¯s movements came to a halt at once. ¡°Let¡¯s negotiate. The situation is a bit urgent after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± These people weren¡¯t supposed to be here. After all, they were highly regarded talents even within the Holy Land. There was no reason for them to be sent on an assignment to a foreign academy far away. However, if I recalled my memories correctly¡­ During my previous audience with the Pope, I had manipted the situation in my favor. As such, considering that bastard¡¯s disposition and his current situation, it was highly likely that he deployed people to ¡®prevent me from dying¡¯ no matter what. Because¡­ ¡°If I die, the me will fall on you. Right?¡± The men¡¯s expressions stiffened. ¡°If you don¡¯t help now, I¡¯m seriously going to be in big trouble, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I could die, you know?¡± It seemed that my continuous outpour of words seeded in making them realize that their current ¡®act¡¯ was pointless. There you have it. This was practically an OK sign from them. In other words, they¡¯d cooperate with me. ¡®¡­Good.¡¯ In a way, this was also caused by the butterfly effect. People who weren¡¯t supposed to be here hade to this ce, all because of my actions. ¡°¡­¡± However¡­ As the saying goes, light and shadow always went hand in hand. If everything in the scenario had been thrown into chaos by me, there were certainly positive things that I could ¡®utilize¡¯ from such disorder. So¡­ This time, let¡¯s get hard carried for once.
The negotiation terms were simple. If they helped me right here and now, I would provide them with a piece of information that they desire. ¡°This doesn¡¯t sound fair.¡± The man who seemed to be the leader spoke as if the conditions to our deal were absurd. It was probably a pseudonym, but I knew his name. It was something like Viz? ¡°How are the four of us supposed to break through those Ruined?¡± I chuckled when I heard those words. ¡°No, just three of you will.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°One person has to go somewhere else to find some people.¡± Iliya, Yuria, and Lucia. I could only proceed with the boss battle if I had these three. After all, I had to send them to the top of the Clock Tower in order to meet the minimum requirements necessary for clearing this quest. ¡°After you find them, please pass a separate message to the orange-haired woman. Tell her to takemand and lead the rest of them properly since she¡¯s an expert.¡± Of course, I had a way for them to get to the top. In the quickest way possible. ¡°¡­¡± Viz frowned as if he didn¡¯t know how to even start replying to my nonsense, so I just continued speaking with a faint smile. ¡°You¡¯re exorcists, aren¡¯t you? Shouldn¡¯t this be easy for you?¡± Even among users of Special Powers, exorcists were particrly specialized in rebuffing ¡®sphemous existences¡¯. Whether they were Devils, Undeads or Vampires, exorcists were individuals who possessed top-notch skills when it came to dealing with all sorts of ¡®impurities¡¯. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say they were one-man armies against hordes of Ruined that were virtually synonymous to the Undead. ¡°¡­¡± The man¡¯s expression stiffened upon hearing these words. He was probably wrestling with the thought of how I could possibly have such highly confidential information. ¡®Dude. In the first ce, there¡¯s no one else besides you guys who coulde all the way here.¡¯ The only people a shady bastard like the Pope would deploy to this mission were the forces of ¡®that woman¡¯. After all, the only people he trusted were the ones bred in that snake farm. ¡°¡­Can¡¯t we hear what kind of information we would receive in advance? Since you¡¯re going to ask us to do something this dangerous, shouldn¡¯t there be some kind of coteral?¡± In the end, He seemed to have given up trying to guess where I got such confidential information from. At least, that was how his voice sounded. What a coward. It wasn¡¯t even remotely dangerous for you. But still, it didn¡¯t matter even if I conceded a bit. ¡°Tell this to Seras.¡± The information I possessed was something they would never give up on after all. ¡°That I know the whereabouts of the material of the object she¡¯s looking for.¡± Seras Evatrice. In terms of position, she was practically the right hand of the Pope. She was a world-ss assassin, someone who single handedly oversaw three ¡®Hidden Forces¡¯ that these guys were included in. Despite these brilliant titles, those who know her true identity were only a tiny minority in this entire world. ¡°¡­You, just now¡­ How¡­?¡± Viz, who had shown no intense emotions until now, had a voice filled with shock as soon as he heard the name I nonchntly said. Instead of giving a response, I just shrugged my shoulders. After all, there was no need to reveal the source of my knowledge and tricks. As I was thinking this way¡­ ¡°¡­If you even mention the name of the Grand Ma?tre, we cannot back down from this deal.¡± Viz, who had been maintaining a stiff expression since earlier, finally spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll hear about how you know such things at ater date. For now¡­¡± As he continued, several Arrays emerged around him one by one. ¡°¡­Shall we return to our main job?¡± Subsequently, various Special Powers started to surge simultaneously within Viz¡¯s body. -! -!! As soon as they sensed the new hostile presence, medium-sized demonic creatures turned their gazes towards us and began to converge from all directions. With a horde like this, at least a wholepany of Knights would be needed to suppress them easily; basically the manpower that could carry out a war. However¡­ ¡°Ascend.¡± Law, magic, and divine power mixed together, instantly manifesting in the form of a ¡®rosary¡¯ from Viz¡¯s body. Then, mes shot up. They were the ¡®mes of Reincarnation¡¯, created to exclusively target the undead. In terms of the system, it was an insane counter thatpletely ignored defense and dealt true damage when facing the undead. And of course, in reality, its power was as formidable as in the game. ¡ª!!!! ¡ª¡ª!!!!! The smell of burning flesh, horrifying screams and cries filled with pain and suffering enveloped the space. Despite the overwhelming numbers of Ruined charging at us, when a few more exorcists with the same abilities as Viz joined, the monsters couldn¡¯t even attempt to approach us. Of course, as beings born from Sorcery, they continued to approach us tenaciously no matter how much they burned. It was as if they were using the fire on their bodies as fuel for their attack; there was no sign of their hostility fading away. However¡­ The distance between us never shortened. The rate at which they were dying couldn¡¯t keep up with their regeneration rate. In game terms, these beings had such insane regenerative abilities that they could go from 0% health to 100% in just ten seconds. However, their regenerative capabilities wouldn¡¯t matter if it only took three seconds for their opponents to burn away all that regenerated health. ording to the game lore, once some conditions are met, that me could evenpletely ¡®annihte¡¯ some high-ranking existences in Pandemonium. While these monsters were born from Forbidden Sorcery, their measly medium-grade was not a match for the mes that could eradicate high-grade monsters. ¡®As expected.¡¯ This was the terrifying thing about the members of Seras¡¯ Hidden Forces. While they were unremarkable in most aspects, they were iprehensibly powerful in their ¡®specialized¡¯ fields. In the first ce, they had trained and meticulously measured the amount ofw power, magic power, and divine power ¡®needed¡¯ for this single purpose since childhood. Basically, they were raised under extreme OCD. ¡®¡­It would¡¯ve been so nice if they weren¡¯t neutral NPCs though.¡± Because Seras herself was a character closely tied to the Pope from the very beginning, the original work didn¡¯t have any possible function to recruit these guys as myrades. It would¡¯ve been nice if I could somehow establish a friendly rtionship with them. How unfortunate indeed. As I was thinking along those lines¡­ System Message [ Checking the current conditions of the target ¡®Seras¡¯. ] [ Your overall demeanor matches Seras¡¯s ideal type perfectly! ] [ If she meets you in person, the probability of her falling in love at first sight is extremely high! ] [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ preemptively activated! ] ¡°¡­¡± Uhhhhh¡­ The fuck was this? This skill¡­ It actually worked on people I haven¡¯t even seen yet? I stared at the window incredulously as sentences started to appear one after another. System Message [ Pioneering a new branching route! ] [ The likelihood of gaining the favorability of target ¡®Seras Evatrice¡¯ has skyrocketed! ] [ Upon a sessfully established rtionship with the target, conditions for a Special Quest will be met! ] Special Quest: The Ultimate Dark Secret! [ A quest rted to ¡®Seras Evatrice¡¯ is now avable! ] [ Uponpletion, the target will submit to you! ] [ Uponpletion, you will receive significant benefits in the main scenario! ] [ Uponpletion, you will be the owner of the ¡®Oath of the Crescent Moon¡¯ ] ¡°¡­¡± Augh of disbelief escaped my lips. No. I mean, sure, the item I mentioned was somewhat important to Seras¡­ But ¡®submitting¡¯ to me and even handing over the ¡®Oath of the Crescent Moon¡¯? ¡®¡­Isn¡¯t this fucking insane?¡± The Oath of the Crescent Moon referred to all the Hidden Forces under her sole control. In other words¡­ Once this special quest waspleted¡­ She would bring not only herself, but also the entire organization she had been managing to me. Didn¡¯t that mean the exorcists here would also be my ¡®subordinates¡¯? ¡°¡­¡± What the fuck? There was definitely some kind of catch here. So scary¡­ Why would she go that far¡­? ¡°¡­This is an unbelievable disy of power.¡± As my sanity was fading away, Eleanor suddenly appeared by my side, speaking in an incredulous voice. ¡°I can¡¯t believe just three of them are able to push back such arge number of middle-grade demonic creatures. I would have believed it if you said you had brought back the Guardians who disappeared in the annals of history.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, you¡¯re right. And right now, I had a quest that could swallow all those guys whole and make them my bitches. Honestly though, it felt like I was being spoon fed to the extent where I was actually getting dizzy but¡­ ¡°¡­Then, we¡­!¡± Right now, it was not the time to focus on that. System Notification [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX Grade. ] Uh, you know¡­ Since, a gigantic club made of flesh mmed down in front of me. -! -!! As Eleanor and I rolled in different directions, a monstrous giant with revolting flesh and tangled sinews let out an ear-piercing scream. ¡®Here ites¡¯ I took a deep breath and faced the opponent. This was a mini-boss battle, just like how it was in the original game. It was the battle against the Flesh Tearer. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t look easy.¡± Eleanor slowly drew her sword. ¡°If it¡¯s a special-grade monster¡­ Even our fullbat power may not be enough. Dowd, what¡¯s the n?¡± Taking a deep breath, I started racking my brain. psed time: 5 minutes. Remaining time: 25 minutes. After calcting the estimated time to get to the boss battle, the time limit to break through this was¡­ ¡°We have to finish this in under a minute.¡± WIthin that time frame, we had to get past this creature. A creature that had the power to single-handedly fuck up a city ande back to life no matter how many times we kill it. ¡°¡­¡± Yes, those words sounded absurd, I know. Also, Eleanor¡¯s gaze, who was looking at me as if I belonged in a mental asylum, all but reaffirmed how truly ridiculous it was. However¡­ ¡°To be honest, even a minute was a generous estimate.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yep. In reality, it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. I was worried about those fuckers that wouldtch onto us while we were dealing with the Flesh Tearer, but thanks to the exorcists, they were gone, yeah? ¡°¡­Dowd.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I actually think lunatics aren¡¯t so bad, in their own way. Actually, I think I could possibly like them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As such, I won¡¯t chase you away or rebuke the fact that you¡¯re a madman, so do not worry too much.¡± Thank you. Among the recent disses against me, this was the softest one yet. Truly. Thank you. Just as I was questioning the whereabouts of my standards¡­ -! The gigantic abomination made of flesh charged towards us. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 57: Boy King (3) Chapter 57: Boy King (3) ? Boy King (3) ? Once again, the club made of flesh mmed down beside me. Its destructive power was overwhelming. The ground where the impact hit waspletely destroyed and the resulting shockwave alone made nearby buildings tremble. Compared to other special-grade demonic creatures, this one held its grade for a simple reason. Although it did not have any special ability, it was tough and powerful. It was like this bastardpletely maximized those two stats. ¡®I would¡¯ve been fucked if it wasn¡¯t so slow!¡¯ As tough as it was, it was incredibly slow for a ¡®special-grade¡¯. A quite noticeable weakness even whenpared to high-grade demonic creatures. Because of that¡­ It wasn¡®t difficult to avoid its repetitive attack patterns. But at the same time, we hadn¡¯t managed tounch any counter-attacks either. ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor gave me a quick nce from the side.. She was probably wondering if it was really possible to break through this monstrosity in under a minute. Well¡­ Ironically, this method was way faster. System Notification [ Using ¡®Scan¡¯. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] It was true that most of Scan¡¯s abilities were focused on examining the target¡¯s ¡®stats¡¯, but under special conditions, it had some additional features. For example, if I had already ¡®observed¡¯ the target for a sufficient amount of time¡­ ¡°Thirty seconds have passed. How are you expecting to kill this thing?¡± ¡°Behind its left elbow. At the back of its right calf.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°That is the location of its ¡®core¡¯. Hitting it would deal some effective damage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor suddenlyughed as she gazed at me. ¡°How absurd. Sometimes, I feel a sense of inferiority when I¡¯m with you; it feels like all themon sense I have learned just breaks apart.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Analyzing an Undead¡¯s weakness is a difficult task even for official knights. And you managed to figure it out in just 30 seconds?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Uh, well¡­ It isn¡¯t because I¡¯m great or talented or whatever¡­ The skill is just OP¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s just doing what it¡¯s worth since, you know, it ate 4 Seeds of Evil. Do you even know how rare those things are?¡¯ Whatever. Anyway¡­ ¡°¡­However, even if we have such information, it still seems too difficult to kill.¡± Eleanor retreated several meters with a single backstep as she replied. She seemed to have superior physical abilities, even after my Desperation skill activated at the EX Grade. Regardless, her follow-up was rather pessimistic. ¡°The outer shell looks incredibly sturdy. Even if we disregard its immortality, trying to pierce it with a sword seems imposs¡ª¡± ¡°I never nned on killing it from the start.¡± All I said was that we needed to ¡®break through¡¯ in under a minute. I never said we had to kill it. To achieve that, however¡­ ¡°Eleanor, you are the only person I can count on for this.¡± Although my conscience slightly stung, I opened my mouth while making a gesture. ¡°Please block this monster and make sure it doesn¡¯t go anywhere else.¡± In reality, there was no one else but her who could do it at the moment. The exorcists were too busy burning the endlessly regenerating Ruined. ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s wide eyes stared at me, there was a mixture of astonishment and incredulity in her expression. Honestly, if she were to verbally abuse me right now, I¡¯d ept it. A one-on-one showdown with a special-grade demonic creature? Obviously, it wasn¡¯t something I should be telling an academy student to do. However, I wasn¡¯t just saying this without any basis. [ Skill Info ] Name: Descent ¨C Wrath Grade: S Description: When the subject¡¯s ¡®Wrath¡¯ reaches its limit, a portion of the power of the Devil¡¯s Fragments stored in the body will be used. As long as this skill was triggered, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible. Rather, she¡¯d be able to do it effortlessly.. ¡°¡­¡± In other words¡­. To get through this situation smoothly¡­ She needed to get angry. Very, very angry. ¡°Uh¡­By any chance, are you angry right now?¡± If my absurdmand made her mad, it would be an instant sess. As such, I held a little bit of hope as I asked that question. ¡°What an honor. You trusted me to such an extent?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will put my life on the line to achieve what you say. In response to your trust I¡ª¡± No¡­ That wasn¡¯t the reaction I wanted¡­ Man, why did it seem like she would believe me even if I said the sun would rise from the west? ¡°No, uh¡­Well¡­¡± Eventually, I confessed honestly. ¡°¡­I needed you to get angry. You would probably be stronger if you do.¡± I wasn¡¯t even convinced by that pitiful and crude exnation, but Eleanor simply narrowed her eyes in response. ¡°Certainly, it did seem that way.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You met Riru Garda before, yes? I nearly cut her throat for trying to take you away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°At that time, I did feel something strange, just as you said.¡± No wait, that was just Riru¡¯s personality. She probably just wanted to fight me and rashly spoke without thinking. The Riru that I knew may be a sadist, but she wouldn¡¯t go so far as to kidnap me. She wasn¡¯t that much of a barbarian, you know? Anyway¡­ ¡°Hmmm, so I need to get that furious¡­¡± Eleanor, who was pondering deeply while moving around to avoid the iing attacks, suddenly had a change in expression, as if she hade up with something. ¡°You. How about you try swearing at me.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°If you swear at me, it might make me angry.¡± ¡­Really? Alrighty then. Let¡¯s try toe up with something that would anger her¡­ Hm¡­ ¡°Eleanor.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I carefully chose my words. I didn¡¯t really want to insult her, but since she asked for it¡­ Let¡¯s start with something reallyyyy soft. ¡°To be honest, sometimes I feel like we don¡¯t look good together, so¡­.¡± System Message [ Due to your influence, target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has fallen into despair! ] [ Her movements has slowed! ] ¡°¡­¡± Why? What the fuck did I even say to cause that? ¡°¡­S-Stop it.¡± Eleanor was trembling as she told me to stop. Her face remained expressionless, but there were slight tears forming in the corners of her eyes. ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t even started though.¡± ¡°It felt different from what I expected. When I hear something like that from you¡­ Instead of feeling angry, it just hurts my heart¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Huh. Was there such a subtle difference? Wait, no, more importantly¡­ It seemed as if her unexpected despair was actually affecting her, since her movements had actually be slightly slower. Even though it seemed as if we were practically performing aedy skit, it was still an actual battle that we were currently in. I couldn¡¯t afford for her to be influenced like this. I opened my mouth once again, as cold sweat practically drenched my clothes. ¡°Wait. No. No, it¡¯s not true. It¡¯s absolutely not true!¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± Eleanor spoke in a voice that was slightly more hoarsepared to usual. ¡°Yes. Really!¡± ¡°¡­Then, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do not lie and answer me honestly. I shall forgive you if you do.¡± Eleanor lightly dodged the flesh club that crashed to her side. It seemed like the answer to this question was far more important to her than the current situation. ¡°¡­Besides me, have you been spending time with other women recently?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Have you met other women alone without me? You haven¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m anxious. After all, we haven¡¯t spent much time together recently. So, I was wondering if you said that we don¡¯t look good together because you found another woman¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± No matter how I look at it, this was definitely not the time or ce for such a question. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± An ominous feeling washed over me. It was telling me¡­ If I were to lie at this moment, things would go horrendously wrongter. Fuck it. I closed my eyes and responded. ¡°¡­It¡¯s not confirmed yet. But there¡¯s this girl¡­¡± Yeah. I wasn¡¯t thrilled about it, but¡­ There was something Iliya said back during the midterms. Something she needed to ¡®request¡¯ from me. It was most likely about¡­ ¡°Iliya Krisanax mentioned that during the vacation, she might go to my home town with m¡ª¡± System Message [ Due to your influence, target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ is furious to the point of losing her sanity! ] [ ¡®Skill: Descent ¨C Wrath¡¯ activated! ] System Message [ Confirming a Devil¡¯s Conditional Descent. ] [ The Devil¡¯s Fragment and the Vessel are fusing more closely. ] [ Target ¡®Eleanor¡¯s Stage 1 Merger Progress has changed to 99%. Something special will happen soon! ] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Hey¡­Uh, Eleanor?¡¯ ¡®I thought you wanted me to be honest.¡¯ ¡®You said you¡¯d forgive me¡­¡¯ Cold sweat practically poured out of my pores as these thoughts ate at my mind. Meanwhile, Eleanor drew her sword with eyes many times colder than usual. A sinister ¡®grey¡¯ aura began to emanate from her. It was unmistakably the Grey Devil¡¯s aura. ?¡­Just go up for now. Isn¡¯t the situation urgent?? Perhaps influenced by this aura, Eleanor¡¯s voice was apanied with an alien noise. ?I will hear your exnationter.? ¡°¡­¡± Yes ma¡¯am. Thank you ma¡¯am. I inwardly expressed such gratitude while entering the entrance of the Clock Tower. ?Well then.? Eleanor turned her body and once again faced the giant that was rushing towards her. As she did so¡­ -¡­ Surprisingly, the monster flinched. Even an undead with severely stunted intelligence knew instinctively¡­ How powerful the ¡®target¡¯ right in front of them really was. -!!! -!!!! The monster let out another scream before preparing to attack once again. It was even more aggressive and ferocious now, as if trying to deny the fact that it was scared just moments ago. ?Shut your mouth.? One strike. With a casual sword strike from Eleanor¡­ The entire ndscape¡¯ was cleaved apart. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C! The flesh club was sliced with one blow, and the arm that was holding it was also shredded into pieces and scattered into the air. Even though I informed her about its ¡®weak point¡¯, that bastard was still a special-grade monster based off of JUST his stats. But that thick arm which was as hard as steel, now looked like it was put through a shredder. In just one fucking slice. Furthermore, it didn¡¯t stop there; even the building behind it was partially sliced by her sword. ¡°¡­¡± Everyone watching such a sight was dumbfounded. Was such an attack even possible from a human body? ?¡­Fight me. My wrath will not be satiated unless I cut something.? With that, everyone watching would have a gut feeling. Right now, even if the woman wasn¡¯t even a tenth of that giant¡¯s size¡­ She had the monstrous power to treat special-grade monsters as if they were child¡¯s y. ¡°¡­¡± While silently wishing that poor bastard luck, I rushed into the Clock Tower. The mini boss battle¡­ Was done in one minute.
On my way up the Clock Tower stairs, I could still hear the Flesh Tearer¡¯s cries of pain. When I nced briefly through a window on the stairs, I saw Eleanor grabbing the giant by the head and swinging it like a toy. Even the nearby exorcists were ck-jawed in amazement as they witnessed the sight of that colossal body destroying nearby buildings while being thrown around. ¡°¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t there roughly a difference of ten times size-wise? It felt like a mouse grabbed a cat¡¯s tail and was doing a Giant Swing¡­ ¡®¡­If others saw this, they wouldn¡¯t understand my decisions.¡¯ Others would probably treat me like a fool for leaving behind someone with that level of power, but¡­ In the battle against Valkasus, it would be better if Eleanor wasn¡¯t involved. If she saw the ¡®things¡¯ I needed to do during my battle with Valkasus, the Grey Devil would definitely descend once again. Since, you know¡­ I would, uhh¡­ Get injured quite a bit. No, scratch that. Quite a lot. And, as soon as that happened¡­ ¡®¡­I¡¯m definitely going to hell.¡¯ Valkasus, despite being a boss, was not someone who had goodpatibility with Devils. To be more precise¡­ As soon as Devils get involved, the difficulty of the Valkasus Boss Battle would explosively increase severalfold. Considering his past, if a Devil were to descend, there was a high chance that he would go ¡®all out¡¯ from that point on. And if I recalled Valkasus¡¯s truebat power correctly, even if she was a Devil¡¯s Vessel, a single fragment would not be enough to handle him. ¡®Right now, the fact that he¡¯s only using half of his power¡­¡¯ ¡®Is obviously fucking absurd.¡¯ The Ruined that have covered the entire academy? It was only a fraction of his strength. Such a feat was lightweight for someone who was capable of wielding hundreds of thousands of Forbidden Sorceries. As I said, if he truly unleashed his power, it was impossible for a yer to deal with him in the first ce. That was why it was Yuria who was the original final boss of Chapter 2, not him. However¡­ [ Evil Essence ] Type: Story Description: A material that can interact with epic items. Something special will happen when fused! ¡°¡­¡± There was a method that could grant me aeback, even against Valkasus. I briefly rolled the ck gem held in my palm. It was an item I received after defeating the Purifier. ¡®Nine out of ten people would choose the Hero Shard instead.¡¯ If one asked a Sera yer which story item they would choose between Evil Essence and Hero Shard, they would definitely answer thetter. After all, this item was originally only rmended for hardcore users who purposefully raised the difficulty themselves. In a game where the majority of enemies were ssified as evil, using this item would just strengthen that concept even further. No sane individual would choose to do this. However¡­ What about those crazy otakus who needed to go touch grass? Those sweaty fuckers who knew everything about this game from A to Z? To put it simply, what about users like me? Well, those users would all choose this item. Hands down. After all, if, by any chance, they had to engage in ¡®battle¡¯ with Valkasus, this item was practically the sole answer. Just as I had such thoughts¡­ ¡°Did you finally hit the gym? Youth is nice. To gain stamina that quickly in a short period¡­ How impressive.¡± I finally reached the top of the clock tower. And across from me¡­ There was Valkasus. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t really work out. It¡¯s just that my physique is a bit unique.¡± ¡°What kind of physique is it?¡± ¡°A physique that grows stronger in actualbat.¡± Valkasus bursted intoughter. ¡°¡­¡± However, instead of reacting to it, I slowly scrutinized him. This scene was just like when we first met. The sun was gradually setting and the darkness was slowly spreading around. Like before, he was sitting on the railing of the Clock Tower, gazing at the sky. And so, I recalled the words I said back then. ¡°¡­Do you remember our promise?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Valkasus rose from his seat. ¡°¡­¡± And with that alone¡­ The very airpletely transformed. ¡°!¡± It felt like the weight of my entire body had suddenly increased dozens of times, as the pressure threatened to crush me. In that brief instant, the violent shock shook my consciousness, making me involuntarily kneel. My head was spinning and all the joints and bones in my body seemed to creak. ¡°¡­¡± This is fucking crazy. Are you kidding me? He hasn¡¯t even done anything yet. All he did was stand while revealing a bit of his ¡®aura¡¯¡­ And that was enough to reduce me to this state. ¡°Can you do it?¡± A t voice flowed from Valkasus. ¡°The thing about me¡­ Is that I hate Devils. I also found those who worship them disgusting as well.¡± As he said that, Arrays of Forbidden Sorcery began to form around the Boy King. Each of them contained ¡®Cursed Technique: Force¡¯, capable of easily tearing apart someone like me. ¡°¡­Those who made me and my kingdom suffer for thousands of years were the Devils after all.¡± And those Arrays were increasing by dozens, hundreds, thousands, until¡­ They covered every visible space. All of them were created in an instant by this one person. And without much effort either. ¡°But even so, do you know why I¡¯m cooperating with that person called the Prophet?¡± Yeah. Of course I know. Because she was the only existence that could ¡®liberate¡¯ him and the kingdom he carried with him. ¡°¡­It¡¯s because there was no one else that could give you that certainty.¡± With a bitterugh, I rose to my feet. It felt like my whole body was falling apart. But it was okay. I could still endure it. I could still fight. Though it was a long time ago¡­ I¡­ Had ovee something that was much worse than this, just to survive. ¡°The certainty to kill you.¡± Valkasus smiled. ¡°Indeed, it seems you know everything already.¡± The Boy King responded with a rxed tone. ¡°The Prophet made a pledge. If I ¡®clean¡¯ this academy entirely, that person would kill me.¡± This was one of the contents that also appeared in the main scenario. The reason he wasmitting all these problems was because his very life-long wish for ¡®death¡¯ was at stake. Since millions of Forbidden Sorceries were crammed into his one body, he was a human incapable of dying even when he wanted to. This was the reality unless ridiculously extreme methods were used. ¡°If you are unable to pull it off, I will proceed as nned. With sincerity.¡± Every human in this academy would be cleansed. And this man was actually capable of doing such a thing. However¡­ ¡°I promised, didn¡¯t I?¡± I smirked as I inspected the clock. ¡°That I would save you and your kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t rashly make such a promise without knowing how to fulfill it.¡± Excluding the time it took to get up here, there were 10 minutes left. If I didn¡¯t conclude the boss battle within that time-frame, the barrier that Atnte was reinforcing would break. Her ability to hold on was essentially a time limit. In other words¡­ If I couldn¡¯t win against this person within 10 minutes, I would die. Was it possible? ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even need to ask such a question. ¡®It¡¯s he easy.¡¯ It definitely was. At the same time I was thinking that¡­ ¡°Then¡­¡± The Arrays around me started to emit a dazzling light. I took a deep breath and readied myself. ¡°Prove it to me. Prove that you¡¯re not just all talk.¡± Chapter 2 Boss. Boy King Raid. The battle has begun. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 58: Boy King (4) Chapter 58: Boy King (4) ? Boy King (4) ? ¡°Are you nning to face me by yourself?¡± Right before preparing to drown me in Forbidden Sorcery, Valkasus asked such a question. He probably believed that the current power difference between us was like that between an elephant and an ant. ¡°Did you even hear yourself? Of course not.¡± Obviously, even I couldn¡¯t pull off such a stunt without the right tools and preparations. So, I called over some people toe around this time. They should be arriving soon¡­ ¡°Aaaaaahhh¡ª!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaahh¡ª!¡± [Wooooaaahh¡ª!] ¡°¡­¡± What a colorful chorus of screams. With a mixture of two people¡¯s voices and one person¡¯s letters, a cluster of bodies flew from below towards the balcony of the Clock Tower¡¯s top floor. System Notification [ ¡®Skill: Stigmata¡¯ activated. ] I used the Ultima¡¯s built-in skill to cast a protective barrier that cushioned their fall. Compared to the previous version, Guardian Shield, Stigmata had a much thicker divine poweryered onto the barrier. It surrounded the trio, bouncing them off the walls and floor, but still keeping them safe. ¡°I will never, ever, do this again! I¡¯m an expert so I have to lead? What kind of bullshit reason is that?! Who in the world is an expert at something like this?!¡± As soon as Stigmata was released, Iliya rushed out first while barking in annoyance. She certainly seemed to have outstanding stamina, thanks to her extremely physical-oriented ss. On the other hand, Lucia and Yuria looked pale and were practically crawling around. ¡°Why are youining so much when it wasn¡¯t even that bad for you¡­?¡± [That¡¯s right, this much isn¡¯t too¡ª] Next to me, Yuria, who was about to agree with my words, couldn¡¯t even finish disying her words in the air as she covered her mouth. It seemed like she was holding back her nausea. ¡°¡­¡± Well, yeah. It was certainly true that this method basically shredded the entire safety regtion book, if there even was one. The device thatunched them here was the ¡®catapult¡¯ that Iliya and I used to enter the Astral Realm together. Hm, maybe I should give it a nameter. I was kinda getting attached to it at this point. ¡°¡­Your exact instructions were to just set up a trajectory without any safety measures or equipment andunch us up to a ce a few hundred meters from the ground within five minutes! And you have the audacity to call me on myints?! Huuuh?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing her grit her teeth in anger, I honestly didn¡¯t have much to say. It was true that all I told her was for the three of them to hug each other tightly and ¡®fly¡¯ up here as a group. I should probably just be grateful that she followed that crazymand without questioning me. ¡°I had no other choice.¡± I chuckled and turned around. ¡°After all, if I didn¡¯t at least use such a method to quickly bring the three of you here, this would have been an opponent that I couldn¡¯t deal with.¡± If they hade even a few minuteste, it would¡¯ve been Game Over. We only had a mere ten minutes after all. ¡°¡­¡± I briefly turned my head and checked the ¡®Starsteel Circlet¡¯ that Yuria was wearing. It seemed that the Crafting School¡¯s Professor Vulcan had made quite the effort. Even when they flew while huddled up, there were no signs of danger. While she ¡®wore¡¯ it and while it was ¡®activated¡¯, Yuria¡¯s Curse of Severance would be incredibly weakened. It was to the extent that the curse was temporarily lifted. The effect was quite simple. When she wore it, Yuria could only use the Curse of Severance on ¡®what she wanted to sever¡¯. It was simr to using the Curse of Severance as an attack buff. ¡°Lucia.¡± ¡°¡­Valkasus.¡± While I was thinking about such thoughts, the Boy King chuckled as he recognized Lucia, who was standing up. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would cooperate with me back then? How saddening.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah well, that was a joke. Still, it¡¯s a relief to see your younger sister healthy.¡± For a moment, Lucia closed her eyes and bowed her head. It seemed like she was feeling guilty. Perhaps, she, too, understood why Valkasus sought death. It was a heavy burden for one to engrave Forbidden Sorcery made from the souls of people who willingly sacrificed their lives. For Valkasus, he sought his own death to free the souls of his subjects from his body. ¡°¡­Your kingdom will be saved.¡± Suddenly, the Saintess made a bold statement. ¡°Because this man will make it so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Valkasus slowly nodded his head. ¡°I see.¡± From his voice, though, he didn¡¯t sound convinced at all. As the sunpletely set beyond the horizon and darkness enveloped the scenery¡­ Valkasus¡¯ true body was revealed. His appearance was eerie, as if his very essence was melting into a form without a distinct shape. Almost as if he was fully integrated into the darkness that covered the entire world. From another perspective, it was almost as if he controlled it all as well. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing this transformation, Iliya let out a faint groan while tightly gripping the hilt of her sword. Her hand was slightly trembling. There was no way she didn¡¯t realize the fact that she was facing a monster of such a caliber. ¡°Can we even defeat¡­that?¡± Iliya asked with concern, but¡­ ¡°As long as you all listen to me without any questions.¡± I just gave a simple answer. To be more precise¡­ ¡°No one else can defeat that except me.¡± In the first ce¡­ Out of the many Sera sweats. I was the first one to sessfully break through the bat¡¯ route of Valkasus. People called me crazy back then, but I seeded. ¡®If you ask me why¡­¡¯ ¡®Well, I found him quite likable, even though he was a boss.¡¯ I thought about how to efficiently ¡®use¡¯ him and this was the only way I found. That was why I made a promise with him prior to this. To use him as a ¡®subordinate¡¯. ¡°¡­Even if this guy were to drown, I bet he would still bber on.¡± Right as Iliya let out a chuckle while dissing me again¡­ ¡°Well, I think we¡¯ve talked enough.¡± A venomous aura emanated from Valkasus¡¯s breath. Basically, it was a sign of attack. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX Grade. ] ¡°Shall we begin?¡± ¡°Here Ie!¡± Apanying Lucia¡¯s voice¡­ Forbidden Sorcery surged from all directions.
Over the eons that spanned millenia, Valkasus had traversed countless battlefields. Perhaps, that was his desperate attempt to search for the most likely environment to fulfill his only wish, death. However, the curse cast by the snake-tongued being, who had brought the ¡®Devil¡¯s Cmity¡¯ to his kingdom, was beyond malevolent. He could only die through in a ¡®one-on-one battle¡¯ where he had to ¡®give it his all.¡¯ Under no other circumstances could he die, that was the curse that was casted on him. -Since you¡¯re a king, shouldn¡¯t you die in a more special manner? The abhorrent voice of the one who cursed his kingdom was utterly unforgettable. Valkasus let out a bitterugh. Regardless¡­ As a king, he had to think of his people first. Revenge could wait; right now, his only goal was to free his subjects bound to his body. ¡®But, it¡¯s an impossible endeavor.¡¯ How was that even possible? In the first ce, fighting a being with millions of Forbidden Sorcery engraved to their body was suicidal. Even the Ruined who had taken over the entire academy was barely half of his full strength. As such, where in this vast world could he find someone that was able to face him one-on-one? It was with this thought that he chose to cooperate with the Prophet, as she was the most likely candidate among the humankind. The Leader of the Devil Worshippers. An enigmatic monster cloaked in endless danger. Even her ¡®depth¡¯ was impossible to see. However, now¡­ For the first time¡­ ¡°¡­Heh.¡± He was looking for that small possibility in another person. Someone who had the capability to kill him. Moreover, that someone was just a kid who hadn¡¯t even lived half of a normal human lifespan. -! Valkasus closed his eyes and sequentially activated a few Formations. Forbidden Sorcery was a type of Sorcery that already engraved Cursed Techniques onto his body, so he could activate them whenever he desired. Unlike other Special Powers, it did not require embodiment, forms, or even a medium. In an instant, he revealed several globes, each emitting a repugnant darkness that spread outwards in every direction. Each and every one of them was an extraordinary disy of high-ranking Sorcery. Any ordinary Sorcerer attempting a simr feat would have had their brain fried from the sheer difficulty. When considering the levels of his current opponents, it was like using a sword to kill a chicken. No, scratch that. It was like hurling an entire meteor to kill a single chicken. The possibility of them confronting such a force was not even worth considering. This one strike would undoubtedly destroy them. It was a certainty close to truth from his many millennia ofbat experience. Yet¡­ The Forbidden Sorcery that was hurtled towards them shed with a Grace from the Saintess, hindering their trajectory. The incredible amount of divine power generated by that woman caused a violent collision with the globes of darkness. Truly, a woman worthy of being hailed in the Holy Land as the one ¡®chosen by God¡¯. Of course, she was still not his opponent. He was a monster that chased death but fell short of his wish, simply because he was ¡®too powerful¡¯. No matter how powerful, one human¡¯s strength was not enough. Even so, with that single interference, the globes¡¯ ¡®speed¡¯ had definitely slowed. It provided them with an opportunity to prepare a countermeasure. And in the brief moment that was created, a girl wearing a Starsteel Circlet stood in front of those globes and drew her sword. ¡®That sword¡­¡¯ He recalled seeing it somewhere before. It was because that sword had been around for just as long as him. Severer. A sword infused with the oldest curse in human history. It meant that she could undoubtedly ¡®cut¡¯ the globe he created. His thoughts were reflected onto reality, as the girl swung her sword with a short yet focused motion, all the globes within range were split in two. The ensuing counterattack was also as sharp as a razor. ¡°Heup!¡± Outside of his field of vision, an orange-haired girl approached him with graceful movements. He had also heard of her; the Hero Candidate of this era. Originally, she was the one that the Prophet was most wary of. Whenever a Sorcery was deactivated, there was always a gap in the Sorcerer¡¯s defense. This still held true even for Forbidden Sorcery that had already reduced such weaknesses to the extreme. Even though he was vulnerable for only a fraction of a second, the girl¡¯s sword urately pierced in such an exact moment. -! ¡°Tsk!¡± However, it was thwarted effortlessly by the Forbidden Sorcery¡¯s ¡®automatic protection¡¯ that was ced nearby. Even so, the timing was frighteningly urate; enough to make even Valkasus¡¯s spine tingle. His opponents did not falter this time. Not only that, they were also shaping a proper ¡®battle of attack and defense¡¯. ¡®¡­It was all calcted.¡¯ It was a perfect lineup. The Saintess who weakened his attacks to create an opening. The cursed girl who showcased absolute defense against his Forbidden Sorcery due to her ability to cut anything within range. The Hero Candidate who used the most graceful movements to attack him. The Prophet had ordered him to act a day earlier than nned to disrupt this man. However, even in such a situation¡­ He hade up with the ¡®optimal¡¯bination to confront Valkasus. In that short of a time. ¡°Truly impressive!¡± He eximed with admiration. The battle hadmenced. Moreover, it was properly established. And this was all from humans who normally couldn¡¯t even stand straight without his permission! ¡®This is all¡­!¡¯ And at the center of it all, there was one human who was masterfully controlling the entire situation. His gaze fell on Dowd Campbell, standing in the very back. At first nce, it could look like he was in a safe position while doing nothing, but¡­ Every order he issued from that very spot was affecting this entire battle. Precision, swiftness, and even brilliant ingenuity. He didn¡¯tck anything in any aspect. ¡®No, that¡¯s not it. This isn¡¯t a simple matter such as that.¡¯ Valkasus chucked uncontrobly, admonishing himself for such thought. The miracle he wasposing could not be dirtied with such trivial qualifiers. That man was the core of this battle. Not the Saintess, or the girl afflicted with the worst curse in human history, or the Hero Candidate. Not even Valkasus himself. None of them dominated this battle. None of them were the one with the most powerful influence in this battle. That man, solely by himself¡­ Was bridging the ¡®gap¡¯ that existed between these fledglings and himself. A gap that spanned thousands of years and millions of Forbidden Sorceries. ¡°Try handling this as well!¡± Once again, he sent his attacks. These were much more powerful than the Forbidden Sorcery he previouslyunched. Unlike the attacks that merely flew in the shape of a globe, this one covered the entire space, as the Forbidden Sorcery dposed everything it touched. ¡°This is crazy¡ª!¡± As the Hero Candidate screamed, green beams of light akin to condensed venom erupted in all directions. -! The ceiling above the Clock Tower copsed, as intense light enveloped the surroundings. Among the Forbidden Sorcery he possessed, this one had firepower close to a special-grade artifact. It condensed the Forbidden Sorcery, which could originally demolish even the toughest castle walls, and released it within this small space. However¡­ This time as well¡­ ¡°Really, Teach? Just know that I¡¯m going to make sure you pay me back for all this hardshipter-!¡± The Hero Candidate shot up from the debris and hurled her sword at him. A burning sensation grazed his cheek. It was the first blow he had ever received during a battle. ¡°¡­¡± Valkasus wiped his cheek with a stunned expression. His hand was stained with blood. He couldn¡¯t even remember thest time he saw this crimson liquid. ¡°¡­Hah.¡± A short exhale escaped from his lips. It was because he had suddenly realized. No matter how much he increased his speed. No matter how much power he poured in. ¡°Haha¡­¡± They were catching up. They were not giving up. It became possible for them to face him properly. No, rather¡­ He was the one starting to fall behind. If it continued like this, then undoubtedly¡­ It could end in his defeat. ¡°Ha¡­ HAHAHAHAHA!¡± Valkasus bursted intoughter. ¡°Surely it won¡¯t end just with this. Surely you can show me more!¡± Yes. Now, he knew with certainty. The certainty that this man was not all talk! The certainty that he could back up his words! ¡°Come forth! Try to end my life!¡± Though it did not quite fit the content of his words¡­ His voice was filled with such endless joy.
My lower eyelids were burning because my brain was working to its limits. ¡®¡­Are you fucking with me? This is insane¡­!¡¯ It had been a while since I used my head this much. ¡®¡­I swear, at this rate, I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ I was maximizing my reflexes at every moment through intense concentration, squeezing out various countermeasures even when there were no gaps to exploit. Calcting the movements of four people simultaneously, ording to the boss battle¡¯s pattern, wasborious beyond expectation. If I did not give the Starsteel Circlet to eliminate Yuria¡¯s ¡®restrictions¡¯ in advance, even a sweat like me would have failed from the very beginning. ¡°¡­¡± While breathing heavily, I looked ahead. It was the same pattern. Several Formations threaded with Forbidden Sorcery emitted light once again. I instantly calcted and deduced what kind of attack it was based on the shape and casting time. An onught of darkness that sweeps the entire horizontal distance. At least three of them. ¡°Lucia. Rank 37 Prayer 112. Pull out four of them and scatter them in each direction. Yuria, follow the Prayer¡¯s trajectory and stand by. Iliya, duck for three seconds, then stand up and move forward three steps.¡± It was the formation that we continued to use. Lucia weakened the attack, Yuria defended against it, and Iliya seized the opportunity to gradually umte damage. The pattern would end at the fourth second. As such, I prepared the next counterattack. ¡°¡­I get that it¡¯s good we¡¯re holding up!¡± Iliya shouted with incredulity. ¡°But could we even kill that thing? I¡¯ve shed it so many times already!¡± ¡°He can¡¯t be killed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I smirked at Iliya who was ring at me. ¡°I¡¯m saying we can¡¯t kill him by continuing what we¡¯re doing right now.¡± What I was doing right now was, in a way, akin to chipping away at a mountain with a pickaxe. He definitely received some damage, but to actually kill would take an endlessly long time. Obviously, it was neither practical nor efficient. Well, the current strategy was more like a build-up to the finale. ¡°What are you even saying?¡± ¡°People are easier to deceive than you think.¡± Especially if something continued repeatedly. Even when it hadn¡¯t even been promised, people often ended up perceiving it as ¡®natural¡¯¡¯. So¡­ Even this ¡®simple¡¯ y of attack and defense was purposefully being continued ording to my ns. ¡°¡­¡± I nced at the clock. Without a chance to exin to a puzzled Iliya, I continued with the nextmand. ¡°It¡¯sing!¡± Two minutes left. At this rate, the moment I had been waiting for should being at any moment. After all, the reason I had set the time limit to ¡®ten minutes¡¯ was because within that time frame, I could definitely see this pattern at least once. Thorn of darkness generated tumultuously from all directions. ¡®Just as expected.¡¯ It was the pattern I had been continuously waiting for. This was the most crucial phase when raiding the boss battle. Because unlike other patterns, this one also blocked the opponent¡¯s ¡®vision¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± So. I also prepared my countermeasure here. After Lucia saw this sight, she immediately created another Prayer. Up to this point, it was the same. However¡­ System Notification [ ¡®Skill: Proof of Faith¡¯ activated. ] [ All stat bonuses are converted to ¡®Endurance¡¯ and ¡®Divine Power¡¯. ] System Notification [ ¡®Skill: Stigmata¡¯ activated. ] This time, I was going to add a bit of a ¡®different element¡¯. After simultaneously activating two of Ultima¡¯ built-in skills, I injected much more power into defending the Forbidden Sorcery. ¡°Get up, you yangban1A Korean way to say aristocrat or gentleman. Does not have a specific trantion so kept as yangban!¡± [¡­Not even calling me by name now, huh?] I woke up the sleeping Caliban and activated another skill. System Notification [ ¡®Skill: Image World¡¯ activated! ] [ Sharing ¡®Skill: Proof of Faith¡¯ with targets within range. ] Shortly after, the Forbidden Sorcery was blocked. And a counterattack immediately followed. Valkasus was no fool, he already expected a counterattack and had prepared various defensive Sorceries. This defense was just like the ones before, originally prepared to counter ¡®Iliya¡¯s attacks¡¯. However¡­ -! -!!! Unlike before, the attacker didn¡¯t retreat from such Forbidden Sorcery. On the contrary, she approached while ¡®cutting through¡¯ it all. ¡°¡­!¡± The surprised Valkasus instinctively looked towards the side that was blocking the Forbidden Sorcery. After all, it was apletely different situation from thebat formation that had been continuing until now. However, on that side¡­ ¡°¡­Wow¡­Teach. You. Better. Be prepared. To face. Me. Later¡­¡± Iliya, who had been flooded with all the buffs casted, barely defended against the Forbidden Sorcery with a drained expression. And, of course, the remaining members¡­ ¡°Surprise.¡± Broke through the darkness. Yuria, whom I had grabbed by the leash and thrown, appeared. It was all for this one blow. I had simplified the pattern to this extent to make this person ¡®get used to it.¡¯ Thending point was just one step away from Valkasus. And as I had mentioned before, within that distance¡­ There was a firepower that could one-shot ¡®every character¡¯ in the scenario. The Starteel Circlet shed. Unlike before, it meant that Yuria now recognized the target in front of her as ¡®something that needs to be cut¡¯. ¡°Oh no¡­!¡± At the same time Valkasus spat out those words of bewilderment¡­ Severer rushed out like lightning and pierced through Valkasus¡¯s heart. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls
  • 1 A Korean way to say aristocrat or gentleman. Does not have a specific trantion so kept as yangban
Chapter 59: Boy King (5) Chapter 59: Boy King (5) ? Boy King (5) ? ¡°It hit!¡± Iliya clenched her fist tightly in triumph. It was because anyone could see that the blow was essentially a checkmate to this battle. ¡°¡­¡± However, instead of cheering with her, I silently prepared for the ¡®next¡¯ phase. -! Nearby, the Arrays of Forbidden Sorcery writhed. Valkasus¡¯ body also remained standing upright without staggering. ¡°¡­!¡± Soon after¡­ From the Arrays, an eerie light emerged, showing no signs of weakening even whenpared to before. Yuria stepped back with wide eyes of surprise. Both Iliya and Lucia also looked in that direction, stunned. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡± A faint voice echoed in the chaotic uppermost level of the Clock Tower. ¡°¡­Enough yet. It¡¯s still far from enough.¡± I had to agree with him. The constraints ced on him obviously wouldn¡¯t be so easily removed, just stabbing his heart wouldn¡¯t cut it. In the first ce, the constraint on him was that he needed to ¡®die in one-on-onebat¡¯. Basically, even if three people tried to beat him to death, he still wouldn¡¯t die. And¡­ Even if he could, he¡¯d probably reject it. After all, if his life was extinguished without fulfilling the constraint, the Forbidden Sorcery would be forever bound to his flesh. ¡°I can¡¯t. Go. Alone. My kingdom¡­ Is still¡ª!¡± That was why, even with a fatal wound that pierced his heart¡­ He desperately held on. The surrounding Arrays exploded with light. Yuria let out a short scream as she was thrown back by the impact. ¡°¡­He¡¯s not dying even after this? What kind of existence is he¡ª?!¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I interrupted Iliya¡¯s sentence with a sigh. ¡°Go down the Clock Tower. Take the Saintess with you. If you don¡¯t go down now, you¡¯ll get swept away.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll handle him by myself.¡± Iliya and even Lucia widened their eyes in surprise. Clearly, Valkasus was in a worse condition than before. Honestly, it could be said that he was in a berserk state. So I understood their reaction. If someone were to tell me that they would face him alone, even I would react the same way. ¡°Please stop saying such crazy things¡­! How can Teach even think of facing that alone¡­!¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t crazy.¡± I mean¡­ You guys had done everything you could. In the first ce, cornering him to this extent and dealing a blow to his heart was a huge contribution. I could never have done it alone. ¡°¡­¡± Nevertheless¡­ From this point on, I had to do it alone. System Message [ ¡®Skill: Evil Ruler¡¯ activated. ] [ Usingmand rights on targets ¡®Iliya¡¯ and ¡®Lucia¡¯! ] [ The targets are absolutely obedient to yourmands! ] ¡°Go. It¡¯s better if I do this alone. Saintess, take Yuria with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Without using this, these two probably would not listen to me even if they were to die. Lucia seems to have taken it somewhat well, as she hesitated for a while before nodding. However, Iliya¡­ She was staring at me as if I had struck the back of her head with a hammer. Her pupils were trembling, as if she had taken a severe shock. System Message [ Target ¡®Iliya¡¯ has received a great shock because of your statement! ] [ Her confidence has sharply decreased! ] [ Marked by Negative Tendency! ] System Message [ Negative Tendency Triple Stack! ] [ Significant changes in personality! ] [ Changes in behavioral patterns! ] [ Increased dominance over the target! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated. Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± I seriously couldn¡¯t understand why mymand right kept replenishing itself every time I used it on her. No, more importantly¡­ The message that appeared was somewhat unsettling. Confidence dropped sharply? Increased dominance? What the fuck? ¡°Teach.¡± ¡°Go.¡± As she tried to speak to me with a tearful voice, I told her to go. I could think about thatter. For now, I needed to focus on Valkasus. Lucia, Yuria, and the still hesitating Iliya went down the stairs leading below the Clock Tower. ¡°¡­Well then.¡± I gazed at Valkasus, whose heart was pouring out darkness. I took out the Evil Essence and brought it towards Soul Linker. From the perspective of Caliban who was within, he would probably be freaking out. After all, he served as a Guardian, the highest-ranked title a Holy Knight could ever achieve. [¡­Heh.] Inside the amulet, I could only hear the sounds of him snorting inughter. [What are you scheming again?] ¡°I like how you¡¯re acting as if you¡¯ve seen me scheme before. You do realize that all you do is sleep all day, right?¡± [Even though it looks like I¡¯m sleeping all the time, I see everything I need to see, kid. That¡¯s why I know that there¡¯s a reason behind everything that you do.] Yep. Then you saw it urately. System Notification [ Would you like to fuse ¡®Evil Essence¡¯ with the item ¡®Soul Linker¡¯? ] [ Y/N ] I touched Y immediately. [ Soul Linker ] Type: Exclusive Equipment Enchantment: Epic Fusions: [ ¡®Hero Shard¡¯ Fusion ] [ ¡®Evil Essence¡¯ Fusion ] #1 Spirit: Caliban ¨C Guardian, Knight of Dawn Currently Charged Magic Power Rate: 0% Current Synchronization Rate: 12% < Additional Features > ¡ö Skill: Image World As such messages continued to appear¡­ System Message [ By fusing ¡®Evil Essence¡¯, new features are added! ] [ Special slot for Evil Spirits is unlocked on Soul Linker! ] [ Only souls with an evil disposition can be added to the slot! ] I nodded my head while looking at the window. This was it. The only way to turn the tables on Valkasus in bat.¡¯ ¡°Get ready to receive a neighbor, Caliban.¡± [¡­This bastard is seriously insane.] Caliban spoke while letting out forcedughter. [You¡­ Are you nning to bind ¡®that thing¡¯s¡¯ soul?] The sentence that even a Guardian spat out with dread was, of course, referring to Valkasus who was right before my eyes. A sinister aura was still pouring out from the gaping hole in his chest. Although millions of Forbidden Sorceries were embedded throughout his body, ultimately, the heart, the main medium of the Forbidden Sorceries, was the one that controlled all of them. And what Yuria had done was clearing the path for me to reach that very ce. ¡°¡­Nope.¡± I wasn¡¯t going to bind him. ¡°I¡¯m going to save him.¡± If it wasn¡¯t for that one goal, I wouldn¡¯t have gone this far. I checked the time. Two minutes left. ¡°Caliban.¡± [Hmm?] ¡°Since you were a highly regarded asset in the Empire, I somehow feel you might know the answer to this question.¡± [What question?] ¡°How do you endure pain?¡± He replied with a wry smile. [I just do.] ¡°¡­I¡¯m never seeking advice from you again.¡± With those words¡­ System Notification [ All stat bonuses will convert to ¡®Endurance¡¯ and ¡®Divine Power¡¯. ] [ ¡®Skill: Stigmata¡¯ activated. ] I hurled myself towards Valkasus. -! -!!!! An innumerable amount of vile Sorceries simultaneously bombarded me. Prior to this, four people shared the load, but now, I was the only one taking on full brunt of the damage. Even though all my stat bonuses from the EX-Grade Desperation were converted to endurance and divine power through a skill, and even with a protective barrier influenced by such stats¡­ My whole body decayed. My skin was rotting. My veins ruptured. My muscle fibers dissolved and were torn apart. ¡°¡­Shit¡­Motherfucker¡ª!¡± The pain coursed through my entire body, almost as if I was seeing stars. Even so, I ignored it and trudged forward. I had, at most, two minutes left. There was no time to waste. Even amidst the excruciating pain akin to my body getting ripped apart, I continued to move. It felt like my body was being burned by mes and my internal organs were burning. Still, I took a step ahead. I felt as if I was manually squeezing my halted lungs to simte the process of exhaling. My mouth was open, but I could not breathe. I could not inhale the air around me. Another step forward. I felt an intense pressure on my chest. The muscles in my limbs refused to obey me. And another one. ¡°¡­¡± Beyond the pain that threatened to cut off my consciousness multiple times¡­ Finally¡­ My hand touched his chest. Soul Linker, the item that could ¡®house¡¯ a soul¡­ Had finally made contact with the ce where the soul resided; the heart. If Yuria hadn¡¯t pierced it through, I would have never been able to stuff my hand inside. ¡°¡­¡± At this point, the boss battle was as good as finished. It was my victory, as long as I managed to forcibly ¡®bind¡¯ Valkasus to the Soul Linker fused with Evil Essence. If I reckon, this was an epic item. So, even if he was a boss, it was possible to bind him once I made contact with the core of his soul. I could forcibly break his consciousness and confine him within the item. However, I didn¡¯t want to do that. Not to someone who didn¡¯t deserve such a fate, at least in my opinion. That was why I went out of my way to say that I was ¡®saving¡¯ him when responding to Caliban. ¡°¡­¡± And so¡­ I prepared my next move. Considering all the constraints attached to the conditions of his ¡®death¡¯, it was clear that Valkasus wasn¡¯t originally designed to be defeated inbat in the first ce. If I looked back at the battle I had fought thus far, I didn¡¯t evene close to matching his ¡®full power¡¯. However, there was one trick that only I, the first person to ever clear thebat route for Valkasus, knew. As far as I knew, the one who ced the ¡®curse¡¯ on him was the most powerful ¡®Cursed Speech User¡¯ in the game. But, despite that¡­ Cursed Speech, in its core, had limitations. For example¡­ As long as the bination¡¯ wasplete, it was possible to somehow mix and match the sentences of the Cursed Speech. If the curse condition was that he could only die in fair one-on-onebat¡­ ¡°This is a fair one-on-one duel, Boy King.¡± It could be fulfilled this way. This was the one and only way I could think of, the sole method to ¡®save¡¯ Valkasus, a feat that was impossible to aplish in the game. ¡°I am as injured as you are. I feel the same pain you do. The conditions are fair.¡± Apletely hoarse and exhausted voice flowed out from me. By aligning his and my ¡®injuries¡¯, I made the conditions bnced and equal. That alone broke through the first prohibition of the Cursed Speech. ¡°In this situation¡­¡± The second prohibition. ¡°If I ¡®bind¡¯ your soul to myself, it is my victory. If I fail to do so, I¡¯ll lose. The cost of defeat will be my own life.¡± It was a legitimate one-on-one battle. It was just¡­ The ¡®method¡¯ and ¡®location¡¯ of such a battle were determined by me. Valkasus¡¯ heart emitted a ck light. This meant that the Cursed Speech User¡¯s prohibitions had ¡®validated¡¯ my words. In reality, a duel, as a concept, wasn¡¯t somethingplicated. To start a duel, you¡¯d only need to specify the ¡®victory and defeat¡¯ condition in one way or another. The Forbidden Sorceries that were even melting Valkasus¡¯s outline began to prate into my body through my hand that was touching his heart. ¡°And so, I dere the start of our duel.¡± My vision went dark.
I walked through the space enveloped in darkness. A familiar feeling. This was the exact same sensation I experienced when I entered a certain space with that clumsy Virtue. That meant, this was Valkasus¡¯ subconsciousness. And what I was about to see wasn¡¯t my own memory. ¡°¡­¡± His first kill seemed to be his most deeply ingrained memory. After all, it was the most vivid one out of them all. The person he killed was the strongest fighter in his vicinity, rumored to be unbeatable. At the same time, he was also the definition of human trash, beating up anyone that would so much as make eye contact with him. And after hearing that rumor¡­ Valkasus intentionally picked a fight with him so he could die in a ¡®duel¡¯. The man who boldly challenged him couldn¡¯t even withstand three Forbidden Sorceries before dying a dog¡¯s death. However, there was something that the rumors failed to include¡­ The fact that the man was raising a three year old daughter and a newborn son on his own. Those children were unable toprehend the death of their father. On that day, Valkasus vomited for the first time in his life. It was because, through this first kill, he intuitively knew the path he had to take from now on. ¡°¡­¡± The memories continued. The cmity invoked by the Cursed Speech User drove him to continue his endless journey; a journey to liberate his subjects who were engraved onto his very own body because of the Forbidden Sorcery. He sought out more powerful people. He passed through more battlefields. He piled up more corpses. Countless memories of his murders endlessly continued in this space. He gradually wore down. His humanity was chipped away, eroded with time. ¡°¡­¡± Still, the boy walked on. Eons passed by. His longing was endless and so was his loss. Even if all he had left were mere ash and dust, he still stood up and trudged forward. Even in the heartless and ruthless flow of time, he never gave up. In the hazy journey where even his own existence faded away, he was like an extinguished me searching for embers. Once, he looked back at the ashes that were once his mind and conscience¡­ He found himself doubting whether he even existed anymore. The sense of defeat sprouting within a broken body could shatter even the most resolute will. I moved forward, feeling all the emotions he had umted over thousands of years and all the thoughts that had ever touched his mind. And beyond the memories that seemed to continue endlessly¡­ Atst.. I faced a boy sitting quietly in the dark space. ¡°Valkasus.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Valkasus.¡± ¡°You¡¯re truly out of your mind.¡± ¡®Yeah, I heard that particr phase a lot.¡¯ As I let out a bitterugh, the boy in front of me swept his hair before speaking. ¡°¡­The subconscious is considered one of the mostplex and dangerous among all the spaces essible through special powers. Yet, you voluntarily entered such a ce. You would¡¯ve been better off experiencing a proper life and death in the Material Realm instead.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If you were unlucky, you might have ended up drifting in my memories forever. Did you know what you were getting into?¡± I was aware of such a setting. Even so¡­ ¡°¡­I did it because not too long ago, I realized it would have a good chance of sess.¡± This n was created after I entered my subconscious with the Virtue and was able to get a rough ¡®feel¡¯ for it. While I didn¡¯t do much inside, I could understand how it worked by taking a nce. As such, I had confidence that I wouldn¡¯t be swept away, even if I were to go inside Valkasus¡¯ subconscious. ¡°I understand you, after all.¡± This thought came to me ever since the first time I met him in the scenario. Valkasus and I¡­Were quite simr. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Even if it is for people that are important to you, getting forced into a fucked up journey doesn¡¯t feel that great. I also know how that feels, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, when considering how long the journeysted, you¡¯ve been at it for much longer than me.¡± Valkasus looked at me with a stunned expression, but instead of exining further, I let out a bitterugh. I just hoped he would understand that I had been through some tough times too. ¡°Also¡­¡± Above all else¡­ ¡°You must have been lonely.¡± He had to be alone. Everyone dear to him had left. He was stranded in a world full of pain and sorrow. I knew what that felt like. Out of everyone, I would understand him the best. After all, there was no one I could shed tears for, nor was there someone who would shed tears for me. I remembered the evenings when I had stared vacantly at the torn wallpaper of that empty house. The days when I had looked up at the sky for hours, trying to escape from reality and to find a destination I wanted to fly to. Just like how this person always watched the sunset, as if wanting to escape from the pain. Just like how this person reminisced about thest moment surrounded by his loved ones. ¡°And so, there was something I wanted to do for you.¡± It could be said that it was second-hand satisfaction on my part. Since I couldn¡¯t do it myself, I wanted to give it to him instead. ¡°¡­I want to give you your revenge.¡± Something that the past me had given up on. Valkasus, too, had put it off to a distant day, for the sake of liberating his kingdom¡¯s people who were bound to his body. When I existed as a yer outside of the game, it was just a thought, but¡­ Now, this ce was my reality. If it involved real individuals, it was not impossible to put my thoughts into truth. ¡°Give me my revenge, you say¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that you have something unfairly taken from you.¡± Mother. Father. Family. Brothers. Acquaintances. Friends. Subjects. His entire kingdom. Everything precious to him. Everything he had sworn to protect. ¡°The Cursed Speech User who sealed your kingdom within your body is still alive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I also understood the pain of having something taken away. So, at the very least, I could give back the thing that he deserved. His right to take revenge on the bastards who acted as they pleased. I could give him that opportunity. The Cursed Speech User who had cursed him would appear as a boss in theter stages of the scenario. At that time¡­ I would crush that fucker¡¯s head together with him. ¡°I will grant you the right to take revenge on that bastard. I swear it.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re saying that the price is to bind my soul to you, yes?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a fair deal? I mean, you promised to be my subordinate in the first ce.¡± A smile gradually crept over Valkasus¡¯s face. ¡°¡­What fair deal?¡± As he said that, he got up from his seat. As he ced his hand onto his heart, he kneeled down. Even I, who was ignorant of rituals, knew what this meant. ¡°Just by epting this, the Forbidden Sorcery bound to my body will be released, and my subjects will return to the cycle of reincarnation. After all, you have broken through all the prohibitions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell. I swear on the blood of Armada.¡± This was the greatest pledge that this Boy King could offer. ¡°My heart, my pride, my soul. All of it is yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In response to the straightforward deration, I awkwardly scratched my cheek. ¡°¡­I¡¯m just a country bumpkin noble, so I¡¯m not really sure how to proceed in this situation.¡± ¡°Is there even a need to know? You¡¯re now in a position where you canmand me with a single gesture.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Huh, was this person like Caliban¡­? He adapted way too easily to the fact that he had be someone else¡¯s subordinate. ¡°¡­More importantly, can I ask you one thing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Valkasus swept his hair back silently. After a period of silence, he finally opened his mouth again. ¡°It feels like you know a lot. It is almost to the point where it feels like there¡¯s nothing you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let me ask you a question. Did you say you would bring me to that being while knowing what kind of hardships await you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Cursed Speech User was a bastard I had to meet anyway, so I was just setting up an insurance policy. After all, Valkasus would be a very useful ally. It was obvious that I¡¯d be able to utilize various things by binding his soul to Soul Linker. As I had mentioned before, this person was one of the strongest bosses in the entire game. Just having his soul bound to me would be a tremendous help in clearing the scenario. ¡°¡­Well, as an opportunist, a petit bourgeois, and an egoist, it¡¯s a decision that came out after calcting that it was in my favor.¡± ¡°No.¡± Valkasus chuckled. ¡°The choice to ignore and move past it was always an option for you.¡± His iprehensibly meaningful voice continued. ¡°If you knew as much as you do, you could¡¯ve chosen to ignore it, despite what would happen to others, and just survive by yourself. The fact that you gave that opportunity up and ran the difficult path was your choice. It is clear, even when only considering what you have done for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell. You¡¯re just someone who can¡¯t bear to see someone suffering in front of you. You¡¯re not an opportunist, a petit bourgeois, or an egoist.¡± ¡®You¡¯re a good-natured person. So good that no ordinary person could truly grasp your intentions.¡¯ Such words resonated throughout the dark space. ¡°¡­You¡¯re not getting anything no matter how much youpliment me. Are you trying to suck up to me now that I am your master?¡± ¡°Oh, was I caught?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but feel it again. This person was just like Caliban. They both adapted to the situation way too fast. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 60: Homecoming (1) Chapter 60: Homing (1) ? Homing (1) ? [ Soul Linker ] Type: Exclusive Equipment Enchantment: Epic Fusions: [ ¡®Hero Shard¡¯ Fusion ] [ ¡®Evil Essence¡¯ Fusion ] #1 Spirit: Caliban ¨C Guardian, Knight of Dawn Currently Charged Magic Power Rate: 0% Current Synchronization Rate: 12% < Additional Features > ¡ö Skill: Image World #2 Evil Spirit: Valkasus ¨C Forbidden Sorcery User, Last King of Armada Current Synchronization Rate: 10.00% < Additional Features > ¡ö Skill: Forbidden Sorcery ¨C Basic At the same time as that window passed before my eyes¡­ My consciousness was pulled back into the Material Realm. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± At first, pain so intense that I couldn¡¯t express it properly with words, struck me. Then, I felt something more otherworldly¡­ I felt a strangely soft sensation on my head. ¡°¡­¡± I blinked, trying to figure out what was happening. Beyond my slowly returning vision, someone¡¯s face came into view. Crimson eyes were looking down at me, as if trying to devour me. ¡°¡­!¡± Startled, I tensed up involuntarily, making the pain increase several fold, causing me to moan and droop back down. My whole body was a mess. Back when I defeated the Purifier, I was at least healed instantly, but this time, I didn¡¯t have such a luxury. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­Eleanor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems like you haven¡¯t forgotten my face.¡± Eleanor seemed several times colder than usual. The chill she exuded was practically dripping onto me. ¡°¡­Uh, Eleanor?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yep. She certainly was. So, uh, there was a question that became even more important now that I knew she was angry. ¡°¡­If you¡¯re so angry, why are you giving me ap pillow?¡± ¡°I¡¯m angry, so I can do whatever I want.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yep¡­ Whatever you say¡­ I let out a wry smile. After a few moments of just breathing, I looked around with great effort. ¡°What a scene.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The Forbidden Sorcery released from Valkasus¡¯ copsed body had nowpletely enveloped the sky. It was almost as if the heavens had opened up, and the spirits were ascending one after another. Well, that expression was actually quite close to the truth. With this, the Armada Kingdom had attained its salvation. After all, their souls would return to the cycle of reincarnation and be reborn in a new body. That was themon sense of this world. Yet Valkasus had spent all those years suffering just to achieve this minimal right for his subjects. ¡°¡­¡± I raised my arm with difficulty and looked at the amulet hanging from it. White and ck light mixed to emit a grey one from inside. It was probably because Caliban and Valkasus were both sleeping in there. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll see youter.¡¯ Just like Caliban, Valkasus would likely spend most of his time asleep until I had enough divine power again. I hoped the time when I could easily wake them up and have a proper conversation with them woulde soon. Just as I had this thought, a stream of messages suddenly appeared before my eyes. System Notification [ Main Quest Completed! ] [ Rewards Received! ] [ 1 ¡®Evil Essence¡¯ Received! ] [ 1 ¡®Hero Shard¡¯ Received! ] [ 10,000pt Received! ] System Notification [ This Quest was subjected to an Emergency Event. Additional Rewards Received! ] [ Special Interaction with ¡®Heretic Inquisition¡¯ Added! ] [ Feature will be immediately activated upon contact with members of the ¡®Heretic Inquisition! ] My gaze scrolled down the messages until stopping at one particr part. The rest was good and all, but thest sentence was particrly important. ¡®¡­Hmm¡­Heretic Inquisition¡­¡¯ In a survey conducted on Sera users, the ¡®group least wanted as an enemy¡¯ category was dominated by the Heretic Inquisition with an uncontested first ce. There were several reasons for that, but the powerful presence of the ¡®Companion¡¯ character within that group was the main reason. ¡®I¡¯m not gonna go out of my way to look for them.¡¯ I would have to meet them sooner orter, but I¡¯ll try to postpone it for as long as possible. Right now, I could count the number of humans more directly entangled with the Devils than I was in just one hand. It was safe to say that there was no chance that the Heretic Inquisition would wee my existence when they considered ¡®Devil Hunting¡¯ as their profession. ¡®Well, that¡¯s that.¡¯ There was one more thing I had to remember. You see, after clearing the Valkasus Boss Battle via the battle route, there was something that was ¡®opened¡¯. System Notification [ 1 Trigger Condition for Hidden Event ¡®???¡¯ Met! (1/3) ] There we go. Savior Rising was a surprisingly well-made game, and it even offered special rewards whenever the main scenario was cleared using unconventional methods instead of the ¡®orthodox¡¯ way. The ¡®Hidden Event¡¯ mentioned here was one of them. It was a reward that popped up when the main scenario had been thoroughlypleted. And this¡­ ¡°¡­Why are you looking at me like that?¡± I smirked in response to the grumpy Eleanor. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± This was the only remedy that could alleviate the ¡®Madness¡¯ passed down in Eleanor¡¯s household. This was the first step and I had finally taken it. ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor, who had been silently observing me, sighed and flicked my nose with her finger. From her actions, one would think it was just a childish prank, but my head, which took the brunt of it, twisted backwards entirely. The fuck? How strong exactly was she? ¡°¡­What was that for?¡± ¡°Stop trying to seduce me. I have a lot of grievances right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­What? All I did was smile a bit at her. ¡°That, in itself, is seduction.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Why is tha¡ª¡± ¡°Because I said so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What does she even want from me then¡­? As I fell silent with my mouth closed, Eleanor let out a sigh while lifting me up. ¡°For now, since you were injured to this extent, it would be best to get some treatment first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, she was right. To put it mildly, I was thoroughly fucked. My body was aplete mess. Given Eleanor¡¯s ¡®disposition¡¯, I expected her to lose her shit when she saw me like this, but her reaction was surprisingly calm. It was to the extent that made me think I could¡¯ve just brought her with me to battle Valkasus. ¡®¡­What changed?¡¯ I did have a guess. When she used the Descent skill to face the Flesh Tearer, there was a message saying that she hadpleted her fusion with the fragments. As far as I knew, that was another trigger for a new event. It seemed like she was already receiving the influence fro¨C ¡°Also, while you receive treatment, You can slowly give an exnation to me.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Where did you say you were going with Iliya Krisanax?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Oh yeah. I forgot about that part.
¡°Iliya, wee back! You didn¡¯t get too hurt right¡ª Wait, why do you look like that?!¡± Trisha, Iliya¡¯s worried roommate who had been waiting for her to return to the dorm, screamed in shock upon seeing her enter the room. Of course, she hadn¡¯t expected Iliya¡¯s day to go smoothly when she was dragged away, but she didn¡¯t anticipate it being this bad. Dirt and dust covered her whole body and she had various minor injuries. Well, to some extent, that wasn¡¯t a big of a deal, but¡­ Her face was in utter shambles. She had swollen eyes, a nose that was obviously worn out from being wiped too much, and a lingering sadness that had yet to leave her face. ¡°Were you crying? No, seriously, what happened to make you like this¡­!¡± And above all¡­ The ¡®Color of Emotions¡¯ she saw from Iliya greatly concerned her. If she was just in a bad mood, Trisha wouldn¡¯t have been so shocked. However, the color she disyed was like she had lost all of her usual ¡®vitality¡¯. ¡°¡­Um, Trisha.¡± Iliya spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t I just utterly useless?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t even know what to say after hearing those words. It was ridiculous to hear such wordse from the mouth of the Hero Candidate with the greatest talent on the continent. Moreover, she was still young enough to be called just a girl. ¡°¡­D-Do I even deserve to stay next to Teach? I keep receiving his help, but I can¡¯t even properly help in return¡­¡± The girl who was always upright, filled with unwavering determination, and inspired the energy of others was now¡­. Utterly indecisive. The color of her emotions had not only turned murky, but it also had be an almost gooey and sticky darkness. And that color was getting stronger by the seconds. ¡°¡­¡± Trisha was so taken aback that she could only twitch her lips in silence. However, she quickly regained herposure and pped her own cheeks. Right now, it wasn¡¯t the time to worry about such things. Iliya¡¯s condition was genuinely rming. ¡®¡­If I don¡¯t straighten this out right now¡ª!¡¯ As someone who could see the color of other¡¯s emotions, she was well aware that this was a genuine ¡®sign of danger¡¯. If she hesitated to address it now, Iliya¡¯s very nature could change. She couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch that happen to her friend! ¡®For now¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t exactly know what had happened¡­ But she knew for sure that this matter involved ¡®that person¡¯ again. And so, she had to make sure of this before anything. ¡°Iliya, what exactly are your feelings towards that person?¡± ¡°That person? Who¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Mr. Dowd Campbell. How do you feel about him? Respect? Do you think of him as a friend?¡± ¡°Um, well, I¡¯m not exactly sure¡­¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ Do you like him?¡± When the question was posed so directly, Iliya suddenly stopped moving. Even the color of her emotions seemed to momentarily stop evolving into a deeper shade of ck. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing her reaction, Trisha sighed internally. Although she was not some love expert, she did have a decent understanding of a rtionship¡¯s ¡®flow¡¯ thanks to her many observations. And she could tell that this case was one of those types. Iliya was halfway in love, but since she had never experienced something like this before, she was uncertain about her feelings. Seeing how her emotions briefly turned brighter after hearing the question of whether she liked him or not, despite her being unsure of the nature of her feelings, only made Trisha convinced of this theory. ¡°¡­Iliya. You said you had a wish ticket or something from that person, right?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah.¡± ¡°In that case, let¡¯s use it. It can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°Huh? Use it? On what?¡± ¡®Where else would you use it, you fool¡­?¡¯ ¡°During vacation. At the Pilgrimage Homing Ceremony.¡± With that, Trisha quickly stood up from her seat. Meanwhile, IIliya¡¯s face had turned bright red in an instant. It seemed as if she was nervous just from imagining it. Her whole body continued to fidget. ¡°I-Is it r-really o-okay? W-What if he rejects me? What should I do then?¡± ¡°You said it¡¯s a wish ticket. If he doesn¡¯t grant it, then argue orin. In the first ce, you wanted to use it for this purpose, so why are you getting cold feet now?¡± Iliya bit her lips and fell silent at Trisha¡¯s decisive words. Somehow, her friend appeared several times more mature than usual. She looked almost dignified in a way. ¡®¡­This alone probably won¡¯t be enough.¡¯ Just like Iliya had assumed, Trisha was racking her brain while maintaining an extraordinarily level-headed manner. Although she hadn¡¯t always seen it, Elfante¡¯s Student Council President had a terrifying obsession for Dowd Campbell. Especially considering what the ¡®Pilgrimage Homing¡¯ was usually used for by students at Elfante, she would definitely not miss Iliya¡¯s intentions. As such, in order to get the upper hand, Iliya also had to use a very VERY strong card. ¡°Also, let¡¯s write a letter.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? What? Eh?¡± Unable to follow along, Iliya¡¯s eyes were practically spinning as Trisha handed her a pen and ced a piece of paper in front of her. ¡°Write exactly what I say.¡± She then took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°Recipient. Margrave Kendride.¡± Iliya¡¯s jaw dropped.
¡°Yourplexion doesn¡¯t look that great, Dowd.¡± Atnte¡¯s voice, filled with concern, came from across the room. ¡°I heard you had a serious injury not long ago. If you find it difficult to focus, you should rest up more.¡± ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m fine.¡± Honestly, there was nothing wrong with my physical body. It was just¡­ There was another problem that I had. With a slightly paleplexion, I wiped my face. I had been thinking about this a lottely, but my improvisational skills were certainly improving day by day. I mean, that was probably because unexpected things kept blowing up in my face ever so frequently. Basically, whenever something unrted to me popped up, I was getting better at quickly formting courses of action and guidelines to resolve such surprises. System Message [ Target ¡®Margrave Kendride¡¯ has started to take an interest in you. ] [ A rted event will be generated soon! ] But, seriously. Couldn¡¯t they just give me some time to breathe? Please. ¡°¡­¡± Margrave Kendride. Iliya¡¯s foster father. Duke Gideon Tristan¡¯s eternal rival among the high nobility. The strongest Holy Knight of the current generation. ¡®What does this guy even want from little old me¡­?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve been through quite a lot this time.¡± Ante, who obviously didn¡¯t have a clue about my feelings, let out a sigh and continued speaking. ¡°The Empire, the Holy Land, the Tribal Alliance¡­ All three nations had suddenly taken an interest in your whereabouts. Moreover, not soon after such an incident happened, a major terrorist attack fell upon Elfante. I can¡¯t recall such major incidents happening one after another¡­¡± The Headmistress pushed her sses up. ¡°Even so, it is way too early to be relieved.¡± Her words were dead serious. ¡°As I mentioned before, the Devil Worshippers will continue toe after you. In my opinion, this incident is also rted to that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All incidents will continue to revolve around you from now on. I think you should assume that something else will happen soon, so stay busy preparing.¡± ¡°¡­I agree.¡± Although there had been so many incidents, in reality, I had only finished the second chapter of the game. There was still a long way to go in the scenario, and resolving the issues with the Devil¡¯s Vessels were far fromplete. In order to survive, I couldn¡¯t stop increasing my strength. And above all¡­ That bitch was a problem. The woman who suddenly popped out and then disappeared. The Prophet. The Leader of the Devil Worshippers. ¡®¡­Was that motherfucker originally a woman?¡¯ I didn¡¯t recall it being so. Out of all the elements of the scenario that I remembered, only the Prophet existed outside my ¡®knowledge¡¯. In this world, which was built on a game system where everything moved ording to my knowledge, her existence was the only one who defied my expectations. I knew about everyone else¡­ But, at least for that person, I had no idea what thoughts and intentions she was harboring. ¡°However!¡± Atnte immediately spoke up with a cheerful voice, as if she saw my darkening expression getting lost in my thoughts again. ¡°A human can¡¯t just keep on working, right? You¡¯ll break down if you push yourself too much, you know?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Originally, the vacation was supposed to start shortly after the midterms. But due to the recent assault, the entire academy¡¯s functions are temporarily suspended. Since we can¡¯t hold sses, we¡¯re nning to let everyone take a break a little earlier.¡± ¡®So you¡¯re telling me to take a break too?¡¯ The Headmistress winked as she said that. However¡­ ¡°¡­I do want to take a break as well, but¡­¡± The definition of a vacation was to rest, right? Yeah. It was. However, for me, there was a low chance of experiencing something as difficult as rest. ¡°But?¡± ¡°But there¡¯s the Pilgrimage Homing Ceremony. Do you know about it, Headmistress?¡± ¡°Of course, I know about it¡­?¡± The Headmistress cocked her head in perplexion. After all, it was one of the main ¡®romance¡¯ events in the game. During the vacation, students would make arrangements and visit each other¡¯s hometowns. But, among the nobility within the Empire¡­ How should I exin this¡­ Honestly, it was basically treated as a date trip between students. Although it was not an officially organized event by the academy, it was a long-standing tradition among students. As such, there was even dedicated personnel to manage it. ¡°¡­¡± I handed the documents I received from such personnel to Atnte. The contents were something I absolutely didn¡¯t want to do. I would rather die. Really. Seriously. Truly. Because it seemed as if they would either kill me ormit suicide, I was unable to reject either side in the past. The result of that was nowid in those documents. ¡°¡­This is a joke, right?¡± Atnte let out a bitterugh. ¡°Iliya Krisanax. Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Hero Candidate and the Lady of the Tristan Duchy. With just one of these two, most territories would be turned upside down.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­But you¡¯re going to go to your hometown¡­ With both of them? To ¡®Baron¡¯ Campbell¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I wish it was a joke too. I really do. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 61: Homecoming (2) Chapter 61: Homing (2) ? Homing (2) ? ¡°Good. It¡¯s done.¡± While wiping away the surrounding holy water, Lucia finished the sanctification. Yuria, who was carefully seated inside a circr barrier with the names of Seraphs sequentially written, slowly sheathed Severer, which she had been holding. ¡®¡­The speed should have slowed a little.¡¯ Lucia looked at Yuria, who was wearing the Starsteel Circlet, with a worried gaze. The ¡®white stem¡¯ extending from Severer¡¯s scabbard had reached all the way to Yuria¡¯s wrist. It wasn¡¯t something that was supposed to be there. This was a sign that the curse had started to corrode her body gradually because she had been attached to Severer for too long. Although Lucia had slowed down the process dramatically by doing sanctification and curse removal daily, the cursed artifact was still rooted in her little sister¡¯s body like a disease. ¡°¡­¡± Severer. One of the oldest artifacts ever discovered by humanity. The only record left about it was that the ¡®Miracle of God¡¯ would descend upon the surface if the curse progressed until the end topletely devour the user. In the first ce, her sister was an artificial life form created by the Pope with the sole intention of getting devoured by such an artifact. As such, from the moment she first grasped the sword, it became physically impossible to remove that thing from her body. ¡®¡­If¡­¡¯ If Yuria had been ¡®devoured¡¯ as intended by the Pope, thus bing a ¡®charm against evil¡¯ and was forcibly ¡®merged¡¯ with Lucia¡­ What kind of state would Lucia have been in now? Just thinking about it was enough to make her shudder. While she was lost in such thoughts, Yuria took hesitant steps forward. Despite the Starsteel Circlet she wore, it was clear that her actions were driven by an ingrained habit developed over many years, thus making her difort all the more visible. ¡°¡­¡± Lucia cautiously approached one step at a time. After all, she couldn¡¯t afford to take the risk of stepping inside the three-step radius, just in case an incident actually happened. However, even when she moved inside the danger zone, Yuria didn¡¯t react. Lucia, who had been preparing divine protection as a precautionary measure, let out a relieved smile. ¡°¡­!¡± A brightly beaming Yuria threw herself into Lucia¡¯s arms. She nuzzled her head against her sister, almost as if she was acting like a baby. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s okay to be close to each other now. Big sis won¡¯t run away.¡± Lucia chuckled while stroking her head. It was such a warm moment that her earlier worries seemed almost insignificant. It had been several days since they could touch each other, but it was like this every time they did so. Yuria was like a puppy that had finally reunited with its owner after a long ti¡ª ¡°¡­¡± That was definitely not a sentence that shoulde up when thinking about her little sister. Startled by her own impious thoughts, Lucia instinctively made the sign of a cross and murmured a prayer. ¡°¡­Big sis?¡± Seeing her in such a state, Yuria tilted her head in confusion. As she gazed at her innocent expression, Lucia¡¯s guilty conscience squeezed her heart even harder than before. Lucia opened her trembling lips with great difficulty. ¡°Uh, Yuria. How about we start by removing that cor¡­?¡± Truthfully, it was inevitable that such despicable thoughts would appear when Yuria was wearing something like that all the time. But strangely, Yuria¡¯s expression became clouded at the suggestion. ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucia found herself wanting to ask the same thing. ¡°No, but¡­ Mr. Dowd gave me this as a gift¡­¡± As Yuria fiddled with the cor with both hands and gave such a muddled response, a headache started to creep upon Lucia. It was always like this. Yuria would obediently listen to anything else he said, but when it came to this topic, she would always push back and refuse. ¡°Big sis, do you not like Mr. Dowd?¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be normal to not like him? He put a cor on someone¡¯s precious little sister, and, while it couldn¡¯t be helped, he even grabbed her and threw her around like some kind of object. ¡°¡­¡± But, still¡­ If she were asked if she disliked him, she would naturally say no. Although she couldn¡¯t understand his intentions, the fact remained that he was helping the two sisters without any apparent reason. ¡®You can stay as you are at the academy for the time being.¡¯ She remembered hearing those words not too long ago. Not long after the incident with Valkasus was wrapped up, he ryed such a message while handing over an official document from the Holy Land. ¡®For the time being, they won¡¯t be able toy a hand on you. So, during this time, stick with Yuria and do your best to prevent Severer from encroaching on her further.¡¯ At the time, she was so incredulous that she didn¡¯t even have a chance to ask how he got such a document from the Holy Land. She wasn¡¯t sure what he did to the Pope, but at the moment, it seemed like the Holy Land was willing to grant any request that he had within reason. With all his capabilities and his effort to help the two sisters at every turn, there was no reason to dislike him at all. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike him.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I like him¡­!¡± Seeing her sister retort with a huff, Yuria tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Why are you getting angry?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was as Yuria said, it wasn¡¯t something to deny so aggressively and angrily. However, it somehow felt like she was losing if she freely admitted that she saw him in a favorable light. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Mmm, because Mr. Dowd was brought up, I suddenly miss him.¡± However, her reaction didn¡¯t seem to bother Yuria that much, seeing how quickly she stated such things. She was always like this. While she could go half a day separated from that man without saying a word, after a day, she would start getting visibly anxious, and after two days, she would go all out trying to find him. He had mentioned earlier today that he was leaving somewhere, but he seemed to take such things into ount because he said he would return in two days. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go out. We¡¯ve finished everything we need to do here after all.¡± With that, Lucia calmly took Yuria¡¯s hand and headed for the hallway. Whenever shepleted the sanctification, she had to report that she was done with the room to the academy staff who let her use it. ¡°Oh my~ Did you finish early today~?¡± ¡°I¡¯m always grateful, Dame Ophelia. I apologize for always troubling you.¡± Lucia bowed to the female knight with abundant blonde hair. The freshman dormitory supervisor, who perpetually seemedid-back, was the person who had always lent an empty room to the girl so that they could workfortably without being disturbed by others. ¡°¡­But, what are you doing right now?¡± Lucia asked as she looked at the massive wooden door that Dame Ophelia was holding onto. Considering she was a knight, she was definitely capable of moving objects of that size on her own, but why was such a thing being carried in the hallway in the first ce? ¡°Ah~ There was just a bit of an issue inside the dormitory~¡± ¡°An issue?¡± ¡°The door hinges came off in one of the rooms~ So this is a spare to fix it~¡± ¡°¡­Why did something like that happen?¡± ¡°It seemed two female students got really angry when they found out they¡¯d be going together for the Pilgrimage Homing~ So, they broke the door to get inside~ That male student really is something~¡± ¡°¡­¡± How strange. She didn¡¯t even hear a name, but somehow, she had a feeling that this had something to do with a certain someone. Perhaps you could call it a Saintess¡¯ intuition. ¡°¡­Is it perhaps Dowd Campbell?¡± ¡°Oh~ That student must be quite famous now~¡± Of course. Well, there you have it. She wasn¡¯t wrong to have her reasons for being wary of that ma¡ª ¡°Even some very important people have been asking about that student¡¯s whereabouts~ Somehow, he is suddenly getting a lot of recognition~¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Once again, perhaps due to her Saintess¡¯ intuition, a shiver ran down Lucia¡¯s spine. ¡°Ah you see, some people even asked if that student would return to the Campbell Barony for this vacation~¡± ¡°¡­Is there perhaps any way I can find out who those people are?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not exactly a secret, so it should be fine~¡± Lucia received some documents from Ophelia and started scrutinizing them with sharp eyes. Then, she folded the documents in half and handed them back to Ophelia. However, unlike before, her hand was now trembling. ¡°¡­Yuria.¡± ¡°Mhm?¡± ¡°You said you missed Mr. Dowd, right?¡± ¡°Y-Yeah? Why?¡± ¡°Good. We have to go meet him right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®So suddenly?¡¯ ¡®Just like that? Without any exnation?¡¯ While even Yuria was taken aback with her mouth slightly agape, Lucia quickly turned her head back towards Dame Ophelia. ¡°Dame.¡± ¡°Yesss~?¡± ¡°Is there any way to directly travel from inside the academy to the Campbell Barony?¡± ¡°If you go to Central Square, there should be a train~¡± ¡°Thank you, Dame Ophelia!¡± Hearing that, Lucia immediately turned and rushed away. Yuria, who was holding her hand, was dragged along in surprise. And seeing this sight, Ophelia tilted her head in confusion. ¡°But, why are you going there~?¡± ¡°Something urgent has suddenlye up!¡± From the perspective of a Saintess, she was absolutely certain of one thing. The situation was already a mess even when only considering the fact that he had gone back to his hometown with both the Hero Candidate and Lady Tristan. However, if all the people mentioned in that document were gathered in that one ce as well¡­ ¡°If something goes wrong, the entire Campbell Barony could be wiped off the map!¡± Such an answer echoed out from a desperately sprinting Lucia.
[ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Forbidden Sorcery ¨C Basic Grade: Basic Proficiency: 0% Description: You can carve Tattoo onto your body by sacrificing mediums. Depending on the shape of the Tattoo, you can generate Arrays with different effects. [ ¡ö You can only use living beings as mediums. ] [ ¡ö You can currently carve a maximum of 3 Tattoos. ] [ ¡ö The power of the Array increases with the number of Tattoos carved. ] [ ¡ö Increasing proficiency will allow you to carve more Tattoos and generate more type of Arrays. ] I read the information on the window with a serious look. It was true that this was the only Mastery that the world¡¯s greatest Forbidden Sorcery User could give, but¡­ It felt a bit unusual that it came in the form of a Mastery and not a Skill. Was this the reason for it? If I had 3 Tattoos, drawing one Array would probably be my limit. Also, it bothered me a bit that only living beings could be used as mediums. ¡®This alone is a big harvest, of course.¡¯ However, just being able to use the power of the Forbidden Sorcery showcased by Valkasus in our battle was a significant merit. The ability to specify effects at will based on differentbinations was also appealing. In other words, in the hands of an expert, it was an instantly usable and powerful cursed technique that could unleash incredible destructive power. I could only use one for now, but I could solve that by increasing my proficiency anyway. ¡®If only I had enough of these, I¡¯d raise my proficiency right away.¡¯ With that thought in mind, I changed the window. System Log [ You have made great contributions through the buff you applied to your ¡®Party Members¡¯! ] [ AP received! ] [ You can use AP to increase the proficiency of a desired Mastery! ] These were the things I had umted from my previous battle with Valkasus. I had also umted a lot of it before during the midterm exams when I faced a horde of students, butpared to that time, the amount I had now was not even half of what I received then. Honestly, whenparing the difficulty, the battle with Valkasus was way harder, but the ¡®contributions¡¯ that the window mentions was often determined by the ¡®number¡¯ of people taken down rather than by the opponent¡¯s strength. To gain proficiency with the AP, I needed to umte a bit mo¡ª ¡°Are you trying to escape reality, Young Master?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Herman¡¯s words dragged my consciousness back to reality. The butler, who always had a gentle atmosphere, was now staring at me with a piercing gaze, akin to a needle. I responded while averting my gaze.. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°¡­I have doubts as to whether this is a situation that we can handle.¡± Herman pointed at the two carriages closely following mine on both sides. Honestly, the carriages themselves weren¡¯t a particrly unusual sight. After all, disembarking from the train and traveling by carriage was amon situation, so the nearby locals wouldn¡¯t pay too much attention to the carriages themselves. However¡­ If there were individuals who recognized the crests engraved on both carriages as the ¡®Margrave Kendride Household¡¯ and the ¡®Duke Tristan Household¡¯¡­. Then they could quickly grasp how unusual this situation really was. For these two crests to be visible simultaneously, it would require a significant event at the level of an important ceremony at the Imperial Pce. Basically, what I was trying to say was that it wasn¡¯t the kind of spectacle one would see in a mere Barony. ¡°¡­¡± Okay wait. No. This wasn¡¯t fair. It was really bewildering for me as well, you know? Not only did I wake up to my door getting obliterated by Iliya and Eleanor, but I was also dragged out of my own room with each of the girls grabbing one of my arms. And, contrary to my expectations, they had even prepared their ¡®household carriages¡¯ in advance. How the fuck could anyone expect this? Okay, well I kinda knew that Eleanor had a terrifying amount of interest in this event, but I never expected Iliya to feel the same way as well¡­ ¡®¡­This is no joke¡­¡¯ To take out an item engraved with the family crest and visit someone else¡¯s territory was an incredibly serious matter. Basically, it wasn¡¯t a situation that could be casually exined as mere academy friends visiting each other¡¯s hometowns. This was no different from expressing the desired intent of an ¡®official exchange¡¯ between ¡®households¡¯. In other words¡­ It means that both of them wanted a rather ¡®serious conversation¡¯ to take ce in the presence of my family members. ¡°If it¡¯s alright with you, may I leave first and help the Baron prepare for the reception? I believe we should make proper preparations to wee these guests.¡± As the castle gradually came into view, Herman brought up this proposal. ¡°¡­You may do so.¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± When I slightly turned my head to look at Herman, the butler was staring at me with a worried expression. ¡°I have no intention of ming you. From the standpoint of someone who has served you for a long time, I never believed that the Young Master would live quietly in Elfante. I thought that something like this might happen from the very beginning.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Perhaps no one among the locals believed it either. You¡¯re someone who drove people away with just some eye contact. How could someone like that live quietly, as if they¡¯re dead? How ridiculous¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, even after taking that into ount, this situation still is unexpected. After all, the households of the twodies are quite¡­ impressive.¡± Herman sighed as he continued. ¡°As such, in order to handle either side without causing harm, a great amount of work will be needed. Of course, I believe that the Young Master can do it somehow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With that, I sighed inwardly as I watched Herman get off the carriage and head to the castle. Yeah. You¡¯re right. Agreed x 100 Still, there was one silver lining in this entire fiasco. As mentioned before, the ¡®Pilgrimage Homing Event¡¯ was the only time throughout the entire scenario where I could mediate and resolve the friction between the two girls. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, given the situation, I knew that I was going to have a difficult time, just like Herman had said. As I contemted this while getting off the carriage, the familiar scent of my hometown wafted through my nose. Both Iliya and Eleanor disembarked from the carriage at the same time. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a palpable chill in the air. Was it winter already? Why was there a blizzard next to me? While Iliya and Eleanor hadn¡¯t always gotten along perfectly, this level of tension was something else entirely. They themselves were clearly aware of the significance of dragging out the household carriages. At this point, it was possible that all three of us would continue to walk in silence until we entered the caste. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I think I¡¯m about to die.¡¯ The atmosphere was so stifling. I couldn¡¯t breathe. Please, someone, send me some oxygen¡­ It would be okay if there was an ¡®aggressive¡¯ event happening, so just give me anything¡­! ¡°You worthless bug, how many times have I told you to deal with this in advance? How many times?¡± ¡°¡­I have already exined, Viscount Goldic. I cannotply with the contents of your request.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, uh¡­ I knew I kinda hoped for something like this to happen, but I didn¡¯t want it to be this aggressive¡­ As I poked my head into my father¡¯s office, I saw my father with an awkward expression and a fat man pouring out swears at him. ¡®If it¡¯s Viscount Goldic¡­¡¯ I know this person as well. A noble from a neighboring territory. He was the lord of the Goldic territory, known for its mining as its primary industry. He had continuously pressured us to sell the iron ore veins allocated within our territory. From what I knew, this had caused my father a great deal of stress. ¡°Where are the locals supposed to live if their homes are taken?¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t my problem. Perhaps they should me themselves for being in such a pitiable situation. After all, didn¡¯t they choose to live in the territory of a worthless Baron?¡± Seeing the quiet figure of my father, Viscount Gooldic continued with smugughter. ¡°If not, should I personally evict those bastards by force? Huh? Do you even realize who is backing me?¡± ¡°¡­Viscount Goldic. They are all innocent and honorable people.¡± However, this time, his behavior was quite abhorrent. Although he was known for being aggressive and temperamental, he still had maintained some degree ofposure in the past. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± As I entered the room while uttering these words, my father turned towards me with a surprised expression. It seemed like he didn¡¯t want to show his son such a shitfest upon his return home. ¡°Wee back, Dowd. Since you must have a lot of fatigue from your travels, go rest for now and-¡± ¡°No, this is perfect. You im that your son is capable enough to enroll in Elfante, right? It would be quicker to resolve this matter by discussing with him instead. Dealing with you is so frustrating that¡ª¡± With those words, Viscount Goldic attempted to approach me, but he frowned when two silhouettes promptly blocked his way. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Your attitude is quite insolent and your manners are unbefitting of nobility. It would be better for you if you calm down and talk about what your business here is.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Eleanor and Iliya spoke with slightly twisted expressions. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but insulting other in this matter is not eptab¡ª¡± ¡°Hah. At best, they¡¯re probably from some insignificant household if they were brought here by the son of a mere Baron. Hey, step aside.¡± Viscount Goldic continued to derisivelyugh while sneering. ¡°I have business with that trash¡¯s son, not you.¡± Upon hearing his words, a chill ran down my spine. No like¡­ I wasn¡¯t really angry about being insulted and sworn at. Honestly, it was better that I was insulted than having my father insulted. But¡­ The real problem was that after hearing those words¡­ I could instinctively feel that the two women in front of me were ¡®really fucking pissed off¡¯. ¡°¡­Trash¡¯s son. And an insignificant household, huh.¡± Eleanor smirked while Iliya let out a disbelievingugh. However¡­ ¡°You have insulted my precious person. You have insulted his close friend. And you have even insulted my household.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. The same words can be applied to me as well.¡± Eleanor who spoke such words. And Iliya who added on suchments. Their eyes were notughing at all. ¡°Is it right for me to believe that you are prepared for what is toe?¡± The atmosphere turned icy. However, unlike earlier, it wasn¡¯t an atmosphere born out of tension between the two girls. It was an icy presence from a hostile who had designated a ¡®target to vent their emotions on¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± I took a step back involuntarily. After all, I instinctively felt the absolute shitstorming this way. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 62: Homecoming (3) Chapter 62: Homing (3) ? Homing (3) ? ¡°H-Has the Young Master returned?¡± ¡°The Young Master has returned?¡± ¡°Is that really true?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Herman barely suppressed a sigh that tried to burst out and gestured to the maids who were gathered around, indicating that they should stop their chatter and focus on working. While watching the maids dispersing with a hand ced on his forehead, a slightly amused voice mixed withughter came from beside him. ¡°It seems like that Young Master¡¯s karma is quite deep. I wonder if he can handle it.¡± ¡°He has been clever since he was young, so I think he¡¯ll manage on his own, Hana.¡± ¡°He has always been an outstanding person. However, I still didn¡¯t expect him to bring such individuals with him.¡± The Head Maid, Hana, spoke while gazing beyond the window where the carriage was visible. ¡°Margrave Kendride and Duke Tristan. How incredible. Have you already reported this to the Baron?¡± ¡°Right now, it¡¯s a bit¡­ you know? I heard that Viscount Goldic just arrived.¡± Herman¡¯s tired demeanor waspletely understandable to Hana as well, as she gave out a bitter smile. ¡°¡­Count Chester has been showing an unusual amount of interest in our territorytely. The Baron must be having a hard time.¡± If one were to ask who was the most powerful nobles within this area, Count Chester would be mentioned without a doubt. Viscount Goldic was merely that man¡¯sckey. ¡°It is indeed a strange urrence.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Count Chester has been here a few times before. He was ambitious, but he at least held some amount of decorum. I doubt he would try to forcefully take someone else¡¯snd like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯se over him. Maybe there¡¯s some problem within his territory.¡± ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t seem like the time for us to worry about someone else¡¯s territory.¡± After saying that, Hana looked out the window once again. ¡°Especially when such prestigious households bring their carriages to our territory¡­ Normally, this implies something, right?¡± Herman urately understood the hidden meaning behind her words and couldn¡¯t suppress a sigh this time. ¡°¡­They won¡¯t go as far as proposing a marriage.¡± ¡°You seem quite certain about this, hm?¡± ¡°Both families are in such a high position that just the hint of a marriage proposal would cause a political storm. If such rumors were circting, the heads of the households themselves would have attended.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Herman¡¯s words made Hana¡¯s bitter smile even more noticeable. Meanwhile, Herman¡¯s expression was one of inexplicable unease. ¡°Have you read this before? It just arrived via a magically engineered carrier pigeon.¡± Hana handed Herman a letter. ¡°Perhaps these two households are more serious than we thought.¡± What was imprinted on the envelope was a divine emblem. Even among them, an emblem with 3 wings indicated the highest authority; Excluding the Pope, only two others were qualified to use it. The Archpriest, head of the Great Temple, as well as the Saintess, the representative of all devotees of such a religion. And the contents written were¡­ ¡°Could this be a forgery?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a lie, Herman. Unless they were utterly insane, no one would ever pretend to be the Saintess. The authenticity of the divine emblem has also been confirmed. ¡°¡­¡± A dizzying sensation momentarily enveloped his entire body, but it didn¡¯t take too long for him to regain hisposure. In any case, both Hana and Herman were veterans in their line of work. They were used to unexpected situations erupting out of nowhere. Still, it was the first time for them to experience an event of such a great magnitude. ¡°¡­Gather all avable personnel. We need to be very well prepared.¡± If what was written in this letter was true¡­ The Saintess herself would also be residing in this territory. This alone was already a big deal. However, the other individuals would be an even bigger deal than that. Unlike the Sainteess, who was highly regarded in a ¡®symbolic¡¯ way, these ¡®two individuals¡¯ held true power that was counted among the top in the entire continent. ¡°For now, make sure to alert everyone. At least for the next few days, no incidents can happen within the territo¨C¡± Just as he was about to give such an order¡­ The sound of an explosion came from the office upstairs. Following it was the sound of someone getting beaten. Do you even know who I am, h h h¡­If you mess with me, Count Chester won¡¯t stay quiet, yada yada yada. For a moment, such screams were apanied by squeals akin to a pig getting its throat cut. Then, it suddenly quieted down. ¡°¡­¡± His previous words felt like a jinx since a terrifying incident had urred. Moreover, it took ce in the very ce where an incident must never ur. At this moment, Viscount Goldic was supposed to be having a conversation with Baron Campbell. Both of them were undoubtedly the most valuable people to their territory right now. While thinking this, a pale Herman was about to rush upstairs, but his body stiffened once again. ¡°¡­I never knew a person could be this heavy with just an abundance of fat. It¡¯s almostmendable that he waszy to this extent.¡± ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t it good since we could beat him up a little longer? He held up better than we expected, didn¡¯t he?¡± As such words were exchanged¡­ Two women were descending down the stairs while dragging a bloodied Viscount Goldic. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing this, Herman and Hana fell silent at the same time. Meanwhile, Dowd approached them with a gloomy expression. ¡°Herman, please prepare a carriage.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°If he rides the fastest one, it won¡¯t take long to get to the Goldic Viscounty, right?¡± ¡°Young Master, I will dly follow your orders, but I at least require an exnation. What in the world happened¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Dowd held his head with both hands. ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that his territory will be possessed by a new owner, something like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s all you need to know.¡± After hearing such an exnation, Herman couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask anything else.
The interior of Viscount Goldic¡¯s castle was so heavily guarded that it was almost unbelievable that his territory was a mere Viscounty. Of course, since the territory¡¯s primary industry was mining, there were always plenty of sturdy menpared to territories of simr size, making it easier to mobilize them as military resources. However, in cases such as today, where ¡®special guests¡¯ arrived, its defenses were even more pronounced. ¡°Since the Viscount himself has gone, everything should be finalized by the end of today. Please do not worry too much.¡± The administrator of the Goldic Viscounty was sweating profusely as he spoke. Sitting across him was the Head Chambein of Chester County, who sat with a discontent look on his face. Power could be quite ironic. They didn¡¯t want to do the dirty work themselves, so they forced such tasks onto neighboring territories. Yet, they maintained an attitude that the Goldic Viscounty was somehow indebted to them. After all, they didn¡¯t want rumors to circte that the Count himself had actively carried out such viinous acts. Obviously, everyone knew the truth, but even if there was a rebellion against him, unless some big name nobles personally came forward, as long as they kept proiming their innocence while keeping themselves quiet, Count Chester wouldn¡¯t be hurt by some measly rebels. ¡°That Baron does not have any powerful connections after all. Count Chester will quickly obtain thend he desires.¡± ¡°That better be true.¡± The Head Chambein of Chester County replied with a cold-blooded expression. ¡°The Count does not like to be kept waiting. If this matter is not wrapped up by today, your territory will turn into a wastnd.¡± As the Head Chambein spoke, a knight in massive armor exhaled a fierce breath behind him. It was an automaton, the most popr product among the unmanned weapons developed by the Magic Tower. Type ¡®Drive Knight¡¯. Let alone purchasing one, just ¡®renting¡¯ it required an astronomical amount of gold akin to a mountain. Even so, the weapon was famous for its overwhelming firepower. It was not an exaggeration to say that even the Goldic Viscounty, a territory made up of questionably trained locals, could be wiped out by just one of these. The real reason there was no rebellion against Count Chester¡¯s gangster-like acts was mainly influenced by the existence of these weapons. ¡°Y-Yes, of course.¡± As the Goldic Viscounty¡¯s administrator replied with a forced smile, the door to the reception room bursted open. The administrator, who was about to fiercely reprimand the soldier for such a discourtesy while he was entertaining guests, was stunned when he saw the soldier¡¯s battered figure. He looked in such a bad shape that it would¡¯ve been less shocking for the administrator if he was some rebel soldier that rolled in from the middle of a battlefield instead. ¡°¡­What happened to you? Is there some problem?¡± ¡°The territory is being attacked!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Both the administrator and the Head Chambein had stunned looks. ¡®An attack? What do you mean attack?¡¯ ¡®An attack in this peaceful area where there are no bandits and thieves residing?¡¯ There was no lunatic that would attack a countryside vige like this. Even if the culprit was a noble, the Imperial Court wouldn¡¯t allow a war between nobles without a formal deration and a permission. ¡°What on earth are you talking about? An attack? Who would dare to do such a thing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The soldier hesitated for a moment. It was evident from his expression that he felt embarrassed to speak the following words. ¡°The assants are two girls and one boy, all dressed in academy uniforms!¡± ¡°¡­¡± A truly dreadful silence spread throughout the reception room.
¡°Halt, halt, halt! If you move another step, we will attaaaaaugh!¡± The soldier aiming an arrow at us while saying such words was hit in the forehead with a stone and fell t on the ground. It was the result of Iliya casually kicking a rock from the side of the road, as she strolled peacefully. I guess they thought they were safe since we were only armed with swords and we were at least a hundred meters away from them. However, it seemed that even an ordinary stone could be deadly in the hands of the Hero Candidate. ¡°Raise your shield! No matter what happens, we cannot let them enter the castleeEEEHK-!¡± As the ten-manmander shouted such words of encouragement, he and his soldiers were suddenly blown into the air. It seemed like they were swept away by the sword gust created by Eleanor, who had swung her scabbard nonchntly. ¡°Emergency! Emergencyyyahhh-!¡± A bell rang loudly and screams of panic and despair echoed in the surroundings. And in the middle of this chaos, there were two people casually strolling around. ¡°Oh. A powder keg exploded.¡± Iliya spoke while deflecting several arrows shot at her. Some of the arrows she deflected ended up in unfortunate ces, leading to a massive explosion. People were madly running around as fires erupted everywhere. Some people couldn¡¯t even move as they just screamed in a fetus position. Pandemonium. Hell. ¡°That should be counted as twenty points. There seem to be quite a few incapacitated soldiers, right?¡± ¡°No way. That¡¯s ten points at best.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, you¡¯re being stubborn again. Well, even if it¡¯s only counted as ten points, I¡¯m still five points ahead, you know? I¡¯ll be sleeping in the room next to Teach¡¯s, okay?¡± ¡°Hm. We haven¡¯t even entered the castle yet. The real deal starts then.¡± On top of such a conversation, a strained voice spoke out. ¡°¡­I¡¯m pretty sure I asked you to be reasonable.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this reasonable enough?¡± ¡°Yeah. No one died, right?¡± Even my feeble protest was quickly dismissed by them. Well, their words were true. Despite the shitshow they caused, no one actually died. Hell, there weren¡¯t even anyone seriously injured. Goldic Viscounty¡¯s standing army could be considered at the level of a trained militia, but¡­ These two were monsters that were capable of such ¡®control¡¯ even while expressing such nonchnce. ¡®¡­Why are they so strong?¡¯ There was no gap for me to even intervene. There was also no need for me to give orders as I normally would. The two girls werepletely sweeping away the entire territory by themselves. Even though I had activated the Image World skill to supply buffs, Desperation was only at an E-Grade. Basically, the buff didn¡¯t mean shit. As such¡­ Putting aside Eleanor, Iliya¡¯s currentbat power was somewhat hard to understand. In the original scenario, she should have been much weaker than this. [Isn¡¯t it obvious?] ¡°Huh?¡± [She¡¯s a genius. No, she¡¯s a genius among geniuses. What did you even expect would happen when you continuously thrusted her into battlefields?] ¡°¡­¡± [It¡¯s not just Iliya either. That Miss Eleanor is also quite remarkable. Both of them seem like they haven¡¯t even reached half of their growth potential yet, you know?] Since I activated the Image World skill, Soul Linker was also activated while sharing my divine power. Inside it, Caliban spoke with a hint ofughter in his voice. [You seem to be quite loved by such monsters. How impressive.] ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make fun of me.¡± [No, I genuinely think it¡¯s impressive.] ¡°What are you even saying?¡± [Those two would do anything you ask them to. Isn¡¯t that right?] I sighed as I took another step. I was too tired to even respond so I chose to remain silent, but Caliban, whilstughing, continued, remaining undeterred. [The only person that can ¡®manage¡¯ those two powerful girls in this world is you. When I said it was impressive, I did not speak empty words.] ¡°You seem incredibly amused while talking about your sister like she¡¯s an object.¡± [Of course, it¡¯s amusing. From an older brother¡¯s perspective, is there anything more entertaining than watching your younger sister clinging onto a man?] ¡°¡­¡± [It¡¯s not like you¡¯re some rash guy who throws himself onto girls. As long as you resolve the aftermath properly, there will be no problems. For now, all I need to do is enjoy the show.] ¡°¡­¡± And this guy was supposed to be a Holy Knight¡­ As I pondered that thought, a window popped up in front of me. System Message [ You have made great contributions through the buff you applied to your ¡®Party Members¡¯! ] [ AP received! ] [ You can use AP to increase the proficiency of a desired Mastery! ] At least I could calm myself down by looking at this. Wasn¡¯t this the reason I kept Image World activated even though it had zero practical effect? ¡®Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ I decided to invest all my points into a single Mastery. System Message [ Proficiency has increased significantly! ] [ Mastery Grade has been upgraded from ¡®Basic¡¯ to ¡®Common¡¯! ] [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Forbidden Sorcery ¨C Basic Grade: Common Proficiency: 0% Description: You can carve Tattoo onto your body by sacrificing mediums. Depending on the shape of the Tattoo, you can generate Arrays with different effects. [ ¡ö You can only use living beings as mediums. ] [ ¡ö You can currently carve a maximum of 6 Tattoos. ] [ ¡ö The power of the Array increases with the number of Tattoos carved. ] [ ¡ö Increasing proficiency will allow you to carve more Tattoos and generate more type of Arrays. ] Not bad. This should be enough to meet the basic requirements needed for me to drag out Valkasuster and learn Forbidden Sorcery from him. No matter how great Forbidden Sorcery was, calling him over to teach me how to use it with only 3 Tattoos was like killing a chicken by dropping an atomic bomb: an utter waste of his prowess. As I finished organizing my thoughts, something else was attached beside the window where I invested my points. System Log [ ! Unconfirmed Record ! ] [ Target ¡®Gideon¡¯ has unlocked a skill under your influence. ] [ ¡®Tristan Style Swordsmanship: Zandatsu¡¯ is added to the target¡¯s skill set! ] [ Ability is added to ¡®Skill: Guidance¡¯! ] Seeing that it wasbeled as a log and not a message, it seemed that this had happened a while ago. It must have automatically surfaced after not being checked for a while. Checking the timestamp, it popped up around the time I was fighting Valkasus. I was probably too preupied to notice it. ¡®He did it.¡¯ I chucked while reading through the contents. This meant that he had faithfullypleted the ¡®homework¡¯ I gave when Iy met him; the next step of the Intangible Sword. The problem was¡­ System Log [ The favorability of the target ¡®Gideon¡¯ is skyrocketing! ] [ A rted event will be generated soon! ] This was also attached to it. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly¡­ A terrifying thought crossed my mind. Based on my past experiences, whenever this game mentioned something like ¡®rted event will be generated soon¡¯ or whatever, it usually meant that the event woulde literally dayster. But, the problem was that there was another guy that also popped up besides Gideon. System Log [ Target ¡®Margrave Kendride¡¯ has begun to take interest in you. ] [ A rted event will be generated soon! ] Gideon and Margrave Kendride. If I were to rank pairs of nobles within the Empire who were on bad terms with each other, these two would undoubtedly be number 1 of such a list; they were practically cats and dogs. And I had events generated ¡®simultaneously¡¯ regarding both of them. Furthermore, it was heavily implied that it would happen soon. ¡°¡­¡± So¡­ If I were to make a wrong move¡­ Duke Tristan and his daughter. Margrave Kendride and his foster daughter. There was a possibility that I had to deal with bothbinations at the same time. With me right in the middle. ¡®¡­Just the thought of it¡­¡¯ Made it hard for me to breathe. This wasn¡¯t a joke. If it really came to that, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the situation escted to a point where they just dere war on each other. Their rtionship was just that bad. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Well, surely it won¡¯t go that far!¡¯ Even among all the nobles of the Empire, they were considered the most high-ranking nobles! What were the chances that they would personallye to this remote vi¨C ¡°Nice. We finally reached the castle. Let the real game begin from now on.¡± ¡°Hehe. Are you ready to give up?¡± System Message [ An event rted to ¡®Margrave Kendride¡¯ has urred! ] ¡¾ Event: First Impression¡¿ Description: ¨C Margrave Kendride has taken significant interest in you. Although it¡¯s mostly unfavorable, the Margrave is a person who only believes what he sees! ¨C Try to leave him the best impression possible while in the Goldic Viscounty¡¯s castle! Something good might happen if you do so! ¡°¡­¡± Okay. For now, one thing was highly likely. I was going to see at least one of them in this ce. Fuck me. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 63: Kendride (1) Chapter 63: Kendride (1) ? Kendride (1) ? Viscount Goldic opened his own office at the behest of someone else. At least, that was the mildest way to put it. It was a lot better than saying someone grabbed him by the head and smashed open the door with his face. ¡°¡­¡± The administrator of the Goldic territory stared nkly at the woman who had ¡®used¡¯ his unconscious lord and then tossed him into the office like trash. ¡°¡­You carried him all the way here despite him being unconscious, and this is what you brought him for?¡± ¡°Well, at the very least, there is certain etiquette that requires the owner¡¯s permission.¡± While hearing such a conversation, the administrator¡¯s lips continued to tremble, unable to find words to respond. After all, this entire situation was so absurd that his brain couldn¡¯t even follow along. So¡­ ¡°¡­All the soldiers have been defeated? Is this a joke?¡± What he was being told was that, in a couple of hours, three academy students had singlehandedly overwhelmed the territory¡¯s entire military strength and even breached the castle, practically turning it into some farmer¡¯s market down the street. ¡°They did their best.¡± A man who had followed the two women from behind chimed in with a noticeably regrettable tone. At the very least, it could be said that they had done their jobs by not fleeing even when facing these two natural disasters. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing that, the Head Chambein of Chester County and the administrator were both at a loss for words once again. Meanwhile, the white-haired woman walked unhesitatingly towards Viscount Goldic¡¯s desk and casually opened every drawer there. ¡°I¡¯ll take this.¡± In an instant, she retrieved a stamp with the territory¡¯s crest on it while nonchntly talking to Viscount Goldic, who was squirming on the floor. He whimpered out a baby-like babble, but, in truth, it was practically impossible to consider it a humannguage. It would probably sound something like ¡®Absolutely not¡¯ h h or ¡®You can¡¯t do that¡¯ bleh bleh or something of the sorts. The woman just shrugged her shoulders and continued speaking without any concern. ¡°Indeed. Thank you for your hospitality. I¡¯ll make sure the transfer process of the territory is done properly at my own headquarters.¡± ¡°W-Wait! What is the meaning of all this violence?!¡± A man who had been so stunned that he hadn¡¯t been able to react properly until now, stood up in indignation. ¡°Whoever you are, you will pay for this!¡± He was right. No matter how insignificant a Viscount may be, Viscount Goldic was unquestionably a noble of the Empire. Thew wouldn¡¯t tolerate this kind of violence in any way. ¡°Assaulting a noble and trespassing in a territory tomit such illegal a¡ª!¡± The administrator was about to continue, but his voice suddenly faded away. It was probably because Eleanor shot him a cold gaze. ¡°I guess I should borate.¡± Eleanor continued with a relentless tone. ¡°I have already mentioned that I maintained proper procedures. In essence, I did notmit such actions without a reason.¡± ¡°Wh-What do you mean?¡± ¡°Insulting the household of a rank of at least a Marquis is more than enough to be considered a legitimate reason for dispute. Moreover, if the party providing the reason loses in such a dispute, it is not difficult to confiscate their territory.¡± With that, a namete flew towards the administrator¡¯s face. An identification card bearing the crest of the Tristan Duchy hit the administrator¡¯s forehead and slid down. ¡°The Tristan Duchy will handle this matter with the official procedures. If you have anyints, you can appeal to the Imperial Supreme Court.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The administrator nced at the namete in disbelief. But, soon enough, his face turned pale. He realized that this article was genuine. ¡°¡­¡± With a pale expression, the administrator alternated between looking at the copsed Viscount Goldic and the woman who threw the namete. It was evident that the lord, who he had served for 20 years, made an incredibly grave mistake. Moreover, it was against monsters that should never be touched. ¡®¡­Then, I should¡­!¡¯ His decision was quick and his actions were even quicker. It was the moment when the bonds formed over 20 years shone ever so brightly. A determined resolve filled the administrator¡¯s face. ¡°Viscount Goldic.¡± ¡°¡­Uuuuh.¡± ¡°It has been an honor serving you all these years.¡± WIth that, the administrator quickly stormed out of the office. It was a clear assertion that he had no involvement in the incident caused by his lord. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As everyone in the room contemted the futility of loyalty in the face of overwhelming power, Eleanor took out a piece of paper and quickly wrote something. Soon thereafter, she stamped it with the lord¡¯s seal and handed it to Dowd. ¡°Dowd.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°From today onwards, you are a Viscount.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was the moment when an entire Viscounty was just delegated over, as if appointing a ss representative.
System Mesage [ Granted the noble title ¡®Viscount¡¯! ] [ ¡®Stat: Power¡¯ is adjusted from F to D ] [ Now capable of ¡®Dungeon Conquest¡¯ ] [ Now eligible to participate in ¡®Joint Demonic Creature Conquest¡¯! ] As I looked at such windows appearing one after another in front of me, I wiped my forehead. ¡®¡­This is fucking nuts.¡¯ Excluding the rewards from the main scenario, the most significant growth events in the game were through ¡®Artifact Exploration¡¯, such as Dungeon Conquests and Joint Demonic Creature Conquests. However, both of these events were exclusive to ¡®nobles with territories¡¯. As seen from before, even something like the Sky Splitter could shatter the barrier made by Seraphs. This further exemplified that ¡®powerful artifacts¡¯ could disy tremendous strength. After all, there was even a route where yers would give up everything else just to receive a territory. From the very beginning, yers would just focus on raising favorability with the Imperial Court in order to achieve this goal. ¡®To be fair, the quicker you acquire territories the better.¡¯ As the scenario progressed towards theter stages, events rted to ¡®major households¡¯ became much more frequent. As such, having a foundation of influence and not having one could make a significant difference when mingling with such people. The ¡®Power¡¯ stat was disyed on the status window for a reason after all. The higher it was, the more events it unlocked. This would help me greatly when it came to resolving the uing battles in Chapter 3 ¡®Apostle of the Reversed Sea¡¯. In that chapter, there would be many encounters with the Tribal Alliance, as the contents consisted of numerous ¡®negotiations¡¯ with them. Certain branching routes would only open up for those with the authority of a lord. Of course, in a way that significantly lowered the clear difficulty of the chapters. ¡°¡­Am I allowed to just casually ept something like this?¡± Considering how important it was, I had already nned to obtain such authorityter on. However, I never expected to receive it easily like this. ¡°Considering what you have been doing so far, someone would¡¯ve snatched you away from me and given it to you anyway. So, it is not a big deal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And legally, if there¡¯s a huge disparity in ranks¡­ Mm. It could disrupt interactions between households. At the very least, the rank of a Viscount wouldn¡¯t cause major objections.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Just think of it as a starting level to the titles you¡¯ll gradually receive from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She rashly tossed me the title of a Viscount with such nonchnce whilebeling it as a mere starting level. ¡°¡­Well, I also agree that Teach should have the Viscount title at the bare minimum. His talents are far too remarkable for him to be a mere Baron.¡± Iliya, who had been observing this entire situation, shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we deal with that first?¡± As she spoke, Iliya pointed to a middle-aged man who was sweating buckets with a nervous expression. ¡°¡­What Viscount Goldic has done is truly shocking and appalling. I express my sincere regrets.¡± The man, who had been silent until now, finally regained hisposure and spoke with a calm demeanor. It seemed as if he was greatly taken aback after seeing the crest of the Tristan Duchy, but¡­ ¡°As the Head Chambein serving Count Chester, I dere that the County has no connection to this incident.¡± ¡°¡­Hm, I wonder¡­ Your act of feigning ignorance is too tant, don¡¯t you think?¡± Iliya replied, her lips curling. ¡°No matter the hierarchy difference, if Viscount Goldic didn¡¯t have someone backing him, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to barge into someone else¡¯s territory and behave as he did. Also, he himself even mentioned that there was someone behind him.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no evidence that this person is Count Chester. Punishing someone based on mere suspicion is clearly illegal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iliya¡¯s expression twisted into a frown. It was evident to anyone that Count Chester was the cause of all the trouble in the surrounding territories. However, the Head Chambein¡¯s words were undoubtedly true; it could not be proven whatsoever. ¡°Even if you attempt to physically threaten me, I will not stay still. I also have the means to defend myself.¡± With that, a tall steel giant emitting white steam appeared behind the Head Chambein. It immediately aimed its weapon menacingly on us. Seeing this, both Iliya and Eleanor¡¯s expressions stiffened at the same time. They realized that this was not an opponent to be underestimated. ¡®An Automaton?¡¯ It appeared less refined than the Automaton I had encountered when beating up the Heart of the Star. Nevertheless, it was still a formidable adversary. The only reason I was able to handle it so easily back there was thanks to Yuria. Also, originally, Automatons were not existences that could be faced by mere students. Of course, these two monstrous women were not exempt from this either. ¡°Only the Heretic Inquisition and the Ruler of the North have the authority to pass immediate judgment without evidence. Even if you¡¯re a member of the Tristan Duchy, it¡¯s still¡ª Why are you looking at me like that?¡± The middle-aged man paused in the middle after gazing at my face. He must have instinctively felt something when he saw my pitying look. ¡°Nothing.¡± I sighed and took a step back. I had been wondering when ¡®that person¡¯ would appear ever since we entered this ce. System Notification [ Danger Detected. ] [ While the opponent has not directly dered hostility, an overwhelming difference in prowess is detected. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to B-Grade. ] Seeing this kind of window suggested that there wasn¡¯t much time left before he arrived. Still, to trigger the skill without any apparent hostility or action¡­ There weren¡¯t many individuals who could do it with just their ¡®presence¡¯. Iliya and Eleanor wore puzzled expressions as I gestured for them to step back a few paces. This way, we could be safe from the ¡®scope of damage¡¯. ¡°Remember that oftentimes, words can be spoken into existence.¡± With that, the awaited moment had arrived. -! It started with a mere distant thud. A sound that resembled the beating of a drum in the distance. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that sound?¡± As the Head Chambein spoke, the sound echoed once again. This time, it was louder, resonating throughout the entire building -!!! This time, it was closer, like a detonating bomb. Even the impact was more pronounced. The entire building trembled, as dust and dirt poured from everywhere. ¡°¡­What is happening? Did you bring siege weapons or something?!¡± ¡®Nah.¡¯ ¡®We didn¡¯t bring anything like that.¡¯ ¡®But the individual causing this phenomenon is far worse than mere siege weapons.¡¯ -!!!!!! With a deafening roar, one side of the castle walls crumbled to pieces. And¡­ Amid the swirling clouds of dust and dirt, a man was revealed. ¡°Hm.¡± With a snort, he took confident steps into the shattered wall. Behind him, there were rows of human-sized holes puncturing every wall leading outside the castle. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t sense the use of any Special Power. Did he break through all of that with just his bare fists?¡± Such a statement sputtered out from Eleanor like a groan. Despite being an elegant castle expected of a Viscount, every lord¡¯s castle was constructed to withstand even the assault of High-Grade demonic creatures, albeit temporarily. Breaking through all of that with nothing but ¡®trained¡¯ bare fists indicated that this man was beyond the realm of a mere monster. The following scene reaffirmed this context. As the first thing the man who entered the office did was to sweep his gaze over the people inside. His gaze turned from Iliya to the Automaton that had a weapon aimed at her. ¡°¡­¡± Shortly after letting out a sigh, the man confidently moved towards the Automaton. ¡°W-What! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Although the panicked Head Chambein subsequently issued orders to the Automaton¡­ It was a futile act. ¨C!!! With a light uppercut from the man, the massive steel Automaton shattered into pieces at once. It didn¡¯t stop there as the debris obliterated the entire ceiling of the castle upwards. The sight was so unbelievable that you could mistake it for a scene from a cartoon. ¡°¡­!¡± Excluding me, everyone¡¯s jaws gaped. The Head Chambein went one step further, as he seemed to have fainted at such a sight. Once again, he performed such a feat without a single use of any Special Powers. A human. Against an Automaton who weighed tens of tons at the very least. ¡°Who do you think you are to point a weapon at someone else¡¯s daughter. Do you want to die so badly?¡± ¡°W-What, what is this¡­! Count Chester will not stand for this. Daring to do such a thing against a military force of a noble is against Imperial La¡ª¡± ¡°I see. Count Chester.¡± The man smirked. ¡°Thanks for giving me the name. Saves me the trouble of looking. Those who dare to harm my family must all be ripped apart to the roots for my conscience to be at peace.¡± ¡°W-What authority do you have to make such threa¡ª!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really need permission from anyone to fuck someone up. That¡¯s what the Imperial Law stated.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Head Chambein stumbled over his words, unable to say anything to retort, but¡­ Like I mentioned earlier¡­ Words could be spoken into existence. ¡°¡­Margrave?¡± Iliya¡¯s voice, shaky and distraught, made the Head Chambein stare at the figure before him. ¡°¡­Margrave? What, no, no way¡ª!¡± By the way, the poor sod mentioned about the Ruler of the North or whatever earlier. You know, the one with the authority for immediate judgment? Yeah, you see¡­ The dude he was talking about was right in front of us. ¡°I told you to call me Dad, kid.¡± The man chuckled. With him being so close, the overwhelming presence emanating from this man became even more palpable. His huge and strong physique,parable even to the Automaton that had been sent flying earlier. Tattered pants. Apletely exposed upper body. Muscles that rippled with vitality and a multitude of grotesque scars crossing over his entire figure. Although his appearance suggested a martial artist that had wandered for a long time, I was aware that he had little interest in martial arts. Rather, this was none other than his own version of ¡®Proof of Faith¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± In the world of Sera, Holy Knights were divided into two major categories. People known as ¡®Holy Knights¡¯ typically referred to individuals who embodied the image of angels, who were the Messenger of God. As such, these Holy Knights trained themselves ording to that stigma. One type adhered closely to the traditional image of angels; thus, they were faithful, virtuous, noble, and ced great emphasis on dignity and conduct. Basically, figures like Caliban were considered the pinnacle of this type; they wielded overwhelming strength and served as a Guardian, the role model of all knights. Within the knighthood, Holy Knights often implied this traditional image. I mean, makes sense, no? It looked good. And was popr. Except¡­ Within academic circles, there existed a rather niche group that believed in the ¡®true figure of angels¡¯. These guys found a profound inspiration and fascination in the bodies of angels that were honed to their limits through their daily extreme physicalbor. As such, these crazy fucking gym ra¡ª I mean, this physical fitness group dedicated themselves to never ending discipline and penance to reach the true figure of angels. And the pinnacle of that particr approach was this man. The world¡¯s greatest masochistic pervert who¡¯d jump into battlefields without a single weapon, d only in his naked body and bare fists. Kraut Bellium La Kendride. A.K.A. Margrave Kendride. ¡°However, I¡¯ll deal with whoever this Chester guy ister. There¡¯s something more urgent right now, you see.¡± With those words, the Margrave turned away from the Head Chambein and walked briskly toward us. ¡°W-Why are y-you here¡­?¡± And as Iliya saw him approaching¡­ She started back stepping with an expression ¡®filled with horror¡¯. Considering that she still maintained herposure even when confronting the Boy King or when she risked her life, this was a surprising scene. ¡°I¡¯ve received your letter, but its content sounded fishy. I felt I shoulde and see for myself; Who the bastard bullying my daughter really is.¡± The Margrave turned his gaze towards me this time. ¡°So.¡± Then¡­ ¡°Are you Dowd Campbell?¡± The current era¡¯s strongest Holy Knight asked me with a fierce smile while baring his teeth. And just with that¡­ My knees wobble. I wanted to take a step back. Was this how people felt when they encountered a tiger without a weapon in hand? However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± While watching him, I chose my words very carefully. ¡¾ Event: First Impression¡¿ Description: ¨C Margrave Kendride has taken significant interest in you. Although it¡¯s mostly unfavorable, the Margrave is a person who only believes what he sees! ¨C Try to leave him the best impression possible while in the Goldic Viscounty¡¯s castle! Something good might happen if you do so! Even with a mere nce at the event window regarding this person, it was clear that Kraut didn¡¯t approach me with favorable intentions. And his following words confirmed that. ¡°He¡¯s nothing special. He looks like a pair of dried up chopsticks. So, I heard you¡¯re the one making my daughter suffer?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®It¡¯s you we¡¯re talking about. Everyone would look that way to you¡­¡¯ Even as I inwardly let out a bitterugh, I was still racking my brain. Since this event had popped up, a certain ¡®n¡¯ came to mind. ¡°¡­Did youe all this way just to see little old me, Margrave?¡± I managed to say these words calmly, with a refined voice. Considering the difference in status between the two of us, it could be seen as audacious. However, with someone like him, he would probably appreciate this kind of attitude more. Indeed, Kraut¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing my words. His expression seemed to say, ¡®Look at this lil shit?¡¯ ¡°Look at this little shit go. I like your courage, Kid.¡± The fierceness in hisughter intensified. ¡°But you know¡­I don¡¯t really like bastards who aren¡¯t my friends acting all arrogant.¡± It felt like my whole body was being torn apart. The pressure emanating from this person was just at that level: Literally built different. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Eleanor and Iliya turned toward me with a sense of urgency. Both were making gestures trying to dissuade me. ¡°¡­¡± Huh, look at these two being perfectly in sync. What a rare sight. To be fair, they were probably panicking that hard. Perhaps they wanted to say, ¡®Please don¡¯t act like the lunatic that you usually are. Please don¡¯t do anything crazy while facing this person,¡¯ but¡­ ¡°¡­Then let¡¯s be friends.¡± ¡°What?¡± As direct as his attitude was, the way to deal with this man was much simplerpared to Gideon. Unlike Gideon, where I had to find various angles to break down his walls and gain his trust, it was possible for me to instantly resolve the situation even when our meeting was this abrupt. Even the event window said, this person ¡®only believes what he sees.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s not drag it out. There¡¯s a quick way for men to be friends. You should know too, right?¡± That was why, I just needed to show him. By doing what this person liked. ¡°Wanna have a fight, Margrave?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s square up.¡± Eleanor and Iliya were simultaneously letting out a silent scream. Honestly, their faces kinda looked like the Scream. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®C¡¯mon, don¡¯t be like that¡­¡¯ ¡®This might be more doable than you guys think.¡¯ You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 64: Kendride (2) Chapter 64: Kendride (2) ? Kendride (2) ? The Goldic territory was a region primarily driven by miners. As such, these guys were unbelievable when it came to digging holes. In other words, it wasn¡¯t difficult at all for Kraut and I to find a deep pit suitable for exchanging blows. ¡°Any regrets?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Why are you talking to me like I¡¯m a dead man walking¡­?¡¯ Well, actually, I understood why he said such a thing. A simr confrontation happened with Gideon as well. Except this time, I had to actually trade blows with this Kraut. ¡°If I was going to have regrets, I wouldn¡¯t have provoked you in the first ce.¡± Kraut smirked before taking a step back. It seemed like he was preparing for a direct attack. ¡°U-Uh, Margrave¡­¡± ¡°Call me Dad.¡± ¡°¡­Father. I¡¯ll fight in your ce, so¡­!¡± ¡°Iliya.¡± Kraut¡¯s gaze shifted towards Iliya, who was timidly speaking from outside the pit. He had just asked her to call him Dad, showing that he truly doted on her, but it seemed like this was the one thing he couldn¡¯t concede on no matter what. Huh, I never knew that human eyes could actually glitter like that. Even Iliya, who had always been adamant about never backing down in any situation, turned as stiff as a board when she saw the brightness of the Margrave¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do not interfere.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sometimes, you can¡¯t properly know others until you exchange blows with them. Even if you won¡¯t understand them deeply, it¡¯s possible to sense what kind of person they are to a certain extent.¡± Although his theory practically smelled like sweat because, you know, he was a gym ra- No, I mean physical fitness lover¡­ I was grateful that he had such thoughts. It meant his mind wasn¡¯t just filled with thousands of ways to torment me. Of course, even if he was up against an academy student like me, he still wouldn¡¯t pull back his blows. That didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d act irrationally, though. Basically, he wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d start ripping off people¡¯s heads just because he didn¡¯t like them. ¡°Let¡¯s set some rules before starting.¡± Just hearing these subsequent words made it evident that his action was, by all means, rational. He smirked before continuing. ¡°I won¡¯t kill you. Instead, if you lose consciousness, it¡¯ll be your defeat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°On the other hand, if you cannd even one hit on me properly, we¡¯ll call it quits. Got it?¡± On the surface, it seemed like he was being lenient. But, in reality, it was a proposal that would elicit a bitterugh. ¡®¡­His ceiling is lower than the Battle Priest from before, but¡­¡¯ If Klein, the guy I beat before, was given two hours to buff himself with Graces, then it would be possible for him to be stronger than the Margrave. After all, their distinctive trait was the ability to be endlessly stronger over time. However, the Imperial Holy Knights, especially those in the same category as Kraut, had incredibly high base stats from the very beginning, though it came at the cost of theirck of the ability to be progressively stronger. As such, their ceilings could be lower than that of Battle Priests, but their floors were unreasonably high. And among those guys, the strongest of them all, Margrave Kendride¡­ System Notification [ Using ¡®Scan¡¯. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] [ Kraut Bellium La Kendride ] < Character Info > Characteristic: Margrave of the North ¨C Ruler of the Snowfields Status: Feeling heated up because he wants to give a beating to the kid in front of him. < Status Info > [ General ] Strength: S+ ( 2x effect due to influence of Mastery ) Agility: S+ ( 2x effect due to influence of Mastery ) Endurance: S+ ( 2x effect due to influence of Mastery ) Luck: B Power: S [ Special ] Magic Power: S Law Power: F Divine Power: S [ Techniques ] Unarmed Combat: SS+ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Holy shit, is he even a human?¡¯ While he didn¡¯t charge at me seriously, the gap between us was like that between a rabbit and a bear. If I got careless, I could actually die. Even Eleanor, who could be considered the standard of a strong body, was practically a walking living tank with her all S-Grade stats in Strength/Agility/Endurance. However, not only were his stats higher than Eleanor¡¯s, but it was also inted by two times because of the influence of his Mastery. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, his Unarmed Combat technique, practically made for close quarters, was right below EX-Grade. Basically, it was considered the highest level of Unarmed Combat in this world¡¯s lore. ¡®¡­Honestly, there¡¯s no way I can even endure, much less resist.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like this person was some academy student. Even with Swordsman¡¯s Focus, where I could deflect with perfect timing to avoid damage, it was impossible to face someone like him. All I could do was use all of Ultima¡¯s Built-In Skills to minimize the pain. He probably knew about this level of difference when he set those rules. So, in essence, he was testing how much I could endure when he casually beat the shit out of me without using his full strength. ¡°Yes. I ept.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As such, my nonchnt eptance would be interpreted in one of two ways. Either I was an idiot who didn¡¯t understand his implication. Or I was a lunatic who had the biggest balls of steel known to mankind. ¡°However, I have one condition as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Upon hearing this, he definitely saw me as thetter. ¡°Go ahead and yap. Since your bravery is quitemendable, I¡¯ll listen to it.¡± ¡°If I win, please grant me one thing I desire.¡± ¡°¡­Win? You?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention earlier that it would be my victory if Inded a proper hit?¡± He probably didn¡¯t realize what the rules were even though he said it himself. After all, ording tomon sense, it was absolutely impossible for me to be the victor. ¡°¡­¡± Kraut seemed to ponder for a moment. He was probably wondering what gave me the confidence to say such a thing. ¡°Do as you wish. However.¡± But considering his personality, he would likely draw a straightforward conclusion. ¡°I won¡¯t hold back, okay?¡± What was his conclusion? It was simple. He just needed to find out while beating the shit out of me. As Kraut approached while cracking his knuckles, I finished checking myst preparations. System Notification [ Using ¡®Skill: Guidance¡¯. ] ¡þ Currently Avable Techniques ? Descent ¨C Wrath { Eleanor } ? Tristan-Style Swordsmanship ¨C Zandatsu { Gideon } What a beautifully arranged set of skills from the father-daughter duo. However, this time, the situation called more for the father than the daughter. System Notification [ Activating ¡®Tristan-Style Swordsmanship ¨C Zandatsu¡¯ through ¡®Skill: Guidance¡¯. ] This was the skill I had confirmed through a system message before entering the castle earlier. And if this person also properly understood my ¡®goal¡¯ that I had told Gideon before¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Then I could let this person know that I was neither of those interpretations. I wasn¡¯t an idiot that couldn¡¯t understand his implications. And I also wasn¡¯t a lunatic that acted without any ns. As always, this would end up hurting me really badly. I would probably get wrecked by him and tumble around a bit, but¡­ At least I had the means tond a single hit on this person. With those thoughts in mind¡­ System Notification [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] Kraut¡¯s bodyunched forward.
¡°¡­We have to stop this somehow. Anything¡ª!¡± In response to Iliya¡¯s desperate plea, Eleanor turned towards her with her arms crossed and an expressionless face. ¡°He said that he would do it. How do you expect to stop him?¡± ¡°But still¡­!¡± Iliya¡¯s gaze then turned back towards the pit. In her vision, she could see Dowd, who was preparing to draw his sword, and Kraut, who was about to charge at him. ¡®There¡¯s no way he can be his opponent¡­!¡¯ Iliya, who had been training with him continuously even before reaching adulthood, knew better than anyone how monstrous that person was. As a Hero Candidate, the reason she feared no enemy was because she had always fought the most formidable and despicable human she knew. He was someone who believed that his own body was carved with the will to carry out the wrath of Celestials. If that didn¡¯t sound crazy enough, he somehow managed to articte this abstract and insane concept so that it sounded convincingly true. At the very least, Iliya remembered that during her first training session with Margrave Kendride, he turned boulders that were several meters away into gravel while doing his warm-up exercises. All was done with his bare fists! ¡°¡­Since I can¡¯t stop this, I¡¯ll leave this ce for a moment.¡± As Iliya was reminiscing with a shiver, Eleanor stood up while saying such words. ¡°Huh? Where are you going?¡± ¡°If Dowd is making that expression, it means he had a n when he chose to do this. He is not a man who does crazy things without knowing his own limits ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However.¡± She continued after letting out a deep sigh. ¡°¡­Whenever he makes that expression, he usually ends up severely injured.¡± Eleanor was sure that she couldn¡¯t watch such a sight with a sane mind. She would probably draw her sword and rush at Margrave Kendride. If the Lady of the Tristan Duchy were to do such a thing, it would undoubtedly result in a terrible incident. However, the political disaster and the resulting aftermath were merely secondary issues to her. More than that¡­ ¡®¡­He probably doesn¡¯t want that from me and I refuse to do something he doesn¡¯t wish for.¡¯ Eleanor was sure that her interference was not necessary. After all, if he needed her, he would¡¯ve requested her assistance in advance. As such¡­ ¡°I will go call for some medical assistance.¡± With that, Eleanor walked briskly into the castle. Almost as if she couldn¡¯t bear to witness what would soon unfold. ¡°¡­¡± Iliya stared nkly at her direction. An indescribable heaviness pressed on her chest. ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ Realization struck her suddenly. ¡®I¡¯m¡­jealous.¡¯ It was becausepared to Dowd and herself, Eleanor and Dowd had a far stronger ¡®rtionship of trust¡¯. The Student Council President knew many more sides of Dowd that she could not evenprehend yet. Even without exchanging any words, they seemed to understand each other¡¯s intentions deeply. In contrast, when it came to her¡­ Has she ever been of help to him? Darkness clouded her expression as these thoughts surfaced. In the midst of her contemtion¡­. -! Kraut leaped towards Dowd. The ground split open as if a bomb had exploded, and even from a distance, his body was so fast that it was merely a blur. Iliya¡¯s traumas resurfaced as her face turned pale at this sight. He was someone who could crush anything within seconds just by extending his fists¡­ So why did he have that much prowess when it came to closing in on his opponents? Did it even make sense to have that level of ability? Iliya herself was considered to have outstanding agility and adaptability inbat. However, even she would not be able to react to such an attack, despite receiving countless beatings from him. However¡­ ¡®¡­He was able to react to it!¡¯ Seeing Dowd draw his sword from its sheath, she clenched her fists tightly. As expected of him. Dowd always appeared quite feeble in his everyday life. He tired out easily even with minor activities. However¡­ Including Iliya, how many people had been deceived by such a facade? In reality, during critical moments, that man had always disyed an astonishing level of strength. ¡®But still¡­!¡¯ Despite sessfully reacting, his body was sent flying as soon as the Margraave¡¯s fist shed with his drawn sword. It was as if he had directly received a charge from some giant beast. Although the distance between them widened several meters in an instant, for Margrave Kendride, it was a distance he could catch up to without even needing to take a breath. Kraut constantly charged at Dowd, who had bounced off, before swinging his fist once more. This continued. With each strike, Dowd¡¯s body rolled around like a ball. Surprisingly, despite the gap of strength between them, Dowd was enduring well. Despite umting cuts and bruises, he had managed to avoid any decisive blows. Even considering the fact that Margrave Kendride was holding back, Dowd was fighting so well that it was almost like witnessing a miracle. ¡°¡­You¡¯re nothing much. Were you that arrogant with just this?¡± However¡­ Iliya became more tense instead as she looked down. On Kraut¡¯s face, disappointment was clearly visible. If Dowd wanted to impress the Margrave, continuing to curl up like a turtle would only get him the opposite result. During Iliya¡¯s training sessions, that man always emphasized to fight back. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s see how long you can hold out.¡± His attack became more aggressive. ¡°No backbone. No spirit. No will. Are you even a man?¡± From then on, Dowd, who had barely been holding his ground, continued to umte injuries. His arms and legs became twisted, bruises formed, and skin peeled. ¡°I cannot for the life of me understand why my daughter had to suffer because of a bastard like you.¡± A sigh apanied such words. Now, Kraut¡¯s eyes even held a tinge of disdain. Dowd was still catching his breath. He was covered in so many wounds that he looked like he had been through a blender. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just end this. There¡¯s nothing more for me to se¨C¡± ¡°Before I finish this, there¡¯s something I need to say.¡± Dowd coughed and spat out a bit of blood as he opened his mouth. ¡°Stop acting like an old-timer, Margrave.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Do you even know what age we¡¯re in? What¡¯s with your outdated attitude? Who even monitors their daughter¡¯s friends anymore? Even parents who had lost their minds wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Augh of disbelief escaped Kraut. ¡°So, let me tell you the wish I¡¯d make if I win. Leave Iliya entirely in my hands. I¡¯ll make sure you never regret such a choice.¡± Iliya¡¯s face turned bright red, her mouth agape. ¡®What¡­? That man¡­?¡¯ ¡®What the fuck was he saying?¡¯ ¡®No, putting that aside, why was he talking about winning and wishes in his current state¡­?!¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Kraut remained silent as his expression turned ice cold. Killing intent oozed from all over his body. ¡°¡­Even entertaining you has be tiresome. A bastard with all bark and no bite is utterly disgusting.¡± With that, he walked toward Dowd with a sigh. The speed was noticeably slower than before, but the ¡®hostility¡¯ in his movements was iparablepared to before. Almost as if¡­ He genuinely intended to kill his opponent. ¡°You should live while lying down for the time being. Don¡¯t approach Iliya again.¡± A blue mark ran along the Margrave¡¯s arm as it burned with light. The patented ability of Holy Knights specialized in Unarmed Combat: Materialization of Fortitude. His body, which was already a lethal weapon in itself, exuded an even more murderous aura. And in the moment that fist struck, aiming directly at Dowd¡¯s head¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Chills ran down Iliya¡¯s arm as goosebumps rose. Because at that very moment, the battered Dowd suddenly lifted his head. And the expressions on his face¡­ Was an expression she knew very well. That was¡­ Dowd¡¯s face when he pulled out his ¡®card¡¯. -¡­ The first second. Dowd extended his right arm, enveloped in a shield of divine power, towards the fist swung by the Margrave. Obviously, it was a futile effort. In an instant, the shield shattered into pieces as the Margrave¡¯s fists reached Dowd¡¯s right arm. It was not a sh of bodies. Rather, Dowd¡¯s entire right arm was ¡®split¡¯ as if a huge broadsword had embedded into it. From the torn body, blood spurted out like a fountain, spraying in all directions. However, thanks to that. Thanks to sacrificing his entire body. The physical force distinctly contained in the fist was significantly reduced. It could be due, in part, to the Margrave being surprised by the sudden turn of events and slowing down the speed of his fist. Because of this, there was a momentary gap. The next second. Dowd pulled away that very arm while drawing his left arm, the arm holding the sword. After taking a step back and creating enough space to swing his sword¡­. [ Tristan-Style Swordsmanship ¨C Zandatsu ”ØŠZ ] ¡ª¡ª¨C!!!!!!!!!! A single blow containing a massive ¡®shockwave¡¯ struck deeply into Kraut¡¯s body. Inside the deeply dug pit, another crater formed. After getting hit by the sword, the Margrave¡¯s body flew away just like how Dowd had been flung around like a ball so far. Almost as if¡­ All the blows he had dealt to Dowd were ¡®returned¡¯ all at once. ¡°Consciousness, intact. One blow, dealt.¡± While covered in blood, with hispletely limp right arm dangling onto his body like a rag¡­ ¡°I won, right?¡± Dowd Campbell smirked faintly.
The first thought I had¡­ It fucking hurts. It actually hurts like a bitch. Fuck. It felt like a chunk of flesh was connected to the right sight of my body instead of an arm. It was to the extent where my brain outright refused to sendmands to the motor neurons in it. The second thought I had. < Skill Info > Skill: Tristan-Style Swordsmanship ¨C Zandatsu ”ØŠZ Grade: S Description: Reduces 60% of damage when defending against an opponent¡¯s attack with a sword. umtes damage received from the opponent. The umted damage is stacked and added to the next attack when the skill is activated. The effect is amplified as the user¡¯s health decreases. If I didn¡¯t have this, I would be dead. Even though Ultima¡¯s Built-In Skill was heavily invested into endurance and divine power stats, every single attack from Kraut shook my bones and made my organs tremble. Eleanor¡¯s father, thank you¡­! I will definitely repay this favor¡­! ¡°¡­¡± Across from me, Kraut was looking at me with a shocked expression. Although there wasn¡¯t any substantial damage, it seemed like the fact that he allowed me to strike him was iprehensible to him. ¡°¡­I will not ask what method you used. After all, it ismon to have a hidden card. Even I have one.¡± The voice that followed was soaked with those very thoughts. ¡°How were you able to go to such lengths?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Caught off guard by the unexpected question, I blinked my eyes as Kraut continued with an expression of absurd disbelief. ¡°Even I would not be able toe up with such extremebat methods. Even the barbarians in the north, who are crazy about training and fighting, don¡¯t engage in such suicidal antics.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Huh¡­ Really? I guess I¡¯ve been getting hurt so often while rolling around recently that my senses in that regard became a bit dulled. Like, wasn¡¯t it kind of a bargain if only my entire right arm was blown away? ¡°In other words¡­¡± Kraut chucked and got up. ¡°That is more than enough reason to keep Iliya near you.¡± With that, a window appeared in front of me. System Message [ The favorability level of the target ¡®Kraut¡¯ has been elevated to ¡®Curiosity Level 5¡¯! ] [ Reward has been reduced due to the Good disposition of the target! ] I could finally let out a sigh of relief. This much should be enough to say that I had gained quite a bit of recognition from him. To put it simply, I had managed to aplish the intended goal. Like Gideon, Kraut was someone who could have a significant impact on the main story if I maintained a good rtionship with him. The difference between having his assistance and not was huge when finding the Holy Sword in Chapter 4. ¡°¡­I¡¯m just letting you know in advance, but I haven¡¯t fully acknowledg¨C¡± ¡°Ah, just drop it already. A man shouldn¡¯t whine after losing so miserably.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sure, I had one armpletely shattered while rolling around, but I made such aeback because I wanted to have thest word. Sighing internally, I looked outside the pit. Iliya was staring nkly at me. It kinda looked like something had possessed her. ¡°¡­She should¡¯ve undergone some change as well, right?¡¯ Anyway, she, along with Eleanor, was someone I had to carry through the scenario until the very end. With utmost importance. That was why I asked for such a wish from Kraut. If he couldn¡¯t help me, at the very least he shouldn¡¯t hinder me. Thus, it resulted in a situation where I had fought this hard and got this hurt ¡®for her¡¯. I also had the intention to lift her spirits a bit because recently, she seemed way too upset because of me. Hopefully this would improve her moo¡ª System Message [ Checking the state of Negative Mark Stacks on the target ¡®Iliya¡¯! ] [ From a state of ¡®Despair¡¯, she has been charmed by your appearance! ] [ All harmful effects of Negative Marks are lifted ] [ Significant changes ur in her personality! ] [ Dominance over target has explosively increased! ] [ The target¡¯s favorability level has been elevated to ¡®Trust Level 1¡¯! ] [ Additional rewards avable! ] [ Conditions for the target¡¯s Exclusive Quest have been met! ] [ Quest is now avable! ] [ Relevant content is added to the Gift Tab! ] ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, okay. I expected it to increase, but¡­ What the fuck is all this? You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 65: Stormy First Family Meeting (1) Chapter 65: Stormy First Family Meeting (1) ? Stormy First Family Meeting (1) ? When it came to Baron Armin Campbell, there would be no one among his people who would speak ill of him. He was apetent and amiable lord who had always dove into the front lines to tackle difficult tasks, was considerate of those beneath him, and handled official matters calmly and cooly. And Armin himself was proving why he received such evaluations in real-time. Anyone would agree to such an evaluation after simply seeing him not flee from the person in front of him. ¡°¡­Is the tea to your liking?¡± In truth, after taking into ount who the person in front of him was, the fact that he uttered such a question was ridiculous. As befitting of a lord that was void of extravagance, he had brewed a mediocre tea with old leaves and herbs. Since there had rarely been visitors from other territories, he hadn¡¯t adequately prepared items for hospitality. Rather, he¡¯d use that money to rece one of the local¡¯s farming equipment instead. ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± However¡­ The person in front of him was someone who had seen and possessed treasures from all the mountains and seas of the Empire. And he merely made such a remark. Gideon Galestead La Tristan. The highest authority in the Empire, second only to the Emperor himself. No matter how one looked at it, he wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d visit the territory of a Baron, and without any attendants to boot. ¡®Lady Tristan was already overwhelming enough¡­!¡¯ ¡®Not only that, the Duke Tristan himself hade as well?¡¯ ¡®What in the world is going on?¡¯ Inwardly, he was sweating buckets, as he scrutinized the person before him from top to bottom. From his attire, one wouldn¡¯t have guessed that he was a major noble. Bandages wrapped around his entire body. His clothes were tattered. A single sword hanging from his waist and a body that was as sturdy as a rock. Rather than a major noble, he seemed more like a wandering swordsman who had dedicated himself to his journey and had disconnected himself from the secr world for a long time. ¡°¡­I apologize, Your Grace. It¡¯s a bit embarrassing, but in this remote rural area, this is all we have to offer so I give my sincere apolo¡ª¡± ¡°No need.¡± Gideon emptied his tea cup. The tea was undoubtedly crude and bitter, but he seemed unaffected. ¡°You have nothing to be ashamed of.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Armin blinked in surprise. ¡°On my way here, I saw the people smiling andughing. It¡¯s quite a feat to be able to make everyone wear such expressions, even in a peaceful ce like this.¡± Just with that, he could instantly tell how Armin Campbell treated the people of his territory, ¡°It implies that you are giving up many things for your people. Raise your chest with pride, Baron Campbell.¡± At the very least, it was clear that the Baron governing this small and remote territory was a much better human being than the nobles who only thought about their authority over their subjects, instead of the obligations and duty that came with their position. How long had it been since he encountered such a ¡®true¡¯ noble? Gideon thought as such before nodding. ¡°That must be why your son has grown with such character.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Armin responded nkly to the sudden statement. ¡®No, wait¡­ Why is my son even being brought up in this conversation?¡¯ ¡°¡­Forgive me, but what¡¯s your rtionship with Dowd¡­?¡± ¡°Our rtionship is one of master and disciple.¡± Armin¡¯s jaw dropped. Oh my gosh. His son was acknowledged as the disciple of none other than Duke Tristan? Although Armin had always thought his child was clever from a young age, he didn¡¯t realize he had such extraordinary talent! ¡®Sending him to the academy was a good decision¡­!¡¯ With such thoughts, Armin was marveling at his own past decision. It was truly the right thing to do to provide his son with such an educational opportunity, even if he had to squeeze out the meager resources of his impoverished territory. It was just an effort to provide more help to the locals in the future, but it unexpectedly led to such incredible connections. ¡°Thank you very much, Duke Tristan. To give such a valuable opportunity to my child. As a token of appreciation, is there anything I can offe¡ª¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Gideon replied with furrowed brows. ¡°I do not know what you¡¯re misunderstanding, but I am the disciple.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Armin¡¯s expression froze. It was as if his brain function had stopped in an instant. What in the world was this person saying? ¡°I visited the territory this time to receive a interim evaluation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He had assigned me some homework, and at least in my eyes, I was able to produce a sessful result. It¡¯s time for me to receive new homework.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can only hope that my efforts have led me to the right path.¡± At the sight of Gideon smiling bitterly, Armin¡¯s brain received another shock akin to a lightning strike. Right now. Duke Tristan¡­ Was nervous about showing his son the ¡®results¡¯ of his efforts. Almost as if he was a student who was having his homework evaluated by his professor. ¡°¡­¡± Armin¡¯s brain, which had stopped for a while, finally started moving again. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s organize the situation at hand.¡¯ Although he hadn¡¯t properly thought it over due to the chaos, his son had returned to the territory with both Margrave Kendride¡¯s foster daughter and Lady Tristan. And in such a situation, the Duke was saying that he was his son¡¯s disciple. With his own mouth. ¡®¡­Son. What on earth have you been doing?¡¯ He clearly said that he would live inconspicuously when he left our hometown¡­! Such a scream echoed inside of Armin¡¯s mind like a cry of despair.
¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I already said I won¡¯t get hurt anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor tightly wrapped the bandage without saying a word. Her movements were so powerful that I couldn¡¯t help but let out a shallow gran. ¡°It seems like you always need to worry people to make yourself feel better.¡± Eleanor red at me while muttering such words. ¡°If you want to get hurt so badly, just tell me. I¡¯ll give you a thorough beating without any aftereffects.¡± ¡°No, this time, it really couldn¡¯t be help¡ª¡± Eleanor pped my back. She seemed to imply that I should not talk back. ¡°¡­¡± Wow. That fucking hurts. Although it felt like she held back, it was so strong that I was involuntarily winded. ¡°¡­I take back my statement, I¡¯d rather you not make such a request.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°I tried hitting you as an experiment but I felt more sorry than I thought I would. Even if you ask for it, I don¡¯t think I can grant such a request.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Whatever you say. Do as you wish. Without even considering how to respond, I decided to just look into the things that needed to be checked. First, the ¡®expenses¡¯. [ ¡ò Restore Potion ] Type: Consumable Item Price: 15,000pt Description: Slowly restores damaged body. Not effective for critical injuries where life is at risk. Current Remaining Points: 1,000pt Shit was so expensive. This was the item I had imbued into my right arm. With just this, the majority of the points I had meticulously umted through Gift Rewards and Main Quests were gone. However, considering that I gained the favor of Margrave Kendride, it could be seen as a good deal. By obtaining a territory, I gained the opportunity to participate in Demonic Creature and Dungeon Conquests. Additionally, the ¡®Northern Frontier,¡¯ where Kraut held dominance over, was a gold mine. In the game, many artifacts renowned for their strength were concentrated in that area. ¡®Shadow Step, Immovable Shroud, Earth Shatterer¡­¡¯ As I recalled the list of broken artifacts that could be farmed there, I couldn¡¯t help but think that sacrificing my right arm was truly a cheap price to pay. Since Iliya visited my hometown as a part of the Pilgrimage Homing Event, I had enough reasons to visit her as well during the next vacation. That should be a good opportunity to farm the artifacts I wanted. ¡°It seems we have arrived.¡± As the carriage came to a stop, Eleanor uttered such words. Anyway, since we had concluded our little expedition to Viscount Goldic¡¯s territory, I returned to my own to resume my ¡®business¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± If I were to entertain my hopes and dreams¡­ I just wanted everyone to rx during the vacation by resting and having some fun together. Please. Let¡¯s stop with all the serious stuff. Can we please take a break for once? As I got off the carriage with such thoughts, Kraut and Iliya were also stepping out from the adjacent carriage. Our eyes met. Immediately, Iliya¡¯s face turned so red it reached her ears before quickly turning her head away from me. Since the showdown I had with Kraut earlier, she had continued to be in such a state. ¡°¡­Seriously¡­¡± Seeing this, Kraut¡¯s face quickly turned to one of displeasure. ¡°It¡¯s so obvious that he is a two-timer. Isn¡¯t that right, Iliya?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯lll take care of it myself, Margrave.¡± With a chilly tone, Iliya quickly ran inside the castle. Her face was still red all over. ¡°¡­¡± As I silently watched such a sight, a window popped up in front of my eyes. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Iliya Krisanax [ Interest Level 4 ] >>> [ Trust Level 1 ] [ Rewards avable! ] Although the favorability level jumped by 2 levels, which was still quite a remarkable feat of itself, it didn¡¯t bring about any significant change for me. From my experience, the changes in favorability levels for characters with a Good disposition would usually only give me points. However, what was more concerning were the sentences that followed. System Message [ 3 Negative Mark Stack ¡ú Negative Mark Released ] [ Due to the released effect, a new state will be assigned. ] [ Target is now in a ¡®Charmed¡¯ state for you. ] [ Effect of ¡®Gift #1: Fatal Charm¡¯ is applied to the target as well! ] ¡°¡­¡± So¡­ Even though this kid had a Good disposition, she was now affected with the same increase in favorability towards me as characters with an Evil disposition. That also meant that if she sessfully grew and acquired different skills, they could be shared with me through the Guidance skill. And, attached to the previous window¡­ System Message [ Due to the ¡®Negative Marks,¡¯ a character with the Good disposition was influenced negatively and is now charmed by you! ] [ You have met the enhancement condition for ¡®Gift #2: He Who Touches Pitch Shall Be Defiled Therewith¡¯! ] [ If you meet the same condition again, the rted Gift will be enhanced! ] Immediately, the first Gift that was enhanced brought forth an effect that strengthened one of my most broken skills: Guidance. If this was the skill that got enhanced, it was impossible not to be curious about what woulde out next. ¡°¡­¡± As I scanned through such a window and entered the castle, I sensed one thing: The atmosphere was as frigid as it was before. Iliya¡¯s red face still had no sign of receding as she moved inside. Meanwhile, Kraut had a displeased expression as he followed behind her, and Eleanor sullenly red at Iliya while walking inside as well. It felt incredibly simr to when we first arrived here as we moved inside without a word. If anything, the atmosphere now seemed more fucked than ever. ¡°¡­¡± How strange. Weren¡¯t we supposed to have broken the ice a bit after fucking up the Goldic Viscounty? Why was the atmosphere still this tense? ¡°¡­I should monitor more closely from now on.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine how many people would be brought here by such a clueless and dense person. I was willing to turn a blind eye as long as you remembered your priorities. But if you are this unaware of the people around you¡­¡± ¡°¡­Unaware?¡± ¡°Consider yourself fortunate that you haven¡¯t been devoured by someone until now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After all, even I find it hard to endure at times.¡± Due to the eerie sensation I felt, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond as I walked into the castle. Thanks to that, I oh so thoroughly enjoyed the suffocating atmosphere, reliving the sensation of everyone walking in silence. However, unlike before, there was nothing to alleviate this icy tension. As such, I gloomily entered my father¡¯s office. ¡°¡­I¡¯m bac¡ª¡± System Notification [ Detected a moment of danger. ] [ Determined that a life-threatening situation is imminent due to something nearby. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to A-Grade. ] Why is this suddenly activating¡­? I blinked my eyes in surprise with such thoughts, but sadly, my curiosity was soon satisfied. ¡°¡­Gideon?¡± ¡°..Kraut?¡± Margrave Kendride and Duke Tristan. The two individuals, who were well-known to have a terrible rtionship, locked eyes. They both blinked in astonishment, expressing that they didn¡¯t expect to meet the other. And then¡­. -¡­ -¡­ -¡­!!!! Everyone present turned pale at the palpable surge of killing intent that simultaneously emanated from the two figures. ¡°¡­¡± The first thought that immediately crossed my mind was¡­ ¡®¡­Why wasn¡¯t it activated as EX?¡¯ After all, the ¡®direct¡¯ meeting of these two was undoubtedly a disaster. In many different ways. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 66: Stormy First Family Meeting (2) Chapter 66: Stormy First Family Meeting (2) ? Stormy First Family Meeting (2) ? Despite the intensity of the ongoing rivalry between Margrave Kendride¡¯s household and Duke Tristan¡¯s household, it was not as deeply-rooted as one might think. To be more precise, before Kraut and Gideon became the heads of their respective households, the two families were merely engaged in subtle power struggles to determine who was the Empire¡¯s foremost major noble, with no actual feud to speak of. However¡­ After these two took over as family heads in recent times, many assessed that the rtionship between the two households had crossed an irreversible threshold. And this fact was clearly evident within the office of Baron Campbell. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone silently endured this tense atmosphere. If killing intent could exist in a material form and cause some sort of phenomenon, it wouldn¡¯t have been odd for this small office to explode and fly to the stratosphere. ¡°So.¡± The first one to break the silence was Kraut. ¡°Why is this shitty dweeb here?¡± Gideon¡¯s face contorted. For someone who rarely showed any change in expression, this was incredibly unprecedented. And his subsequent actions emphasized this. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no reason for me to respond to a bastard no different from a barbarian.¡± Unexpectedly, Duke Tristan¡¯s statement seemed to openly mock the Margrave. Kraut¡¯s face also contorted in an instant. ¡°¡­Now, why don¡¯t we take it easy, Dweeb?¡± However, instead of exploding in anger, Kraut lowered his voice. ¡°If it was up to me, I would rip your limbs apart and I¡¯m sure you¡¯d like to chop off my head. But this is not the right ce.¡± Brawling in Baron Campbell¡¯s peaceful territory was not what he wanted. After all, he was not inclined to cause harm to innocent people; Especially not against apetent noble who managed his territory extremely well. ¡®¡­This guy is still calm even in the midst of all this.¡¯ Seeing Dowd expressionlessly watching the surroundings, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in disbelief. The young man was utterlyposed, even in the midst of such a heated exchange. There was no way that he wasn¡¯t aware that Duke Tristan and himself, two of the most prestigious nobles of the Empire, had gathered just because of him. ¡°If we fight, this entire territory will be annihted. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of that as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Duke Tristan remained silent as he faced Kraut. For Kraut, he could not help but be inwardly surprised at such a reaction. ¡®This fucker is actually agreeing with me?¡¯ Normally, even while knowing it was a valid point, they would have continued to exchange veiled threats with gritted teeth. Everyone in the Empire knew that Kraut and Gideon were openly hostile enough to engage in such mutual disys of animosity. However, at this moment, Gideon was conveying a non-verbal affirmation with his silence. It was almost as if he, too, did not wish harm upon this territory. At this moment, it seemed that the territory and the people in it were more important than the long-standing animosity that they held. It was highly probable that¡­ ¡®¡­Is this kid really that important to him?¡¯ Kraut¡¯s sharp gaze alternated between Gideon and Dowd as he scrutinized them carefully. He wasn¡¯t sure what kind of connection existed between these two, but¡­ If anything, it meant that he could now more confidently demand what he wished for. ¡°I¡¯m sure that you also know the proper traditions when ites to the Pilgrimage Homing.¡± Kraut spoke calmly as he continued. ¡°Our family visited this guy¡¯s hometown with him. As such, it¡¯s this Dowd guy¡¯s turn to visit our hometown next. While it does seem like your family has tagged along as well, if he promises to visit us first, we will withdraw without any fuss.¡± With that, Margrave Kendride nced at Dowd, who was still nonchntly listening to the conversation. ¡®¡­This guy¡­ He has potential.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just because Iliya obviously had feelings for him. If Kraut considered how much of an impression Dowd Campbell had made on him in such a short period of time, he undoubtedly had ¡®investment value¡¯. Putting aside his own personal feelings, Dowd had already proven his abilities in various ways. He had managed to survive a fight with Margrave Kendride and was even able tond a blow on him. Moreover, he was merely an academy student. Even among those who had survived the harsh and turbulent North, there weren¡¯t many who could im such a feat. ¡°¡­¡± However, as if rendering such thoughts irrelevant¡­ Dowd, who had been expressionless until now, began to look increasingly uncertain. It was because he had already grasped how the situation would unfold. In essence, this was all about setting his priorities. Duke Tristan and Margrave Kendride. Externally, it would seem like a negotiation process on who Dowd would visit first. But internally, the sentiment between the two sides was more along the lines of ¡®This guy belongs to us, so fuck off¡¯. Although the two major noble households favored by the Empire were practically thirsting for him, Dowd¡¯s expression showed no signs of improvement. That was because¡­ ¡°¡­I don¡¯t care about such child¡¯s y.¡± Regardless of which side he chose, the other party would not appreciate such a decision. At all. Gideon spoke with a rigid voice. ¡°However, it¡¯s unsettling to send a man of such caliber to a backwardnd with nothing but ice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After all, isn¡¯t the North the gathering ce of losers and runaways?¡± Kraut chuckled. However, in contrast to such a reaction, a blue aura had enveloped his entire body. It was none other than thebat stance of Holy Knights specialized in Unarmed Combat: ¡®Fortitude¡¯. After all, the sentence Gideon had just uttered was something that could not be ignored, given the history of the Margrave of the North¡¯s household. ¡°¡­I was going to go easy on this motherfucker, but he keep chirp¨C¡± ¡°How about this?¡± Suddenly, such words fell, interrupting the gradually hostile atmosphere. It was Dowd Campbell, who had remained silent until now. ¡°Regardless of which side I choose, it seems the other side will only end up displeased. So, let¡¯s provide a fair reason that the other side can ept.¡± ¡°¡­What are you saying? Are you suggesting we duel or something? If you set up a suitable ce, I would honestly wee it with open a¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t involve my family in your fight. It will create opportunities for other nobles to prey on us in whatever way possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about whatever you do with me, but don¡¯t drag my family into it. Do you understand?¡± Dowd¡¯s appearance, as he spoke in that calm tone, was akin to a catastrophic disy from the nobility etiquette¡¯s perspective. In normal cases, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the two of them move to sever his neck. But this time, both of them kept their silence. It was partially because they didn¡¯t wish for this man to be disappointed in them¡­ But more importantly¡­ From this man, who spoke to the two that were about to cause harm to his ¡®family¡¯¡­ They felt a strange pressure, making it impossible to interrupt or intervene. ¡®¡­I really like this part of him.¡¯ Even Kraut couldn¡¯t help but think like such while smirking because¡­ The gap between his usual stupid and dull appearance, especially the ridiculous look he showed when it came to romantic rtionships, and his current appearance was like night and day. It was to the extent that Kraut wanted to ask such a question. ¡°Are you ignoring other people¡¯s feelings because you really don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± And the stupid response he received instantly lowered the favorability levels that had just gone up. While Kraut sighed inwardly, Dowd cleared his throat again before continuing. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s settle this amicably without a fight. That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to say.¡± With that, Dowd took a moment to choose his words carefully. It seemed he was pondering how to package it in a way that it would be well-received. Of course, his conclusion did not take long to pop out. Such a thing was impossible in the first ce. ¡°I¡¯ll give each of you a task and I¡¯ll go visit the hometown of the one who does it more properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Both of you, make an effort to please me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His words left Kraut in deep admiration. ¡®What ad.¡¯ The favorability level that had dropped earlier was quickly skyrocketing once again.
¡°¡­Dowd.¡± ¡°¡­¡± To others, I probably looked like a lunatic. As I saw my pale-faced father call out to me, I decided to approach him for now. ¡°I know you said it¡¯s fine, but is this really okay¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When I replied briefly, my father scrutinized me skeptically from head to toe. Well, it made sense for him to react this way. After all, it wasn¡¯t the Baron himself, but his sessor that squared up with two major nobles who were known as the pirs of the Empire. Who could just casually move on from something like that? ¡°¡­It¡¯s really okay, Father.¡± However, this move was actually a lot safer. System Message [ Margrave Kendride admires your manly spirit! ] [ The favorability level of target ¡®Kraut¡¯ has increased to ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯! ] [ Reward has been reduced due to the Good disposition of the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± You know, there was something I had always felt. This game had way too many weirdos. Even after I retorted in such a rude manner, instead of acting all hostile, this weirdo¡¯s favorability level increased instead¡­ And he was supposed to be the second highest authority among the nobles of the Empire. ¡®To be fair, I knew what he was like before deciding to act as such.¡¯ Kraut was more likely to willingly ept if I provoked him like this. Additionally, in the first ce, Gideon was unlikely to refuse due to our master-disciple rtionship. ¡°¡­¡± And there was more to it than just that. It was obvious just by looking at the windows in front of me. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ? Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan [ Love Level 2 ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] ¨‹ Iliya Krisanax [ Trust Level 1 ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] ¨‹ Gideon Galestead La Tristan [ Interest Level 4 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] ¨‹ Kraut Bellium La Kendride [ Interest Level 1 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] ¡°¡­¡± How¡­ Dazzling¡­ All of these windows were created right after Gideon and Kraut met. If so many characters were getting involved simultaneously, there was only one possibility. ¡®Something big ising¡­!¡¯ With that, I swiped to the next window. < Quest Info > Side Quest: Disturbance! End of Quest: D-1 Description: It seems that Count Chester continues to incite conflicts in the surrounding territories. Find out the reason and resolve it! Reward: 1 Intermediate-Grade Artifact Huh, all of these events happened to coincide with the time that this quest ends¡­ ¡®¡­The timing of this quest is a bit fast though.¡¯ If it was a Side Quest rted to Count Chester that gave an artifact and had such a number of entangled events¡­ There was nothing else it could point to besides that. An event that formed a ¡®positive¡¯ branching route in the rtionship between Eleanor and Gideon. ¡°¡­¡± When I recalled the ¡®contents¡¯ of such an event, I couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitterugh. It wasn¡¯t a walk in the park to achieve it after all. Still, the fact that I could achieve it so early on was a significant merit of itself. That was why I went out of my way to express it as ¡®giving a task¡¯ to Gideon and Kraut. If I couldn¡¯t manipte those two as my puppets, it was almost impossible to get the desired results. After all, it was a branching route that would heavily influence the Exclusive Quest rted to Eleanor¡¯s household. ¡°Coachman. How much longer until we reach the Chester County?¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡± I was currently moving with this many people to Chester County precisely because of that as well. As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. After all, it was only human nature to immediately resolve it when something this importantes up. ¡°But, Son.¡± While I was pondering such things inside the rattling carriage, across from me, my father asked a question with a worried expression. ¡°¡­Are you sure there aren¡¯t any othersing to our territory now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it possible that there are more women that you have unintentionally made a pass at¡­?¡± Father¡­ How is it possible for a man to seduce women without knowing it himself? < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Lucia Greyhounder [ Interest Level 1.5 ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] ¨‹ Yuria Greyhounder [ Interest Level 4 ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] [ 1 Skill Copy Ticket Avable! ] ¡°¡­¡± This one wasn¡¯t caused by me flirting or whatever, okay? But it seemed like there would be more peopleing. Unfortunately.
¡°How ridiculous.¡± Count Chester spat those words with noticeable annoyance. ¡°Margrave Kendride? Duke Tristan? Say something that makes more sense. Why would such people involve themselves in the affairs of a mere Baron?¡± ¡°B-But, Margrave Kendride really was there.¡± ¡°You must have seen wrong. Maybe it¡¯s some lunatic impersonating Margrave Kendride.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thest time that person left the North was ten years ago. He has note down to the secr world ever since Duke Tristan¡¯s wedding. Why would such a persone to some backwater countryside¡­?¡± ¡®No, that wasn¡¯t it¡­¡¯ The Head Chambein was pale as he recalled his memories. The manly strength, spirit, and even the looks. All of it was identical to the information about Margrave Kendride. However, it was clear that Count Chester did not even have an ounce of intention to believe what he said. To be fair, it was iprehensible for such individuals to be here after all. ¡°Stop concerning yourself with something unnecessary and quickly seize morend from the surrounding territories instead. If we don¡¯t do that, we are all dead. Do you understand?¡± The Head Chambein readily agreed. He swallowed hard in fear and anxiety. Currently, Count Chester was devoting all his resources into forcefully acquiring nd¡¯ from neighboring territories. It was because of the ¡®monster¡¯ he had found within his own territory. Though it was only at the hatching stage, given more time, it would inevitably be a cmity capable of devouring the entire territory. As he recalled such information, a voice suddenly echoed from the distance. ¡°My Lord! My Looord¡ª!¡± It was one of the knights. His face was incredibly pale as if he had seen a ghost. Count Chester tilted his head before responding. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look like that?¡± ¡°Another noble is visiting. You have to go see them quickly, My Lord!¡± ¡°¡­Visiting? There shouldn¡¯t be anything arranged though. Who is it?¡± Realistically, it was an incredible discourtesy to visit without notifying him in advance. As such, if it was someone who was lower in rank, Count Chester intended to give quite a severe treatment as punishment. ¡°It¡¯s Baron Campbell!¡± A Baron? He had no idea who it was. If that was the case, he could likely drive them away after giving significant humiliation. As Count Chester was about to voice such thoughts, the knight continued. ¡°He is being escorted by Margrave Kendride and Duke Tristan!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Count Chester¡¯s face looked like a fat question mark had been embedded onto it. After all¡­ It was a sentence that was utterly iprehensible to him. ¡°¡­Margrave Kendride and Duke Tristan are escorting a Baron?¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± ¡°¡­¡± A deep silence fell. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls153 Chapter 67: Subjugation Force (1) Chapter 67: Subjugation Force (1) ? Subjugation Force (1) ? Contrary to expectations, Count Chester was someone who could assess situations quite quickly. However, someone like him often revealed critical weakness in seemingly trivial matters. For example, he trusted in his own judgment far too much that he would willingly walk into an obviously dangerous situation. ording to his judgment, he deemed it highly unlikely for the two most prestigious nobles from the Empire to simultaneously escort Baron Campbell. As such, this initial response could be considered as a serious misjudgment. Mobilizing a substantial armed force to face Baron Campbell might not have been apletely wrong move. If there were actually lunatics who were impersonating such important people, the entire situation would be cleanly handled by driving them away or beheading them for such an egregious crime. And in the extremely unlikely case that they were actually Margrave Kendride and Duke Tristan, having an armed force itself was not a huge deal. It could be passed off as an unavoidable response due to territorial circumstance. The problem was¡­ These two individuals decided to mercilessly crush him based solely on the audacity of bringing armed forces in front of them. ¡°¡­Um, isn¡¯t this enough now?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Amidst the groans of the wounded soldiers around them, Kraut dismissed Dowd¡¯s opinion with a smirk. While officially, it was Baron Armin Campbell who had visited the territory, it was actually this young man, his son, who wished to confront the Count in the first ce. Perhaps the Count should have quickly sensed that the situation was off after recognizing such a fact. ¡°A guy who bullies others needs to realize his own weakness by getting mercilessly trampled. That¡¯s the only way he won¡¯t do such actions again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just trying to eloquently articte your desire to vent your anger, Barbarian.¡± ¡°¡­Even when I put it nicely, this fucker still talks shit. Yeah?¡± Though Kraut¡¯s forehead was pulsating as he uttered these words, Gideon who made such a statement merely shrugged his shoulders without paying much attention. ¡°However, I agree with the essence of what he said.¡± Gideon walked steadily towards the prostrating Count Chester. Even the Emperor would find it difficult to treat a Count like this, however, the terrifying aura that these 2 major nobles emitted somehow transcended such bounds. ¡°If you wish to torment someone, you should¡¯ve prepared two graves. I couldn¡¯t help but sigh when I saw you walk out here without any countermeasures. If you had attempted to buy some time by sending a proxy, then at the very least, I would¡¯ve thought you had some semnce of self-awareness.¡± Cold sweat dripped down from Count Chester, as he avoided Gideon¡¯s gaze. Until this morning, he probably couldn¡¯t have imagined receiving such treatment in the reception room of his own castle. But what could he do? This was now his reality. ¡®Why are these bastards suddenly¡­.!¡¯ Count Chester¡¯s eyes were darting around as he nced at the two individuals standing next to either side of him. Even when the Head Chambein had provided such information, he thought it to be a lie, but now there was no room for a semnce of doubt. These two individuals emitted an inexplicable aura that proved that they were the ¡®real¡¯ deal. The Empire was a much simpler county than one would think. It prioritized efficiency over everything. Its simplistic system was to never fail to reward a merit and never let a crime go unpunished. And ording to such a system, the two major nobles were the most valuable assets to the Empire, thus they had the corresponding authority that came with it. As a result, these two individuals were the most ¡®powerful people¡¯ in the entire Empire. If that wasn¡¯t enough, this monstrous duo overturned the entire County in less than 20 minutes. He had heard that the Goldic Viscounty was annihted by these two, but inparison, the County was several timesrger and was also far superior in terms of both thepetence and number of soldiers. Even so, the Goldic Viscountysted a few hours. Inparison, his own territory couldn¡¯t withstand a single hour before crumblingpletely. ¡°T-There were reasons for such actions! I apologize!¡± Count Chester spoke in a voice strained from the extensive physicalbor that he experienced. Of course, if his wounded escort knights nearby were to see this, they would think it wasn¡¯t that severe of any injury. There wasn¡¯t a single person around who hadn¡¯t had their limbs broken or hadn¡¯t thrown up blood. It was all the result of the havoc created by the two monsters before them. ¡°Reasons? What reasons could there be?¡± The young man in front of him retorted with an apathetic expression, almost causing the blood vessels in Count Chester¡¯s eye to burst. ¡®How dare this lowly sessor of a baron disy such irreverent behavior in front of¨C!¡¯ ¡°Gugh¡­!¡± At least that was what Count Chester was thinking before he copsed and rolled on the ground once again. It was probably because someone had lightly kicked his side. ¡°¡­Gugh, Uhuh, Ughh¡­!¡± Of course, from the perspective of the one who got beaten, it wasn¡¯t a light one at all. shes of light flickered before his eyes. Saliva started to flow in abundance from his mouth due to the overwhelming pain. Considering the dark red blood that flowed from his mouth, it was clear that a broken rib had pierced his lungs. ¡°¡­Gideon.¡± Seeing this, Dowd sighed while calling out to Gideon, who had delivered such a blow. However, Duke Tristan paid no attention and only replied in an indifferent tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t like his expression, so I had no choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There are no master-disciple rtionships where the disciple can stay silent while his master is insulted.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Didn¡¯t Eleanor also do something simr? As expected, like father, like daughter.¡¯ As Dowd was thinking this while wiping his face in exasperation, Count Chester, who was vomiting blood, and Kraut both wore confused expressions after witnessing such a scene. Master and disciple? These two? Wait no, in the first ce, why was a mere sessor of a baron addressing a duke so casually? ¡°Dweeb, when did you start taking disciples? Weren¡¯t you so focused on training that you would rather die than take a pupil?¡± Gideon¡¯s face contorted. ¡°Why do people keep misunderstanding? The disciple is¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªCan you hurry up and exin your reasons?¡± Dowd quickly cut off Gideon¡¯s words before some unnecessary rumor could be spread, as he addressed Count Chester. ¡°Although you were a bit of a bitch, you never acted like a thug before. Isn¡¯t there some kind of a reason behind this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although his demeanor was much more irreverent than before, Gideon¡¯s previous kick turned him into a well-mannered person. That was why, instead of arguing, he decided to stammer out an exnation. ¡°I-In the c-central, p-part, of the t-territory, t-there is a m-monster living in the m-mountains¡± ¡°A monster?¡± Truly, there was no other way to describe the existence in question. No one had seen its figure, but asionally, a ¡®grey wave¡¯ emanating from the central mountains was said to engulf the surrounding space. And they said, what happened to the affected area was¡­ ¡°I-It seems that t-timees to a halt.¡± Everything slowed down and eventually froze. The influence grew wider over time, and the effect became more potent. From Count Chester¡¯s perspective, even the locals of his territory near that area were desperately trying to save thend, even if it meant using oppressive means. ¡°Kuhek-!¡± After giving such an exnation, Count Chester¡¯s body flew into the air once again. This time, it was probably because Kraut had whipped out a p. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As everyone surrounded the unconscious Count Chester, who had foams leaked out from his lips, their gazes fixed onto Kraut. In response to the doubtful looks that questioned the appropriateness of his actions, Kraut met each gaze individually and responded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I beat him up because I got annoyed when he tried to justify his actions of tormenting others. Anyints?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one had anyints. As he saw everyone averting their eyes away from Kraut, except for Gideon, Dowd sighed without saying a word. He proceeded to sort out the current situation. Given the information he had just heard, this was an event he was already well aware of. ¡®Devil¡¯s Fragment.¡¯ Moreover, a Grey Devil¡¯s Fragment. A ¡®Fragment Absorption¡¯ event that always came as an unexpected wildcard for every Devil¡¯s Vessel. Among them, the one rted to Eleanor was evidently about to start in this very ce.
The formation of the ¡®expedition team¡¯ was faster than expected. We had conveyed nicely to Count Chester that we would resolve such issues for him, so he should refrain from bullying the surrounding territories. [¡­So, since you¡¯re resolving it for him, you¡¯re saying you nicely told him to give up his household heirloom, am I correct?] ¡°Of course.¡± [¡­] When I responded to Caliban, who was within Linker, only a disapproving silence returned. If he was in his spirit form, he was probably giving me an incredulous look. ¡°I¡¯ll need it forter.¡± If Ibined the Intermediate-Grade artifact that was the quest reward with the ¡®heirloom¡¯ that I¡¯d ripoff of Count Chester, it would yield quite a favorable oue. ¡®¡­I need to increase my stats as well.¡¯ Except for my ¡®Power¡¯ stat that had recently increased from F-Grade, my stats were still unchanged. However,bining the two rewards could help obtain something quite useful from him. Chapter 3 Boss [Apostle of the Reversed Sea]¡­ How should I put it¡­? The difficulty of the battle itself wasn¡¯t high, but in terms of wickedness, he stood out even among all the bosses. Clearing it was one thing, but there was a high likelihood that my ¡®survival chance¡¯ would dwindle. Even during the progression of the chapter itself, the boss was one that would be highly likely to continuously attempt to kill me by using any means necessary. [What an unbncedbination¡­] While I pondered such thoughts, Caliban sighed when he saw the lineup of individuals who were going to subjugate the monster because of mymands. The members included thedy of Margrave Kendride¡¯s household, thedy from the Tristan Duchy, and me. Putting Eleanor and Iliya aside, thanks to me ¡®tasking¡¯ Gideon and Kraut, both of them seemed to be obediently following as well. [Can you really manage all this?] Caliban¡¯s concern was well-founded considering the horrifyingbination of the expedition members. It would be a miracle if no fights break out along the way. However¡­ ¡°By the way, the Homunculus sisters will be added to the lineup as well.¡± [¡­] ¡°I also know it¡¯ll be tough, okay?¡± The Saintess had already sent word through a carrier pigeon that she was entering my territory. However, I had quickly suggested that she should join us in the mountains that Count Chester had talked about. Once such members all gathered, trouble was bound to ur. However, from my perspective, this was an important event that required everyone to be present, even if I had to face the consequences for gathering such people. This was evident from the subsequent conversation. [By the way, I know you gathered such powerful individuals, but are you still nning to go after that thing?] ¡°Huh?¡± [I think you already have a rough idea, but the opponent is a Vessel saturated with a Fragment. Even if you bring many formidable people with you, a decision to subjugate it should not be made so easily.] That was a fair concern. But¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not a humanoid Vessel.¡± [Hm?] ¡°From the current state of the phenomenon I heard, it seems that the Fragment was hidden somewhere and a random demonic creature unluckily fused with it. Since the opponent is only at that level, there¡¯s a high chance of sessfully subjugating it with these members.¡± [¡­You seem to know a lot about the Vessels?] ¡°I at least know that it¡¯s not a case of a humanoid Vessel going berserk, which is a fortunate thing.¡± A bitter smile formed on my face. ¡°¡­My condolences about the Guardians, Caliban.¡± The Holy Knight inside the amulet fell silent. As the person responsible for suppressing a crisis caused by a humanoid Vessel going berserk, Caliban clearly knew what I was talking about. This man was so strong that he could be considered equal to monsters like Gideon and Kraut. However, even with simrly skilledrades, Caliban had barely managed to contain the situation by sacrificing his life along with his colleagues. ¡°So, to ensure such idents don¡¯t happen again, I have to subjugate it now.¡± In that aspect, the Fragment Absorption event of the Vessel was an event that had to go in a ¡®favorable¡¯ direction, even if I had to directly intervene. After all, even with the same Absorption event, depending on how the ¡®conditions¡¯ were met, the state of the Vessel could be a difference of heaven and earth. Following this event, Eleanor¡¯s personality would change, whether it was in a good way or a bad way. And it was my task to control it in a direction as far away from ¡®berserk¡¯ as possible. ¡°¡­¡± While in such contemtion, I gazed towards Eleanor and Gideon, who were preparing to board the carriage with their equipment. They were ignoring each other. Wait, no. It wasn¡¯t at such a measly level; It was a thorough level of indifference that made me question whether they could even see each other. ¡®¡­I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ Those two had been umting misunderstandings about their rtionship for almost a decade. Honestly, this was a rather natural reaction. However¡­ After this event was over, perhaps they would show a slightly different si¡ª [¡­Hey.] While I was thinking such hopeful thoughts, Caliban suddenly spoke up as if something had urred to him. ¡°Yes?¡± [Didn¡¯t you say your goal was to stop thatdy from going berserk?] ¡°Yeah, so?¡± [¡­] Caliban briefly turned silent. It seemed like he was lost in thought. [Who¡¯ll join the gathering? Just tell me the women.] ¡°¡­The Hero Candidate, Lady Tristan, Saintess sisters¡­? That should be all, I think. Why?¡± After a moment of silence, Caliban chuckled. It was augh that gave me a strange and ominous feeling. ¡°¡­Why are youughing like that?¡± [No, it just seems like it¡¯ll be fun.] ¡°What will?¡± [Isn¡¯t this the first time they will all gather and see each other?] ¡°¡­Well yes, but why?¡± [You¡¯re fucked, Kid.] ¡°¡­¡± Hey, Mister. What did you mean by that? You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 68: Subjugation Force (2) Chapter 68: Subjugation Force (2) ? Subjugation Force (2) ? The task I gave Gideon and Kraut was simple. I¡¯d support the person who contributed more to solving Chester County¡¯s problem through the Demonic Creature Conquest. ¡°¡­¡± Actually, it could be considered incredibly risky. While the origins of the demonic creatures spread across the entire Empire had not been properly identified, it was certain that these creatures had always formed clusters and lived together. There was a reason why regr Demonic Creature Conquests were arge-scale event. If you were to subjugate one, the rest would swarm out as if disturbing a ho¡¯s nest, so everyone prepared thoroughly for such a case before going. ording to the general ssification of demonic creatures, Low-Grade demonic creatures were equivalent to thebat power of a regr Knight. While there was a record of Iliya singlehandedly dealing with several times that number, that was because she was a special case. During a Demonic Creature Conquest, there were dozens, or in severe cases, hundreds of such demonic creatures pouring out. Therefore, the danger was all too apparent. However¡­ Even with such danger, if there were two individuals who couldn¡¯t even be considered as human anymore, the story would be quite different. -!!! A wolf-like demonic creature shattered under Kraut¡¯s fist. I had already seen dozens of them suffer the same fate. Demonic creatures were something that couldn¡¯t even be pierced by ordinary swords or spears, let alone with your own fists. Yet, that person was effortlessly bursting them like balloons as he ughtered them with his bare hands. Even Iliya, who fought with her life on the line against six of them, looked dispirited as she watched such a sight. It had only been a few minutes, but the number of demonic creatures that had crossed into the afterlife was already over twenty. What about Gideon, you asked? ¡°Fu.¡± With a short exhale, Gideon drew his sword. A sh Sword that was nearly at the level of being invisible. The sword stroke cut through the air, instantly swept away the demonic creatures around him. Although it was a light movement, within its trajectory, only the vital points of all the demonic creatures were severed. While Kraut was hearty and ferocious, ripping apart anything he got his hands on, Gideon exhibited precise and uratebat techniques, reminiscent of a machine. At this rate, it wasn¡¯t a conquest nor a subjugation. Instead, it seemed more like bor¡¯ where they grinded down anything that faced them, almost akin to weeding. Caliban had doubts about where I could manage such individuals, but the clear answer to that was here. There was no need to manage them. They were so powerful that just leaving them to their devices would solve everything. ¡°¡­Is that the level of the two warriors that represent the Empire¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Iliya sighed in admiration at such a sight, Eleanor remained silent, as if in agreement. Unlike Iliya, Eleanor probably had some unfavorable emotions towards her father, but there was no room for her to deny those words. The achievements of those two were truly at an awe-inspiring level. ¡°¡­¡± By the way¡­ System Message [ The proficiency of target Eleanor¡¯s ¡®Mastery: Tristan-Style Swordsmanship¡¯ ¡®is increasing! ] [ The proficiency of target Iliya¡¯s ¡®Mastery: Sustained Combat¡¯ ¡®is increasing! ] I didn¡¯t drag these two out here for no reason. All things considered, those two were the epitome of geniuses. To put it in another way, they were monsters. They could absorb everything in real time, just by seeing the way someone stronger than them fought. ¡®Perhaps by the end of the subjugation¡­¡¯ The development of their Masteries would be noticeable. Then, I could inherit their acquired Masteries through the form of a Gift. It was the definition of killing two birds with one stone. Hm? What was I doing while those monsters were fucking around, you asked? ¡°Oh, this one isn¡¯t dead yet.¡± I was collecting the demonic creatures that had copsed nearby. They were on the verge of death, but there were still some lingering signs of life. ¡°¡­¡± It might look crude, but this was also necessarybor, okay? As I raised the amulet towards the near-dead demonic creature, its body began to glow with radiant particles and soon orbited around me. System Message [ You have obtained a medium for a Tattoo of ¡®Forbidden Sorcery¡¯. ] [ Through this medium, you can carve patterns on your body. The effect of the each Forbidden Sorcery varies depending on the form of the pattern. ] ¡®Let¡¯s fucking go.¡¯
The condition to use Forbidden Sorcery was more restrictive than one might think. After all, only living organisms could be used as its medium. ording to the system, for a living organism to be acknowledged as a medium, it had to satisfy one of two conditions. There had to either be ¡®consent¡¯ from the party bing a medium, or it had to be when said party was on the verge of death. No suitable living organisms around me would fulfill the former and I didn¡¯t even want there to be either. On the other hand, thetter required an ability to precisely predict the moment just before their death, which I didn¡¯t possess. In that aspect, the current subjugation was, without exaggeration, the only opportunity for me to activate Forbidden Sorcery. ¡°Is this the right way to do it?¡± [Yes. You chose a good medium. Demonic creatures are very efficient.] Valkasus responded as such within Soul Linker. For now, the number of demonic creatures I had picked up like this was approaching five. At the very least, I could disy the minimum performance of the Mastery by carving a Tattoo ording to a pattern. [Originally, Forbidden Sorcery is a type of Sorcery that puts a burden on the body of its carver. You can tell just by looking at my previous appearance.] A voice mixed with a bitterugh followed. [Once Forbidden Sorcery is carved, it can¡¯t be erased. So originally, it must be chosen very cautiously, but¡­] ¡°But?¡± [I can rmend you a few Arrays. Why not try using them once? It¡¯s a product of my ambitions.] ¡°¡­¡± [You are currently with the world¡¯s greatest Forbidden Sorcerer. Trust me.] Valkasus said this with a voice of pride. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Where else could I find an expert of his level in this specific field? ¡®¡­Let¡¯s see¡­¡¯ Should I trust him this once? While following Valkasus¡¯s instructions, I quickly drew the Tattoos on my arm andpleted the Array. The number of Tattoos weren¡¯t many, so I couldn¡¯t dorge-scale abilities such as summoning an army of Ruined or calling forth a Special-Grade demonic creature, as Valkasus did. Even so, out of all the types of Sorcery, Forbidden Sorcery had the most powerful abilities. Hopefully, this will be something decent¡­ System Message [ ¡®Forbidden Sorcery: Seal¡¯ Acquired! ] [ This ability will be added to the Skills Tab! ] ¡°¡­¡± As I read the contents of this new technique, I fell into silence. I really hoped for a good ability, but¡­ ¡°Doesn¡¯t this only utilize 5 Tattoos¡­?¡± [Don¡¯t worry. It will get strongerter.] As I heard Vksus¡¯s voice that seemed to say ¡®I did well, right?¡¯, I could only let out a forced chuckle. Yeah, he did well. So well that it was ridiculous. ¡®Should I try it out?¡¯ Since I received such a gift, it was only right to try it at least once. As I searched around while thinking this, a suitable opponent conveniently came into view. Even Gideon and Kraut, who were basically weeding out the creatures with their sword and fist, paused their movements with furrowed brows when they saw the opponent. ¡°¡­A piece of shit like that is in this remote area?¡± Kraut mumbled as he saw a gigantic wolf with grotesque spikes growing from its body. Judging by its size, it was an Intermediate-Grade demonic creature. It was probably the leader dominating this area. Even these guys, who had cleared almost all the other demonic creatures with a single strike, seemed hesitant to recklessly attack this creature. As I mentioned before, Intermediate-Grade demonic creatures were usually strong enough to have a few special abilities. ¡®Judging by its color, it looks like it¡¯s packed with such abilities.¡¯ A bitter smile involuntarily formed. The danger of a mutant was usually discernible by the body color and that bastard was red. Among entities of the same grade, red was the most dangerous. It probably had a maximum of three special abilities. Moreover, this bastard had a certainbination that all Sera yers would hate. ¡°¡­[Adaptive Skin], [Refraction], and [Super Regeneration]. What a pain in the ass.¡± Gideon sighed in agreement with Kraut. Adaptive Skin would grant its user an incredibly high resistance to any weapon that they previously hade into contact with. Refraction would reflect the damage the user received back in its entirety. And Super Regeneration, as its name suggested, would continuously regenerate the user¡¯s wounds. In other words¡­ One would have to deliver a blow powerful enough to kill the bastard in one hit, but this bastard wouldn¡¯t die easily. Moreover, the person dealing the damage had to endure the entirety of it when it was reflected back. Even one such ability would be a pain in the ass, but a mutant had appeared with all three at the same time. Basically, it was not for show that it was just standing there boldly, even while other demonic creatures were being swept away. ¡°There¡¯s a simple solution.¡± Kraut had a smirk on his face as he spoke. ¡°¡­Is there such a thing?¡± As expected of the Margrave who ruled the North, the most hazardous region of the Empire. He had a solution even for such a hellishbina¡ª ¡°Just beat the shit out of it until it dies.¡± ¡°¡­What about the reflected damage?¡± ¡°Just tank it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just send it and bet on who dies first. I¡¯ve never lost such a bet so far.¡± Yeah, obviously you won. That was the only way you can still be alive, you crazy motherfucker. Those two¡­ They were supposed to be Holy Knights, but their actions were closer to that of Lunatics. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll take care of it. We haven¡¯t encountered the truly dangerous opponent yet, so there¡¯s no need for you to waste that much energy already.¡± The key to this subjugation was to conquer the ¡®Devil¡¯s Fragment¡¯, which was fused to a demonic creature, with the Homunculus sisters, who will join us tomorrow. As such, there was no need for them to waste their energy here. As I stepped forward with a sigh, the eyes of all the members of the subjugation force widened. ¡°Take care of it? How?¡± ¡°On my own. However I want to. Well. You¡¯ve been carrying me so far, so I should try to earn my keep, right?¡± As I spoke while stretching, Kraut let out a cynicalugh. ¡°¡­If you¡¯re willing to take on such a difficult task, I won¡¯t stop you. But will you be fine? You might die if you mess up, you know?¡± True, this task was difficult enough for this boomer, out of all people, to say such words. I felt Eleanor looking at me with a grim gaze from the side. It was a look that said, ¡®Are you nning to get hurt again?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± I sent a gaze of reassurement. ¡®No, really. I wouldn¡¯t get hurt this time. You really didn¡¯t need to worry¡­ ¡°¡­Even so, it¡¯s not something you can handle alone. At the very least, I should he¡ª¡± ¡°Gideon.¡± I pointedly gazed at Giedon¡¯s slightly trembling hand. It was a symptom that wasn¡¯t there before the battle, but now it was so noticeable that even I could see it. As I looked towards that direction, Gideon startled and hid his hand behind his back. ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. This is nothing.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯re not fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The madness flowing in the Tristan Duchy¡¯s veins was not something that could be solved by cutting mere Low-Grade demonic creatures. The method of resolving it was a very harsh phenomenon where they had to cut a ¡®living person¡¯. Even though I had often helped Eleanor release some steam, Gideon was different. On top of not being in a position to easily meet people, he had also been stuck in a distant ce under mymand for a long time. Thus, it was even more unlikely that he had an opportunity to let off some steam. In this situation, if such impulses were further encouraged by bat¡¯, well¡­ The fact that he was still holding onto reason was a miracle. ¡°¡­¡± However, I couldn¡¯t solve that right now. No, I shouldn¡¯t solve it right now in the first ce. If I were to do that, it would only make the present situation even worse. At the very least, until the end of this ¡®subjugation¡¯, it was best for Gideon to stay in this precarious state. ¡°Step back.¡± With that, I leapt toward the gigantic wolf. At the same time, it recognized me as an opponent. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] System Message [ ¡®Skill: Swordsman¡¯s Focus¡¯ Activated!] [ Reaction speed and precision are increased! ] WIth a beastly roar, its front legs shot out. What a ridiculously fast speed. If I hadn¡¯t activated Swordsman¡¯s Focus, I wouldn¡¯t have even been able to see its trajectory. It was certainly not as fast as Riru, the fastest human I had ever encountered. Even so, if I lost focus for even a single moment, I would get mauled to death. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s strong!¡¯ Even if I excluded its special abilities, the physical abilities of an Intermediate-Grade demonic creature was threatening enough. It was even more so when considering that mutants, such as this bastard, had more spikes than usual. Thus, they were generally stronger than typical Intermediate-Grade creatures. Still, my stats had also skyrocketed insanely with the help of my skills. It was definitely possible for me to react. A w narrowly swiped my chest, as a few drops of blood sshed. ¡°Heup.¡± Following that, I brought my sword down on the front leg that was swinging at me. With a ng that hit its front legs, the blue energy emanating from its body flowed to my sword before spreading onto it. Although I managed to deflect it a bit, such measly damage was quickly regenerated by [Super Regeneration]. I couldn¡¯t read the beast¡¯s expression, but it seemed like the wolf was in high spirits. System Message [ Contact with ¡®Adaptive Skin¡¯ of the demonic creature! ] [ The effectiveness of the corresponding weapon is reduced by 90% against the target demonic creature! ] ¡®So this is how it works.¡¯ How unfair. Just by blocking my attack it rendered one of my equipment useless. While I understand that it was a rare mutant, this was still a bit much. There clearly was a reason why Sera users would grind their teeth when encountering these types of creatures. ¡°You idiot! Why would you use your weapon like that! That sword is now useless!¡± From behind, Kraut yelled in frustration. ¡°Run away! Fighting beyond this point is a waste of¡ª!¡± Just before Kraut could finish his sentence, he promptly closed his mouth. It was because I had dashed toward the demonic creature once again. Seriously, I said it was okay because it really was okay. I never intended to defeat it like this. In a way, this was just to lull it intocency. -¡­? The demonic creature seemed bewildered. It was a natural reaction when a human, who had even lost their weapon, charged at it barehanded. But soon enough, a sneer appeared in its eyes, as it raised its front legs again. It probably intended to finish me off with a single blow, even disregarding its own defense. After all, it would think I had no means of attack. However¡­ System Message [ Using ¡®Forbidden Sorcery: Seal¡¯! ] [ Target silenced! ] The Array engraved on my arm shone. At the same time, an Array identical in shape, but muchrger, was created under the wolf¡¯s body. The color that permeated the wolf¡¯s body.. Was ¡®cleansed¡¯. -¡­! The wolf¡¯s eyes widened. It seemed to have instinctively sensed that something had changed; a fatal danger had emerged. After all, the abilities that protected it had ¡®vanished¡¯ in an instant. However, it was already toote. [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Arcane Gale ÑY¼²ïL Grade: Basic Description: If you urately ¡®deflect¡¯ the opponent¡¯s attack with precise timing, you can return a considerable portion of the damage to the opponent. Even though it was a sword that had lost its ¡®attack ability¡¯, I could still use any ¡®techniques¡¯ derived from Tristan-Style Swordsmanship. As its foreleg was deflected, simultaneously, the physical force generated by the wolf was returned right back at it. In order to finish me off with a single strike, it swung with full force, thus, the energy in its attack was immense. As such, I managed to prate the leather that would¡¯ve been burdensome for me to deal with alone and had cut deep into its chest, almost to the point where organs were visible. And then¡­ System Message [ Using ¡®Skill: Stigmata¡¯. ] I created a shield of divine power and ¡®squeezed it in¡¯ the wounded area. Due to this, the gap in the slightly opened leather widened significantly. Although itcked any attack capabilities, it was quite a useful shield in terms of toughness. As such, I could also use it this way. It was one of the niche techniques I had acquired while grinding as a Sera sweat. And before the demonic creature could even scream in agonizing pain, I thrusted the sword into the gap where its heart could be seen. -¡­! -¡­ And with just that¡­ Light faded from its eyes. After staggering, it copsed to the ground. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After seeing the wrecked body of the demonic creatures, everyone¡¯s jaws dropped. And when the huge body made a dull sound as it fell to the ground, it seemed like everyone was at a loss for words. ¡°¡­Hey, Dweeb. That took five seconds, didn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°4.7 seconds.¡± After Kraut and Gideon exchanged such words in awe¡­ ¡°Wh-What, What¡­ What was that just now? How. What. What did you just do, Teach?¡± Iliya eximed in shock. Her reaction was perfectly understandable. After all, even I was astonished when I saw this for the first time. [ Skill Info ] Forbidden Sorcery: Seal Grade: 5 Tattoos Description: Restricts the opponent¡¯s skill usage for a certain period of time. Duration: 0.3 seconds. A debuff skill with an extremely simple effect. However, as seen from the description¡­ It was a cheat. Crazy shit right there. To the point where it felt like it was shameless of Valkasus to say it would be stronger in the future. ¡®¡­It was a good decision to slot him into my spirit collection.¡¯ With such thoughts, I had a wry smile on my face as I fondled the amulet on my wrist As expected, a Final Boss of a chapter wasn¡¯t one for no reason. I continued to gaze at the fallen demonic creature. There could be something to pick up here. ¡®I mean look at it. It¡¯s clearly a pile of ingredients.¡¯ The demonic creature¡¯s body itself was top-quality material for equipment. No, even more so, especially with such a rare mutation. As I giddily approached it, I overheard a conversation between the two major nobles nearby. ¡°¡­The more I see it, the more useful that guy seems. He has good senses when ites to fighting. I should also use that method of widening wounds with a shield.¡± ¡°Go away, Barbarian. It¡¯s none of your business. I was the one who established a rtionship with him first.¡± ¡°You fucker. Does sharing something make it wear out faster? Huh?¡± ¡°It does. Get lost.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it¡­ Gideon had a tendency to get strangely childish whenever Kraut got involved. Was it because they were rivals? You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 69: Subjugation Force (3) Chapter 69: Subjugation Force (3) ? Subjugation Force (3) ? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Next to the crackling bonfire, Eleanor and Iliya were silently staring at the ground. Since it didn¡¯t seem right to assign camping preparations to two major nobles, Eleanor and Iliya took it upon themselves to handle all the camping preparations despite their status. ¡°Tent, sleeping bags, preservedbat rations. Wow, this brings back memories¡­¡± ¡°¡­Have you done something like this before?¡± ¡°Many times. Not at the Campbell Barony though.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Although Dowd uttered such an unclear exnation, his words didn¡¯t seem to be a lie as the camping preparations were finished quickly and efficiently thanks to him. After that, he disappeared with the Duke and Margrave to discuss ¡®subjugation ns,¡¯ leaving the two behind to stand watch. ¡®What in the world did he even do in the past?¡¯ He was someone with so many hidden talents that it was suspicious. For example, this thing in particr was something that people in the military would learn. ¡®¡­Come to think of it.¡¯ In the first ce, the reason why they had grown so friendly was because Iliya had forcibly squeezed herself into his life to find out what kind of person he was. The reason behind that was because she suspected he had some kind of connection with the Tristan Household. However, as time went on, she seemed to continue to stick around him more because of how genuine of a person he was rather than basing it on any ulterior motive, but still¡­ ¡®What is the rtionship between these two?¡¯ As she observed Eleanor poking at the bonfire, such a thought crossed her mind. There was no doubt that they were close. Both of them were the first to depend on each other in emergencies, this fact was easily noticeable. If that was the case¡­ Why did he¡­ ¡®Leave Iliya entirely in my hands. I¡¯ll make sure you never regret such a choice.¡¯ Why did he utter such words? Iliya let out a fierce re, barely managing to calm the rising heat that was reaching her ears. ¡®¡­I-It¡¯s not like I have any feelings for him yet or something!¡¯ In any case, her ¡®resentment¡¯ towards the Tristan Duchy was still intact. Despite the man frequently saying or doing things that touched her heart in ufortable ways, he was misunderstanding greatly if he thought she had fallen for him! Until that part was resolved, she had no intention of receiving his feel¨C! ¡®¡­Uh, wait a minute.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t that sound like she¡¯d automatically ept him if that matter was resolved? ¡®N-No, it¡¯s not like that¡­!¡¯ As she struggled toe up with an excuse for god knows who, Eleanor suddenly jumped up from her seat. Seeing her trembling while holding a sword, it was evident that she was quite scared. It was fascinating to see her unchanged expression despite the situation though. ¡°¡­!¡± Iliya¡¯s gaze also sharpened. The fact that the other person showed such a reaction clearly indicated that some sort of threat was near¡ª ¡°¡­¡± But, as soon as she saw what was facing the tip of Eleanor¡¯s sword, her expression quickly went nk. ¡°¡­What are you doing to a bug?¡± Eleanor looked down at the ground with an expression of disbelief. There was an organism wriggling that was almost the size of a human palm. ¡°¡­This is a bug? Isn¡¯t it the remains of a demonic creature?¡± ¡°Countryside bugs all look like this. Is it your first time seeing one?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What kind of demond is the countryside?¡¯ As Eleanor briefly entertained such a thought, Iliya walked over and casually picked up the creature. A golden beetle. And a particrlyrge one at that. ¡°Ah, so nostalgic.¡± ¡°¡­Nostalgic?¡± ¡°There were a lot of them in my hometown. We used to y around with them like this.¡± With a wide smile, Iliya skillfully handled the bug. It squirmed while it crawled along from her hand through her arm. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing this, Eleanor tumbled backwards. Even when the bug crawled up to her face, Iliya justughed as if it tickled. ¡°Don¡¯t get caught by a scary person and live a long, long life~¡± After ying with it for a while, Iliya finally let the bug go and waved her hand with an amused expression. ¡°¡­Student Council President? What are you doing?¡± Eleanor was curled up in the distance, almost as if she was trying to deny reality. She held her drooped head while trembling and shaking so much that it looked like she had seen a ghost. ¡°Don¡¯te close, you monster¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Who was the one that cut people into pieces without changing her expression? What was she even on about?¡¯ ¡®Wait, is she scared of bugs?¡¯ After pondering such a thought, Iliya sat by the bonfire once again. Still, it was a rare sight to see. She could have never imagined this side of her since the other girl always exuded a stoic atmosphere and an expressionless face at the academy. Besides, she seemed to be the type to break an evil spirit¡¯s neck with her bare hands if one were to appear in front of her rather than being scared. ¡°¡­¡± She gazed at Eleanor, who was carefully returning to the bonfire while squirming her toes. If she had never approached the people of the Tristan Household because she always thought them as trash that were no better than Devils¡­ And, she would¡¯ve never discovered this side of Eleanor. ¡®¡­Even this¡­¡¯ That man was the reason behind this. If it wasn¡¯t for him, she would¡¯ve never even considered interacting with Eleanor. ¡°Um, hey. President.¡± The reason she called out to her so suddenly was probably because she had such thoughts. It was a question that she would never ask under normal circumstances, but she had a strong intuition that if she didn¡¯t bring it up now, there would never be another opportunity. ¡°President, do you have a bad rtionship with the Duke?¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyebrows twitched at the question. ¡°¡­What¡¯s your intention behind that question?¡± ¡°If you think I¡¯m being intrusive, you don¡¯t have to answer. However¡­¡± While looking straight into Eleanor¡¯s eyes, she continued. ¡°I got beaten up a lot of times while training with the Margrave since I was very young. So, I think he¡¯s a bit scary, but still¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can clearly feel that he is doing it for me. Just rushing over to help me when he should be busy is enough evidence to prove that.¡± Major nobles were people whose every move could be a sensational piece of rumors. Despite having representatives to handle affairs in their respective territories, the ultimate decision-maker was still themselves. The fact that he ran over all the way here after just receiving a single letter was enough to convey how precious she was to him. Moreover, they weren¡¯t biologically rted. Instead, they were just a foster family. However, the rtionship between Eleanor and Gideon was¡­ ¡°¡­It feels like you consider him as an enemy.¡± Gideon¡¯s attitude towards Eleanor was terrifyingly constant. Utter disregard. It was almost as if he didn¡¯t recognize Eleanor¡¯s existence at all, as he showed no reaction regardless of whether she was nearby or not. Eleanor¡¯s attitude was somewhat simr. However¡­ Unlike Gideon, whenever she looked at him, an unmistakable animosity flowed from her eyes. ¡°It seemed strange. Is there any reason a child would re at her parent like that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re indeed being intrusive, Iliya Krisanax.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Well, figures.¡¯ Iliya nodded with a bitter smile. ¡°But, I can give you an answer.¡± ¡®Huh? Really?¡¯ As Iliya stared at her with wide eyes, Eleanor continued in aposed voice. ¡°¡­If you want a reason, there are several.¡± From the cruel training she underwent as a child to the relentless instition of all the etiquettes a nobledy should uphold. No matter how one looked at it, her memories were filled with experiences that made it difficult to like her father. ¡°¡­¡± Nevertheless, when reflecting on her childhood memories¡­ Her rtionship with her father was not bad. In fact, it was harmonious. At least, until a certain period in time. ¡°However, if I had to choose the biggest reason¡­¡± That memory was still vivid. ¡°It would be because Duke Tristan killed my mother.¡± Iliya¡¯s breath momentarily halted. ¡®What did she say?¡¯ ¡°Killed? What does that mean¡­?¡± ¡°Just as it sounds. I don¡¯t think I need to borate further.¡± It was a summer day, the sunlight was ring. Inside her father¡¯s study. When young Eleanor ran over to her father with a big smile, wanting to show him something¡­ At this point, she couldn¡¯t even remember what it was. Perhaps it was a drawing she wanted to boast about. Back then¡­ She smelled a stench of blood that flowed out of the door. What she saw was her father, holding a blood-soaked sword. And on the ground¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor momentarily fell into silence and closed her eyes. However, when she opened them again¡­ ¡°That man¡­¡± The voice that came out was stillposed. Her expression remained unchanged. ¡°Is not my father. He¡¯s nothing more than an enemy I will defeat one day.¡± Iliya didn¡¯t have a single chance to ask why such a thing happened or why he did what he did. Even in the midst of saying those words, the animosity in Eleanor¡¯s eyes and the chaos that dwelled, making all the hair on her body stand¡­ It was so terrifying that Iliya couldn¡¯t even move. ¡°Is this enough of an answer?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The frozen atmosphere settled heavily around them. After such words, Eleanor was calmly rummaging the embers with an expressionless face. ¡®¡­This person.¡¯ Prior to this, Iliya had simply thought of her as an enemy. But it seemed she harbored a far moreplicated situation than she had initially believed. It was to the extent that she wanted to delve a little deeper. As Iliya contemted this while gazing at the person across from her, Eleanor suddenly spoke. ¡°Since I¡¯ve answered your question, may I ask one as well?¡± ¡°¡­Oh, um, yes?¡± ¡°You. How far have you gone with Dowd?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Gone? What was she even saying¡­? What was ¡®gone¡¯ supposed to mean?¡¯ ¡°¡­.What¡¯s your intention behind that question?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Eleanor stroked her chin and let out her breath through her nose. ¡°I¡¯ve only gone as far as a hug.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ve half given up on expecting him to not freely frolic with other women. It¡¯s in his nature, after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However.¡± Eleanor continued with a chilly voice. And IIiya, who had been listening quietly, flinched at her words. ¡°I can¡¯t distinguish between him ying with fire or him having ¡®real¡¯ intent. It¡¯s a bit problematic if there¡¯s another woman who went further than me. I might find it intolerable.¡± ¡°¡­What will you do if you can¡¯t tolerate it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In turn, Eleanor fell silent, stroking her chin once again. It seemed as if she hadn¡¯t thought that far yet. ¡°Ah, I know¡­¡± In no time, she seemed to havee up with a good idea, but¡­ ¡°Maybe I should kill that woman?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since I can¡¯t exactly kill Dowd, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good idea?¡± ¡®What was so ¡®good¡¯ about that?!¡¯ ¡®What a crazy bitch!¡¯ ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why I asked how far you¡¯ve gone with him. Seeing that Dowd made a promise to go this hometown with you before me, it roused my suspicio¨C¡± ¡°¡­W-Well, I haven¡¯t even held hands with him!¡± Her confession was as swift as lightning. While it was a bit sad to say such things, if she wanted to survive this moment, she had no other choice. ¡°¡­¡± Having heard that, Eleanor nodded quietly. It seemed like she was satisfied with the answer. ¡°I¡¯ll allow up to hand holding.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, no hugging. Even I have only gotten that far. Understood?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alright. Even though Trisha, who had taken the lead and sent her all the way here, would probably sigh if she knew about this, Iliya just nodded for now. Then again, she had to prioritize her survival first before she could even start consideringpeting with her or whatever. After all, the Lady in front of her seemed more than ready to kill if Dowd got involved with another woman more than necessary. ¡°Uuuaah;¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Right when she was in such contemtion¡­ Two people suddenly fell from the sky. ¡°¡­¡± It seemed like the more she stayed around this man, the more frequently she had experiences where people suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She observed the two people who were sprawled on the ground with narrow eyes. ¡°That man, seriously! Does he think it¡¯s enough if he gives a single coordinate and tells us to rush there?! I¡¯ve been feeling this for a while, but he is unmatched when ites to handling people roughly!¡± ¡°Big Sis, even while saying that, you did everything Dowd told you to do.¡± ¡°¡­Quiet down, Yuria.¡± As the two people picked themselves up while muttering suchints, Iliya¡¯s eyes trembled in shock. ¡°Saintess Lucia?¡± ¡°Oh. Lady Tristan?¡± As she dusted off her clothes, Lucia tilted her head. Due to their position, they had passed each other several times in official settings, but they had never spoken to each other before. As such, Eleanor, who knew how much of an important figure the Saintess was, couldn¡¯t help but ask with a bewildered voice. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°¡­Originally, I heard that Duke Tristan and Margrave Kendride were gathered here, so I came to mediate between them, but¡­¡± Lucia scanned the camp. Although it was necessary to directly see who was here to confirm her suspicions, considering it was the correct number of people, at the very least, it was certain that they were ¡®camping together.¡¯ In essence, it didn¡¯t seem like an atmosphere for a life-and-death confrontation. ¡°¡­From the state of this ce, it doesn¡¯t seem like we need to do anything like that. It definitely feels like we were called out here because he wanted to assign another ta¨C¡± ¡°Where is Mr. Dowd?¡± Yuria¡¯s words abruptly cut off her sister. It seemed like she didn¡¯t care about anything else besides Dowd¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor flinched at her words, but Yuria continued to look around without any concern. Her hand was fondling the cor as if she was anxious. ¡°¡­I wish he could touch this a bit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or maybe grab it and toss me like he usually does¡­¡± ¡°¡­What kind of habit have you developed?¡± As Luciained with an exhausted voice¡­ Iliya who was watching this scene suddenly felt a chill run down her spine as she swiftly turned her head. Eleanor¡¯s body was now beyond flinching and had started to tremble. ¡°¡­May I ask your name?¡± ¡°U-Um?¡± At her words, Yuria turned her head towards Eleanor. ¡°I¡¯m Yuria Greyhounder. Are you¡­ Lady Tristan?¡± ¡°Pleased to meet you, Yuria Greyhounder. As you said, I am Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan.¡± Her sentence itself was polite. However, for some reason, the chill Iliya felt just intensified. ¡°May I ask what rtionship you have with Dowd Campbell¡­?¡± Yuria tilted her head. It seemed as if she was trying to figure out a good way to describe their rtionship ¡°¡­ He¡¯s someone very important to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s expression convulsed, almost as if it was cracking. ¡°Then, that cor is¡­?¡± ¡°Mr. Dowd put it on me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I feel better when I have it on. Of course, it was the best when he grabbed the leash and dragged me arou¡ª¡± When she heard those words, a shback of the recent conversation yed in Illiya¡¯s mind. ¡®I can¡¯t distinguish between him ying with fire or him having ¡®real¡¯ intent. It¡¯s a bit problematic if there¡¯s another woman who went further than me. I might find it intolerable.¡¯ A woman who couldn¡¯t even tolerate seeing that man hug another woman¡­ Had now met a girl who wore a cor, saying she enjoyed it when that man dragged her around by the leash. ¡°¡­¡± A small contemtive sound escaped from Iliya. ¡®¡­Mr. Dowd¡­ aren¡¯t you in big trouble?¡¯ He really was.
¡°¡­I found it, but¡­¡± I packed the magically engineered telescope as I said this. A visible grey aura was sporadically flowing from the middle of the mountain. ¡°It seems much more difficult to subjugate than I thought.¡± The fact that the demonic aura was noticeable, implied that the Devil¡¯s Fragment had deeply fused with the demonic creature. In other words, the difficulty level of the battle could have risen even higher than expected. ¡°It looks dangerous. WIthout a divine power specialist, we might have some trouble.¡± Although Kraut said such words, instead of responding, I just descended from the tall rock with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ve already called one over.¡± They had probably arrived at the base camp by now. ¡®Speaking of the base camp¡­¡¯ There was a reason why Gideon and Kraut were the only ones I brought along this time. System Log [ Targets ¡®Iliya¡¯ and Eleanor¡¯ are engaging in a sincere conversation. ] [ The bond between these two characters has slightly deepened!! ] [ Forming a party of members that has built bonds with each other provides various adjustments in ability! ] ¡®That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about.¡¯ While progressing through side quests, events that formed a ¡®bond¡¯ between party members asionally ur when they stick together. Especially if they were ced in the same ¡®amodations¡¯ as each other. Main Quests usually progressed quickly within a few days, while side quests tended to have a longer, winding path. It seemed that such a design was part of the game settings. ¡°Hey, Dweeb. Why haven¡¯t you said anything since earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kraut suddenly threw such words at Gideon, who was standing next to him in a daze. Instead of answering, Gideon just gestured randomly with his hands in silence. ¡°¡­It¡¯s none of your business, Barbarian.¡± After cutting Kraut off with a blunt voice, Gideon turned around and walked away somewhere. ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to hunt some demonic creatures nearby.¡± Even though tomorrow was the day of the subjugation, he suddenly dered that he was going for an unnecessary battle. However, neither Kraut nor I tried to stop him. After all, we both knew that he couldn¡¯t rest easy unless he cut something. ¡°Hey.¡± With a slightly lower voice than before, Kraut gazed at me and spoke. ¡°You know his current state is serious, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re scheming something to use that state of his?¡± ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± ¡°Look at this fucker not even trying to hide it.¡± Kraut chuckled before replying. ¡°I can tell instantly. After all, you¡¯re no fool, but you still chose to bring such an uncontroble guy all the way here.¡± With a sigh, he continued. ¡°Do you know about the curse rted to that Dweeb¡¯s household? If we make even the slightest mistake in our strategy, we could all die because of him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course I knew. However¡­ Improving the rtionship between him and Eleanor was an essential step in freeing their household from the curse. To achieve that, it was much better for Gideon to maintain his current state. ¡°¡­If you help me, it will be resolved a lot easier than you think.¡± ¡°Well, whatever. Since I¡¯m already involved in your ploy, I¡¯ll see what you can do. Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll let you use me however you wish for now.¡± Kraut turned to me with a smiling face. ¡°But.¡± However, his eyes were not smiling at all. ¡°If something goes wrong and Iliya gets hurt, I¡¯m going to kill you, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I knew it. This guy was a hopelessly doting father. ¡®¡­Caliban would be pleased if he saw this.¡¯ I pondered as such while looking at the amulet on my wrist. The reason why this man was so devoted to Iliya was also because of a ¡®promise¡¯ he made with Caliban. Well, the full story would unfold in Chapter 4 anyway, where the main focus of the story was Iliya. As such, establishing a rtionship with Kraut now would undoubtedly be helpful at that time. ¡°¡­That won¡¯t happen, so let¡¯s go back. We need to be well-rested for the subjugation tomorrow.¡± With that, I turned around. Since all the tasks are finished,I just needed to finalize the n. Perhaps I could actually rx a bit tonig¡ª System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] System Message [ ! Alert ! ] [ It is rmended to return to the camp immediately! ] ¡°¡­¡± The fuck? You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 70: Gideon (1) Chapter 70: Gideon (1) ? Gideon (1) ? Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan treasured Dowd Campbell. At some point, if she were asked to summarize her own feelings, that would be the only answer that woulde out of her mouth. However, what she herself did not realize was¡­ ¡°¡­I¡­¡± When it came to something that was rted to that man¡­ She would react intensely¡­ More intense than she had thought¡­ Much, much more intense¡­ ¡°He told me that we¡¯ll be family¡­ But why is he¡­ with another woman¡ª¡± There was a newfound emotion mixed in her voice. The ¡®aura¡¯ pouring out from her heart also felt like it was spreading throughout her whole body. ¡°T-That¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t simply that she was angry because another woman engaged in ¡®that¡¯ kind of action with him. Rather, it was because she felt like an ¡¯experience¡¯ she hadn¡¯t had with that man yet was taken from her by another person. At the very least, she should have all of his ¡®firsts¡¯. How dare another woman have that experience with him! ¡°I can do it much better than her¡ª.!¡± Not only could she put a leash around her neck, but she could also do all kinds of things for him! Why did he decide to go to another woman instead of asking her first! ¡°¡­¡± Iliya, who was silently watching her from the side, narrowed her eyes. ¡®No wait, the reason for her anger was a little weird, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®Seriously, how does that man have so much influence over her¡­?¡¯ ¡®¡­That aside.¡¯ Her expression soon became serious. Regardless of the reason, the aura that Eleanor was emitting wasn¡¯t normal. Although Eleanor herself was in a state of confusion and couldn¡¯t grasp her feelings properly, it felt like she could turn hostile against Yuria at any moment. Also, the aura she exuded was the same one that Iliya had experienced before. The grey aura that covered the entire area during the Full Moon Festival. And if she went a little further in her memory¡­ There was another time when she encountered it. The red night, the cursed day when her entire family was swept away. ¡®¡­A Devil?¡¯ ¡®No, there¡¯s no way.¡¯ Of course, there were stories about Devils dwelling in the veins of the Tristan Duchy. However, it was illogical to suddenly think that the Lady was emitting such an aura. It was far more likely that it was just her misunderstanding. ¡°¡­¡± After all, if this really was the aura of a Devil¡­ The Heretic Inquisition should have already turned upside down long ago. There was no way that those people, who went crazy trying to detect Devils, hadn¡¯t noticed this. Not to mention that the person in question was someone as famous as THE Lady Tristan herself. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call a Devil¡¯s Vessel the enemy of all mankind. Unless the Imperial Family or a power equivalent to it was suppressing such information, those Vessels should have been dealt with much earlier. ¡®No, I went too far. There¡¯s no way they would do that.¡¯ Iliya let out a bitterugh as she stood up. As far as she was aware, the Imperial Family wasn¡¯t that wicked. That was why she decided that it would be better to focus on resolving the current situation rather than making unnecessary suspicions. ¡°¡­Wait, Lady Tristan. Please calm down for no¡ª¡± Right when Iliya tried to calm Eleanor, her gaze caught on to something. Dowd Campbell, rushing urgently into the camp. ¡®¡­Wait, since when did he wear a mask?¡¯ As she cocked her head in confusion, she noticed the mask on Dowd¡¯s face. ¡®Well, anyway. He has good timing.¡¯ ¡°Ah, Teach! Come here and take care of this!¡± ¡°I was going to even if you didn¡¯t tell me.¡± Dowd approached Eleanor without slowing down at all. Seeing that, Iliya felt that something was off and started frowning when¡­ ¡°¡­Dowd? What are you do¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a brief talk.¡± He approached a bewildered Eleanor before embracing her. ¡°¡­!¡± And right then and there, he lifted her up as if carrying baggage. Then, he dashed out of the camp in an instant. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What in the world is he doing?¡¯
¡°W-Wait, Dowd. Put me down! There are so many things you need to exin!¡± ¡°Okay, sure.¡± Upon hearing Eleanor¡¯s words, Dowd stopped in his tracks. Then, as he gently lowered her to the ground, Eleanor briefly blinked in surprise. She never expected him toply with her words so easily. ¡°¡­¡± Regardless of that, though¡­ There were more pressing matters at hand. Eleanor clenched her fist and lifted her chin. mes seemed to flicker in her eyes. ¡°¡­Who are¡­those women? What kind of rtionship do they have with¡ª!¡± ¡°They¡¯re my friends. They¡¯re different from you, Eleanor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor, who was passionately pouring out her voice, stopped in an instant. Hearing his words, her eyes widened. ¡®Huh? This man¡­?¡¯ ¡®What did he just say?¡¯ ¡°¡­D-Different?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a special person to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor bit her lips as her fists trembled. Somehow¡­ He was different from the usual Dowd. Originally, whenever such topics arose, he would have these hazy eyes and did absolutely nothing besides breathing and waiting to see how it turned out. But now¡­ How should she put this¡­ His gaze was filled with certainty and his face was filled with determination. This was the Dowd who was always clear about his goals. In other words¡­ This was the appearance she often saw on the battlefield, where he always shone brightly in emergencies. ¡®Somehow, he¡¯s co¨C¡¯ As she was about to think that, Eleanor startled and shook her head inwardly. ¡®No, I couldn¡¯t be swayed.¡¯ ¡®¡­He¡¯s not cool¡­!¡¯ The man was not cool at all. Eleanor repeatedly reminded herself of this fact, as if to engrave such a sentence into her brain. There could be no doubt about that. Regardless of how she actually felt in her heart, for now, she had to think as such in her head. Because this was the time for her to get angry with this man! Eleanor tried to force out a fierce re. Usually, she could do it effortlessly, but somehow, it was especially difficult when this man was supposed to be the target of her sharp eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t try to get out of this with such vague words¨C!¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll tell you straight.¡± Dowd¡¯s calm voice continued. ¡°Eleanor, you are the most precious person to me. More than anyone else. You don¡¯t have to worry about every little thing like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The sharpness in her eyes began to soften. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡®So.¡¯ ¡®So like¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± She quickly turned her gaze away. After all, if she kept locking eyes with him, she felt like she would unintentionally be swayed by this man. Her mouth went dry. Even though she was supposed to get angry, Eleanor couldn¡¯t understand why she herself felt like she did something wrong. It was a weird feeling. It was to the point that she felt she should forgive him since she had already said enough. ¡°¡­¡± And then, when she turned her head again and saw Dowd looking straight at her, Eleanor realized the reason why. ¡®¡­Ah. I see.¡¯ In essence, she already knew it herself. She thought that if she tried to pursue this matter any further, a crack could ur in their rtionship. Even if there was a one in a million chance, she couldn¡¯t risk it. Just imagining the possibility that this man might dislike her was utterly unbearable. The reason for it was; she had fallen for him that deeply. ¡°You really¡­¡± Her raging fury died down. Probably a sign that her heart was satisfied by this oue. If this mane had acted like usual, with his frustrating indifference, she¡¯d probably feel theplete opposite. But hearing such words made her feel better. ¡°Dowd.¡± Even so, she still had to make him promise something. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°From now on, if you¡¯re going to do something like that, do it with me first.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Dowd let out a bewildered expression¡­ But she was being sincere. ¡°Promise me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the end, Dowd had no choice but to pinky-promise her with a reluctant expression.
System Message [ Corruption Progress of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ decreased from ¡®64% ¡ú2%¡¯ ] ¡®What a relief.¡¯ As I looked at Eleanor trot back to the camp, I wiped away the sweat that trickled down my forehead. ¡®¡­I almost died.¡¯ If the Corruption Progress had reached 100%, the Fragment inside would have gone berserk and the members here, excluding me, would have faced certain annihtion. Considering they were all key figures in the scenario, it was a crisis where my life could have actually been considered forfeit. [¡­You know.] Suddenly, a voice flowed from the amulet. It was Caliban¡¯s. However, his voice somehow felt colder than usual. [I usually just shrugged it off whenever I see you seduce those other kids without thinking.] ¡°¡­¡± His voice was ridden with thorns. [But it¡¯s a bit unsettling to see you act like that out of ¡®necessity.¡¯ You¡¯ll receive divine punishment for ying with people¡¯s hearts, you know?] ¡°¡­¡± [If she was being that sincere to you, you should at least given her a straight ans¡ª] ¡°Then I would die.¡± [What?] ¡°This doesn¡¯t make me feel great either, Caliban.¡± I knew better than anyone that Eleanor genuinely likes me. Even just recently, didn¡¯t she say that if I were to die, she¡¯d die too? Honestly, it was absurd for me to not know when someone harbored affection for me. In the first ce, the favorability level was clearly written in the status window. However¡­ ¡°Do you know why I went out of my way to drag Eleanor out here?¡± [What are you talking about?] ¡°If I were to hold the talk just now inside the camp, I would have died.¡± [¡­] At the camp, there was Yuria, who was dyed by the White Devil¡¯s Fragment. Saying such things in front of that incarnation of obsession could have led, not to Eleanor¡¯s corruption, but to the Corruption Progress of Yuria instantly skyrocketing to 100%. And if the White Devil went berserk, the probability that everyone here, except me, died was, once again, incredibly high. ¡®¡­This is hell.¡¯ Considering that the constitution of my soul would only make the Devil¡¯s Vessels even more twisted in the future, this was just the beginning. The trigger that made each Devil go berserk and the methods to prevent it were all different. The onlymonality was that they were all highly sensitive to my ¡®affection¡¯. Just saying one word about liking or disliking someone could cause a disaster. It meant that I had no choice but to continue walking on this tenuous tightrope. In the end, one-way affection was the safest; Of course, I meant from the Devil¡¯s Vessel to me. The moment it became mutual, the probability of catastrophe exponentially increased. ¡®¡­That¡¯s why.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but¡­¡¯ No matter how high someone¡¯s favorability level was, I could only see it as a ¡®stat¡¯. A stat for ¡®strategy,¡¯ not for the emotions of a person. The moment I faced it person to person. The moment I take the ¡®right actions¡¯. I would die. That was how this world was structured. Until all the Devils in every Vessel are sealed, I had no choice but to unwillingly y the role of a yboy. ¡°So, even if I do some trashy things, please look the other way. My life is at stake here too.¡± [¡­] Caliban remained silent for a while before letting out a sigh. [You really are¡­ Unfortunate¡­ How did you even end up with that kind of constitution?] ¡°The Headmistress didn¡¯t say that people with my constitution had short lifespans for no reason, you know.¡± With a bitter smile, I stood up from my seat. [But have you never had a girlfriend before? You seemed like a total yer just now.] ¡°Why is my reputation so shit?¡± [No, you see, even if there were no restrictions, I feel like you wouldn¡¯t be able to date anyone. Since you¡¯re dense as fuck.] ¡°¡­¡± [It feels like the only thing you¡¯re good at is flirting, but you¡¯re unbelievably skilled at it, you know? Like it seems you¡¯re optimized since birth to be a yer, right?] There was nothing this man couldn¡¯t say, was there? ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ Had a girlfriend¡­¡± It was a bit ambiguous to count her as one, that was why I always mentioned having no rtionship experience. [Huh, really? How long did you date?] ¡°Three seconds.¡± [¡­What?] ¡°We dated for three seconds, and then she dumped me.¡± [¡­] Even though there were no words spoken, I could feel a subtle feeling of sympathy filling Soul Linker. [Alright. I¡¯ll believe you. Oh my, our dear Dowd. You have dated before? I¡¯m so, so pro¡ª] ¡°¡­Please shut the fuck up.¡±
¡°That must be it.¡± The day of the Demonic Creature Conquest. We found what we were looking for not long after the day started. Even from a glimpse, the bear-like demonic creature was several timesrger than ordinary ones. Grey aura was swirling around its body. ¡°¡­An Intermediate-Grade demonic creature. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to hunt.¡± As Kraut said this, he surveyed the surroundings. Although the demonic creatures were only Low-Grade, He and Gideon alone had already hunted dozens of them. Even if it was embedded with a Devil¡¯s Fragment, it was unreasonable to think that such a team couldn¡¯t handle an Intermediate-Grade demonic creature. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a bit excessive?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Kraut¡¯s remark. Well, I understood his feelings. Two warriors that represented the Empire, genius of swordsmanship Lady Tristan, the Saintess sisters, and the Hero Candidate. It was perfectly understandable to think that assembling such a team just to capture one Intermediate-Grade demonic creature was a bit too much. ¡°I called everyone because I needed them. It¡¯s necessary, okay?¡± ¡°¡­You sure about that? Let¡¯s finish quickly and go. I¡¯m gonna get in trouble if I¡¯m away from my territory for too long.¡± With that, Kraut immediately dashed forward. He seemed to express that he could effortlessly face such a weak demonic creature by himself. ¡°¡­As expected, whether then or now, he hasn¡¯t changed at all.¡± Lucia sighed next to me as she prepared her Graces. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± ¡°Holy Knights of the Empire can only be officially appointed if they are recognized in the Holy Land. I was in charge of Margrave Kendride¡¯s qualification test.¡± Huh, again, an unexpected connection. However, if that was the case, Lucia should also know how much of a monster that man was. That was why¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± I stopped Lucia, who was about to send a Grace to Kraut. Honestly, the bear-like demonic creature was getting shit on by Kraut alone. There was no need to support him. ¡°¡­Huh? But there¡¯s no reason not to give him¡ª¡± ¡°There is.¡± With that, I gestured around. Everyone except Kraut were standing still with their weapons ready. Yuria, Eleanor, Iliya, and even Gideon who disliked losing to Kraut in any way. After all, I ordered them to. ¡°Spare it. There is a real enemy we need to face.¡± If I had to choose a reason for only sending Kraut to beat the shit out of it, it was because he would be the least burdened by such a task. In terms ofbat tenacity, he was a monster that could be ranked at the top in this entire game. Whether the Devil¡¯s Fragment was deeply fused or not, dealing with an Intermediate-Grade demonic creature alone was not an issue. The real thing to be concerned about was¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I silently nced at Eleanor and Gideon. In the end, the key figures of this boss battle were those two. ¡®¡­I should prepare in advance.¡¯ With such a thought in mind, I checked the system window. System Notification [ 1 Trigger Condition for Hidden Event ¡®???¡¯ Met! (1/3) ] The condition for the hidden event that I fulfilled during the battle with Valkasus. If I fulfilled all of it, then¡­ I could obtain the most crucial means to lift the curse on Eleanor¡¯s household during her exclusive quest. ¡®If my assumptions are correct¡­¡¯ In the original scenario, the only route to save Gideon, who was destined to die without fail, was by clearing this exclusive quest. To do that, I needed to fulfill all the conditions for this hidden event before Chapter 5, where Eleanor¡¯s corruption branching route triggered. Otherwise, well¡­ From then on¡­ Instead of being an antagonist for show like now, I would witness Eleanor transforming into a true viin. ¡°¡­¡± Various images of a corrupted Eleanor shed through my mind. Events such as when she expressionlessly massacred a man¡¯s entire bloodline in front of him, as he begged to just spare his child. Or when she imprisoned all the civilians of her own territory in one building, set it on fire, and then stood still while watching them burn to death. That was the type of monster she would be. If she waspletely corrupted, of course. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± As she tilted her head with a puzzled look in response to my gaze, I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t let her be like that. Ever. ¡®¡­So.¡¯ To prevent such a sight, I had to trigger the second event here. As I prepared myself, I looked towards Kraut, who was mercilessly pounding the bear demonic creature on the ground. ¡°Heut.¡± Shortly after, Kraut threw the demonic creature like a pebble and instantly did an Argentine Backbreaker in the air to m it back down. Then came the submission. The choked bear demonic creature couldn¡¯t even scream as it writhed on the ground. There was no chance to use demonic aura or anything for the matter. It was getting shit on, unable to even breathe. ¡°Haha, put some strength into it!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Every time I saw him, I kept wondering¡­ Is that fucking thing really a human being? How could he easily y around with an Intermediate-Grade demonic creature that was fused with a Devil¡¯s Fragment using just his raw physical prowess? With a sigh, I stood up. Since it was getting pulverized to such an extent, it was time for the ¡®transition¡¯ to take ce. ¡°Margrave. Step back a bit.¡± ¡°What? This is the perfect time to¨C¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll get hurt.¡± Kraut didn¡¯t even have a chance to ask what I meant. From the body of the half-dead demonic creatures, a grey demonic aura began to erupt. ¡°¡­!¡± The entire surrounding area slowed down. It was the activation of a limited version of the Grey Devil¡¯s Authority. Corrosion In this slowed-down world, a small gem-like object emerged from the bear demonic creature¡¯s mouth. ¡°W-What is that¡­!¡± And Lucia, who sensed the ¡®killing aura¡¯ emitted by the gem, eximed in astonishment. Despite its small appearance¡­ The malice emanating from it was so overwhelming that it felt like it could blind anyone who simply looked at it. ¡°¡­!¡± Gideon¡¯s eyes widened at the sight of this. This man was probably the only one who knew ¡®what¡¯ it was. And he was also the only one who knew what would happen next. The Devil¡¯s Fragment, sensing the impending ¡®death¡¯ of its original Vessel, attempted to instinctively seek a different Vessel. And, conveniently, there was a human here that was already infiltrated by one Fragment. -¡­ -!!!! Soon after¡­ In this slowed-down world, the Devil¡¯s Fragment shot towards Eleanor like an arrow. It aimed to integrate into a Vessel that could let it remain in the Material Realm for the longest time. As such, it made the most efficient choice; a Vessel with one Fragment already fused. However¡­ Someone interfered with its trajectory. Even in this slowed-down world, there was someone who disyed superhuman strength to stand in front of Eleanor. ¡°¡­¡± Gideon looked dazedly at the Devil¡¯s Fragment embedded in his chest. He had purposefully blocked it with his own body so that it couldn¡¯t fly towards Eleanor. And then¡­ -!!!!!!!!!!! The grey aura flowing from the Fragment engulfed his entire body like an electric current. From Gideon¡¯s gritted teeth, a painful exhale escaped. ¡°¡­Everyone.¡± Under normal circumstances, he could have probably resisted getting ¡®devoured¡¯ by this Fragment. However, he was currently heavily gued by the madness that had descended upon his household. As such, there was hardly any room for him to resist. ¡°Get away¡­ From me¡­!¡± And Gideon probably knew exactly how an individual ¡®behaved¡¯ when encroached by a Devil¡¯s Fragment for the first time, After all, he had ¡®faced¡¯ such an individual in the past. His eyes began to emit a reddish light, as he breathed heavily. He was on the verge of losing his sanity. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, run away! From now on, I will perceive all of you as enemies!¡± To be more precise, he would perceive all living organisms as targets to be killed. It was because Devils inherently bore enmity towards all living entities in the Material Realm. In other words¡­ From now on, the ¡®Strongest Knight of the Empire,¡¯ while wielding the energy of the ¡®Grey Devil¡¯, woulde to kill us with his full power. However¡­ ¡°Gideon.¡± I chuckled. The grey aura that had spread around was almost entirely stuffed into Gideon. Since it could now move more freely, it even tried rotating his arm. ¡°Just stay calm and leave it to me.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°I knew it would turn out like this from the very beginning.¡± I already knew that he would block the Devil¡¯s Fragment with his body when it went for Eleanor. And I also knew he would quickly get encroached because of his half-sane state. ¡®Oh, Gideon¡­¡¯ ¡®Why do you think I gathered all these members in the first ce?¡¯ ¡®You think I gathered them only to defeat a single demonic creature bearing a Devil¡¯s Fragment?¡¯ ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t your visit primarily to see how much stronger you¡¯ve be?¡± These members were¡­ ¡°Well then. Let¡¯s see how well you did your homework.¡± The force that would subdue the ¡®Strongest Knight of the Empire¡¯ who was infused with a ¡®Devil¡¯s Fragment¡¯. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 71: Gideon (2) Chapter 71: Gideon (2) ? Gideon (2) ? System Notification [ Using ¡®Scan¡¯. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] [ Gideon Galestead La Tristan ] < Character Info > Characteristic: Duke Tristan Status: ¡­ < Status Info > [ General ] Strength: S+ Agility: S+ Endurance: A Luck: F Power: S+ [ Special ] Magic Power: SS+ Law Power: F Divine Power: F [ Techniques ] Swordsmanship: SS Mana Mastery: SS+ Intuition: SS+ < Misc. > [ ¡®Devil¡¯s Fragment¡¯ is currently encroaching the target! ] [ Currently at 0%, 2 minutes left until encroachment isplete! ] Amazing. If I were to consider only the stat values, his stats were lower than Kraut, but they were incredibly bnced. As expected, the title Strongest Knight of the Empire, was definitely not for show. And even among such stats¡­. ¡®¡­This guy can¡¯t be evaluated as human either.¡¯ His Swordsmanship was SS+, the same grade as Kraut¡¯s Unarmed Combat, not to mention that his ¡®Mana Mastery¡¯ and ¡®Intuition¡¯ were in the same grade as well. To put it shortly, in regards to the usage of magic power, he was unmatched. His ability to instinctively find the most efficient decisions during a battle was almost godlike. There was a reason why he was Kraut¡¯s equal despite the significant difference in their stat values. From my perspective, who enjoyed fighting by hitting the opponent¡¯s weak points with pre-nned strategies, his Masteries couldn¡¯t help but make me sigh. ¡°So¡­¡± After hearing the ¡®goal¡¯ of this battle that I just revealed, Kraut spoke with a sardonicugh. Gideon, with eyes gradually emitting a more sister red light, slowly stood up, drawing his sword. It was clear evidence that he was descending into madness. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to suppress the Empire¡¯s Strongest, who ispletely raving mad, ¡®alive¡¯?¡± ¡°No.¡± Strictly speaking, neither Gideon nor this person was the ¡®Empire¡¯s Strongest¡¯. Though, if it was narrowed to ¡®Knights¡¯ or ¡®Holy Knights¡¯, this would be somewhat urate. ¡®¡­If those monsters in the Imperial Pce didn¡¯t exist, he wouldn¡¯t be wrong.¡¯ With a bitter smile, I contemted such thoughts. After all, those guys weren¡¯t just at a level of being powerful. Well, anyway. There was one more thing that he got incorrect besides that. ¡°He isn¡¯tpletely insane. I¡¯m pretty sure hisbat decisions will be better than usual.¡± The suppressed madness of the household should have erupted and the Devil¡¯s Fragment, which wishes to kill any living being, would be encroaching upon him. With those two being active, if anything, it¡¯d only buff his capabilities for killing people instead of giving him debuffs. ¡°¡­Are you really nning to kill everyone here?¡± Kraut growled in a low voice. Needless to say, subduing someone was much more difficult than outright killing them. Not to mention that this was the buffed Gideon. Even with Kraut¡¯s assistance, it was doubtful that we could seed. However¡­ ¡°When I said I would fight you, everyone¡¯s reactions were the same as now, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The match-up wasn¡¯t good, subduing him alive was impossible, h h whatever. There were many things to be anxious about but¡­. ¡°Margrave.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°If this really was impossible, I would have already run away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The reason why I was doing this was because it was possible despite the dangers. I mean, I also treasured my life, okay? If I wasn¡¯t sure that it¡¯d work, I wouldn¡¯t have attempted it in the first ce. ¡°Anyway, uh, what was I saying? Oh yeah, like I mentioned before, the goal is to ¡®endure¡¯¡­for the next two minutes.¡± As I scratched my cheek, I chose my words carefully. ¡°Since everyone heard the n, let¡¯s move ordingly. I keep repeating myself, but this really won¡¯t take long.¡± I continued with an apathetic voice. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly dunk on the Duke and go home.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As everyone looked at me as if to say, ¡®How can you talk about the Duke like that?¡¯.¡­ ¡°¡ª!¡± Gideon charged towards us with a roar.
They said, to take down a Knight, first you¡¯d have to take down the horse they rode first. To apply that in this situation, against us, the first thing one should do was subdue the Saintess, someone whocked any sort ofbat strength despite her capabilities for providing support. ¡°¡­!¡± Even among top-tier Knights, Duke Tristan was praised for his unmatched tactics during battle. Bypressing and expelling magic power behind him, he even surpassed Kraut¡¯s speed in an instant. No one could react properly. However¡­ ¡°You shall not pass!¡± Fortunately, in that aspect, there was a very reliable bodyguard. After all, there was a person who could sever anything within a close range. As long as her opponent was within two steps in her range. The Starsteel Circlet shed. The ancient curse that had continued for so long it bordered on eternity, imparted a terrifying power into Yuria¡¯s sword. -! However¡­ As sparks flew, Yuria¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He blocked that?!¡± Iliya screamed in astonishment. Yuria¡¯s one blow had even cut the Starsteel Automaton in half at this exact same distance. However, Gideon managed to block it even while he was in the middle of rushing forward. His wless Mana Mastery, the angle of his arm, the gait of his footwork, and even the exact surface of contact with his sword. In realbat, an ordinary human would find it difficult to properly consider even one of these. However, Gideon managed to control every one of these tiny variables, thus creating a miracle-like result. And Gideon, who blocked Severer, ¡®pushed¡¯ Yuria aside, with movements akin to that of flowing water. ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing this, Yuria¡¯s eyes widened. In reality¡­ Yuria exhibited near-invulnerability inbat against opponents who entered her range, but if she was simply ¡®ignored¡¯, it wouldpletely neutralize her. There was no way Gideon knew about Yuria¡¯s ability. After all, I hadn¡¯t introduced my party members to each other. It was just that his Intuition, which always chose the path closest to the correct answer, judged that there was no reason to confront her any further after exchanging a single blow with her. ¡®¡­What a monster.¡¯ Even though he didn¡¯t have something like my ¡®game knowledge¡¯ to help him analyze information, his conformance and timing was at a level almostparable to mine. In other words, it meant there was virtually no gap between someone with a strategy guide built into their head and someone who was fighting in real-time. It wasn¡¯t without reason that such shy stats were attached to this man¡¯s status window. Subsequently, Gideon¡¯s sword, emitting a sinister light, flew towards the Saintess. Lucia¡¯s face, exposed in the killing intent that seems to burn all the surrounding air, paled. However¡­ There was already someone ¡®waiting¡¯ in front of him. It was me, who knew from the very beginning that he would aim for Lucia. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] System Message [ ¡®Skill: Proof of Faith¡¯ activated. ] [ All stat bonuses are converted to ¡®Endurance¡¯ and ¡®Divine Power¡¯. ] System Message [ ¡®Skill: Stigmata¡¯ activated. ] A skillbo with 3 stages. All the inted stats converted into endurance and divine power. Influenced by that, an even more reinforced shield of divine power was created. Of course, this was a strike from the one who held the title of the Strongest Knight of the Empire. There was no way to block such an attack with only this much. The shield, which had decently withstood against Valkasus¡¯s Forbidden Sorcery, tore apart like parchment. The sword continued to descend upon Lucien, but¡­ Following this¡­ ¡°Caliban.¡± System Message [ ¡®Skill: Image World¡¯ activated. ] The buffs I received were directly transmitted to Lucia, enhancing the durability of the defensive Graces she had barely erected in time. Thanks to this, Gideon¡¯s sword, which charged like an enraged wild boar, stopped as sparks flew. It was absurd. This was the amount of effort required to block a single strike from him. However, such efforts did not seem to be in vain, as counterattacks flew in from the surroundings. Yuria, Iliya, and Kraut. The Margrave, who was no different from a human-shaped tank, stood at the forefront before seizing the opportunity. As Gideon swung his sword again after noticing others approaching, the Margrave caught it ¡®barehanded¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± What a fucking lunatic. Truly. Of course, his hand was cut. The sword prated into his hand and even dug into part of his arm. The wless steel-like physique, which I couldn¡¯t prate no matter how much I attacked, was injured. But, if I were to put it more positively¡­ This guy actually parried Gideon¡¯s strike with ¡®only that much¡¯. He wasn¡¯t called his rival for nothing. ¡°Get him!¡± In response to those words, Yuria and Iliya, who were waiting nearby, simultaneously leaped. Of course, they were attackers with many wspared to Gideon or Kraut. But in a situation like this, where Kraut had sacrificed his own body topletely block Gideon¡¯s attack, they could still deal effective damage. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Gideon took a deep breath, then ¡®released¡¯ his sword. Kraut was flustered and Gideon, after distancing himself a bit, ¡®closed his eyes¡¯. It was a situation where a swordsman gave up his sword and even closed his eyes voluntarily. For an ordinary person, it could seem like a suicidal act. ¡°Oh shit¡ª!¡± From the empty air, an attack, seemingly capable of even tearing apart steel, suddenly materialized. Pre-movement, body movement, and Mana Mastery. Yuria and Ililya were simultaneously bounced away from a strike that was void of any indications of its existence. Both Yuria and Iliya¡¯s face was filled with horror at the sight of a technique that seemed to be on the verge of a Miracle. If it wasn¡¯t for the Grace created by the Saintess just in time, they would have suffered severe injuries. A shimmering shield of various colors was oveid on their bodies. ¡®¡­Divine Gloves?¡¯ A defensive Grace with very high resistance to physical impact. Seeing her create something like this on the spot without Prayers or Holy Relics made me realize once again that there was a reason why she was the Saintess. However, during the time when the attack was slowed down, Gideon had already retrieved his sword from Kraut¡¯s body. He kicked away Kraut, who tried to stop him, while smoothly extracting the sword stuck in his arm before distancing himself once again. Surprisingly, it meant that Gideon gained the upper hand in closebat against Kraut. ¡°¡­This fucker. Before, if he came this close, he wasn¡¯t able to do anything¡­!¡± Well, that was because of the Devil¡¯s Fragment that was attached to him. As evident from Eleanor, when a Fragment was infused, it somehow enhanced the strength of its host. As the encroachment progressed on Gideon, there was a high probability that his stats were increasing. In other words, the longer this fight went on, the more disadvantageous it became for us. The subsequent sh seemed to reflect this. All of our attacks were deflected while all of his attacksnded, thus damage was being one-sidedly umted on us. Surprisingly, he was pushing back members of such caliber. Even if I had ordered to kill instead of suppress, it was highly likely that the situation wouldn¡¯t have changed much. ¡°¡­¡± No, let me rephrase that. It was only possible to endure this much because our party members were so remarkable. That was how overwhelming of a force Gideon was currently disying. It was at the level of a one-man army. Even after considering that hisbat strength had increased more than usual, it was still too much. And as I looked at him performing as such¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Well, I knew this wasn¡¯t an appropriate thought to have, but¡­ It made me happy. No, listen. The fact that Gideon, infused with a Devil¡¯s Fragment, could exhibit that muchbat strength was undoubtedly a good sign. Because¡­ There was definitely a point in the scenario where I would gleefully utilize thatbat strength. ¡°So, just like you nned, Teach, we¡¯re somehow holding on for now!¡± It was so natural of Iliya to scream in such a situation. ¡°But how are we supposed to capture something like that alive-!¡± However¡­ ¡°He¡¯s already done for.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± As Iliya widened her eyes, I gave her a smile before standing up. We shouldn¡¯t misunderstand the goal of this battle. After all, I clearly stated at the beginning that our goal was to ¡®endure¡¯ for two minutes. [ Gideon Galestead La Tristan ] < Misc. > [ ¡®Devil¡¯s Fragment¡¯ is currently encroaching the target! ] [ Currently at 90%, 12 seconds left until encroachment isplete! ] [ The ¡®Grey Devil¡¯ begins to infuse into the target! ] As I nced at the window, I sneaked a look at Gideon¡¯s appearance. Gideon, who hadn¡¯t even shed a drop of sweat previously, was now breathing roughly. Grey demonic aura spurted around his body. It was evidence that the Grey Devil was starting topletely infuse into his body. It was a process that every Vessel had to go through at least once. Subsequently, I summoned the only member who had been inactive until now. ¡°Eleanor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor conveyed her words to me with just her gaze. It seemed like she was asking, ¡®Are you really sure about this?¡¯, but I also just nodded without saying anything. ¡°¡­¡± In the end, Eleanor exhaled a sigh and took reluctant steps forward. Considering that she was someone who would do anything for me without question, her current behavior was an exceptional sight. However, given her subsequent actions, it was only natural of her to react as she did. As she moved towards the area where the violent battle was taking ce, she walked straight into the heart of it defenselessly. She didn¡¯t draw her sword nor did she receive any Graces and defensive techniques. It was just her body. ¡°Wait, what are you doing!¡± The horrified Saintess was about to cast a Grace before I stopped her. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°¡­What?!¡± ¡°Just watch.¡± Subsequently, Eleanor finally stepped into the range of Gideon¡¯s swinging sword. If she continued as such, it would be a life-threatening situation where she would get fatally wounded. However¡­ As soon as Eleanor stepped inside of that range¡­ Gideon¡¯s sword stopped. The terrifying sword that would ruthlessly take lives without hesitation. That very sword stopped as soon as Eleanor entered its trajectory. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor, who had widened eyes, and Gideon, whose eyes were now entirely red, stared at each other. Gideon¡¯s sword trembled. Even though he was encroached by the Devil¡¯s Fragment and should be tormented with the impulses to kill anything alive. Even though the madness of his household should have ovepped with such impulses, putting him into a state where even his sanity had disappeared. Even considering all that, in front of Eleanor, the sword stopped. His movement stiffened. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°What the¨C?!¡± At this sight, everyone else also stopped their movements in bewilderment. -! Subsequently, demonic aura cascaded out into the surroundings. I had seen this scene several times. Wherever the demonic aura touched, everything slowed down; It would continue doing so until everything came to aplete halt. And¡­ There was one person who had been waiting for the exact moment. ¡°¡­¡± I swiftly approached Gideon. With the encroachmentpleted, the Grey Devil infused, and Gideonpletely frozen, this state right now, where I could approach without issue, was the key to this battle. System Message [ Confirming a Devil¡¯s Aura. ] [ ¡®The Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ reacts! ] What was needed here was¡­ [ Skill Info ] Skill: King of Pandemonium Grade: A -Bow Down to the Great Monarch!- Description: Embody the dignity of Hell¡¯s Absolute Ruler. Upon usage, grants unconditional advantage against demonic beings for 5 minutes. This. If the Authority of the White Devil was resisted before with the Fatal Charm skill, then the Authority of the Grey Devil could be somewhat offset with this. System Message [ ¡®Skill: King of Pandemonium¡¯ Activated. ] [ Gained an absolute advantage against demonic enemies! ] [ Facing a target with parallel abilities. ] [ Resisting target¡¯s unique ability ¡®Authority: Corrosion¡¯! ] As everything else slowed down¡­ Only I moved perfectly fine. ¡°This is enough, right?¡± Until now, I had never used this against her before, but I needed it right now. With a smirk, I opened my mouth. After all, I had to ¡®negotiate¡¯ with her. ¡°Come out. Let¡¯s talk.¡± With those words¡­ The world was dyed in shades of grey.
Her body felt heavy. That was the first thought that crossed Iliya Krisanax¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­¡± She was dazed, as if her consciousness was drifting in an open sea. She had experienced this before. Previously, it was the same as the grey aura that enveloped all visible space during the Full Moon Festival. Everything within her range of sight seemed to havee to aplete halt. However, unlike back then, she could now move her body with some effort. ¡®¡­Huh? How is that even possible?¡¯ Did something special change with her? She couldn¡¯t really recall anything like that in her memories. She didn¡¯t know why, but since it was possible now, she should try moving her body. As she lifted her eyes with some struggle, the first thing that caught her eye was grey. And what came next into view was¡­ ¡°How did it feel, controlling ¡®your descendant¡¯ for 2 minutes? Not bad, right?¡± Even in this slowed-down situation, Dowd moved as usual. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t perfectly normal, since he was a bit ¡®slower¡¯ than normal, butpared to Iliya, who could barely lift her eyes, he could move at much more ordinary speeds. And, the one hearing such words across from him was¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± It felt like her field of vision was burning. Just looking at it felt like venom was flowing into her optic nerves. Iprehensible, disgusting, dreadful. No matter how many unpleasant words were used, there was no phrase that could describe something as evil as ¡®that¡¯. She couldn¡¯t even look straight at its figure. It felt like her mind was being contaminated. ¡°Did you purposefully¡­¡± Moreover, the ¡®voice¡¯ing from that direction was even worse. ¡°Call??¡ã?Ume and ¡À????????????????¡Á??????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????¨¢?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????????¡À????????????????this man?¡± A horrible noise made it impossible to understand. As she suffered from a pain that felt like her organs twisting, the man in front of her eyes spoke calmly. ¡°Just promise me one thing.¡± Wait¡­ How could that man talk so nonchntly with that thing? ¡°Later, just once. When I ask, infuse into Gideon. After all, I had purposefully staked the lives of everyone here to create a suitable ¡®foundation¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it, from the very beginning, before entering intobat, he said they had to ¡®endure¡¯ for 2 minutes. He never said they would win. All of this seemed like the groundwork for ¡®something¡¯ he was talking about right now. ¡°So it would be nice if you quietly infused into Eleanor now. You have to gather all three Fragments within her anyway. Isn¡¯t that more convenient for you as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iliya startled. Although she didn¡¯t understand what exactly he had just said¡­ She instinctively realized it was crucial information. ¡°I know I can¡¯t ask something like that from you guys without a suitable price. So.:¡± As she pondered over that thought, Dowd suddenly took off his top. ¡°¡­¡± Hm. Perhaps going through that hardship to secure her vision wasn¡¯t entirely in vain. Iliya had such thoughts as she intensely stared at Dowd. In the current situation, there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone who would condemn her for looking at him anyway. However, something strange soon caught her eye. ¡®¡­What is that?¡¯ A ¡®tattoo¡¯ engraved on his chest. No, calling it just a tattoo seemed inadequate. Rather, it was ¡®rooted¡¯ in his body and ¡®supplying¡¯ something. Almost as if¡­ It had the intention to ¡®change¡¯ that man into something else. ¡°As payment, I will dedicate a part of my ¡®future¡¯ to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although there were no words¡­ Iliya instinctively sensed it. The monster across from Dowd was deeply shocked after hearing such words from him. No. To be more precise, it was more correct to say that it was expressing its ¡®sorrow¡¯. ¡°At first, I wondered what this was¡­ But after thinking about it carefully, I got a rough idea. You see, I met someone called the Prophet not long ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know exactly ¡®who¡¯ she is¡­ But I at least know she¡¯s someone who became like that because of me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re stopping this ??????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤???????????????????? right? To prevent me from bing like her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iliya flinched. Just now. When Dowd spoke, it felt simr to when that monster opened its mouth. Almost as if they were bing more alike. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. Just let it progress until the end. I have already prepared myself anyway.¡± ¡°N??¡ão. Y?¡ã?Uou cou¡À????????????????¡Á???????????????ld?e?¡­¡± ¡°¡­To match her level, it appears I have to do at least that much.¡± Dowd sighed as he continued. ¡°If I can¡¯t deal with her, I¡¯ll die anyway.¡± With that, he looked around. As if he was capturing every person frozen in the grey space in his eyes, one by one. ¡°¡­And all these people will die too.¡± And, maybe it was just her bias, but¡­ It felt like thetter part of his sentence was much more sincere than his earlier words. ¡°¡­¡± Subsequently, the monster that had been sadly looking at Dowd for a while¡­ Slowly approached him. It was hard to discern, but it seemed to be embracing him. Almost as if tofort him. As if mourning on his behalf for the difficult path he was about to take. ¨C I love you. See you againter. Such words flowed out subsequently. ¨C At that time, for sure. You. Among everything that had been said so far, even Iliya could understand this one thing clearly. ¨C And me together, until the end of the world. It was a sentence filled with pure affection. ¨C What we couldn¡¯t achieve before, let¡¯s eternally- And before that sentence could finish. The grey disappeared abruptly from the world. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 72: Grade Skipping Chapter 72: Grade Skipping ? Grade Skipping ? ¡°¡­¡± The first thing Gideon realized when he woke up was the fact that he was lying on an old wooden bed. He inferred that he was most likely at the Campbell Barony. Because, to his recollection, there was no othernd nearby that could provide such a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. ¡°Since you seem to be struggling to grasp the situation, I¡¯ll briefly summarize it for you.¡± Before he could fully gather his thoughts, a voice came from the side. The owner of the voice was Dowd Campbell, the man who was leisurely reading a book with his leg stretched out. ¡°We¡¯ve cleanly finished the subjugation and all the other members have disbanded. There were no casualties and Margrave Kendride had returned to his territory.¡± He spoke in a calm tone without even turning his gaze toward Gideon. ¡°Since the Margrave seemed to have suffered a lot in this subjugation, I¡¯ve decided to visit the North during the next Pilgrimage Homing. You have no objections, right, Your Grace?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no way that he had any. The fact that the incident ended without a major catastrophe was more than enough for him. Gideon looked down at his chest. Hisst memory was that of the Devil¡¯s Fragment flying towards him and embedding itself there. ¡°The Devil¡¯s Fragment has been sessfully fused with Eleanor. It¡¯s her second one now.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Gideon widened his eyes as he abruptly stood up. ¡°What in the world does that me¡ª¡± ¡°If we were to prevent that thing from fusing with her, that would be the same thing as turning a blind eye to her condition. But, I assume that you know that, don¡¯t you?¡± Gideon¡¯s pupils shook. ¡°Even if the Fragments are attached to a different person, in the end, they¡¯d gather towards someone with the highest patibility.¡¯ Out of all the humanoid Vessels, the Heretic Inquisition stated that he had the highestpatibility in history, no?¡± ¡°¡­You.¡± His voice trembled. ¡°How on earth¡ª?¡± ¡°I know that the Imperial Court is keeping such information from spreading. I also know they¡¯re using that as leverage to make you work to your bones.¡± Apanied by the sound of flipping pages, Dowd continued to talk with a t tone. Even though this wasn¡¯t a topic that should be brought up with such nonchnce. ¡°And I also know what you¡¯ve been doing to protect Eleanor.¡± The reason why he tried to eradicate the madness of his household was for his daughter¡¯s sake, after all. After listening until this point, Gideon didn¡¯t even know what question to ask and could only let his hand tremble while maintaining his silence. This was all because the words that came out of this man¡¯s mouth were the nightmares that had been haunting him for his entire life. ¡°Putting that aside, let me congratte you on sessfully removing the Devil¡¯s Fragment ¡®without killing¡¯ that person, even though it was infused into you. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve been researching all along?¡± Even his ¡®goal¡¯ was brought to light. With the same nonchnce. The man¡¯s words flowed out smoothly, almost as if he was discussing the weather. ¡°So, as someone who¡¯s casually revealing information that only you would know, I suggest you listen to my proposal.¡± Dowd yawned, closing the book with a thud. ¡°I¡¯ll give my full cooperation to protect Eleanor. To be more precise, I¡¯ll prevent the ¡®catastrophe¡¯ that will inevitablye her way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, I¡¯d prefer if youpletely leave the method to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Trust¡­has been more or less established between us, hasn¡¯t it? You know that my only intention is to help both of you, at least.¡± If he had intended to do something nefarious, he could have done it dozens of times already. That was what he was trying to imply. Hearing this, Gideon responded with difficulty. ¡°¡­Is attaching two Fragments to that child also part of your n?¡± He found it hard to believe, but every word that this man had spoken so far was undeniably true. As for how he managed to find out about such things, it didn¡¯t matter. This man wasn¡¯t the type to give an exnation for free. In other words, there was no way for Gideon to find that out at the moment. However, he still felt the need to at least understand the reason behind his action. ¡°You already know what would happen if those three Fragments¡ª¡± ¡°As I mentioned before, the three Fragments gathering to Eleanor is an inevitability. However, it will be a different story if I¡¯m ¡®involved¡¯ throughout the whole process.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to say that I won¡¯t let you experience what you¡¯ve gone through in the past. Going out of my way to make the Fragment ¡®stop over¡¯ at you was also part of that process.¡± With those words, a scene unfolded in Gideon¡¯s mind. Summer. Library. A day where cicadas were noisily buzzing. That one day flipped over his entire life. In his hand, a blood-stained longsword. On the floor, a corpse. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®This man¡­¡¯ ¡®Even know about that?¡¯ ¡®How much did he know? How far did he n? How far did he foresee?¡¯ Gideon went silent as he watched Dowd stretching. ¡°Ah, Dowd. You¡¯re he¡ª¡± As he was pondering such thoughts, someone walked into the room. It was Eleanor. Her gaze lingered on Gideon, who was now sitting up on the bed. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silently, Eleanor¡¯s gaze fixed onto him before swiftly turning away. ¡°¡­The heirloom you requested from Chester County has arrived. They said that a carriage is waiting for you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go out right away. The Intermediate-Grade artifact came as well, right?¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯ve even confirmed the certificate.¡± With just those words, Eleanor quickly turned around and left the room. Although to others, they could appear like they were still ignoring each other¡¯s existence¡­ ¡°¡­¡± For the person in question, Gideon, he felt a shock that was akin to being hit in the back of his head. Instead of the hostility and loathing that had always appeared in the child¡¯s eyes¡­ Although it was very miniscule, he sensed a ¡®different emotion¡¯ mixed in it. The girl who had regarded him as an enemy for her entire life ever since that day¡­ Was now starting to see him differently, albeit only a little. ¡°¡­I also know that you¡¯ve been treating her as if she didn¡¯t exist due to your guilt, but¡­¡± Dowd, who was about to leave to follow Eleanor, let out a bitter smile. ¡°Who knows, maybe your problem is easier to resolve than you think.¡± Even when he lost his rationality in the midst of madness. Even in a situation where the Devil¡¯s Fragment weakened hisst sliver of reason and manipted his mind. She was the one person who he absolutely did not want to harm. Even after Dowd left, after saying such a meaningful sentence¡­ Gideon only sat there nkly, reflecting on the gaze Eleanor had just given him.
¡°¡­That took so long¡­¡± I staggered into my room and copsed onto my bed. No seriously, wasn¡¯t this supposed to be a vacation? I didn¡¯t even get to rest though? Hello? What was this bullshit? ¡°¡­¡± However, I still had things I needed to check. Iid down on my bed and brought up the system window. System Message [ Side Quest ¡®Disturbance¡¯ Completed! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ 1 Intermediate-Grade Artifact Received! ] I scanned through it and nodded my head. The artifact I received was sent to my dorm in Elefante along with the heirloom. After all, it was an artifact mostly for ¡®training¡¯. As soon as I arrived, I nned to unpack it and start using it immediately. And, more importantly¡­ System Message [ Confirming the ¡®deal¡¯ with the ¡®Grey Devil¡¯!! ] [ Stage 1 Restriction of ¡®The Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ is released. ] System Message [ Your attribute will gradually change from ¡®human¡¯ to ¡®¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¯. ] System Message [ The more intimate rtionships you form with ¡®Devils¡¯, the faster the attribute change will ur. ] I let out a bitter smile and closed the system window. Well, sure, I asked for this, but seeing it written like this left a bitter taste in my mouth. ¡°¡­¡± I swept my hand over the Fallen¡¯s Seal wriggling on my chest as if it was alive. As more time passed, it felt like this sensation gradually became stronger. This phenomenon started after I summoned this thing to ¡®my body¡¯ during my duel in front of the Pope. And now, after making a deal with the Grey Devil, it became much more vivid. As mentioned in the message window, this thing would slowly transform me to ¡®something inhuman¡¯. Since the progress would be faster as I formed more intimate rtionships with Devils, its speed would probably further increase as I conquered more and more Devil¡¯s Vessels. ¡®¡­It¡¯s do or die now.¡¯ If I had the choice, I wouldn¡¯t ever think aboutying my hand on this. Because this was inherently set up as one of the most extreme ¡®gambles¡¯ a person could take in the worldview of Sera. A Deal with the Devil. Regardless of the specific Devil, if one were to get involved with them, it usually led to a not-so-pleasant end. If I couldn¡¯t ¡¯resolve¡¯ this Seal at a reasonable time, I would transform into something that would be better off dead. ¡®Fortunately, my demise isn¡¯t set in the stone yet.¡¯ I was already drawing up an insurance n in my mind. It was difficult as fuck, but it was definitely possible. A method to preserve my humanity and ¡®survive¡¯ without any aftereffects. This insurance was the reason why I went ahead and did this sort of thing in the first ce. ¡°¡­Sigh.¡± Of course, to achieve that, I had to walk an arduous path while busting my balls once again, but¡­ With a sigh, I rose from my seat. The risk I was taking was substantial, but the resulting effects were nothing short of astounding. ¡®With this, the progression on Chapter 3¡­¡¯ While Chapter 1 and 2 focused on conquering powerful single bosses, Chapter 3 was more about oveing simultaneous ¡®crises.¡¯ In other words, instead of facing one formidable foe, I would have to deal with numerous enemies that were slightly less powerful. And in such a situation, if this ¡®Restriction Released Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ had the power I was thinking of¡­ Then it would undoubtedly boast terrifying efficiency. Originally, it was not a skill that yers could use. I mean, it was obvious that carrying such a skill would make the conquests way too easy. ¡°¡­¡± Besides, I had a reason to get this powerful ability even if I had to take such risks. ¡®Yeah, I¡¯m not really a fan of getting dragged around by those motherfuckers.¡¯ I had been pondering this ever since I had seeded in clearing the boss battle with Valkasus. As I continued along the main scenario, there was a high probability that unexpected variables would pop up, just like in Chapter 2 when the Prophet interfered however she wanted. This was the counter that I had prepared for such asions. After all, it was very likely that the Prophet wouldn¡¯t expect for me to have even prepared ¡®this kind of thing¡¯. As such, this would be a very fitting response to that bitch¡¯s impending wicked schemes. With such thoughts in mind, I subsequently nced at the next window that had popped up. System Message [ ¡®Grey Devil¡¯s Fragment¡¯ is fusing with target ¡®Eleanor¡¯. ] [ Target ¡®Eleanor¡¯s¡¯ status as a Vessel is elevated! ] [ She can handle the Devil¡¯s Energy more skillfully! ] [ Changes in personality ur! ] [ Emotional upheaval urs towards some targets! ] I scrutinized such windows that continued to pop up. The message that needed to be especially paid attention to was thest sentence. Since it was blinking as if there was more to it, so I tapped it to check further. System Message #1 [ Target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ holds confusing emotions towards target ¡®Gideon¡¯. ] [ The existing hatred towards this target is alleviated! ] [ Some changes ur in the main scenario¡¯s branching routes! ] [ Condition for Hidden Event Fulfilled! ] System Message [ 1 Trigger Condition for Hidden Event ¡®???¡¯ Met! (2/3) ] There we go, Baby!. I had suffered all this time just for this one thing. It was that crucial of a requisite. But why was itbeled as #1? Were there others? System Message #2 [ Target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ realized that target ¡®Dowd¡¯ is much more popr than expected! ] [ Possessive Desire intensifies! ] [ Due to her Possessive Desire, preparation for nned actions are expedited! ] [ ¡®Engagement Ring¡¯ production schedule is elerated! ] ¡°¡­¡± No wait. Hold on. What the fuck did I just read?
¡°¡­What have you been doing during the break to be in such a state? You look like a walking corpse.¡± ¡°I gained the recognition of the Margrave of the North, improved the strained familial rtionship between the Duke and his daughter, and additionally, they are nning to confer a Viscounty on me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Also, apparently, Lady Tristan is currently crafting an engagement ring for me.¡± The expression on Headmistress Atnte¡¯s face seemed to say, ¡®I told you to rest, but what in the world have you done while you were gone?¡¯ Yeah, I know, right? The only silver lining was that thanks to all the various things that urred, the dilemma of choosing between Eleanor and Iliya seemed to have disappeared. Honestly, whichever side I picked would¡¯ve only led to a hellish result. However, due to the incident that had happened with Gideon, I ended up choosing to have an ¡®exchange¡¯ with Margrave Kendride first. ¡°¡­First, I¡¯ll share some of the issues I¡¯ve already heard.¡± The Headmistress let out a sigh as she spoke. ¡°Suddenly jumping from a status of a student to a peerage of Viscount is quite a significant matter. After all, the faculty will have to treat you differently from now on.¡± ¡°¡­Wait a minute. Is it fine to just acknowledge something like that so easily? When Eleanor had just acted however she wished and thrown somend my way, I thought dealing with all of it would be a pain in the ass. However, hearing Atalente¡¯s exnation, it sounded like everything had been resolved. Was she even allowed to so arbitrarily decide the session of a territory in the Empire? ¡°Firstly, all thends near Baron Campbell¡¯s area are considered the most remote even out of remotends. Honestly, it¡¯s highly likely that the Imperial Court doesn¡¯t care much about what happens with thosends.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Okay, that one was a little harsh. Ournd wasn¡¯t a cursednd, you know? ¡°There are no special resources, no notable characteristics, and it¡¯s not really a shady ce either. Isn¡¯t that also why you don¡¯t seem to have any interest in managing the territory? ¡°¡­¡± Right¡­ Well honestly, to me, gaining the territory was more about obtaining the entrance pass to Dungeon Conquests and Artifact Explorations. I had casually tossed the management aspect to my father before fleeing to the academy. Maybe I would visit once in a while during vacations to inspect it. ¡°And secondly¡­¡± Atnte pushed her monocle up before continuing. ¡°All this was possible because it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s the Tribal Alliance, the Holy Land, or the Empire¡¯s Imperial Court, you¡¯re quite the hot potato for all of them. I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten how mboyantly you made a name for yourself in front of the Pope, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since the Imperial Court wouldn¡¯t want to argue with such a precious resource over something like this, they would absolutely not obstruct you. If they do so, the Holy Land or Tribal Alliance will think it¡¯s their chance to win you over into their respective countries.¡± Huh, That¡­ actually made sense¡­ I didn¡¯t know I was that much of a hot potato though. However, there was one thing that I was curious about¡­ ¡°¡­Why have you looked so displeased since a while ago?¡± ¡°Because everything that I said is connected, Dowd.¡± Atnte rummaged through her desk before pulling out a document. ¡°When a student¡¯s aplishments are recognized to the point of bing Viscount during their enrollment, we have no choice but to make them skip a grade. To put it simply, it¡¯s hard for us to continue treating you as a freshman.¡± ¡°¡­But, I didn¡¯t do anything¡­¡± ¡°It is what it is. After all, there are things we can¡¯t ask of a freshman.¡± As I listened to Atnte, I received the document and read it. It contained rules to be followed when a freshman was promoted to be a second-year student. ¡°¡­¡± And as soon as I saw this, my face instantly stiffened. ¡°Bing a second-year student allows you to participate in an incredibly wide range of events and activities both inside and outside the academy. Among them, there are exchanges with other academies. As such, it seems that the rulers of the continent were eagerly waiting for you to enter the second year.¡± I examined the veryst item on the document. Invitation. To the Forge of Struggle. In one week. ¡°¡­Also, among them, it seems that the Tribal Alliance, in particr, had a keen interest in you.¡± I knew about this event as well. The ¡®Academy Exchange Student¡¯ Event. After all, this was none other than a prelude to the beginning of Chapter 3. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 73: Intercession (1) Chapter 73: Intercession (1) ? Intercession (1) ? ¡°Um, Trisha?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve scolded me enough?¡± Iliya made a tearful face as she pleaded. Her hands were held up in the air as they trembled, clearly showing their fatigue. The reason for it was because she had reported her ¡®progress¡¯ during the vacation to her hawk-eyed friend as soon as she returned to her dorm. ¡°No way! It was a golden opportunity! The least thing you should have done was get him to promise a one-on-one date with you!¡± ¡°B-But, he said that he¡¯de to Margrave Kendride¡¯s territory on the next vacation¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t write to Margrave Kendride just for such empty promises! There¡¯s no mention of you getting along better with him in any part of your report!¡± ¡°¡­¡± She¡¯s terrifying. Though they were of the same age, Trisha¡¯s advice on youth ventures were mostly given with the ferocity of a tiger, especially when she poured out her wisdom. ¡°¡­Lower your hands for now ande sit down.¡± Trisha sighed and patted the space beside her on the bed. She thought to herself that she shouldn¡¯t just scold her. After all, the ck energy that filled Iliya¡¯s heart seemed much lighter than before. ¡°Can you tell me what exactly happened there?¡± ¡°¡­Um.¡± While massaging her arm, Iliya pondered as she recalled her memories. -Leave Iliya entirely in my hands. I¡¯ll make sure you never regret such a choice. Somehow, that memory was the first one toe to her mind. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure, but I did hear that¡­ He considered me a very important person to him¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Iliya say such words with puppy-like joy made Trisha¡¯s eyes sharpen once again. The way she became so giddy after hearing such vague words assured Trisha that her friend was too far gone. Of course, after Iliya saw Trisha¡¯s sudden change in expression, she hastily added an exnation. ¡°W-Wait, l-listen to me first, okay?! What he said was true! I know it sounds vague, but it definitely isn¡¯t a bad development!¡± Iliya exined in detail about everything that had happened during the vacation to Trisha. Of course, she omitted the questionable parts that involved things such as how they joyfully turned an entire Viscounty and County upside down and about their fight against Duke Tristan, who was encroached by an unidentified object. ¡°¡­¡± However, after hearing the entire story, Trisha sent her an even more incredulous look as she rubbed her forehead. ¡®¡­This guy sounds like aplete yer, doesn¡¯t he?¡¯ In truth, part of the reason why she sent Iliya to go with Lady Tristan was because she wanted to probe the man¡¯s attitude, At the very least, if she could find out that he had no feelings for Iliya, she could tell her friend to give up. But¡­ The situation somehow became even more ambiguous. Iliya¡¯s condition worsened and the rtionship between that man and Lady Tristan didn¡¯t seem to deteriorate. She couldn¡¯t even imagine how he even managed to do that. ¡®How can both the Hero Candidate and the Lady of a Duchy be lovestruck for a single person at the same time¡­¡¯ As she rubbed her forehead due to the iing headache, she let out a groan. It was obvious what would happen if it continued like this. She would clearly see Iliya¡¯s emotions fluctuating between heaven and hell day by day, depending on Dowd¡¯s reactions. ¡®Even so, letting it be is not a good idea either¡­¡¯ In truth, Iliya almost didn¡¯t have any ¡®advantage¡¯pared to Lady Tristan. While she wasn¡¯t a person to be looked down upon in every aspect, Lady Tristan was just way superior to her in almost everything. ¡®Since that¡¯s the case, then the only thing she could do to gain his attention is¡­¡¯ Go on an offensive. Not a half-hearted offensive. A total offensive. Appeal to him, appeal to him, continuously appeal more aggressively to him! Never-ending appeals! ¡°Iliya. Listen carefully.¡± So, using that as a basis, Trisha poured out a long speech to Iliya. ¡°H-How can I say such things¡­? I-I mean, wouldn¡¯t that make Teach feel burdensome? If someone like me starts getting all over him like that¡ª¡± ¡®This is hopeless.¡¯ As she watched Iliya hesitating while mumbling in fear just from the idea of saying such things, a boiling sensation surged within Trisha¡¯ chest. ¡®Seriously, this girl didn¡¯t even get flustered in a life-threatening situation, but somehow, she couldn¡¯t even say these simple words! What is wrong with her?!¡¯ ¡®If she can¡¯t do at least this much, she¡¯ll be drowning in tearster!¡¯ ¡®¡­There¡¯s no choice.¡¯ Since this was the case, what she should do the most right now was to make Iliya spend more time with that Dowd guy. A few uing academy events came to her mind. And among those, the event that Dowd would definitely get involved in would be¡­ ¡°Iliya. I¡¯ll give you two assignments as homework for now.¡± ¡°¡­Homework?¡± ¡°Yeah. One you have toplete by today and the other within a week.¡± ¡°No wait, even the professors don¡¯t give me homework that often, what are¡ª¡± Trisha¡¯s ring eyes practically lit with hellfire. ¡°If I tell you to do it, just do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a determined and firm attitude that didn¡¯t allow even a millimeter ofpromise.
Let¡¯s talk about the Tribal Alliance a bit. It was one of the three most influential nations in the continent. It ran under a system where the Chieftain led an alliance consisting of various Tribal War Chiefs. As seen from the titles and the country name, the image of a ¡®Barbarian Warrior¡¯ would best fit this nation. ¡®¡­The problem is that only their appearance matched that image.¡¯ The thing was, they adopted such an appearance just because they were following tradition. Surprisingly, the Tribal Alliance was the most ¡®scientifically advanced¡¯ nation in Sera. It was a ce where almost science fiction-like items weremonce, unlike the Empire or the Holy Land. While not as great as the Magic Tower, as they weremonly acknowledged as the hub of technology, the Tribal Alliance still asionally showcased technological capabilities that surpassed the medieval fantasy worldview of Sera that other nations had. When considering individualbat capabilities alone, the warriors of the Tribal Alliance were the strongest out of them all. Their training was not inferior to other countries, and above all, the technological prowess of their equipment had set them apart. However, their fatal w was that their ¡®numbers¡¯ were horrifyingly lowpared to the other two nation¡¯s forces. ¡®Guess that¡¯s what made it bnced.¡¯ The bnce set by the Sera development team had been achieved by giving each nation a distinct advantage. A quickparison of the primary forces of each nation, which included ¡¯Knights¡¯, ¡®Juggernauts¡¯, and ¡®Battle Priests¡¯, easily illustrated their characteristics. Knights boasted an above-average strength in all aspects and also had thergest numbers. However, theycked any outstanding features. Overall, they were average. Juggernauts had the highest overall individualbat capability but despite their elite capabilities, they were small in number. Battle Priests were the weakest in terms of sheer force but specialized in covering their weaknesses with various special abilities. Although it was a whole different story when considering fights between the most powerful individuals, it was true that when considering the average force of each nation, they generally maintained this basic trend. ¡®Anyway.¡¯ Following this trend, the Tribal Alliance ced significant value on the strength of their individual warriors. This was because they believed that since their numbers were low, all their warriors should be the cream of the crop. Consequently, it also meant that they held a strong disdain for the weak. While it wasmon for the weak to be looked down upon, that tendency was especially pronounced in their nation. The weak were treated almost as if they weren¡¯t human beings. If I didn¡¯t want to be ignored and treated like a subhuman filth, I needed at least the minimum level of strength, even if I didn¡¯t get into an especially dangerous situation. And that was exactly the reason why I was enduring this hardship right now. ¡°Puhek¡­Puheuk¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Due to my rough breaths that sounded like I was vomiting something, my running mate, Talion, looked toward me with a bewildered expression. He probably thought there was no way that someone could turn into such a mess after just ten minutes of running. ¡°Senior Brother, are you okay? Shall we take a break?¡± ¡°Pl¡ª *Cough* ¡ªease.¡± I crumbled down onto the ground. Every muscle in my body screamed. It was a bit pathetic to be in this state after just this much running, but I really couldn¡¯t help it. ¡¸Dowd Campbell¡¹ < Status Info> [ General ] Strength: F ( Rank-Up: 3% ) Agility: F ( Rank-Up: 3% ) Endurance: F Luck: F Power: D [ Special ] Magic Power: E ( Adjusted with the effect of ¡®Soul Linker¡¯ ) Law Power: F Divine Power: E < Misc. > Number of Forbidden Sorcery Currently Active: 1 First-Stage Mutation Progress due to the Fallen¡¯s Seal: 1% Compared to before, I had managed to surpass the F-Grade in a few aspects, but my overall stats still remained at a catastrophic level. That was why it was only natural for me to be on the brink of passing out after merely this much exercise. But what could I do? If I wanted to increase my stats, I had to endure this situation. Even if I excluded the goal of not being looked down upon in the Tribal Alliance, considering how Chapter 3 would progress, improving stats rted to ¡®physical abilities¡¯ was not a choice but a necessity. There were quite a lot of situations where I had to use my body after all. ¡®I think I¡¯m actually gonna die¡­¡¯ Because my vision was spinning, I covered my eyes with my hand and let out a deep sigh. The reason I had been procrastinating despite the need to improve my stats was precisely because of this. Unlike other growth methods that could be found with various tricks and ¡®detours¡¯, stats could only be increased through a character¡¯s repetitivebor. Basically, using other methods to adjust my stats had their limits. After all, since it was dependent on basic stamina, low stats would result in inefficiency no matter what I did. Considering that even the unbelievable skill that inted my stats, Desperation, squared my basic numbers, these limits became even more apparent. ¡®¡­At least I have this. If I didn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve been even more fucked.¡¯ I looked down at the ne that I was wearing. [ Lion¡¯s Ne ] Type: essory Item Grade: Rare Description: A ne bestowed upon promising warriors in the Tribal Alliance. When worn, it enhances the vitality of the body and improves the efficiency of physical training. This was the thing that I received from Hatan of the Tribal Alliance when I dueled in front of the Pope. Despite its low grade, it was a rare item that ¡®helps increase stats¡¯. Frankly, it was priceless to me. And this item also held some relevance to the story. -¡­ When I was deep in contemtion, the light emitted from the Lion¡¯s Ne covered my body for a moment. After that, some liquid was sprayed onto my tensed muscles and swollen joints. As it did so, the pain I had from such ces was relieved. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Huh, so it automatically detected breaks during exercise, scanned the body, and even recovered it¡­¡¯ ¡®Is this what it meant when it said it would increase the efficiency of physical training?¡¯ Once again I realized how absurd their technology was. ¡°Is that an item from the Tribal Alliance? As expected, it¡¯s truly amazing.¡± As Talion witnessed this, he let out augh. ¡°I heard about how they have all sorts of interesting items there, I guess those rumors are true, huh?¡± ¡°Is this your first time seeing one?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve only heard about them. I¡¯ve always wanted to see them in person.¡± Uttering those words, Talion opened his mouth with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m gonna put in more effort during the test this weekend. There are many things I want to see there with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°Originally, exchange student applications are only open for second-year students and above, but this time, even freshmen can apply. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s gotten into them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A bitterugh involuntarily escaped me. The Exchange Student Event between the academies in the Golden Triangle was only that in name. In reality, it was a petition¡¯ where the pride of each academy was put on the line. Exchange students were pitted against each other in order to choose who was the best of the best, thus proving that one academy¡¯s students were far better than the others. Long story short, it was basically a dick measuring contest. This utterly ridiculous idea of holding massive exams just to pick exchange students also seemed to follow such a trend. ¡°I heard that being chosen as an exchange student can also be of great help in future developments. For the sake of Armand Viscounty, I must definitely get epted. You think so too, right, Senior Brother?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, sure. Good luck.¡± I gave a bitter smile towards the motivated Talion. Honestly, that was all I could tell him. Because¡­. ¡®You already passed.¡¯ Even if my lips were torn, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say that to this pure and passionate guy who was burning with enthusiasm. In the first ce, I was the one who requested for the freshmen to be allowed to take this test. I guess it wasn¡¯t empty words when Atnte said she would help me with everything she could. As a result, some of the people who took the test would probably pass it ¡®unconditionally¡¯. Basically, they were essential manpower in order for me to progress through Chapter 3. ¡®The problem is¡­¡¯ Among the people I had to take, there was probably one who¡¯d vehemently refuse, even if I were to force them. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Riru Garda [ Curiosity Level 1 ] [ ¡®Fatal Charm¡¯ skill conditionally imnted! ] [ The next activation of the skill will provide a 2x effect ] [ Rted Event urs in D-5 ] Riru Garda was someone incredibly important in Chapter 3. Although she was a character with an evil disposition, she was not an antagonist in the scenario. On the contrary, she was a ¡®crucial character¡¯ for clearing Chapter 3. ¡®¡­The process of making use of her is a bit ridiculous though.¡¯ Clearing Chapter 3 depended on the process of ¡®rehabilitating¡¯ this person¡¯s bad side. She was differentpared to Eleanor and Yuria. In their cases, it was a bit unfair to say that they had an evil disposition. On the contrary, Riru had certain tendencies that could undoubtedly be ssified as evil. She enjoyed beating the shit out of people and she was insanely violent. When it came tobat, she¡¯d turn into a lunatic. There was also her tendency to ignore the shit out of weak people, and so on¡­ ¡°Mm?¡± As I pondered such thoughts, someone was approaching us at full speed from a distance. It was barely dawn and the sun had just started to reveal itself, but seeing that their entire body was drenched in sweat, it was clear that they had been running around this area for quite some time. Fluttering purple hair, a body of hardened muscles without a single ounce of fat, and numerous scars covering such a figure. A familiar person While wiping off sweat, I looked towards her, Riru Garda. ¡®Seriously, what a savage¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Her gaze also briefly lingered on me. After all, it was not the first time we¡¯ve met; we had encountered each other once during Observation ss. Maybe she¡¯d even greet me. However, her gaze directly fell on the ne I was wearing as her eyes widened slightly. Her brows furrowed for a moment. From the way she opened and closed her mouth, she seemed to be wanting to say something. ¡°¡­¡± However, after alternating between my face and the ne with a hesitant gaze¡­ She deliberately averted her eyes and passed by me and Talion. It was almost as if she was convincing herself that it had nothing to do with her. ¡°¡­¡± I had a bitter smile on my face as I watched Riru getting further away at an incredible pace. Considering her personality, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for her to pick a fight with me. Regardless of the consequences, she was the type of person who would charge head-first if she thought it would be a fun fight and if I remembered our previous encounter correctly, I was quite a suitable match for such conditions. However¡­ Riru Garda was the daughter of the Chieftain and was currently attending the Empire¡¯s academy as a student. This peculiar situation indicates that the rtionship between Riru and the Tribal Alliance was incrediblyplex. From her perspective, anything that reminded her of her hometown was more than enough to make her run away. ¡°¡­I do believe that it is better not to get involved with her.¡± Talion said this with a serious voice. ¡°The entire department branded her as a mad dog. I¡¯ve heard she has already vited the rules more than ten times. All of them were rules rted to assaults.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. The rumors about her are rampant. People even wonder where exactly she came from because she still avoided being expelled despite causing so many incidents.¡± Afterining as such, Talion then let out a bitter smile. ¡°However¡­ Even when I consider myself quite diligent, I still can¡¯t bepared to her.¡± His dispirited voice continued. ¡°She seems like a training fanatic. I¡¯m usually the first one to get up and train among people of the same year, but I¡¯ve never seen her do anything other than running and exercising all day. I don¡¯t even know when she began to run today as well.¡± ¡°She¡¯s always been like that.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Although she didn¡¯t show it, Riru Garda was someone who worked harder than any other person in this world. ¡°She isn¡¯t as bad as she looks.¡± It was one of her ¡®good sides¡¯ hidden beneath that violent attitude of hers. If you were to dig a bit deeper, she was actually someone that had quite a few good qualities. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Riru Garda [ Curiosity Level 1 ] [ ¡®Fatal Charm¡¯ skill conditionally imnted! ] [ The next activation of the skill will provide a 2x effect ] [ Rted Event urs in D-5 ] Maybe, if my conjectures were right¡­ During this Exchange Student Selection Test and the ¡®Rted Event¡¯ that precisely coincided with it, such a side of her would be revealed. As I contemted such thoughts while looking at the system window¡­ Next to me, Talion stroked his chin with a ¡®Hm¡¯. ¡°Senior Brother, do you know?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°There are also quite a few wicked rumors about you within the department.¡± ¡°¡­What rumors?¡± ¡°Apparently, you¡¯re an amazing piece of shit who simultaneously seduces several women that ordinary people can¡¯t even approach.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Beside Iliya and the Student Council President, during the midterms, I heard you cored a ghost-like woman who would cut anything that came close and walked her around on a leash. If that wasn¡¯t enough, apparently people even witnessed the Saintesss sticking around Senior Brother fairly often¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, have you found a new prey this time?¡± Shut up. Please, just shut the fuck up. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 74: Intercession (2) Chapter 74: Intercession (2) ? Intercession (2) ? Lucia spoke while taking a deep breath. ¡°¡­Yes, by changing the order of the Prayer a bit, the effectiveness of the Grace bes significantly greater. It might be a bit challenging, but with some practice, you¡¯ll get the hang of¡ª¡± ¡°Like this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucia fell silent as she saw a two-colored divine barrier appearing before Dowd. Internally, she struggled to suppress a scream. Anyone would harbor such feelings upon witnessing Dowd immediately putting into practice what she had just taught. ¡®You said it¡¯s your first time¡­¡¯ She looked at him while hiding her tearful expression. Back when she started teaching him, she was really enthusiastic about it. After all, it was her one in a thousand chance to correct this man¡¯s ¡®attitude¡¯. While she didn¡¯t want him to treat her with reverence like what other people did because she was the Saintess, she at least wanted to prevent him from whimsically involving her and Yuria in various matters and just disappearing afterwards. To put it simply, she didn¡¯t need him to treat her like a Saintess, she just didn¡¯t want him to treat her like a ve! ¡®This is definitely supposed to be challenging though¡­¡¯ Among all Special Powers, divine power was a power that was possessed by everyone, but it was clearly the most unpredictable and vtile out of them all. In essence, it was easy to start learning it but difficult to master it. So when this man imed that he would raise his divine power to a third of hers within a month, she had merely snorted doubtfully. In the first two days, her prediction actually seemed urate. When Dowd struggled to memorize any Prayers and couldn¡¯t even correctly implement the most simple of Graces, she inwardly yelled in delight. ¡®I knew it, this person isn¡¯t perfect!¡¯ ¡®I finally found his w!¡¯ That was why she decided to help him with his divine power study, to make him realize how important she was and to prevent him from leaving Yuria behind while casually ying around with other women. Also, she wanted to make him more dependent on her in the future. Once upon a time, she dreamed of such a scenario. But all those hopes and dreams had vanished today. ¡°¡­¡± He was learning fast. Way too fast. He was undoubtedly a beginner when it came to ¡®handling¡¯ divine power. However, once he grasped the core of the matter, he absorbed all the knowledge she taught him like a sponge. She could not even begin to fathom how much he had learned in no more than half a day, from lunch to dinner. Even she had struggled for at least a week to master the ¡®Intercessory Prayer¡¯ she had just taught him! ¡®No wonder he set such an unreasonable condition¡­¡¯ Suddenly, realization struck her. The goal that he had set when starting these lessons¡­ He had genuinely thought that it could ¡®happen¡¯! There was no doubt about that now! ¡®So this is how it feels.¡¯ Compared to Lucia, who looked at him as if he was an actual monster, Dowd himself was just manipting his divine power absent-mindedly. He was someone who was well-versed in the skill system of Savior Rising. He literally knew everything. Merely ¡®utilizing¡¯ something like this was something he had done hundreds of times in the game. The only challenge was the difficulty in ¡®handling¡¯ divine power, but he managed to ovee that after struggling with Lucia for a few days. Basically, it was like being in a game where he had memorized everything from start to finish but he couldn¡¯t plug in the controller. ¡°And the next thing I will teach you i-is¡­¡± Half in tears, Lucia rummaged through the paper she had prepared. She had thought that she could finally take the initiative instead of always being at the mercy of this man. However, after only a few days of starting the lessons, more than half of the one-month curriculum she had prepared was already gone. ¡°Uh so like, Activating um, multiple Graces, uh inbina¨C¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I think it works like this.¡± With a Swoosh, several divine shields appeared around Dowd. ¡°¡­¡± Lucia trembled as she put down the paper. ¡°Just do it on your own.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing well even without my teachings! I even prepared several tips suitable for beginners¡­! You, idiot, hic, sob¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At this point, she was beyond tearing up, as she even started sniffling. As Dowd remained silent, the ssroom¡¯s door, which had only the two of them inside, creaked open. While rubbing her eyes, Yuria entered. After ncing around at the awkward atmosphere in the ssroom, she opened her mouth with a drowsy voice. ¡°Mr. Dowd, are you bullying Big Sis again?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never bullied her¡­¡± ¡°Big Sis is a lot more delicate than she seems so please treat her more attentively. She really wants to y the role of the eldest so at least pretend to depend on her, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Was this really something you should say in front of the person in question?¡¯ As Lucia pondered such thoughts, Yuria yawned again and continued. ¡°It¡¯s better for you to stop for today ande out. Dame Ophelia asked me to tell you that.¡± With that, Yuria disappeared from the ssroom. Seeing her leave, Dowd spoke with a monotone voice. ¡°Hasn¡¯t her condition suddenly improved recently?¡± When they first met, she couldn¡¯t even properly use her voice, so shemunicated by disying words in the air. However, nowadays, even when Lucia was not around, she could still speak properly in most cases. It was to the extent that it seemed like there was almost no inconvenience in her daily life. ¡°Lately, the curse from Severer has been corroding her at a much slower rate. It¡¯s all thanks to you. Thank you.¡± Lucia offered her thanks even as she sniffled. Indeed, she was the Saintess. Even in such a situation, she didn¡¯t forget the manners ingrained in her. However, instead of responding, Dowd only narrowed his eyes. ¡°You should watch over her carefully for the time being. You need to be careful after all.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Rather than giving her an exnation, Dowd only gave out a bitter smile. After all, that was because¡­ He had experienced cases where the ability of a ¡®Vessel¡¯ increased explosively. It was the same phenomenon with Eleanor after the Purifier event. The fusion rate of the Fragments and Vessel increased, causing a drastic enhancement in the target¡¯s physical specifications. And along with that, there was also an event that would follow. ¡°¡­¡± Frankly, there was nothing he really needed to say to Lucia. After all, the one who needed to be careful was Dowd himself. When the fusion rate of the first Vessel, Eleanor, increased, it didn¡¯t take long for the second Vessel, Yuria, to appear. And now, the fusion rate of the second Vessel, Yuria, was increasing. In other words¡­ It was a sign that another ¡®Vessel¡¯ would appear once again.
System Log [ Sessfully mastered divine power! ] [ The proficiency of ¡®Mastery: Divine Power Mastery¡¯ has increased. ] [ Proficiency has made rapid progress! ] [ The Mastery¡¯s grade has been promoted from ¡®Basic¡¯ to ¡®Common¡¯! ] [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Divine Power Mastery Grade: Common Description: Manifests various Graces using divine power. This ability is the foundation for all techniques wielded by Battle Priests. [ ¡ö Can manifest up to two identical Graces. ] [ ¡ö Can use all Graces derived from ¡®Beginner-Grade Prayers¡¯! ] ¡®Not bad.¡¯ I nodded at the results achieved by receiving lessons from the Saintess for a few days. ¡®With this, I could now activate buffs myself other than the built-in Graces in Ultima. Of course, they only had simple and brutish effects because they were only Beginner-Grade Prayers. ¡®Red Grace¡¯ increased offense, ¡®Blue Grace¡¯ increased defense, ¡®Yellow Grace¡¯ increased agility, and so on¡­ As mentioned, they were very simple stat boosts. While the effects themselves did not seem that impressive, from the perspective of someone possessing skills like ¡®Desperation¡¯ or ¡®Image World¡¯, which amplified the efficiency of such buffs several times over, it was quite exceptional and significant. ¡®Alright, time to check it one more time.¡¯ ¡¸Dowd Campbell¡¹ < Status Info> [ General ] Strength: F ( Rank-Up: 98% ) Agility: F ( Rank-Up: 98% ) Endurance: F Luck: F Power: D After days of enduring muscle pain all over my body while training with Talion day and night, it seemed like all my efforts were paid off. At this point, with just one day left until the Exchange Student Selection Test, my stats were on the verge of ranking up. ¡®Considering I had only been doing it for a week, it really has increased a lot.¡¯ Originally, I expected it to take about a month for this amount of growth. However, thanks to the Lion¡¯s Ne, not only was my training speed extremely quick, but my body also continuously recovered even while I exercised. ¡®¡­This should barely be enough.¡¯ Since I would go straight to the ¡®Forge of Struggle¡¯ as soon as the test ended, I would barely make it to the ¡®bottom line¡¯ if I were tobine both my stat increase and buffs. After all, if I remembered correctly, as soon as our journey began, there would be an event where I needed to excessively use my body. ¡°¡­¡± I gazed at the system window in silence. [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Apostle of the Reversed Sea ¡½ [ Rted Event will ur soon! ] [ D-1 ] So, about this¡­ Unlike Chapter 2, where the stage¡¯s main actor, Valkasus, would kindly inform the yer his n when he would attack, Chapter 3 was filled with an incessant and suffocating progression that poured various hardships onto the yer right from the beginning. That was why I needed to prepare in advance. ¡°¨CLet¡¯s end today¡¯s lesson here. Enjoy your lunch.¡± While I was contemting such thoughts, the professor descended from the tform while saying such words. As my surroundings instantly got noisier, I watched the students scatter towards the cafeteria in groups of three to five. This was probably the happiest time of the day for a student. Except if that student was me. In any case, I needed to find an exit. The side door nearby, which I had been eyeing since I entered the ssroom for the first time, looked the most ideal. I didn¡¯t have a lot of time. I swiftly turned towards the direction of the door as naturally as possible. ¡°Dow¡ª¡± Fortunately, I managed to leave the ssroom before I got a chance to hear anything. With that, I seamlessly blended into the crowd and walked through the corridor. I continued until I arrived at a ce where there was no indication of anyone¡¯s presence. ¡°¡­¡± I let out a sigh of relief. Once again, I survi¡ª! ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± Because of the voice right next to me, I jumped in surprise. When I turned to look, Iliya was sitting with an awkward smile. ¡°Did you chase after me too?¡± ¡°I usually eat my packed lunch around here. The restaurants nearby don¡¯t taste good.¡± ¡°¡­You have time to eat?¡± Fuck, I¡¯m so jealous¡­! ¡°¡­Teach, what has been bothering you so muchtely?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gee, I wonder what? < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ? Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan [ Love Level 2 ] [ Rted Event is pending! ] Well, this was what was bothering me. Unlike other events that disyed how many ¡®days left¡¯, it was terrifyingly marked as ¡®pending¡¯. Almost as if encountering her right now would instantly result in her stuffing a ring onto my finger. And if I were to actually ept it¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t even want to think about it. It¡¯d make me think of how the White Devil within Yuria would go berserk before slowly chewing, tearing and devouring me in delight. ¡°¡­Why are you sweating so much?¡± ¡°You know, just because¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iliya looked at me strangely and then let out a fake cough before handing me something. ¡°Anyway, good timing. I was nning to go look for you soon anyway.¡± ¡°You too? Why? For what purpose¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­What kind of life are you even living these days¡­?¡± When I responded as such because of the shiver down my spine, Iliiya narrowed her eyes before handing me something. It was a stackable lunchbox wrapped in cloth. ¡°¡­Eat this. Don¡¯t you always eat sparsely, Teach?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I heard you often skipped meals before because you were always busy. Anyway, I made it, so please eat it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I epted the lunchbox with bewilderment. Well, it was true that I actually skipped a lot of meals because of various things. ¡°¡­Thanks.¡± As I blinked my eyes in astonishment, Iliya smiled widely. ¡°Mm, I didn¡¯t really like it when I heard it was homework. But as expected, I did well listening to her.¡± ¡°Homework?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something like that~¡± With that, Iliya hummed a tune and unfolded her own container next to me. It seemed that just the act of giving me the lunchbox made her feel a lot better. ¡°¡­¡± I silently sat down next to her and unfolded the cloth. The lunchbox was much more normal than expected. Meat, noodles, and vegetables were neatly arranged inside. As I tried a few of them, all of them were tasty. Hell, even the seasoning was spot-on. This was he impressive! ¡°Woah, it¡¯s tasty! I¡¯ve never known you¡¯re so good at cooking!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once again, she let out a wide smile. A smile that reminded me of a blooming flower. ¡°He¡­hehe¡­hehehe¡­ R-Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing her squirming while smiling like that made me creeped out. After doing that for a while, Iliya suddenly cleared her throat. ¡°¡­Actually, there¡¯s one more thing I¡¯d like to request from you. Because I have two homework assignments.¡± It felt like she had been pondering for a long time before finally managing to bring it up. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­If you don¡¯t have time to eat properly these days, from now on, I could take care of¡ª¡± Before Iliya could finish speaking, the building suddenly shook and a loud noise echoed nearby. The screams of students drowned out the end of Iliya¡¯s sentence. ¡°¡­¡± Iliya narrowed her eyes and I got up from my seat. If an event was happening at this time, I had a rough idea of what it might be, but it was still better to confirm it with my own eyes. As I looked out the window a pace away from me, I could see what was happening in the za outside the building. ¡®¡­Just as expected.¡¯ The person I had been anticipating appeared in my sight. ¡°What kind of bullshit were you spouting?¡± It was Riru Garda wearing a contorted expression like an evil spirit. And in front of her, there was a male student who had turned purple out of fright. The previous tremor was probably caused by Riru stomping her foot in front of that student. The ground under that very foot had shattered into pieces, leaving behind a crater. ¡°Woah¡­ It¡¯s that person again.¡± After seeing this, Iliya clicked her tongue beside me. ¡°I heard she had already beaten up over 10 people after picking a fight with them, just as she is now. Does she even get tired of this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I smirked instead of responding. No, she wasn¡¯t picking a fight. Riru would never try to fight an unworthy opponent. She wasn¡¯t interested in something like that at all. However, the reason her reputation was the worst was probably because when dealing with someone who disrespected her, she didn¡¯t consider the opponent¡¯s status or background and ruthlessly tried to kill them with her full power. As a result, she was judged for being too noble-like and arrogant by those with lower status, while those with higher status criticized her for being vulgar and mannerless. ¡°¡­¡± It really was absurd. She should just suppress her temper¡­ ¡°I asked you, what kind of bullshit did you just say? What did you just say about my family?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say any¡ª¡± Nah, bro, you most definitely said something. Considering the progression of the game, that male student was probably someone who had acted arrogantly in front of Riru and had already been violently beaten before. Since he probably had some personal grudge, he provoked her once again. Riru¡¯s eyes narrowed. Her fist rose. She was probably intending to beat the male student half to death, but¡­ The male student¡¯s face showed a momentary yet triumphant expression. That was probably because he had set a ¡®trap¡¯. Teuk. Someone grasped Riru¡¯s arm from behind her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop here?¡± I knew that person as well. He was the Barbarian Warrior Luca. Behind him, hisrades, who were preparing to eat, widened their eyes. Archer Falco. Mage Grid. Priest Trisha. Excluding Iliya, they were all the members of the ¡®Hero Party¡¯. It seemed that the male student insulted Riru knowing that if she retaliated with force, there were people who would block her. Considering Riru¡¯s current reputation, the Hero Party would never tolerate such ¡®injustice¡¯ after all. ¡°¡­Huh? What are they doing over there?¡± While Iliya voiced her surprise beside me, Riru shrugged off Luca¡¯s arm with a frown. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°I told you to stop. I don¡¯t know what you heard, but immediately punching someone first isn¡¯t right.¡± Honestly, from my perspective who knew everything, she was justified in using such violence. Forget thew, that male student deserved to get beaten to death. After all, he severely insulted Riru¡¯s family¡­ Considering the state of Riru¡¯s ¡®family,¡¯ the people who were currently living with her, she was more than justified to do so. ¡°¡­¡± Riru sighed and turned towards Luca. Killing intent shed in her eyes. ¡°I said, get lost.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t know how many times you¡¯ve beaten up your department¡¯s ssmates, but you¡¯re going too fa¡ª¡± Before Luca could continue, Riru¡¯s fist struck him squarely in the face. Yep. That temper was the issue here. Instead of exining a little so he could understand her, she would always hit first, ask questionster. The male student who provoked her probably set up this trap because he knew that. ¡°T-That! What a crazy bitch!¡± Although Iliya screamed as such, Luca only grimaced slightly as he took a few steps back; he appeared to suffer no significant damage. A fist-sized shield of divine power was created in front of his face. It was Trisha, holding her Catalyst with a nervous expression. ¡°S-Stop! Why are you being so violent!¡± At Trisha¡¯s cry, Grid and Falco, who had been watching the situation from afar, tightened their expressions and drew their weapons. It seemed they couldn¡¯t just watch quietly when their friend was getting hit. ¡°¡­You wanna try me?¡± Seeing that, Riruughed even more fiercely. Not only was it a four-to-one situation, but the four people were in a group that were rumored to be the strongest among the freshmen. Even so, she didn¡¯t back down at all. ¡°Fine. Bring it on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Luca, who had been silently watching this, sighed before speaking. ¡°¡­How long are you going to live like this?¡± Riru stopped for a moment. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Even if this is a faraway foreignnd, there are still a few people who are from the same country.¡± Luca¡¯s calm voice continued. ¡°I am Luca Han-Chai from the Hyrule Mountain Range. I know about the situation of the Tribal Alliance and who you are. The Daughter of the Chieftain. Thest bloodline of the Great Leader.¡± Riru¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°I heard you were exiled all the way here because of your violent temper. Was it not enough for you to smear the Chieftain¡¯s reputation to such an extent? Do you wish you spit on his face even further?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru fell silent for a moment. However, it was not because he hit the mark. Laughter trickled out of her mouth. However, the emotions that filled her pupils were theplete opposite of suchughter. After all, that, of itself, was Riru¡¯s Royal Ire. The face of every student nearby turned purple. It was because the killing intent that oozed out of Riru seemed to burn the entire surrounding atmosphere. ¡°Luca Han-Chai of the Hyrule Mountain Range.¡± Without a single ounce of emotion, a voice as cold as ice flowed from Riru. ¡°I will remember you. I will kill you. No matter what.¡± ¡°¡­It seems we already passed the point where we can resolve this peacefully, right?¡± Upon hearing Riru¡¯s words, Grid and Falco sighed. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go help them ande back!¡± ¡°Just leave them be.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± I stopped Iliya who was trying to rush over to them. ¡°They aren¡¯t weaklings. If it¡¯s four-to-one, they can win against her.¡± Assuming Eleanor¡¯sbat power was 10 after absorbing two Fragments and Iliya¡¯sbat power was around 5, thebinedbat power of those four would be approximately 7.5 when fighting together. In essence, no matter how strong Riru was, she couldn¡¯t handle such a level alone. ¡®¡­I¡¯m pretty sure she gets fucked up here.¡¯ After that, Riru experienced some changes in her mental state and felt her own shorings, thus bing friendly to the members of the Hero¡¯s Party. That was how the story progressed if I remembered correctly. As such, all I needed to do was let it happen just like the original game and only get the things that I needed. If it was a Riru who had killed her temper, it wasn¡¯t difficult to persuade her into returning to her ¡®hometown¡¯ through this Exchange Student Event. Probably. System Message [ Devil¡¯s Aura is sensed. ] [ ¡®The Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ reacts! ] At least it should¡¯ve turned out like that, smooth sailings all around. Except this fucking message decided to pop up in front of me. ¡°¡­¡± A chill ran down my spine. When I gazed at Riru, a ¡®blue aura¡¯ was densely emanating from her body. It was familiar. After all, I had already seen something ¡®simr¡¯ twice already. Devil¡¯s Aura. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯ ¡®I know I recognized the signs from Yuria that a new Vessel will appear, but still, isn¡¯t this way too quick?¡¯ More chills ran down my spine. Riru was considered a main candidate to be a Vessel even in the original game, but it was the case where she held the ¡®Blue Devil¡¯¡­ The Hero Party? Those fodders didn¡¯t stand a chance of withstanding her inbat. I wasn¡¯t kidding when I say it wouldn¡¯t be strange at all if all four of them were to die here. ¡°¡­¡± And, of course¡­ That couldn¡¯t happen. Even though they were far inferior to Iliya, the Hero Party was still a crucial part of the story. If even one of those bastards died, the whole scenario woulde to an end. Then, what was I supposed to do in this current situation? ¡°¡­¡± My thoughts were fast and my decision was even faster. I opened the window and took a deep breath. ¡°¡­Teach?¡± Even after hearing Iliya¡¯s voice filled with suspicion¡­ I immediately threw myself out of the window. It was quite high, but I had to get there as quickly as possible. ¡°¡­! This crazy fucker¡ª!¡± Although I could hear Iliya cursing behind me, my body had already started falling out of the window. Thud. Inded on the ground with a loud noise. Everything around me waspletely obliterated in my wake. ¡°¡­¡± One of my legs was obliterated as well. It seemed like a severe fracture. However, this level of injury was not enough to make me scream. It was merely a scratch to my current self. I got up nonchntly and limped towards Riru and the Hero Party. Every person in sight was staring at me with widened eyes. Their faces seemed to say, ¡®What the fuck is with this lunatic?¡¯ In such a situation¡­ ¡°You guys.¡¯ I stood in front of Riru. As if shielding this person behind me. Then, I spoke to the Hero Party. ¡°If you continue, you¡¯ll die, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru¡¯s eyes widened. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 75: Intercession (3) Chapter 75: Intercession (3) ? Intercession (3) ? Contrary to the circting rumors, Riru Garda was not the kind of person who¡¯d attack others thoughtlessly. In truth, the majority of the cases that seemed like she was giving out one-sided violence were carried out under cold and calcted reasoning. She was aware that she was an easy target. That was why, to avoid troublesome situations, she decided that beating everyone into submission with overwhelming strength and nting the seed of fear within them was the best approach. After all, she herself was more than aware that she was a kind of existence that would never fit within the academy. ¡®There are only weaklings here.¡¯ That was her first impression when she arrived at the Academy and it never changed ever since. But there were two individuals that were an exception to that. Her head had been filled with thoughts of wanting to provoke one of them, but that particr person was incredibly elusive. Where and why was that person wandering about so much? Perhaps that was the reason why even the Empire highly valued such a powerful warrior. ¡°If you continue, you¡¯ll die, you know?¡± And that person was right in front of her. ¡®¡­This guy is definitely¡­¡¯ She had seen him once during the Observation ss. The way he managed topete quite well against her was vividly etched into her mind. ¡°¡­¡± She sent the man a perplexed gaze. Meanwhile, he was standing in front of her, facing the group of people in front of them. Almost as if he was trying to protect her, who was standing behind him. ¡°¡­Senior Dowd?¡± Mage Falco of the Hero Party spoke in a confused voice. ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°I mean, you are a second-year now. We are still freshmen.¡± ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°¡­Anyway, putting that aside, why are you trying to stop us?¡± ¡°I literally just told you. You guys will die if you continue.¡± The expressions of the entire member of the Hero Party stiffened at the same time as Riru furrowing her brows. After all, no matter how one interpreted it, the intention behind his sentence was obvious. ¡°¡­Why are you siding with such a woman?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s siding with who, now? ¡°¡­¡± Falco nced at the blood dripping from Dowd¡¯s head with a look of incredulity. If that was the case, then why did he intervene even at the cost of obliterating his own body? He thought that unless there was a very good reason, there was no point in doing such a thing. ¡°¡­Hey, guys.¡± Trisha, who had been silently watching, grabbed everyone¡¯s arms and pulled them towards her. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here.¡± ¡°What? No wait, in the the first ce, she¡¯s the one who start¡ª¡± ¡°Remember that we¡¯re the ones who jumped into this situation without understanding it properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her words were correct. After only considering her bad reputation, they had rashly assumed that Riru did something wrong once again to cause this situation. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a hard problem to solve.¡± After saying that, Dowd turned to approach the male student who had initially faced off against Riru. His appearance, as he limped while blood dripped from his entire body, gave off an odd pressure. ¡°What did you say to her before this happened?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t say any¡ª!¡± ¡°Stop lying.¡± Dowd let out a grin. Seeing such a carefree grin emerging from his bloodsoaked face made the male student¡¯s face instantly turn pale. It was as if he asked while knowing what had happened. In the end, under such seemingly omniscient pressure, the male student stuttered out the words he had spoken previously. ¡°¡­Woah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the same time that Grid and Falco frowned, Luca made a troubled look. The reason was because of the extremely vulgarnguage that the male student uttered. And those extremely inappropriate insults were directed directly towards Riru¡¯s family. ¡°¡­While using violence is prohibited, in this case, when an extraordinary amount of malice was involved, I think it¡¯s perfectly justified to enact it.¡± The words that the male student uttered were so bad that even Falco, the one with the most moderate temper among the Hero Party, made such a remark. Meanwhile, Luca, who knew about Riru to some extent, sent Riru an apologetic look. ¡°¡­I must apologize.¡± Luca bowed his head. ¡°Insulting the n of a warrior of the Tribal Alliance is akin to challenging them to a death battle. I was short-sighted in this matter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not to mention, your n¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Riru shot back coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you think. If you¡¯re not going to fight me, then get lost.¡± ¡°¡­No, I cannot do that. Honor is practically the equivalent of a warrior¡¯s life and what I had done was no different than staining your honor.¡± With that, Luca took something out from within his clothes. A dream catcher made by intertwining the teeth and bones of a beast. Riru¡¯s eyes immediately widened at the sight of this. ¡°Once someone receives an expulsion order, they can never return to the Tribal Alliance. However, an exception is applied to those forgiven by a War Chief and his direct line. Luca calmly extended it to Riru. ¡°I, Luca Han-Chai, the next War Chief of the Red Jaguar Tribe in the Hyrule Mountain Rage, deres; Riru Garda. Under the patronage of our tribe, you will be given one chance to step onto thend of the Tribal Alliance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure this was the right that you desired all this time. This is the proof of that promise. Please take it.¡± After staring nkly at it, Riru¡¯s expression soon stiffly sharpened once again. That was undoubtedly what she wanted. However, the pride left in her heart was acting up again. Before she could ponder deeply, she impulsively began to speak. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t ne¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± But, Dowd promptly intervened and smoothly intercepted the dream catcher before hanging it on her wrist. Immediately, he leaned towards an extremely bewildered Riru. Then, in a voice that could only be heard by her, he whispered. ¡°ept it, Riru.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t ept it, there will be many regrets.¡± ¡°¡­Who do you think you are to say something like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that I¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leaving Riru dumbfounded, Dowd, who had slightly raised his body, spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. ¡°I understand you¡¯re angry. I also know that I¡¯m being rude here. However, can¡¯t you ept it for my sake? With that, he tied the dream catcher to her wrist, as if telling her to shut up and take it. At that moment, Riru¡¯s voice, which was about to explosively retort in anger, waned. It was because, for some reason, she felt this man¡¯s ¡®sincerity¡¯. His speech about his rude request or whatever was merely a way to uphold her dignity. After all, she was undoubtedly trying to throw away what she desired, solely because of her petty pride. As such, he was clearly trying to adjust to her needs and desires. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®But why?¡¯ She scrutinized this man from top to bottom once again. There was no doubt that this man knew nothing about her. After all, they had barely crossed each other¡¯s paths. ¡®Then, why would he go to such lengths? He even hurted himself to help her.¡¯ Considering her image in this academy, it would undoubtedly bring him more losses than gains. Moreover, he even presented himself in such a pathetic way in order to further provide and take care of her needs. ¡®¡­What in the world¡­?¡¯ ¡®What is this guy even doing?¡¯ ¡®And what did he mean when he said that he would be the one to regret it if she didn¡¯t ept it?¡¯ ¡®Why does it matter to him if she returned to the Tribal Alliance or not?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± It was almost as if¡­ The important things to her were also important to him. After all, that was the only way to interpret what this man had said. ¡°¡­¡± In the end¡­ Riru, unable to even meet the man¡¯s eyes, could only obediently offer her wrist.
Thanks to that, I gained two things. System Message [ ¡®Devil¡¯s Aura¡¯ weakens. ] [ ¡®The Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ quiets down! ] Honestly, considering that I intervened in front of Riru, who was practically itching to fight, it ended remarkably peacefully. From what I had seen so far and even when considering the original game¡­ In this kind of situation, it was natural for a person like Riru to say ¡®Who the fuck do you think you are?¡¯ and then proceed to bash the skull of the person interfering. Of course, I had something to believe in. System Message [ Checking the current status of target ¡®Riru Garda¡¯! ] [ More susceptible to the influence of ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ than before! ] [ Target¡¯s anger is subsiding! ] This was the same case as Eleanor and Yuria. Devil¡¯s Vessels were extremely susceptible to my skills. As such, I was confident that she wouldn¡¯t directly pose a significant threat to me. So, yeah¡­ Well¡­ Although I had been feeling something hot running down my head since earlier and one of my legs waspletely fucked¡­ I still managed to block the power of a Devil appearing at this very moment. Considering that, the price I had to pay was cheap. Not to mention that I managed to save the entire Hero Party as well. It seemed that my sincere plea that they would die if they fought against her had resonated quite well within them. ¡®You guys get it, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m doing this for your own good.¡¯ ¡°¡­But Senior, she seems to listen to you well. I understand why you took her side now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As expected, the rumors are indeed true. Even that mad dog became docile in front of Senior.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I tied the dream catcher to Riru¡¯s wrist, who kept avoiding my gaze, the Hero Party left such disturbing words as they disappeared. ¡®Rumors? What rumors? I don¡¯t know what you guys are talking about! I¡¯m sure there aren¡¯t any rumors about me!¡¯ ¡®Even if there¡¯s any, I don¡¯t know anything about it!¡¯ Such thoughts came to mind as I finished tying the dream catcher around Riru¡¯s wrist. Anyway, my second gain was this essory. This thing was so important that I had to bow down my head to a pissed off Riru so that she could ept it. ¡®An opportunity to increase my Endurance stat¡­!¡¯ I was being 100% serious when I said that if Riru did not ept this, I would regret it. Luca¡¯s dream catcher was an object that could open a hidden branching route in Chapter 3. Since Luca only gave it when the yer¡¯s credibility was at a MAX, I would¡¯ve only been able to receive this if I spent my time gaining his trust for a good while. And there was an ¡®Endurance Stat Exclusive¡¯ item that could only be eaten when taking the hidden branch route. The endurance stat was one of the hardest stats to increase. These days, my body already couldn¡¯t catch up to my exploits, so in my perspective, there was nothing more precious to me than this¡­! ¡®Well, anyway if it¡¯s this much.¡¯ I think I managed to conclude this situation quite decently. Considering Riru¡¯s character background, the mere emergence of a ¡®hope¡¯ that she could return to the Tribal Alliance would very likely lead her to passionately participating in tomorrow¡¯s Exchange Student Selection. After all, until now, she had probably felt that her faraway hometown was akin to looking at a sour grape. With her abilities, passing the test shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. As such, once I ced her in the Forge of Struggle, the purpose of recruiting her would be no different than fulfilled. ¡°¡­It¡¯s tied properly. Can I go now?¡± Riru, who had been avoiding my gaze continuously since a while ago, said as such in a cautious voice. ¡®What is wrong with her?¡¯ ¡®Is she that angry that I interfered?¡¯ ¡®If so, then I should discreetly run away as if I¡¯m invisible.¡¯ As I tried to move with such thoughts, my body suddenly got caught in midair. ¡°¡­Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± ¡®W-Why are you doing this?¡¯ ¡®I really tried my hardest to not piss you off¡­!¡¯ Beyond the gradual loss of my sanity, I heard Riru¡¯s wavering voice. ¡°It¡¯ll be difficult for you to walk with that body.¡± When I turned my gaze to her, she had caught my clothes tightly between two fingers. She still had her head turned away from my eyes. ¡°¡­Follow me. I¡¯ll at least give you some first-aid.¡± And with that sentence¡­ The ¡®third gain¡¯ abruptly popped up. System Message [ Skill: Fatal Charm is activated! ] [ The efficiency of skill activation is extremely high! ] [ The favorability level of target ¡®Riru Garda¡¯ has drastically increased to ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] ¡®¡­The fuck?¡¯ You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 76: Intercession (4) Chapter 76: Intercession (4) ? Intercession (4) ? ¡°¡­Hey, Riru.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Is this¡­necessary?¡± ¡°Yes. You can¡¯t walk, remember?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bruh. I swear, it would be better for me to just walk to my death rather than being in this state. Dowd Campbell. A man who had legally reached adulthood quite some time ago¡­ Was currently being piggybacked by a girl who was 10 cm shorter than him. ¡®¡­Fuck it. I don¡¯t even know anymore.¡¯ If someone were to see this, I was more than ready to die in embarrassment. To divert my mind, I quickly checked on something else. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Riru Garda [ Curiosity Level 1 ] >>> [ Interest Level 1 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Favorability level has increased explosively in a short period of time! ] [ Special Rewards Avable! ] ¡°¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t lie to myself anymore. It did increase¡­ While I had seen messages mentioning that the skill was conditionally imnted before, even after considering that, it was ridiculous how explosive the magnitude of this increase was. It was normal for the Vessels¡¯ favorability level to quickly increase even if I did something miniscule, but even among those guys, Riru stood out. Excluding Eleanor, whose favorability instantly reached Trust Level 1 since the very start, this was the most explosive increase I had so far. ¡®¡­In a way, I guess it¡¯s a fortunate oue.¡¯ Riru, who held the Blue Devil within her, was like a powder keg that needed to be handled very carefully. Getting close to her quickly was a very favorable condition since it made ¡®managing¡¯ her way easier. As mentioned before, once things went awry, dealing with her, along with the White Devil, would be the most troublesome. Blue Devil. The Devil of Wrath. Some users even half-jokingly remarked that she was actually scarier than the Grey Devil, the final boss of the entire game. ¡°¡­¡± In other words, those remarks were also half-serious. Honestly, the Blue Devil did not give off as threatening a vibe as one might think. When she descended in her ¡®true form¡¯ like the Grey Devil did, she wasn¡¯t a particrly crazy existence among the other Devils. Additionally, she wasn¡¯t lurking around looking for an opportunity to devour me like the White Devil did either. In truth, it wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched to say that her nature was rtively mildpared to other Devils. However, she wasn¡¯t without a problem of her own¡­ It was really, really easy for her to go berserk. This was why they made remarks about her being scarier than the final boss. Unlike other Devils, who were hard to see besides special cases, she would instantly descend into the Material Realm at the slightest hint of something going awry. Moreover, if the Vessel was Riru¡­ ¡°¡­¡± While there were various conditions for the Devil within the Vessel to go berserk, most of them were difficult to trigger without external factors. Eleanor would go berserk if her mind became more unstable than usual. Meanwhile for Yuria, it was being away from the target she was obsessed with for too long. However, the only one who couldnd an extremely effective blow on Eleanor¡¯s diamond-like mentality was me, and the target Yuria obsessed over was me as well. Basically, as long as I didn¡¯t get involved, things wouldn¡¯t get that dangerous with them. However, in the case of the Blue Devil¡­ Her berserk condition was simply ¡®getting angry¡¯. As seen in the recent situation, if she started crossing the threshold of ¡®Wrath¡¯ on her own, then certain signs gradually began to appear. And if she got even more pissed off, she would just say ¡®Fuck it¡¯, before going berserk and descending. Even if the Blue Devil became just half as angry as when Eleanor used the ¡®Descent ¨C Wrath¡¯ skill, the surroundings would¡¯ve already turned into scorched earth. ¡°¡­¡± Unfortunately, the human hosting such a Devil just had to be the woman with anger management issues. She was literally a ball of anger. There was a good reason why people called her a mad dog. That was also why I didn¡¯t object to getting dragged along by her. Frankly, I could easily deal with this level of injuries using the various Graces that I had learned, but I didn¡¯t want to risk pissing Riru off by refusing her favor. You never knew when, where, or how this person would get angry¡­! ¡°¡­¡± Well, actually, that wasn¡¯t the sole reason. If my memories were correct, when ¡®invited¡¯ to Riru¡¯s house, there was someone I had to meet there. That person would be of great help to my future endeavors. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± ¡®Does she have eyes on the back of her head?¡¯ I was silently gazing in Riru¡¯s direction when such a blunt sentence was instantly thrown my way. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s just ignore her and receive my rewards.¡¯ While making a conscious effort to not pay attention to her, I tapped on the window to collect my rewards. System Notification [ iming ¡®Riru¡¯s¡¯ Gift Rewards! ] [ ¡®Mastery: Iron Man èFÈË¡¯ Received! ] [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Iron Man èFÈË Grade: Basic Proficiency: 0% Description: Warriors of the Tribal Alliance repeatedly put themselves in extreme situations in order to constantly train their ability to react to such situations. It is very risky, but effective. [ ¡ö Endurance to various injuries and pain is increased. Reduces the intensity of pain and allows for easier movement even when severely injured. ] [ ¡ö Effects are proportional to the Endurance stat. ] ¡°¡­¡± It appeared like a Mastery that I could easily umte proficiency in had popped out. For someone like me, someone who¡¯d strain my body God knows how many times in the future, it was literally a rain in a drought. If there was anything I was disappointed about, I guess it would be that all the effects were proportional to the Endurance stat. ¡®I really need to increase my Endurance stat quickly¡­¡¯ With such thoughts, I moved onto the next window. Since this was a reward for an explosive increase in favorability level over a short period of time, then, as expected¡­ System Notification [ Received 1 ¡®Skill Copy Ticket¡¯. ] [ You can copy 1 of the target¡¯s skills! ] It would be this. I predicted it woulde out since I received the same rewards from Yuria and Eleanor. And unlike the Copy Ticket for Eleanor, which I used muchter, or for Yuria, which I still hadn¡¯t been able to use yet, Riru had a skill that I could receive immediately. [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Fighting Arts ¨C Stance Á¢Ê½ Description: Efficient movements honed for a lifetime by a brawler with gifted insight. It can exert tremendous power even though it has not been fully perfected! [ ¡ö Receives Strength adjustment inbat when unarmed. ] [ ¡ö Receives Agility adjustment for evasive movements inbat when unarmed. ] [ ¡ö Through practice, various movements included in this Fighting Arts can be unlocked. ] A noteworthy point was that, unlike other Masteries, there was no ¡®Proficiency¡¯ associated with this one. This meant it was a technique that had to be learned simply through ¡®practice¡¯ without the backup of the system. The reason I needed to get this sooner was because it would take some time for the full potential to be realized. ¡®¡­This is a jackpot.¡¯ The advantages of this Mastery were obvious, so it was more than worth it to invest time into it. After all, this was the exact reason why I pinpointed Riru as a key manpower in Chapter 3. This bizarre feature of significantly increasingbat power when in an ¡®unarmed¡¯ state would undoubtedly shine. Moreover, it would be during the most crucial situation of Chapter 3. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, to properly train this Mastery¡­ Someone¡¯s help was absolutely necessary. Thinking this, I looked down at the back of Riru¡¯s head. ¡®¡­Well.¡¯ The problem was that she would never teach it, considering the backstory of this Mastery. Of course, I had prepared a solution for this. And I nned to use it soon. ¡°¡­Here we are.¡± My consciousness that was sinking in contemtion was dragged back to reality after hearing Riru¡¯s voice. After leaving Elfante¡¯s academy district and walking through the city for a while, we reached a ce so secluded that it was hard to believe that we were still in the same city. And at such a ce, there was a building that was on the verge of crumbling. A building so shabby that even the ¡®supply room¡¯ where Yuria used to stay seemed like a paradise inparison. It was to the extent that it was doubtful whether a human being could even live in such a ce. ¡°¡­¡± I felt Riru ncing at me from the side. She probably thought I wouldn¡¯t notice, but I could tell what she was thinking about. ¡®After saying that I¡¯d treat him, I brought him to this shabby building. He probably thought that I¡¯m making fun of him.¡¯ She probably thought about something along that line. However, I did not have any intentions of doing such a thing. ¡°Nice house.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Firstly, I had said this over and over, but there was no need to provoke this person. It was best to maintain courtesy no matter what happened. And secondly¡­ Even putting that aside, there was no reason to mock this space. After all, it was probably a building that she built alone without anyone¡¯s help. That was her country¡¯s ¡®tradition¡¯. ¡°It may not be a magnificent building, but I can feel the effort that was put into it. Someone must have worked hard to make it.¡± ¡°¡­Be quiet.¡± Riru replied curtly while scratching her head before dragging me into the building. Of course¡­ Despite her manner of speaking, she didn¡¯t seem as unhappy as her words suggested.
Immediately after entering the building, Riru cautiously put me down. I stood firmly on both feet, ted by the sensation of my long-lost freedom. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Big Sis! Big Sis! Guys, Big Sis is here!¡± ¡°Big Sis! Wee back!¡± ¡°Oh! Big Sis brought her boyfriend!¡± As soon as Riru arrived, a group of children boisterously popped out from the hut. They were probably the members of her n. ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend. Don¡¯t bother the guest and go inside.¡± Riru gestured dismissively, as if they were bothersome. However, despite her apparent annoyance, her face disyed a ¡®humane warmth¡¯ that she never showed in school. After all, she only ever showed two kinds of expressions within the academy: expressionless or angry. ¡°Lie down. I¡¯ll go bring the medicine.¡± With that, Riru brought the kids with her into a bamboo blind that drooped on one side before disappearing. ¡°¡­¡± I let out augh while ncing around. The reason why I could afford to look around was because I was having the entire living room to myself. This building was maintained with an almost stubborn adherence to the traditions of the Tribal Alliance, exuding their distinct culture. The interior of the huts of Native Americans probably looked simr to this. Amidst this, a particr detail caught my eye. I looked towards the ¡®nes¡¯ hanging on the walls and the ¡®incense¡¯ burning in front of them. ¡°It is to honor those who¡¯ve ascended to the sky.¡± It was an elderly woman¡¯s voice. When I turned my head, I saw a small woman lying in the shadows, there was a smoking pipe in her mouth. ¡°¡­¡± No, calling her ¡®small¡¯ was a bit misleading. Her build undoubtedly showed that she originally had a strong physique. However, both her legs and one of her arms were gone. As if someone had cut them off. ¡°A lot of things have happenedtely. I¡¯m sorry you had toe to such a messy house, Child.¡± ¡°¡­Please, don¡¯t be sorry.¡± I calmly received her words. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember how long it has been since I¡¯ve entered such a warm ce.¡± In this dpidated home on the verge of crumbling, only the tools for burning incense and those nes were remarkably well-preserved. It was clear how much effort was taken to manage them, even at a quick nce. In essence, it showed what connection they had with the owners of the nes during their lifetime. The old woman cackled. ¡°I appreciate your words.¡± The elderly woman smoothly lifted her body before moving towards me. It was astonishing how such movements were possible in her state. She was supporting her entire body with just one arm. I noticed the scars all over her body. It was the body of a veteran who had ovee countless adversities. I had also been rolling aroundtely, but my wounds were nothingpared to her. ¡°Your eyes are full of intelligence. You are a child with a remarkable nature.¡± The elderly woman scrutinized my face for a while. ¡°That¡¯s why it makes me more curious. Why would youe here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There is no way a child like you wouldn¡¯t know where this ce is and what has happened to this old woman. So, why?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was this something one could figure out after merely seeing someone¡¯s eyes? Without exemption, all the powerhouses of this world were weird people. I let out a bitter smile before speaking. ¡°I am Dowd Campbell. A nobody with no impressive background to boast about.¡± I took out the Lion¡¯s Ne. It was a token from Hatan that was only given to ¡®a promising talent¡¯ in the Tribal Alliance. This granted the ¡®minimum level of right¡¯ I needed to talk with this person from now on. ¡°It is nice to meet you for the first time, Kasa Garda.¡± Kasa Garda. Riru Garda¡¯s grandmother. The world¡¯s strongest brawler whose Unarmed Martial Arts rivaled even the Sword Saint of the present era. And the former Chieftain of the Tribal Alliance who had been dethroned due to a ¡®coup d¡¯etat¡¯ ¡°¡­I came to talk about your granddaughter.¡± The elderly woman had a faint smile on her face. ¡°You want to talk about my granddaughter, you say¡­ Well then. What do you wish to say?¡± I carefully organized what to say. Whenever these moments came, I had always been cursed at for being utterly shit at expressing myself properly. But not this time. As such¡­ This time, I was choosing my words meticulously in order to convey my intentions in the most straightforward way. I had to aim for perfection. ¡°I would like your help in developing an intimate rtionship between me and Riru.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I wish to go all the way within ten days.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No wait. Judging by her reaction, it didn¡¯t seem like this was it. ¡°¡­May I provide a few more details? I think I misspoke a little.¡± Fortunately, I managed to add some supplementary exnations before Kasa could split my head apart. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 77: Surprise (?) Attack Chapter 77: Surprise (?) Attack ? Surprise(?) Attack ? [¡­You know.] Caliban¡¯s voice could be heard from within the amulet. [From now on, if there¡¯s something important that you need to say, let me check it first before you start speaking. You¡¯re usually great at using your brain, but why are you like this in these kinds of situations¡­?] ¡°¡­¡± It might actually be better to do that from now on. Thank you in advance, Caliban. ¡°¡­I see that you¡¯re a child who bears catastrophes at the tip of your tongue.¡± Kasa Garda clicked her tongue. That was her reaction after hearing my exnation. ¡°I understand what you are trying to say. So this is what you meant by an intimate rtionship.¡± At least this time, it seemed that I had sessfully conveyed what I had in mind. ¡°A colleague, is it? You wish to be a fellow disciple with Riru.¡± Kasa fell silent for a moment. The ¡®Fighting Arts ¨C Stance¡¯ that I ripped off from Riru was a style created by her. At the very least, when her body was still ¡®intact¡¯, Riru would have learned from her. And I had just asked her to teach it to me as well. ¡°¡­¡± To be fair, it was an incredibly impolite request. As for the Tribal Alliance, there was another thing that was just as important; theirbat techniques. What I was doing was the equivalent of asking someone for their trade secrets. ¡°¡­Hm.¡± And¡­ As I watched Kasa put down the smoking pipe with a snort, I took a deep breath. It wouldn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that something would undoubtedly happen if I were to talk about something like this. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] System Message [ ¡®Skill: Proof of Faith¡¯ activated. ] [ All stat bonuses are converted to ¡®Endurance¡¯. ] System Message [ ¡®Skill: Guardian Shield¡¯ activated. ] [ Creating 2 simultaneously due to the influence of ¡®Mastery: Divine Power Mastery¡¯! ] At the same time I activated the skills I prepared in advance¡­ -! A blow akin to a sh of light exploded. The speed was so fast that the process of the movement seemed to bepletely disregarded and only the beginning and end remained. ¡°¡­¡± As I looked at the fist that stopped right in front of my nose, I gulped, almost choking on my own spit. Despite converting all the stat bonuses from the EX-Grade buff into Endurance and deploying two shields that had be even tougher due to such changes, I ¡®barely¡¯ managed to block the punch that this person had thrown so effortlessly. Such power came from that very body. From a messy blow without even a properly set center of gravity. ¡°¡­¡± However, if I were to put it in a more positive light¡­ Despite the means, I did ¡®indeed block it¡¯. A blow of a powerhouse in the world who was even known as the Fist Saint, right in front of my nose. ¡°So you do have the qualification to utter such arrogance.¡± While grinning, Kaya pulled back her fist and picked back up the smoking pipe. Seeing that, I exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°¡­I have fulfilled the conditions, Kasa.¡± The Lion¡¯s Ne, the proof that I was a promising talent recognized by someone with at least the status of a War Chief. And thepetence to withstand the strike of the ¡®instructor¡¯ by any means necessary. Those were the criterias that one had to fulfill to be epted as a disciple in the Tribe Alliance. ¡°¡­¡± Kasa, who let out a long plume of smoke, fell silent for a moment. ¡°When you said you¡¯ll go all the way within ten days, I assume that you meant you¡¯ll be learning all of my techniques within that span of time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Child, are there some circumstances that forced you to push yourself this far?¡± Could she stop reading my mind? To answer that question, yes, that was how it was. The reason I had set that time limit was because Chapter 3 would actuallyst for ten days starting tomorrow. My goal was to learn all of this person¡¯s Fighting Arts before Chapter 3¡¯s ¡®Final Event¡¯ that will take ce after those ten days. Otherwise, it was safe to say that the probability of clearing this chapter would drop drastically. Though, apart from that, there was also one more reason why. ¡°¡­I wish to help Riru.¡± Considering Riru¡¯s immediate ¡®goal¡¯, it was true that I had some intention of simply helping her as well. ¡°Help?¡± ¡°The reason she lives so diligently is because she wishes to reim the authority and honor that you have lost, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m talking about the things that have been taken away by unjust people.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°After all, there¡¯s no one else who can do it besides herself.¡± It was a truth that was clear just by examining our surroundings. In the Tribal Alliance, the meaning behind a n was virtually identical to the wordmonly known as ¡®family¡¯. The number of members was also not much different from such a word. In that sense, the number of burning incense around me implied that¡­ Excluding Riru, thest survivors of this n were the children Riru just took with her and Kasa herself. ¡°She¡¯s a stubborn and prideful person. She won¡¯t stop until she actually achieves it.¡± The fact that she ¡®alone¡¯ had built thisrge building, shabby but capable of sheltering her entire remaining n, was more than enough proof. In the Tribal Alliance, the space where the n members lived had to be within the buildings that they themselves had constructed. It was their tradition. Furthermore, in the Tribal Alliance¡¯s tradition, the elderly and children were excluded from the bor force¡¯. Even after being driven out of the Tribal Alliance, Riru Garda still stubbornly maintained that tradition. A building this big meant there was a tremendous amount ofbor involved. That didn¡¯t factor in the fact that she didn¡¯t know anything about construction. Yet, she managed to build it by herself. Only using her bare fist and perseverance. So, as I said when I first came here¡­ There was no reason to mock this ce as shabby. After all, it was a space imbued with pride and effort of such an extent. ¡°However, the current method is too slow. And there¡¯s no one to help her either.¡± The method Riru had chosen was to prove her worth at the ¡®Empire¡¯s academy¡¯. She intended to build influence in the Empire and then seek revenge on those who put her n in this state. After all, if you think about it, she had always participated in ¡®events where she could be noticed¡¯. It was the same during Observation ss and the midterms. If she really was a hooligan who didn¡¯t care about the school rules as her reputation suggested, then there was no reason for her to do so. She could¡¯ve just done whatever she wanted, being a nuisance everywhere. However, just like I had mentioned before¡­ That method was way too slow. There was no telling how long it would take to see the results of such an endeavor. That was why¡­ ¡°¡­Child, are you saying you would take care of all of that?¡± ¡°I will be able to achieve all of it in ten days, at the very least.¡± If Riru passed the selection test tomorrow, gained the qualifications of an Exchange Student, and went to the Tribal Aliiance¡¯s academy with Kasa¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be impossible at all. ¡°¡­¡± Kasa stared at my face for a while before smiling faintly. ¡°You¡¯re sincere. You didn¡¯t say such things with wicked schemes in mind.¡± At times like this, her keen sense akin to mind reading was quite useful. After all, there was no need to prove my intentions with this and that. ¡°However, I have to at least ask the reason for your actions. Why go to such lengths?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This kind of help is not something that one would normally offer to someone who was merely a stranger until just yesterday.¡± I sighed. She was right¡­ That was why I had to answer her properly. ¡°¡­All I¡¯ll say is that this is an important matter for me.¡± ¡°An important matter, you say.¡± ¡°Yes. Helping Riru is an important matter for me.¡± Currently, Riru¡¯s list of ¡®targets for revenge¡¯ coincided with the bastards I needed to fuck up while progressing through Chapter 3. If her revenge was sessful, there would only be gains. On the other hand, if her revenge failed or its ¡®process¡¯ went awry and angered her¡­ The Blue Devil would immediately be unleashed. Basically, in my perspective, I had no other choice but to help her to the best of my abilities. ¡°¡­¡± And Kasa, who had been staring at my face for a while¡­ Soon bursted into heartyughter. It was a resoundingughter that one would never expect toe out from someone her age and with that body condition. System Message [ The favorability level of target ¡®Kasa Garda¡¯ has been elevated to ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯! ] [ Reward has been reduced due to the Good disposition of the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± It was certainly better than reacting angrily or coldly at my words, but¡­ This was an unexpected reaction to me as well. Why were you like this? ¡°Child, you said you want to have an intimate rtionship with Riru, right?¡± Kasa continued with an even bigger smile. ¡°Your words weren¡¯t totally incorrect.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°Although you probably didn¡¯t mean to say it in that way at all, when you¡¯ve lived as long as I have, there are certain things that you¡¯d be able to see. From your words and your actions, I can feel what would roughly transpireter in the future.¡± There was a change in a smile. If her previous smile exuded warmth and kindness, this time, it was¡­ A smile one would let out when they found out about the other party¡¯s mistake. ¡°You have to be prepared to take responsibility for the words you spit out, Child. I told you that the tip of your tongue bears catastrophes, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°¡­What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means that even if you never intended to, your words will end uping true.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Whether you like it or not, those words you spoke will be your fate. Speaking of, Riru has had a hard time finding a suitable partner until now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be hard for your words to be the truth. After all, you¡¯ll only grow closer to her from now on. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± While it was great that you ended up liking me and willing to cooperate with me right away, but¡­ Your reason for doing so was a little strange, wasn¡¯t it?
One thing I had realized was that the Tribal Alliance¡¯s ointment was remarkably effective. Thanks to the medicine Riru applied all over my body, my wounds were healing incredibly fast. It was almost as if someone had casted magic on me. ¡®¡­For now, everything has been resolved fairly well.¡¯ It didn¡¯t seem to be for nothing that Kasa¡¯s favorability level had started at ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯ despite not being a Devil¡¯s Vessel, as she smoothly cooperated with everything I had asked of her. She agreed to send Riru to the uing selection test, to ept me as her new disciple and to convey this fact to Riiru, and even to head to the Tribal Alliance herself with Riru. It was honestly bewildering how all my requests were epted in one cue. ¡°¡­¡± Whatever, good things were good. She did say a lot of unsettling things, but, good things were good. With such thoughts, I arrived at the academic district and headed to my dormitory. At that moment, the system window shed before my eyes. System Message [ There are 24 unread important messages! ] ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ ¡®Twenty four messages?¡¯ I blinked as I fiddled with the window. System Log #1 [ The madness of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has alleviated! ] [ Corruption decreased! ] #2 [ The madness of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has alleviated! ] [ Corruption decreased! ] #3 [ The madness of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has alleviated! ] [ Corruption decreased! ] . . . ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®The fuck is this?¡¯ Looking at the date and times, these had urred during the past week when I had been running away while trying not to stand out to Eleanor. All twenty four messages were exactly the same. Eleanor¡¯s madness was alleviated and her corruption had decreased. ¡®¡­I haven¡¯t done anything though?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know what it was, but for now, it seemed like a good thing for me. Honestly, considering Eleanor¡¯s nature, I was pretty sure that she would go fucking insane as soon as I started evading her. As such, I was nning to pacify her sometime soon, but it seemed that both the symptoms I was worried about had been decreasing without me knowing. ¡°There you are.¡± Holy fu¡ª. I turned around in surprise at the sudden voice nearby. It was someone I knew. Viz. Although he looked like a disgustingly ordinary man, his real identity was an exorcist, an elite agent of the Holy Land. I had received his help before during the Valkasus Boss Battle. Seeing that he was still inside the school, it seemed he was maintaining his undercover identity well. ¡°¡­Why did you suddenlye see me?¡± ¡°I came because I have a message to convey to you. After all, your safety is important in a lot of ways for the Holy Land as well.¡± With that, Viz let out a reluctant sigh. ¡°¡­There¡¯s intelligence from various sources that there is arge-scale operation targeting you. Be prepared for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was about time it happened. Well, I could guess what it was. As I had repeatedly mentioned, the Chapter 3 boss, [Apostle of the Reversed Sea], was an extremely cunning bastard. Considering that bastard¡¯s nature, there was a high possibility that they found my existence highly irritating. As such, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for the bastard to try various schemes on me. ¡°¡­Was a famous assassin hired?¡± ¡°Bail of the Four Leaves. Do you know the name? I heard he¡¯s quite famous in the underworld.¡± Of course I knew. He was a member of the assassination organization ¡®Vagabond¡¯, operated by the Apostle of the Reversed Sea. A quite formidable enemy. ¡°¡­Got it. Thanks for the information.¡± ¡°Be careful. He¡¯s no ordinary guy. Although you handled the previous two attacks well¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Wait. ¡°Two attacks?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that more than 20 assassins were dispatched. Your abilities are formidable, so it seems that you have handled them safely. However, the one being sent this time is on a whole different level, so I wanted to personally convey the informa¡ª¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t been attacked though?¡± ¡®The fuck is he even saying?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Viz and I awkwardly made eye contact. ¡°No wait, is the information from your side trustworthy?¡± ¡°¡­The Holy Land is the best at gathering intelligence even among the superpowers. There is no doubt that it¡¯s urate.¡± ¡°I already said I haven¡¯t been attacked though?¡± ¡°Anyway, I have delivered the necessary information.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Always be prepared, Dowd Campbell. He¡¯s no ordinary assassin.¡± As Viz disappeared with such words, I looked at him incredulously. ¡®¡­Well, anyway.¡¯ I didn¡¯t really understand what the fuck he meant by two attacks when there was more than twenty assassins involved, but¡­ Considering he came to personally deliver such information, it was highly likely that it was not a lie. The expected time for the surprise attack was probably tomorrow. It was highly likely to happen before the start of the ¡®selection test¡¯. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t really want to face him.¡¯ Even within Vagabond, Bail was a particrly difficult opponent for me. He was the type where strategies did not work on him and he simply crushed everything with brute force. However, it wasn¡¯t like he was going to willingly retreat just because I didn¡¯t like it. I had to fight, even if I didn¡¯t want to. I needed to prepare thoroughly and repay in kind.
Next day. The selection test had begun¡­ In the end, the assassins had not even shown a hint of themselves. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Why aren¡¯t theying?¡¯ System Message [ The madness of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has alleviated! ] [ Corruption decreased! ] ¡®And why the fuck are you suddenly appearing again?¡¯ You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 78: Ring (1) Chapter 78: Ring (1) ? Ring (1) ? Bail of the Four Leaves was an assassin proudly affiliated with Vagabond. He was well-known for his high speed swordsmanship, a product from his four-swords style. In addition to the double des he wielded, he had another two that he controlled through telekinesis. It was said that he could turn his opponents to minced meat with ease by using his dazzling and swift attacks, which possessed four times more trajectories than your average swordsmen. ¡°¡­¡± And now, those very swords had all been shattered. Bail looked at his beloved swords with a nk look. As he traversed countless battlefields, he had be worthy of being called a veteran in his own right and they had been the reliablepanions that had been by his side the entire time. They were excellent des that would receive respect anywhere he went. But, someone had obliterated those very swords with only their ¡®bare hands¡¯, as if they were nothing but toys. ¡°Mm.¡± Eleanor nodded as she looked down at her own hands, clenching and unclenching them nonchntly. After wearing a pair of gauntlets, she somehow ¡®caught and destroyed¡¯ the sword strike that Bail put all his power and magic into. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®How could this even happen?¡¯ Although he had heard the rumors that Lady Tristan was someone with extraordinary skills for her age, this was not something that could be exined by just that much. After all, what she had done would only be possible if they had at the very least two or three level differences. ¡°¡­Ridiculous.¡± He spoke such words with a groan. ¡°I¡¯ve often heard stories that even at a young age, you demonstrated martial prowess that were almost miraculous, but it seems the title of a genius isn¡¯t enough to describe someone like you.¡± The remains of hisrades, who had been mobilized for this ¡®surprise attack¡¯, were scattered around. Their bodies were in grotesque states; some had their corpses exploded in certain areas, some had their limbs ripped off. All of this was caused by a woman who hadn¡¯t even drawn her sword. ¡°So, how did you find out about this ce, Lady?¡± They had surely maintained strict control over information about themselves, so how did she manage to find them all the way here and carry out such acts? ¡°I just happened to find some people whose target ovepped with mine.¡± Eleanor responded to Bail¡¯s question while wiping the blood off her cheek. ¡°An ovepping target?¡± ¡°Recently, I felt like Dowd has been avoiding me. So, I decided to follow him around.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As I did, I found quite a few people doing the same thing as me.¡± ¡®If he was avoiding her, wouldn¡¯t there be a reason for it?¡¯ Usually, in such a case, one would at least try to understand the other¡¯s sentiments and give them space. How in the world did she unhesitatinglye up with the option to follow him? As an incredulous Bail fell into silence, Eleanor shrugged her shoulders before continuing. ¡°So I investigated the matter a little.¡± The next moment¡­ Before Bail could even react, Eleanor approached him and gripped his arm. ¡°¡­!¡± Without even a chance to scream in pain, his body rose into the air. Then, it was fully swung to the opposite side, mmed back into the ground. The area of the arm she held was torn apart, as if it had gone through a crusher, his internal organs were deformed when mming into the ground, a few of his ribs were fractured, and his paralyzed spine was followed by a concussion. In less than a second, a person with formidable strength had suffered multiple fatal injuries. At that moment, Bail seriously pondered the sentence he had thought of earlier. ¡®A genius who didn¡¯t seem her age, my ass.¡¯ ¡®¡­She¡¯s just a monster¡­!¡¯ This undaunted power surpassed her capability that he had heard beforehand. It was as if she had explosively gained strength in a short period of time due to some incident. She had to at least have the specs of Margrave Kendride, who was no different from a human tank. Moreover, Lady Tristan was the sessor of a ¡®swordsmanship noble household¡¯, not someone who specialized in Unarmed Combat like that man! ¡°I found that most of my questions would be answered if I were to do this first¡± ¡°¡­¡± He very much understood how she managed to gather an abundance of information about them. Facing such a monster, no matter how much resistance one put up, the oue was inevitable; they would lose their life. Even though they were fellow assassins, it was ultimately a business rtionship. Most of them were individuals who prized their life above all others. However¡­ ¡°¡­So, did you kill everyone?¡± ¡°Why would I not kill them when they were trying to kill Dowd?¡± The tone of her voice was so even and nonchnt, almost as if she was tly stating that the world became brighter when the sun rose. It also felt like she found it ridiculous that such an obvious question was asked. ¡°¡­¡± Of course that was the case. The atmosphere emanating from this woman made it clear that any negotiation would be futile. She seemed like someone whose very nature was utterly twisted. Almost as if she had designated that man to be the center of her world. If so, It was clear that Bail would meet his end here. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect to die like this in vain, even though I have children and a wife.¡± He murmured bitterly before closing his eyes quietly. Given the nature of his work, he was always in danger of losing his life anyway. He had always been prepared to die. As such¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± When he couldn¡¯t feel any impact for a while, he became bewildered. As he slightly opened his eyes, he saw Eleanor stroking her chin, lost in thought. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s wrong?¡± As Bail spoke, unable to endure the long silence any longer, Eleanor responded while nodding. ¡°Are you married?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What kind of question was that? As Bail just quietly stared at her, at a loss for words, Eleanor tilted her head. ¡°Are you not? Then, forget about it.¡± With that, she slowly raised her leg. It was clear that she was about to stomp on his head. ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m married. I said I¡¯m married, okay?!¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but he realized that this part of him was crucial to his continued survival, so he spouted those words in panic. After hearing his answer, Eleanor let out a ¡®Hm,¡¯ before lowering back her leg. ¡°Then I need to ask you something. Who proposed first?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Calling her crazy didn¡¯t do her justice; There was no doubt that she was a fucking psycho. As Bail genuinely pondered such thoughts, Eleanor tilted her head and raised her leg once again. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to answer.¡± ¡°¡­My wife proposed first.¡± She slowly lowered her leg again. ¡°Good. borate then.¡± ¡°borate?¡± ¡°Tell me more about things like development or progress behind it. Did you ept her proposal as soon as you heard it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bail let out a deep breath. Putting aside the pain that was coursing through his entire body, he had to calm the dizziness that hit him because of the conversation itself. He decided to respond before anything. ¡°No, I rejected it.¡± ¡°The reason?¡± ¡°Working as an assassin is an iparably dangerous job. I couldn¡¯t make a woman who loved someone like me a widow. I thought that was how I should treat her because of how precious she was to me.¡± For a brief moment, Eleanor stroked her chin. ¡®Is that so?¡¯ ¡®That man could be in that category.¡¯ After all, she had always felt like he was taking things on without telling her. If she became distracted even a little, the next thing she knew, he was swept up in some new threat elsewhere. Just look at how all these assassins targeting him popped out of nowhere. As such, she should judge that he wasn¡¯t running away from her because he disliked her, but because he was trying to look out for her. It wasn¡¯t because he knew she was preparing something, but because he couldn¡¯t help but avoid her due to the timing. ¡°¡­¡± No, to be more precise¡­ She didn¡¯t think she could endure it if she didn¡¯t think that way. The reason why she went around killing these assassins wasn¡¯t just to let out her anger. If that man actually rejected the ¡®ring¡¯ she dearly carried with her¡­ ¡°¡­Heup.¡± Bail inhaled deeply as he looked up at Eleanor. It was because he saw the dense fog of killing aura pouring out of her body and epassing the surrounding space. It was to the extent that it would¡¯ve been better to just talk about the mind-numbing and insane topic that they were discussing earlier. ¡°¡­But, why are you curious about such things?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor snapped back to her senses and looked down at Bail. ¡°I want some advice.¡± ¡°Advice?¡± ¡°About the situation, dialogue, or overall atmosphere. What moved your heart?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bail pondered desperately. After all, he sensed that he had to give an extraordinarily excellent answer at this very moment. ¡°¡­The wildness? How raw her feelings were? At least that was how my wife was.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Putting aside whether I would die or not after getting married, she proposed with an attitude that either I married her now or one of us would die right then and there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After a moment of silence, Eleanor nodded. It seemed she was quite pleased with what she heard. ¡°Thanks for the advice. I¡¯ll try it as it is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Following that statement, Bail¡¯s expression turned pale when he saw Eleanor not just lifting her leg, but actually drawing her sword. ¡°¡­Wait. I responded well to everything you asked so far.¡± ¡°Do not worry. I have no intention of killing you in acknowledgement of that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Then what in the world was this? ¡°I¡¯m threatening you. I can¡¯t just let you go when you tried to kill Dowd, right? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a few proposals that you cannot refuse, so listen and decide. Will you die or will you obey?¡± Eleanor continued in an even tone. ¡°First of all, start off with spilling everything about the client¡¯s identity and any rted information regarding them. Understood?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, Bail realized this truth. Perhaps it was better to just die instead. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll at least make a promise to you.¡± Eleanor suddenly yed with the ring in her hands as she sighed. ¡°If it ¡®seeds¡¯, I¡¯ll make sure to return the favor in some way.¡± ¡°¡­Seed? When are you nning to make your attempt?¡± Eleanor stroked her chin for a moment, lost in thought. She had received some good advice; there was no reason to dy. If so¡­ ¡°Today.¡± Regardless of what it was, big issues should be resolved quickly. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 79: Ring (2) Chapter 79: Ring (2) ? Ring (2) ? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Atnte and I faced each other without a word. The gaze we exchanged contained a profound sense of pity for each other. Of course, I roughly understood why she was looking at me like this. ¡°I guess I look haggard, huh?¡± ¡°¡­You seem to be aware of it yourself.¡± ¡°You say that, but you aren¡¯t any better yourself, Headmistress.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, in my case, it was natural since I was using all my focus and efforts to avoid Eleanor these days. I never expected to see Atnte in such a half-dead state, though. ¡°¡­Anyway, this is the result of your request. It¡¯s a list of students selected for the Exchange Students event.¡± The methods for the selection test were quite simple. They chose the students based on their ¡®superior performance¡¯pared to theirpetitors. From their exceptional crafting abilities,bat abilities, resourcefulness; Anything was fine, as long as the selected individuals had outstanding abilities. It was quite the fair method to open the doors of opportunity for everyone. Of course, as was the case of everything in the world, some people were just treated ¡®more fairly¡¯ than others. I nced through the list of students that Atalente had handed me. All the names of the people I had ¡®rmended¡¯ were there. Iliya, Yuria, Lucia, Talion. ¡®The Exchange Student Eventsts a total of ten days¡­¡¯ As soon as we arrived at the Forge of Struggle, we would be busy running around everywhere, so there wouldn¡¯t be a time where we would all gather as a group. However, certain individuals still had to be ced in their respective ¡®position¡¯. And that was especially true for people whose presence was crucial to ovee this chapter. ¡°¡­You even managed to put Riru on the list?¡± As I spoke to Atnte as such, she responded with a ghostly smile, as if her soul had left her body. Almost as if the main reason she had ended up in her current state was rted to that. ¡°¡­It was a diplomatic nightmare.¡± Atnte wiped her face as she spoke. ¡°You roughly know about the Tribal Alliance¡¯s situation, right?¡± ¡°¡­They said that they just recently had a regime change by coup d¡¯¨¦tat, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit much to call it a coup d¡¯¨¦tat. After all, this is amon urrence in their country.¡± Befit of the term ¡®Alliance¡¯, the Tribal Alliance was essentially a republic that was led by a gathering of War Chiefs from various powerful tribes. Among the War Chiefs, the most powerful would reign as the Chieftain and this was decided by duels between candidates elected through votes. ¡°¡­Is it okay for a country with such power to decide their politics with duels?¡± ¡°It¡¯s their tradition, so it can¡¯t be helped. After all, they are more closed-minded and stubborn than any other group on the entire continent.¡± Atnte chuckled as she replied. Of course, the fact that their country was still thriving was because no matter which War Chief was chosen as the Chieftain, they were all capable individuals who could pull their weight. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± This time was an exception. The current Chieftain was someone that would chaos throughout the entire continent unless he was quickly ¡®dragged down¡¯. ¡°After defeating the previous Chieftain Kasa Garda, n Ba-Thor, the War Chief of ck Wolf, was inaugurated as the new Chieftain.¡± Atnte, who mentioned such a name, let out a deep sigh. Her reaction seemed to imply that it was excruciatingly tiresome just to recall his name. ¡°¡­I heard he was originally a docile and considerate man, buttely, he seems to havepletely changed. I had to cash in all the connections I could find to be able to send Riru Garda as an exchange student.¡± ¡°¡­You must have had a hard time.¡± I was being sincere. Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for Atnte, persuading that person as he was ¡®now¡¯ would have been close to impossible. Cutting off three of Kasa Garda¡¯s limbs, ¡®falsely using¡¯ Riru Garda and expelling her from the Tribal Alliance along with Kasa, and even exterminating her entire n. All those events happened because of him. ¡°¡­¡± To be more precise, it was due to the ¡®person behind-the-scenes¡¯ manipting him. As Atnte had mentioned, the n I knew from the original game was not someone who would do such things. The reason why he did this was because he got involved with those fucking Devil Worshippers. ¡°Putting that aside, how are you?¡± Atne let out a sigh. ¡°You told me Lady Tristan was preparing a ring, right¡ª¡± After seeing me break out in cold sweat, the Headmistress instantly closed her mouth. ¡°¡­Are you sure you don¡¯t need any help? The reason why I haven¡¯t been doing anything is because you¡¯ve been refusing my help¡­¡± ¡°If anything, you helping me would be counterproductive.¡± There was no way she could be of any help. How was she going to prevent Eleanor from delivering that ring to me without pissing her off and making her go berserk? ¡°I heard you have been avoiding Lady Tristantely, but the problem won¡¯t be solved just by¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªI know better than anyone that it won¡¯t.¡± For now, I knew for sure that I had to solve it no matter what, but¡­ My current situation was no different from desperation. To the point where even the skill that shared the same name could not help me in this case.
  1. If I received the engagement ring? ¡ú As soon as Yuria, who was fused with the White Devil, noticed, there was a high likelihood that I would die on the spot.
  1. If I didn¡¯t receive the engagement ring? ¡ú There was a high likelihood that Eleanor would go berserk. And as expected, the likelihood of my death would skyrocket.
Either way, it¡¯d spell my death. And the reason I was running away recently was because I couldn¡¯t think of a solution regardless of how hard I tried. ¡®¡­It¡¯s also a problem that she has fused with two Fragments.¡¯ The difference between a Devil¡¯s Vessel possessing two Fragments instead of one was like the difference between heaven and earth. With one Fragment, all they would do is berserk and reveal themselves only in emergencies. But from two Fragments onwards¡­ The ¡®unspoken connection¡¯ between the Devils and their Vessels became stronger. In essence, it was possible for Eleanor to gradually make contact with the Grey Devil¡¯s ¡®will¡¯, albeit weakly. And even I did not know what actions she would take and how she would take them. ¡®¡­She was always nice to me, though.¡¯ Although the Grey Devil had always disyed steadfast favor to me¡­ If Ipletely rejected it¡­ Or if I went one step further and ¡®cheated¡¯ on her, then, well¡­ Even I didn¡¯t really know whether she would forgive me, you see? ¡°¡­For now, I just need some time. If I think about it for a few days, I¡¯m sure a good method woulde¡ª¡± !!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ ¡®Devil-Rted¡¯ Emergency Event urred! ] [ This is a critical event! ] [ If you do not take the correct actions within the time limit, you will die! ] [ Event rted to target ¡®Eleanor¡¯! ] [ Return to the dormitory right away and prepare yourself! ] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®The fuck?¡¯
Eleanor red at herself with fierce eyes as she inspected her appearance. She had meticulously adorned herself to a state of perfection. She had been inspected multiple times by Beatrix, took almost the entire day grooming herself to reach such an appearance, and had even spent an entire fortune on her and that man¡¯s matching ¡®tokens of promise¡¯, made by the most famous designer in the Kagenoff Institution. After ensuring her preparations were perfect, she confidently walked into the dormitory. ¡°Oh my, President~? What brings you to the freshmen dormitory~?¡± ¡°I came to meet someone, Dame Ophelia.¡± As Eleanor spoke with a voice filled with determination, Dame Ophelia cocked her head. ¡°Is it Dowd again~? Since he didn¡¯t really have any scheduled sses today, he¡¯s in the dormitory, but it might be better not to disturb him, you know~?¡± ¡°Is there a reason?¡± ¡°No, he just seems to be in a really bad state today~ When I saw him earlier, he lookedpletely pale and sweating profusely~¡± ¡°¡­¡± Indeed, when it came to that man, his wits had always excelled in certain aspects and sorelycked in others; it was a difference of heaven and earth. This time, there was no doubt that he had already noticed why she came and what she had resolved to do. ¡°¡­Thank you, Dame Ophelia.¡± Eleanor nodded solemnly. ¡°But today, I must meet him.¡± Her subsequent actions clearly reflected that very will. After striding towards Dowd¡¯s room, instantly arriving in front of his door, Eleanor took a deep breath. ¡°¡­¡± Her heart pounded. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. Despite showcasing her excellence in a majority of fields since the moment she could remember her first actions, at this very moment, there was an overwhelming anxiety that she couldn¡¯t suppress. ¡°¡­¡± She raised her hand to knock, but¡­ The will that had brought her this far seemed to falter, as she ended up hesitating. ¡®W-What if¡­¡¯ ¡®For whatever reason¡­¡¯ ¡®Dowd ends up rejecting this ring¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want that.¡± Her teary voice flowed out as tiny as a thread. Just imagining such a scenario made her feel like a huge hole had been pierced through her heart. Her nose started to burn as tears started toe out of her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± And because she had such thoughts¡­ The hand she had raised to knock the door froze in its ce. She wanted to run away. Perhaps this could be the catalyst that would shake the very foundations of their rtionship. Wasn¡¯t she happy just with this? Wasn¡¯t she happy just watching him from the sidelines? Wasn¡¯t this just her own greed? Wasn¡¯t she too unterally cing a burden on him? After all, seeing how he kept running away from her, it was absolutely clear that he was not satisfied with her actions. So¡­ Rather than doing something he disliked¡­ Wasn¡¯t it better to, like how it was now, just¡­. Continue like this fore¡ª [Are you satisfied with just that?] Her body froze. The voice in her head was so clear that it made chills run down her spine. It felt like the ¡®insidious energy¡¯ that had been confined within her heart had now climbed all the way up to her head. Almost as if what had once been ¡®one¡¯ had not be ¡®two¡¯. Was it her own inner voice? Or was it ¡®something else¡¯ speaking to her? She couldn¡¯t clearly tell. After all, she had never experienced anything like this before. However, one thing was certain. Those sentences had an aura that made it impossible for her to refuse. [Even if that man embraces another woman, can you endure it?] [No, right?] [Then you have to do it.] [Make that man yours.] [And if he doesn¡¯t be yours¡ª] At the same time that voice echoed¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor knocked on the door as if possessed. Knock Knock Knock. ¡°Dowd.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no response. Once again,Knock Knock Knock. Swallowing dryly, she continued. She had knocked as if driven to by something, but she was still as nervous as before. ¡°Dowd. Are you listening?¡± There was still no response. However, Dame Ophelia was not someone who¡¯d lie to her. Dowd was inside, there was no doubt about it. ¡°I already know you¡¯re inside. It would be wise to obediently open the door.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have already inquired with Dame Ophelia, the dormitory supervisor. She said you did not have any scheduled sses today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There continued to be no response. Eleanor gritted her teeth. ¡°Fine. Are you nning to ignore me until the end?¡± Since she hade this far, there was no turning back now. She gripped her longsword. ¡°Then I will cut it open and enter.¡± One strike. The door of the dormitory split wide open. Inside, Dowd sat with a petrified expression. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a vition of the school rules?¡± ¡°The Student Council is the one who enforces punishment for rule vitions. Incidentally, I happen to be the current Student Council President.¡± Eleanor replied nonchntly as she sheathed her longsword at her waist. ¡°I came because I have something to say. Haven¡¯t you been avoiding metely?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been doing it for around¡­ Thirty two times, right?¡± ¡°¡­Why are you even counting each and every one of them?¡± ¡®Why do you think?¡¯ Her time, her heart, and her body were all no different than mortgaged to this man. Every single moment she spent with him was a precious memory that she couldn¡¯t carelessly throw away. ¡°¡­¡± She slowly took out a ring from her clothes. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know why I havee all the way here.¡± Step by step, she approached him. She barely suppressed the trembling of her entire body. Had she ever been this afraid of something in her entire life? ¡°I ask you, Dowd Campbell.¡± While trying to calm her constantly choked throat, she continued speaking. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± With that¡­ The die was cast. Unbing of her, Eleanor bowed her head and tightly closed her eyes. After all, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to look directly at this man. Silence persisted. It stretched continuously. ¡°Eleanor.¡± The silence that felt like it wouldst forever was broken. And finally, Dowd slowly began to speak. ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem right.¡± -¡­ A chill settled in her heart. ¡°How could you just suddenly give something like this to me without saying anything beforehand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her heart was torn apart. With just that one sentence¡­ It was as if it broke into a thousand pieces. Her legs wobbled because she couldn¡¯t even stand properly. Her throat tightened. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°You should at least give me a chance to choose, right?¡± ¡°I-I-I¡ª¡± She didn¡¯t even know what to say. Her head was spinning. ¡®It hurts.¡¯ It hurted her so much that she felt like she was dying. She couldn¡¯t breathe. Her chest hurted so much. ¡°¡­¡± Even amidst the sensation of her entire body being torn apart, the sentence she had just heard pierced her mind. Choice? What choice? A different woman other than her? [And if he doesn¡¯t be yours¡ª] That voice echoed in her mind. It was the voice she had just heard. However, it echoed much louder than before. It was to the point where her consciousness seemed to leave her body. It was so strong it felt like her rationality was beingpletely devoured in her mind. If she were to truly yield to such words, if this man didn¡¯t be hers, then she would rather¡ª ¡°The size doesn¡¯t fit.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Eleanor opened her eyes wide. ¡®This man¡­¡¯ ¡®What did he just say?¡¯ ¡°See? Look at it. It¡¯s hard to put it on.¡± As she hastily raised her head to examine Dowd, there he was, struggling to push the ring onto his finger. ¡°Aren¡¯t we usually supposed to go and choose this kind of thing together? Why did you get it made after only doing a simple eye test?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her mouth hung wide open. She still didn¡¯t know what to say. However, her silence had apletely different meaning from earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s go together sometimeter, Eleanor.¡± Dowd smiled brightly. ¡°Things as important as this are originally chosen together by the prospective marriage couples.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ah. This man. Was this real? ¡°¡­Dowd.¡± She gave Dowd a p. With a ¡®Keuk¡¯, Dowd rolled on the floor, but instead of apologizing, she blushed while huffing. ¡°D-Don¡¯t tease me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I-I¡­ T-This time¡­ You¡­ R-Really were¡­ T-This is real, right¨C?!¡± As she spat out thest words, she had grabbed Dowd, who was wriggling on the floor, and was practically swinging him around in the air. And while doing so, Eleanor¡¯s face was filled with ¡®genuinely brightughter¡¯ for the first time in her life. It was not the faint and subtle expression that sometimes trickled out. She was feeling a level of joy that felt like it could change her entire life. ¡°Let¡¯s go, then! Let¡¯s just go right now! I¡¯ll go wherever you say! Just say it!¡± ¡°¡­E-Eleanor, please let g¨C, if this continues, I¡¯ll di¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let everyone back at home know as well! T-There¡¯s a lot of things to take care of so I¡¯ll see you soon!¡± With that, she threw Dowd back into a corner of his room. There was indeed a lot to take care of after all. A smile that she couldn¡¯t hide continued to form on her lips. ¡°Oh my, Eleanor~ Did youe out ear¡ª?¡± It was to the point where Dame Ophel, who was at the entrance, was so astonished that her jaws dropped. ¡°E-Eleanor? Uh, W-Why is y-your face like that? Did something happen~?¡± ¡°Dame Ophelia, the world is truly beautiful.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Life is worth living!¡± After only conveying such words, Eleanor ran out of the dormitory at tremendous speeds. ¡®Indeed, life was worth living.¡¯ ¡®To think that a person could be this happy!¡¯ ¡°¡­Has she finally gone crazy?¡± She was so happy that she ended up ignoring the muttering that came from behind her.
As cold sweat trickled down, I red at the window in front of me. System Message [ Time Remaining ] [ 00: 00: 03 ] System Message [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ decreases from 122% ¡ú 0%! ] [ Sessfully resolved the ¡®Eleanor¡¯ rted event before the time limit! ] [ Death is canceled! ] Dowd Campbell. Miraculously seeded in returning alive at a point where only 3 seconds remained before death. Since the system called it the ¡®correct action¡¯, I pondered what kind of bullshit that was for a long time. In the end, it seemed that myst action was the correct one. If I didn¡¯t ept the ring just now, I would have died right then and there. It was a sudden event, but I managed to resolve it somehow¡­! ¡°¡­¡± However, it wasn¡¯t like I could rest easy. Why, you ask? !!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ ¡®Devil-Rted¡¯ Emergency Event urred! ] [ This is a critical event! ] [ If you do not take the correct actions within the time limit, you will de! ] [ Event rted to target ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] [ Find a way to survive! ] System Message [ Time Remaining ] [ 12: 00: 00 ] Dowd Campbell Remaining lifespan extended from 3 seconds to 12 hours. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Yeah, to put it simply, I¡¯m fucked.¡¯ You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 80: Desperation Chapter 80: Desperation ? Desperation ? ¡°Yes!¡± Iliya, who saw her name on the publicly listed ¡®Exchange Student List¡¯, clenched her fist and eximed with excitement. Luca, Grid, Falco, Trisha. When she checked the names of all her friends lined up together, she smiled brightly again. It seemed that thest few days of hellish training with her friends weren¡¯t in vain. ¡°With this, we can go together, Trisha!¡± ¡°Iliya, I-I can¡¯t breathe!¡± Iliya excitedly hugged Trisha from behind, causing her to let out a scream. However, Iliya didn¡¯t seem to care at all, as she refused to release Trisha from her embrace. ¡°Thanks to you, I can stay close to Teach too!¡± Previously, Trisha had said Dowd Campbell would very likely be on this list, pressuring Iliya into taking the selection test to be an exchange student. Not only that, she also told Iliya that if she didn¡¯t go with him, the other girls would continuously support and pester him. She added that if Iliya didn¡¯t want to fall behind, she had to work hard. Iliya felt like she had made the right decision to follow her friend¡¯s advice. ¡°W-Wait, Iliya. First, we need toe up with a n.¡± After all, there were many unfriendly names on the list that was right in front of them. ¡°¡­The Student Council President, the person you mentioned¡­ Yuria, the Saintess, and even that mad dog¡­? Wow, this is going to be interesting.¡± Iliya¡¯s expression slightly darkened as Trisha listed off the names of the selected students. It was true that normally, exchange students were selected based on their abilities, regardless of their year. However, even despite that, the list felt oddly crowded with freshmen. Generally, the ¡®school year¡¯ was the most basic unit to measure the student abilities within the academy. However, this time, it felt as if they centered their selection around the ¡®freshmen.¡¯ Specifically, those people that were rted to Dowd Campbell. ¡°That¡¯s why you need to stay focused, Iliya.¡± Trisha said calmly. ¡°To tame that stud of a man, you need your own special weapon!¡± ¡°¡­Trisha. Aren¡¯t you a cleric?¡± ¡®What¡¯s with her word choice?¡¯ ¡®How could she call a perfectly normal person a stud?¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself, he¡¯s not a perfectly normal person by any means.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Try asking anyone in the academy about him. Let¡¯s see if they describe him as such.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even Iliya couldn¡¯t refute that. ¡°¡­That aside, what do you mean by having my own special weapon?¡± ¡°It means you need some unique charm that other girls can¡¯t replicate no matter what.¡± ¡®Do I have something like that?¡¯ ¡®I mean, the reason why I became extremely depressed a while back was because I didn¡¯t have anything that could be of help to that man¡­¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t necessarily have to do something. As long as you know something about that man that others don¡¯t, you can just start from there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± If that was the case, she did have one thing. Back when Duke Tristan was encroached by an unknown entity and went on a rampage¡­ That man had confronted a ¡®monster¡¯ which form she couldn¡¯t even discern. In a state where time had all but stopped, she vividly remembered the figure of Dowd conversing with it as if he ¡®knew it well¡¯. There, he pledged to keep everyone from meeting their deaths by ¡®sacrificing¡¯ something of his own. ¡®¡­I never asked him about it.¡¯ That event definitely wasn¡¯t something he could easily tell others. As such, there was no way that other people would know about it. ¡°¡­Hey, Trisha.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You know, about Teach¡­¡± After getting lost in thought for a while, Iliya suddenly uttered an important point. ¡°I kinda have this feeling that he¡¯s getting along with something extremely horrible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can we work out on something based on that?¡± ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t we just slowly think about what your special weapon could be for now?¡± Trisha was a kind person. And as a kind person, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to shout at her closest friend to stop saying such nonsensical bullshit. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± At that moment, Iliya noticed their surroundings turned unusually quiet. She quickly turned her head around. Only to find out that this phenomenon was caused because everyone¡¯s attention was focused in one direction. And Iliya, who managed to catch a certain someone¡¯s figure in the corner of her vision¡­ Immediately understood why this phenomenon happened. ¡®¡­She¡¯s incredibly beautiful.¡¯ Such thoughts came to Iliya¡¯s mind without her realizing. Her height was so short that she could be mistaken as a kid. However¡­ Even in a ce where so many people were gathered, the beauty condensed in her appearance grabbed everyone¡¯s attention. Almost as if¡­ She wasn¡¯t the ¡®same being¡¯ as others. As if a whole ¡®different existence¡¯ was mixed inside that appearance of hers. ¡°¡­¡± The student raised her wand silently and dragged it across the names stuck onto the wall. And then Iliya instinctively read the name where the wand had stopped. ¨C 1st Year, Faenol Lipek She had heard of the name before. Even with herself being the Hero Candidate, she was only ¡®one¡¯ of the strongest of the freshmen. And the reason why that was the case was because of this person. When it came to magic, she was dubbed as the greatest genius in history. A monster that even Headmistress Atnte imed could surpass even herself in magic. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®So, she was that kind of person¡­¡¯ But that was the extent of Iliya¡¯s impression of her. Although her appearance stood out, their paths never crossed, so she found no need to care about her. That was what Iliya had thought. At least until Faenol, after having checked her own name, frowned while letting out a ¡®Hm¡¯. As if she didn¡¯t see ¡®another name¡¯ that she was trying to find. -¡­ Soon after, she dragged her wand once again, shifting to the other side of the list. Then, her pupils rxed. It seemed she had found the person she was looking for. Iliya also followed her gaze and read the name on the other side. ¨C 2nd Year, Dowd Campbell. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Wait.¡¯ ¡®What is this?¡¯ ¡®This person too?¡¯ ¡°¡­As expected, he¡¯s there.¡± With those words, Faenol smiled. With a face full of decadent allure, she soon walked away. Almost as if there was no worth in paying attention to other people now that she had confirmed that one name. ¡°¡­¡± Iliya nkly stared at her, jaws agape. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Why on earth?¡¯ ¡®What has that man been going around doing to tangle with a person like that?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± While Iliya was still lost in her thoughts¡­ Trisha spoke with a stiff voice. ¡°¡­Hey, Iliya.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not get involved with that person as much as possible.¡± Iliya blinked. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Promise me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the sight of Trisha¡¯s firm demeanor, Iliya nodded reluctantly. After all, she hadn¡¯t suffered any losses by following Trisha¡¯s advice so far. Of course, Trisha herself had her own reasons for saying such things. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t see anything.¡¯ There was no trace of any ¡®Color of Emotions¡¯ from Faenol. Regardless of who the person was, it was impossible for someone to not have ¡®emotions.¡¯ If such cases were to appear, then from her experience, there was only one conclusion that she could draw. A dead person. ¡°¡­¡± Trisha silently stared at the back of Faenol¡¯s head. However, that woman¡­ Was undoubtedly alive and moving. ¡®¡­What is she?¡± Without a doubt, she was not a normal ¡®human¡¯. With such a deduction, Trisha hid her sweaty palms and gazed at Faenol moving further and further away.
As I looked down at the ring on my finger, I gulped. This was only a temporary measure. I had requested Eleanor, who was happily bouncing around, not to publicly announce our ¡®engagement¡¯. We promised to not let it be known at least until graduating from the academy. After all, if rumors happened to surface, I would be done for. ¡°¡­Indeed, it would only influence you negatively if it became known that you, with your current status, are engaged to a member of the Duchy.¡± Fortunately, Eleanor also understood where I wasing from. In essence, for now, I barely managed to suppress the bombs that would have inevitably exploded when it came to rtionships with other Devil¡¯s Vessels that woulde in the future. ¡°¡­¡± However, the bomb right in front of my eyes had not been defused yet. I red at the ticking timer with bloodshot eyes. !!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ ¡®Devil-Rted¡¯ Emergency Event urred! ] [ This is a critical event! ] [ If you do not take the correct actions within the time limit, you will de! ] [ Event rted to target ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] [ Find a way to survive! ] System Message [ Time Remaining ] [ 9: 22: 33 ] No matter how much I racked my brain, I couldn¡¯t find a way to survive. What the fuck did it mean by ¡®correct actions?¡¯ In Eleanor¡¯s case, whether it was the Grey Devil or herself, they were both purely filled with favor for me. As such, simply epting her feelings and returning them properly was enough to solve the problem. However, for this particr case, I didn¡¯t have a clue. [By the way, is there a reason for you to be so anxious about thatdy? Isn¡¯t her strange curse being suppressed with the circlet?] ¡°¡­I¡¯m not anxious about her, but the one inside her.¡± As Caliban had said, Yuria was not a huge problem. However¡­ When it came to her, if this kind of window popped up, it was highly likely that the White Devil would go berserk ande find me. [What?] ¡°There¡¯s a lunatic that would go berserk as soon as she sees an essory that she ¡®hasn¡¯t seen before¡¯.¡± [¡­] ¡°If it¡¯s one that was given with ¡®affection¡¯ by someone other than her, her insanity would increase by twofold.¡± There was a reason why she was dubbed as the Devil of Obsession. The White Devil¡¯s ability to collect information about the target she was interested in was at an unbelievable level. It could seem like the solution was to just avoid her without being noticed. However, the problem was that Yuria was a Vessel that had her Corruption Value automatically increase if she stayed apart from me for at least two days. Moreover, if she herself felt that she had been apart from me for too long, she would aggressively look for me. And, if my memory was correct¡­ Because of the incidents with Riru and Eleanor, she and I had been separated for at least three days. This meant that the time limit was the period of time until Yuria would set foot in my room. And the moment she entered my room and saw this ring¡­ ¡°¡­¡± The oue was written on this system window. I would die. But this time, I really didn¡¯t know how to finesse out of this¡­! ¡°¡­Within nine hours, at least something¡­¡± While muttering as such, I got up from my seat. If it was a n, I could roughly sketch it out in my head. Considering Yuria¡¯s routine these days, she was probably working hard right now with Lucia to release her curse. This time limit probably signaled that she woulde after finishing that matter. If that was the case, what I needed to do was¡­ Within the remaining time, I had to devise the optimal condition by taking into ount all three manpower and resources arou¨C [¡­You know¡­] Right as I was about to continue such thoughts¡­ I heard Caliban¡¯s voice. [Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re acting too leisurely for now?] ¡°Huh?¡± [If your words are true and that Devil has tremendous prowess in gathering information, don¡¯t you think she¡¯d somehow be able to find out about this without meeting you in person?] ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± [I don¡¯t understand on what basis you think that thedy wille to find you after exactly nine hours.] Caliban spoke with an incredulous voice. [Someone ising in the corridor right now. A woman.] Chills ran down my spine. As I turned my gaze urgently towards the door, I could actually hear someone¡¯s footsteps. Though, thanks to Dame Ophelia¡¯s temporary repair of the door, I couldn¡¯t see who was on the other side. As I stared in that directionpletely frozen, I could hear someone knocking on the door. ¡°¡­Mister Dowd.¡± It was Yuria. Sweat dripped down my face. ¡°Are you inside? There¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°¡­Uh, Yuria. I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m a bit busy right¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± Her voice sounded as calm as usual. However, something felt different. Normally, if she said something like this, she would only inquire about the reason with genuine curiosity. But now¡­ I could feel sticky and viscous emotions underlying her sentence. ¡°Why are you busy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please tell me. Why are you busy?¡± ¡°¡­Well, you see¡­¡± ¡°I saw the President at the Student Council Room earlier. I happened to see her by chance while walking through the corridors of Garrison Hall.¡± My heart dropped. By the way, Garrison Hall was the name of the building where Yuria and Lucia were always sticking together. It was a distance away from that ce to the Student Council Room. So far away that it would be difficult for them to even notice each other. However¡­ ¡°¡­She was wearing a ring on her finger.¡± Yuria urately said such a sentence. ¡°¡­¡± At that distance, Eleanor would almost look like a dot. Yet, she ¡®urately¡¯ noticed the ring on her finger somehow. Even if it was the White Devil who boasted an almost supernatural ability when it came to gathering information about the target of her obsession, this was way too¡ª! ¡°But as soon as I saw that¡­¡± The chill in Yuria¡¯s voice thickened even further. ¡°Strangely¡­ Strangely, you see. It felt like I should immediatelye to find you.¡± Before I knew it, I had taken a step away from the door. I haven¡¯t even seen her directly yet. ¡°I. Continuously. Hear. Voices. In. My. Head. Continuouslycontinuouslycontinuously.¡± Then¡­ With a Crack¡­ The entirety of the temporarily repaired door twisted. Yuria, standing on the other side, had struck it with her fist. ¡°It said. It said. Mister Dowd would leave me. That you would. That you would. Form an eternal love with someone else.¡± Crack. The door spat out fragmented pieces and its shape became even crumpled. ¡°You¡¯re not, right?¡± Again, Crack. She peeled off the entire plywood, creating a ¡®gap¡¯. And through that gap¡­ Both of Yuria¡¯s hands came in. With a screech, that gap grotesquely widened. From the cracks of the broken door, I could see Yuria¡¯s face. Her eyes werepletely nk. The face that always let out a faint smile at me was now expressionless. Not only were her pupils white but also her hair was dyed in the color of the Devil she was fused with. A white aura that seemed to freeze the entire surroundings spilled out from her whole body. [You¡¯re not, right¡ª?] Instead of a ¡®voice¡¯, ¡®text¡¯ flowed out. The meaning was crystal clear. The ¡®evil aura¡¯ entrenched in her body was getting stronger to the point where even the Starsteel Circlet she wore couldn¡¯t suppress it. System Message [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Yuria¡¯ is about to exceed 100%! ] [ Confirmed details regarding change in progress! ] [ Time limit will be changed! ] !!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ Time Remaining ] [ 9: 17: 19 ] ¡ú [ 0: 00: 30 ] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®System, you motherfucking piece of shit.¡¯ You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 81: Good Luck, Future Me Chapter 81: Good Luck, Future Me ? Good Luck, Future Me ? System Message [ Time Remaining ] [ 00 : 00: 29 ] The world in front of me was spinning. ¡®How the fuck am I supposed to survive this¡ª!¡¯ ¡°Caliban, is there any way you can he¡ª¡± [I¡¯ve never really dated anyone before, so I can¡¯t offer any useful advice. Sorry.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®This useless fucker.¡¯ ¡®What worth do you even have other than your status as a Guardian? Huh? HUHH?¡¯ [¡­How harsh.] Ignoring Caliban¡¯s grumbling, I turned towards the other spirit within Soul Linker. ¡°Valkasus¡ª!¡± [¡­I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help either. I¡¯m sorry.] ¡°¡­¡± Even Valkasus, who I had faith in, turned his back on me. ¡®You lived for so long¡­! You had an abundance of life experience¡­!¡¯ ¡®Why can¡¯t you give me at least one piece of decent advice¡­!¡¯ [¡­I¡¯ve never dated anyone either. This matter really is beyond my abilities, so I can¡¯t help you. I understand that you desperately wish to get some kind of help. Still, how could you ask someone who has been single for over a thousand years?] ¡°¡­¡± [How about practicing how to y dead? It isn¡¯t toote to start doing it. If you put your entire body and soul into acting, there is a chance she might be deceived¡­] ¡®I am never going to ask you for advice in the future.¡¯ ¡®You fuckers do realize that I¡¯m about to die here, right?!¡¯ [No, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll die. If you were someone who¡¯d die from something like this, you¡¯d have been a corpse long before already.] [I agree. I have faith that you¡¯ll somehow figure things out.] ¡°¡­¡± [I¡¯m going to bed now. It¡¯s still a bit tough to stay awake for too long¡­] With that, Valkasus¡¯s connection was immediately cut off. He actually went to sleep. Why did I endure all those hardships to consider these fuckers asrades? In the midst of my dizziness, I looked towards Yuria who looked terrifying as she literally ¡®ripped¡¯ through the door to enter it. [Mister Dowd¡­ Why¡­ Aren¡¯t you answering¡­?] System Message [ Time Remaining ] [ 00 : 00: 15 ] My blood ran cold when I saw the time remaining. Was there seriously no way out of this? Not even one? ¡®If you put your entire body and soul into acting, there is a chance she might be deceived¡­¡¯ At that moment¡­ The words I heard just before from Valkasus shed through my mind. Wait. Acting? ¡°¡­¡± I quickly surveyed my surroundings. The appropriate ¡®props¡¯ quickly caught my eye. In my mind, I mustered up the strength of my entire body and soul to piece together a n. I recalled the settings of the game. I analyzed the ¡®preferences¡¯ of the person right in front of my eyes in great detail. Honestly, this n was fucking ridiculous. But there was no other choice to get through this situation. [¡­If you¡¯re going to leave me again like that.] In that moment, Yuria¡¯s hand, which had reached right in front of me, slithered up my body like a snake. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] As a series of windows popped up simultaneously, Yuria continued to speak as if she had lost her mind. [It would. Be better. For the. Two of us. To be. Together. Forever¡ª] A chill ran through me. If this continued, Yuria might actually just grab my throat and strangle me. ¡°¡­¡± So, before that happened. I gently grabbed her hand and stopped her. ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Yuria.¡± [¡­What?] I desperately manipted the muscles in my face. I created an expression and set the appropriate tone of voice and atmosphere. First, before I got started¡­ ¡®¡­I¡¯m sorry, Eleanor.¡¯ She probably couldn¡¯t hear me, but as someone with a conscience, I had to at least apologize. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry.¡¯ ¡®However, I had no choice if I wanted to survive.¡¯ ¡®Please fucking work.¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t believe you got jealous over something like ¡®ying house¡¯.¡± As soon as I said such words¡­ Yuria¡¯s eyes widened. [¡­] The inside of Yuria¡¯s mind was still buzzing. Just like back when she lived in the storage room filled with junk because of the Curse of Severance. It was incredibly simr to how she felt when she thought Dowd hadpletely abandoned her. ¡®¡­Huh, wait.¡¯ However, even when she was in such a state¡­ She stopped. At the end of her gaze was the faintly smiling face of Dowd Campbell. Somehow, his atmosphere was very different from usual. She was aware that this man¡¯s demeanor always had a massive gap between moments when he was serious and moments when he was not, but¡­ Right now¡­How should she put it¡­ It was as if he was tantly exuding the atmosphere of a dy-killer¡¯ from his entire body. ¡°¡­¡± Unconsciously, she gulped. It was brief, but she almost drowned in the atmosphere. Still, she couldn¡¯t just let this situation go. Even if it was just because of this persistent buzzing that she had felt in her head since earlier, she felt that she had to carry on. [What do you mean¡­? ying house, you¡ª] Before she couldplete that sentence, Dowd grabbed her chin and abruptly pulled her face towards him. In an instant, the distance between them narrowed to the point where she could feel his breath directly. Their faces were so close that they could see the color of each other¡¯s pupils. ¡°¡­¡± Her consciousness almost flew away for a moment. ¡®This man¡­¡¯ ¡®What in the world did he do just now?¡¯ Not even a jar of his usual indecisiveness could be seen in his current aggressivity. ¡®A-As if he suddenly turned into a different person¡­!¡¯ Wait, wasn¡¯t it way too different from earlier? Until just now, he seemed flustered in response to her probing questions. As she suppressed her heart that slowly started to pound, Dowd nonchntly spoke. ¡°That ring doesn¡¯t carry the meaning you¡¯re thinking of. I didn¡¯t bother to exin because I thought someone like you would obviously understand.¡± [¡­] ¡°Are you listening, Yuria?¡± With nk eyes, Yuria barely managed to continue her thoughts. ¡®Uh, so¡­¡¯ What was she trying to say again? It felt like most of her brain functions were impaired. Probably because the impact of what this man just did was far from normal. It seemed that the influence his ¡®blow¡¯ had on her was greater than she expected. The moment she opened her mouth again, the spite from earlier had significantly diminished. [¡­T-Then, what meaning doe¡ª] ¡°That was simply a pretense. A show.¡± [Don¡¯t lie. She was looking at the ring on her ring finger with such a happy expression, so how could such a mean¡ª] ¡°If she wasn¡¯t deluded in such a way, there could have been friction between us. I had to deceive her in advance.¡± Yuria¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡®What is he even saying right now?¡¯ ¡®Trash¡­!¡¯ Yuria, who immediately thought of such a word, continued with a look of absurdity. [Why would you do such a¡ª!] ¡°If I bluntly rejected her, it was obvious she would be so blinded by jealousy that she would interfere with the ¡®real rtionship¡¯. I hope you understand that I was making a rational decision.¡± [¡­What?] With those words¡­ Something was tied onto the ¡®cor¡¯ she always wore. [¡­] When Yuria looked down there with wide eyes, a simple scarf with a link attached came into view. Externally, there seemed to be no special features, However, that ribbon had the crest of the Campbell Barony drawn on it. For a noble, it wasmon to bring around at least one of these fabrics that was engraved with the crest of their household. It was an object used as a symbol of ¡®affection¡¯ among the academy students who found it difficult to obtain substantial objects such as jewel-studded rings. Dowd continued to speak with a determined look in his eyes. ¡°A ¡®mere¡¯ ring can¡¯t express my feelings.¡± [¡­] ¡°Instead, my sincerity is contained here.¡± Yuria¡¯s pupils shook intensely. ¡®That means¡­¡¯ ¡®Right now, this man is saying¡­ ¡® [I-If I understand correctly. Right now, what Mister Dowd is saying is that¡­] ¡°Mm.¡± [Lady Tristan was clinging onto you too much, so me and, me and¡­] The text broke off for a moment. This phenomenon urred because she had to catch her breath, even though she wasn¡¯t even using her voice to speak. [Me and Mister Dowd¡¯s ¡®true rtionship¡¯ would be interfered with and bothered by her. She¡¯s merely a third-wheel. And you received that only in order to ¡®soothe¡¯ her feelings, right?] Once she organized everything like that¡­ The person in front of her was fucking trash to an insane degree. That was the thought that came to mind. It was to the extent that she realized it wasn¡¯t for no reason that her Big Sis was always wary around this man. However¡­ ¡°Yes.¡± After seeing him answer her question so decisively¡­ She felt that there was nothing more she could do. Because whether he was trash or whatever¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He was ¡®trash that liked her the most¡¯¡­ And she had a feeling that she could ept any side of him. Yuria stroked the scarf hanging from her cor with a flushed face. With this, he had even given proof that his heart would not waver after all. ¡°¡­You aren¡¯t lying, right?¡± Instead of ¡®text¡¯, her ¡®voice¡¯ trickled out. With just one word, the buzzing that had been continuously ringing in her head disappeared in an instant. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°You really aren¡¯t lying, right? ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t leave me for someone else, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The pounding pulsation of her heart became even more pronounced. As if possessed, Yuria fondled the scarf tied to her cor. ¡°¡­Mister Dowd¡­And my¡­token of promise.¡± As she continued to repeat that to herself¡­ It was a sentence that felt like it was permeating her heart. ¡°¡­So, at least until we graduate from the academy, I would prefer that you don¡¯t talk about it with others. I n to make everything public after I¡¯ve sorted everything out smoothly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While struggling not to show the cold sweat that poured like a waterfall down my back, I barely controlled my facial muscles, which began twitching with the onset of spasms. After managing to pull off that Casanova act earlier, which waspletely out of character for me, I couldn¡¯t afford to get exposed now. It seemed that my earnest efforts had paid off, as Yuria, who clearly hadn¡¯t noticed my condition, timidly nodded with her entire face flushed. The Devil¡¯s Aura emanating from her entire body had long disappeared without a trace. ¡°Do you feel a bit relieved now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nodding again. ¡°¡­Alright. I¡¯ll see youter then.¡± Nodding once more. With her face red to the tip of her ears, Yuria, like an unoiled machine, practically creaked out of my room. The fact that she remained in that state even until her figure hadpletely disappeared at the end of the corridor clearly indicated that she hadn¡¯t fully digested everything she had just heard. ¡°¡­¡± And I was no different. ¡®What the fuck did I do just now?¡¯ [Unbelievable. Incredible. I did believe that you¡¯d somehow survive no matter what though.] I sighed before speaking to a chuckling Caliban. ¡°¡­Caliban.¡± [What.] ¡°What do I do now?¡± [How should I know that, you fucking trash.] ¡°¡­¡± I kept my mouth shut when he spit out that retort.. Yeah, sure, I deserved to be cursed at. But, how was I going to fix this? [I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve lived long enough to see someone two-timing with Devils. Serious question, do you think you can handle this?] ¡°¡­Theoretically, yes.¡± I just needed to simultaneously make Eleanor and Yuria believe that they were ¡®my sole partner¡¯. Until I graduated from the academy, finished the entire main scenario, and, ording to Atnte, bloomed ¡®true love¡¯ between the Devil¡¯s Vessel and me to seal their aura. [So.] Caliban spoke in a t voice. [You¡¯re talking all grandly, but doesn¡¯t it just mean that you¡¯re going to continue to two-time them without getting caught?] ¡°¡­¡± [Against two Devil¡¯s Vessels who could destroy the world if they go berserk?] ¡°¡­¡± [Aren¡¯t you going as exchange students with both of them tomorrow to the Tribal Alliance?] ¡°¡­Yes, I am.¡± [Then there¡¯s a high chance that those two will continue to see each other¡¯s faces, right?] ¡°¡­Yes, there is.¡± [So, what are you going to do about it?] ¡°Caliban.¡± I took a deep breath and responded in a chilly and serious voice. ¡°Please stop shoving that harsh reality onto me. I¡¯m seriously considering offing myself right now.¡± [¡­] ¡®I don¡¯t know what I should do either, you bitch.¡¯ ¡®You know what? I¡¯ll just trust the future me to handle this situation.¡¯ You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 82: Sea Train (1) Chapter 82: Sea Train (1) ? Sea Train (1) ? First, there was one thing I could be relieved about. Eleanor and Yuria each sat in differentpartments inside the train heading to the Tribal Alliance. Since they wouldn¡¯t run into each other, I could assume that my life wouldn¡¯t end immediately, at least not before we got to the Forge of Struggle. ¡®¡­I¡¯m saved¡­!¡¯ It felt like tears of relief were about to well up, but it was still way too early to indulge in that feeling. Rather, I should start confirming the things that needed to be checked. System Log [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ if activated! ] [ The favorability level of target ¡®Yuria¡¯ has elevated significantly from ¡®Interest Level 4¡¯ to ¡®Trust Level 5¡¯! ] [ Special Rewards Avable! ] ¡®It increased by how many levels? What the fuck?¡¯ I sighed inwardly and started operating the window. System Log [ Receiving ¡®Yuria¡¯s¡¯ Gift Rewards. ] [ Receiving 1 ¡®Skill Copy Ticket¡¯. ] It was just as I predicted. Since it went up by this much, I could more or less be sure to receive the Skill Copy Ticket. In Yuria¡¯s case, I already had one saved, so now I had a total of two. Wow, the Skill Copy Ticket was copied! ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the spoils made me feel depressed. Instead of receiving clues for the uing threat, I received these things instead. It was hard not to feel that way. At least they came at a good time. ¡®Alright, time to eat those spoils.¡¯ I had been wanting to devour some of Yuria¡¯s skills for a while now, but I hadn¡¯t been able to because I couldn¡¯t meet these conditions. [ Skill Info ] Skill: Conquest of the Devil ½µÄ§ Grade: Unique Description: Those who have faced curses for a long time naturally be familiar with ways to resist them. [ ¡ô Opens the VS. Curse Rted Stat, ¡®Devil Conquest¡¯. ] This was what I was talking about. A Unique Skill was a skill that could only be learned by a specific character in this entire world. And this ¡®Devil Conquest¡¯ stat was something that existed for Yuria alone. Since her character itself was so greatly influenced by the corruption of the curse from Severer, a separate ¡®stat¡¯ existed for her that could resist it. However, if I had a skill that could grant me ess to that same stat¡­. [ Skill Info ] Skill: Desperation Grade: ??? Description: Gain stat enhancement at the moment of danger. The lower the chance of survival, the stronger the effect. It meant I could enhance it with Desperation. Considering that it had the ability to insanely pump up ¡®stats¡¯ in ¡®moments of danger¡¯, it was safe to say that I could naturally gain strong resistance to danger from ¡®curses¡¯. ¡®¡­I can use this pretty effectively in this chapter.¡¯ The main enemies of Chapter 3 were ¡®Demonic Creatures¡¯. Reversed Apostle of the Sea. A Tamer who wielded terrible powers sleeping beneath the sea. When confronted, one of the abilities I would naturally encounter the most was ¡®curses¡¯. The Devil Conquest stat would be a great help in dealing with such things. And the remaining Skill Copy Ticket was¡­ ¡°¡­¡± An insurance. When it came to Yuria, it was a good idea to always have at least one at hand. Even more so if I considered the kind of reaction the White Devil would show if I identally revealed my ¡®face¡¯. I didn¡¯t have oneying idle all this time for nothing. Right as I had these gloomy thoughts¡­ A window suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. System Message [ Confirming that 2 Vessels have reached at least ¡®Trust Level 5¡¯! ] [ Confirming that the difficulty progress of the Main Scenario has risen significantly! ] [ Searching for elements that would make for smoother progress! ] ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ I swear, this was the first time I had ever seen the system use the phrase ¡®smoother progress¡¯ since I had possessed this body. Was it originally such a conscientiousd? System Message [ Checking the current status of target ¡®Iliya¡¯! ] [ Determining the ¡®Favorability Level¡¯ of target. ] [ Condition satisfied! ] [ Determining the ¡®Personality¡¯ and ¡®Interpersonal Rtionships¡¯ of target. ] [ Condition satisfied! ] [ Determining the ¡®Devil Confrontation Ability¡¯ of target. ] [ Condition satisfied! ] [ Congrattions! The target will soon be given the role of ¡®??¡¯s Sidekick¡¯! ] ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know dude¡­¡¯ ¡®If you could also tell me what kind of role Iliya just received, maybe I¡¯d react positively to your congrattions.¡¯ ¡®¡­Sidekick?¡¯ Considering it said this was for the sake of smoother progress, it probably was not a bad thing. I had no idea what the fuck it was trying to determine by checking all those criteria. When seeing the phrase about determining Devil Confrontation Ability or whatever, it did seem like it was rted to her though. ¡°What have you been staring at since earlier?¡± Kasa Garda, who was cackling while watching my expression across from me, asked while lighting her smoking pipe. She was selected toe with me because it would be good if she stuck with me and Riru as the chapter progressed. Originally, she was supposed to sit in the seats for the elderly and handicapped, but she stubbornly refused. She said that she was by no means an ¡®elderly¡¯ or a ¡®handicapped¡¯ person and was only having a little trouble moving around. ¡®¡­It sounds ridiculous, but¡­¡¯ The powerhouses in this world could turn such ridiculous ims to reality. In her case, she really could support her entire body with just one arm and effortlessly move it around. She deadass could move as fast as a running adult man. ¡°I just had some things to check.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to check something, why don¡¯t you check on Riru instead?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t she be back soon anyway? She didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, so there¡¯s no reason to bother her¡­¡± After not saying a word to me the whole time we were together, Riru suddenly said she was going to get some fresh air and left thepartment. Well, it could be that she was nervous about returning to the homnd she was chased out from. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you go andfort her?¡± ¡°¡­Comfort? Her?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kasa chuckled before continuing. ¡°She¡¯s much more sensitive than she appears. As her ¡®first friend,¡¯ she¡¯ll listen to anything that you¡¯d say to her, even if she acts like she won¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­First friend?¡± ¡°Excluding you, do you really think she had other friends with that personality of hers?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I wished she could at least give me a warning before hitting me with such sad stories. ¡°So while you¡¯re at it, other than bing her first friend, I want you to take her first¡ª¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll go find out where she is ande back here.¡± And even more so for topics like this. Please. After hearing the words that I uttered with cold sweat running down, Kasa cackled once again before nodding. ¡°Go then. As the master who¡¯ll help you hone your fighting techniques, I¡¯ll assign this as your first training. Find that child and bring her back here.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Wasn¡¯t it a bit much to call something like this training? I cocked my head at the words Kasa left behind before exiting thepartment and heading for the corridor. The train connecting the academies of the Golden Triangle was not just a means of transportation; it also boasted a level of luxury that made it possible to live inside without a care. It was said to be one of thergest trains on the entire continent. Basically, it meant that even if she went out to get some fresh air, it would be difficult to find her. ¡®Guess I¡¯ll wander around for a bit.¡¯ ¡°Euh¨C Mm¡ª¡± I stretched and cracked my joints, which had be stiff from sitting for a long time. As I stretched and looked up at the ceiling, I noticed that the blowhole was opened for venttion. It was a luxurious train, so it had all kinds of functions. The Forge of Struggle was a building constructed on an ind surrounded on all four sides by the sea. And this train was currently racing towards there on top of the ¡®Sea Rails¡¯. The refreshing beach and sky weed me. It was thanks to this that I quickly realized the ¡®oddity¡¯. ¡°¡­?¡± As I mentioned before, a refreshing beach and sky was supposed to wee me. However¡­ The sky was pitch ck. Even though it wasn¡¯t even evening yet. And this ck was gradually ing down¡¯. Something extremely gigantic seemed to be descending towards the entire train. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing that, I realized the meaning of the word ¡®training¡¯ that Kasa mentioned just now. And perhaps, also the reason why Riru had left her seat. ¡°¡­Every time I take the train to an academy, this kind of shit happens.¡± Before, when I rode with Eleanor, I got hit by a boulder, and now, I was going to get hit by something much worse. As I mumbled that, I quickly grabbed a nearby handle. And then¡­ [ Attack! Attack! High-Grade Demonic Creature Attack! ] [ All students, calmly evacuate ording to emergency procedu¨C! ] Before that urgent announcement could echo within thepartment. -!! -!!!!!!! I heard the massive ¡®High-Grade Demonic Creature¡¯ roar at a level that seemed to turn heaven and earth upside down. And the entire train began to shake violently.
It was utter chaos. People¡¯s screams were mixed together, echoing in all directions. However¡­ I ain¡¯t gonna lie¡­ ¡®¡­I can¡¯t feel any sense of crisis.¡¯ Even in a situation where the train hadpletely flipped over and was swaying wildly, that was the first thought that came to my mind. I had been through situations much worse than this, so, this much trouble couldn¡¯t evoke any feelings of danger from me. And, above all¡­ ¡®Desperation isn¡¯t activating, huh?¡¯ If there was something that could threaten my life, I had a way to instantly know, as if I was psychic. So I concluded that the probability was high that it wasn¡¯t an actual battle. As I coldly assessed the situation, my surroundings became a bit clearer. Amidst the crazily shaking train, I somehow maintained my bnce and looked out the window. There was a safetyid near the tracks, prepared in case the train derailed and rolled down. In other words, it was a precaution to avoid any ¡®casualties¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± And it was true that a High-Grade Demonic Creature hit the train roughly just a moment ago¡­ However, when I looked up at the ceiling, I could see that it wasn¡¯t following up its next attack and merely circling the sky. If it was a ¡®real demonic creature¡¯, it would never behave like that. And as soon as I saw this, I quickly realized that this was. ¡®Entrance Exam.¡¯ Unlike Elfante of the Empire, the Forge of Struggle was famous for relentlessly attacking from the very beginning without any warning. It was probably meant to assess the students¡¯ abilities by creating an emergency in this ¡®virtual reality¡¯ without giving a hint of prior notice. Even in the game, it was an event that would alwayse up as a random encounter when entering the Forge of Struggle. ¡°¡­¡± Compared to the other countries that were still using cold weapons, these guys had a level of technology that seemed like they belonged to a whole different world. Excluding the Magic Tower, their level of science was so high that it was hard for other countries to even reach their toes. With such thoughts, I looked up at the train ceiling. Considering Riru¡¯s personality, she probably ran outside to ¡®fight¡¯ the High-Grade Demonic Creature as soon as she saw it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®And you¡¯re telling me that Kasa told me to bring that kind of person back with me¡­¡¯ ¡®In a train that was hard to even stand properly on.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help butugh bitterly. Now I understood the reason why she called this ¡®training¡¯. I felt it as soon as I tried to get to the ceiling by going up thedder. ¡®¡­F-Fuck, I¡¯m gonna die¡­!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t some walk in the park to maintain bnce and move at the same time. My legs were trembling, my eardrums were screaming, and my entire body was urging me to vomit out everything that was inside my stomach. However, it seemed like my efforts to risk my life by exercising with Talion had paid off. Even without Desperation, I could ¡®at least move around¡¯ even though it took some effort. If it was the old me, I¡¯d probably just copsed on the floor while throwing up constantly. ¡°¡­Heup.¡± After somehow getting on top of the ceiling, I moved awkwardly and crawled across the top of the train. After what seemed like an eternity passed, I finally began to see the person I was looking for in the far distance. ¡°Riru-!¡± Riru was cracking her neck and knuckles, ready to rush towards the massive bird-like High-Grade Demonic Creature that was currently circling around the train. Hold up, how was she so okay with this kind of situation? The wind was blowing like crazy from all directions and a massive wave was crashing onto the train, making it difficult to even stand properly. ¡°Come, eheup, over here! We have to go ba¨C!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Riru responded with an incredulous voice to my words. ¡°Go back where? No wait, in the first ce, how did you even find me?¡± Perhaps from her perspective, she was probably wondering why I was interrupting her when it was the perfect time for her to y an active part right now. However, I was in a situation where I had received Kasa¡¯s orders and needed to follow them by bringing her inside. When considering her personality, if she directly said the word ¡®training¡¯, it would be wise for me to follow it to a T. Otherwise, she might say how I couldn¡¯t even follow one mere order and make me do something even more hell-liketer on. ¡°¡­And wouldn¡¯t it be better to take care of your own body first? I think you¡¯ll die if you continue like that, you know?¡± She seemed to be saying, ¡®Your face is beyond blue, approaching a vivid yellow.¡¯ I inwardly screamed at Riru who said such words. ¡®Yeah, I also know it¡¯s not safe, but¡­!¡¯ ¡®If we don¡¯t turn back now, I¡¯m going to get whipped like a bitch by Kasater. Please. Fuck.¡¯ I wanted her to somehow notice my plight ande back inside with me. Let¡¯s try to convey that message to her somehow. ¡°Ah, the dangerous thing is- keuh, cough, if we don¡¯t return, right now, puheok-! I might really uheuk-!¡± Because the wind and waves continuously bitchpped my face, I couldn¡¯t evenplete my sentence properly and Riru¡¯s eyes, who saw this pitiful sight of me, narrowed. ¡°¡­¡± Fuck me. It was true that anyone would agree that I looked pathetic. Even if I got ridiculed, there was nothing I could¡ª System Message [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ is activated! ] [ The favorability level of target ¡®Riru¡¯ has increased from ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯ to ¡®Interest Level 2¡¯! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] Eh? ¡°¡­What are you doing, trying to save me with merely that level of skill? What do you mean dangerous? It¡¯s not even a real situation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Prioritize yourself more than anything, okay? Yourself. Not anything else. If you can¡¯t even protect your own body, why are you fussing around to try and protect me? You¡¯ll just be a bother.¡± While saying that, Riru awkwardly scratched her head in embarrassment. Her tone was harsh, but she couldn¡¯t even look me straight in the eyes. Also, maybe it was just me, but it kinda looked like a slight blush had risen on her face. ¡°¡­Still, thank you. I¡¯ve received your feelings.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®No, hold up. Wait.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re talking like that right now¡­¡¯ ¡®But it¡¯s not whatever the fuck you¡¯re thinking.¡¯ ¡®Stop doing weird shit and juste back to Kasa with me¡­!¡¯ Such thoughts instantly came to mind, but this time, I couldn¡¯t even utter a proper sentence because I was too busy retching. And in the meantime, Riru was gathering Law Power from her body. In terms ofbat power, Riru was someone who could win against an Eleanor who had devoured one Fragment. If she also utilized Law Power, she would actually be able to fly all the way towards that High-Grade Demonic Bird from this ce. Soon after, Law Power gathered in her legs and a savage smile appeared on her face. And for some reason, perhaps sensing a threat in her appearance, the bird-like demonic creature also turned to look at Riru. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] ¡°¡­¡± I realized that something was strange at that moment. Suddenly, vitality surged through my body. An ominous premonition descended down my spine. ¡°Wait, Riru¡ª!¡± Something was wrong. The ominous premonition felt so strong. However, that shout from me was rendered useless, as Riru had already leaped into the air like an arrow. As I frantically looked towards the High-Grade Demonic Bird, I saw a yellow energy gathering around its body. From my perspective, who knew what that was, the future was ringly clear. This person. If she rushed in there just like this, she would die. Unless I did something about it. ¡°¡­!¡± Right as I urgently stood up and gripped Ultima within my hand¡­ -!!! The High-Grade Demonic Bird unleashed an explosive blitzkrieg at Riru. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 83: Sea Train (2) Chapter 83: Sea Train (2) ? Sea Train (2) ? ¡°The simtion has begun.¡± ¡°Video team, operating normally.¡± ¡°Artificial Demonic Creature team, operating normally.¡± ¡°Safety Countermeasure team, operating nor¨C¡± Hatan U-Jul nodded as he heard the reportsing in one after the other near the situation room. ¡°They made it well.¡± Such words came out with a satisfied voice. From the perspective of someone who had directly hunted High-Grade Demonic Creatures, he was confident that there was no one among the students who would realize that was fake. Of course, it could seem a bit harsh for inexperienced kids who most likely had no realbat experience, but¡­ ¡®True talent only emerges when a person is pushed to their limit.¡¯ The name, Forge of Struggle, of itself was given with the intention of exposing students to the most merciless environment possible. Wasn¡¯t it natural that steel became stronger the more it was hammered? In that perspective, the current virtual simtion was satisfying enough to make Hatan smile. ¡°You know, I can¡¯t get used to this every time I see it.¡± His smile disappeared as soon as he heard the voiceing from beside him. A woman grinning with half-closed eyes. Although the surroundings were filled with people dressed in outfits that exuded a barbaric feel unique to the Tribal Alliance, this woman¡¯s attire gave off an air of a civilized individual. The following words also clearly reflected this difference. ¡°I can¡¯t believe people who look like this are handling state of the art devices that would only be used in the Magic Tower. The Tribal Alliance bes more bizarre of a ce the more I see it.¡± ¡°¡­Chief Priest Tatiana.¡± Hatan sighed and brushed his hand through his hair. ¡°Please, if you came to observe, could you just keep your mouth shut and watch?¡± ¡°Oh my.¡± In response to the harsh words, the woman stuck her tongue out and slyly raised her hands. From Hatan¡¯s perspective, her appearance was so despicable that he wanted to punch her in the face right then and there, ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too harsh? What did I do so wrong?¡± Hatan¡¯s expression sank even further. ¡°Then let me be straightforward right here and now.¡± Compared to earlier, his words were now tinged with killing intent. ¡°I don¡¯t like you, Chief Priest. Consider it a stroke of luck that you haven¡¯t immediately died at my hands considering what you did to n.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He was my friend. He may be as stupid now as he was back then, but still, he was brave, he knew honor, and he was a warrior who fought fairly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Tatiana continued to grin without a response, Hatan¡¯s frosty voice continued to pour out. ¡°He wasn¡¯t someone who would do something as insane as challenging the Chieftain, who was properly ruling the Alliance, out of the blue, cutting off three of her limbs, and even annihting her entire n.¡± That was exactly what happened. He proceeded to duel with Kasa Garda, who had the respect and admiration of all warriors, and despite everyone¡¯s opposition, he had cut off all three of her limbs. Hatan¡¯s words were all true. All of this happened after this woman became known as the Chief Priest of his tribe. Moreover, the ¡®process¡¯ of the duel itself¡­ ¡®¡­It was horrifying.¡¯ Hatan gritted his teeth as he recalled the scene at the time. It was by no means a duel that was conducted fairly. To be more precise, it was too disgraceful to even call it a duel; Instead, it was a ¡®massacre¡¯. After all, aside from the duel participant, the majority of Kasa Garda¡¯s n were murdered on that day. ¡°All Chieftain n has done is ascended to a position to rule the Tribal Alliance in ordance to a fair duel. He is suitable in both authority and legitimacy. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As such, the limits of his patience were being tested by not punching this woman who nonchntly spoke such bullshit. Instead of responding to her, Hatan continued with his next orders to the personnel in the situation room. ¡°¡­Track the vital signs of the guys on the train.¡± ¡°Roger!¡± Given the technological capabilities of the Tribal Alliance, obtaining this level of information from everyone there shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Besides, this process was essential for them. After all, vital signs revealed a vast amount of information. It made preventing idents easier and allowed them to assess how cool-headed an individual was when handling this situation. Those were the guys with a low heart rate, minimal fluctuations of emotions, and quick decision-making abilities. And the people who showed the best performance based on these criteria were¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Riru Garda and Kasa Garda. Hatan¡¯s face broke into a bitter smile when he saw these familiar faces. They likely knew the tendencies of the Tribal Alliance, so they wouldn¡¯t have any trouble assessing the situation calmly upon seeing this. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t want to stop them from setting foot on their homnd, but¡­¡¯ Entering the Forge of Struggle like this practically meant suicide in many ways. It was probably a good idea for him to approach first and offer a word of advice before they entered. And, after excluding these two¡­ ¡°¡­Dowd Campbell?¡± Hatan smirked when he saw a man moving on top of the train as if he was a crawling turtle. ¡®Ah, yes.¡¯ ¡®That guy.¡¯ He remembered him. After all, his straightforward confrontation with the Pope from before had left a strong impression on him. And so, it was no surprise that a guy who pulled shit like that was also the calmest in this situation as well. He didn¡¯t know why the guy was moving in such an ugly manner though. ¡°¡­¡± However, unlike Hatan, who was smiling this time¡­. Next to him, Tatiana¡¯s face twisted. She always had half-closed eyes and a smiling face, so this was a subtle change that was difficult to notice even if one looked closely. ¡°Ah, right. War Chief Hatan.¡± Even the voice that followed¡­ Was undoubtedly filled with that subtle feeling. ¡°Shall we increase the difficulty a bit?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Hatan¡¯s baffled voice resonated within the situation room. ¡°What kind of dogshit suggestion is that, Chief Priest? What do you mean by¡ª¡± Before Hatan could finish speaking, Tatiana snapped her fingers. On the screen, this was right before Riru rushed at the High-Grade Demonic Bird. And at the same time¡­ A yellow energy began to emanate from the High-Grade Demonic Bird. Hatan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­Chief Priest. What did you do to the Artificial Demonic Creature?¡± ¡°Oh, all I did was insert the heart of a real High-Grade Demonic Creature ¡®Thunderbird¡¯ into thepleted Artificial Demonic Creature. It should be able to exert about half the power of a real High-Grade Demonic Creature, I presume?¡± Upon hearing this, most of the personnel in the situation room turned pale. If that was not a ¡®real Demonic Creature¡¯, then it had ¡®Unique Magic Power¡¯ that could not be handled. This was the reason why Intermediate-Grade Demonic Creatures that needed official Knights to defeat could not even reach the toes of a High-Grade Demonic Creature. After all, a High-Grade Demonic Creature that could wield Unique Magic Power had a power equivalent to a natural disaster. Even if it was just half the power, everyone over there was just a student. There was no chance they could handle it. ¡°We can¡¯t just casually wee guests from the Empire without showing some amount of effort. We have to show them this much at least, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Are you insane? Everyone over there is a student from the Empire. They have no realbat experience! If they happen to die¡­!¡± ¡°Then they die, right? Is it necessary to be particrly concerned just because they¡¯re students?¡± Hatan was left speechless by Tatiana¡¯s nonchnt response. ¡°¡­Have you thrown away even yourst shred of conscience, you crazy bitch? You dare to disregard the lives of students at an educational institution?¡± ¡°Weakling will die whether it is from this or that. Isn¡¯t it better to get rid of such people sooner?¡± Even after saying as such, Tatiana¡¯s face remained as it always was. Half-closed eyes and a smiling face. Almost as if this really meant nothing to her. As if it was just another day for her. ¡°I just did what the Chieftain ordered. If you have a problem, why don¡¯t you go tell him instead?¡± Moreover, she even passed over the responsibility of this incident to others. Hatan, with veins bulging in his eyes, gritted his teeth. Her appearance seemed as if nothing would get through to her, whether they talked about the diplomatic and political bacsh nor the intentions behind her actions. ¡°Prepare the equipment immediately! I¡¯m going in myself!¡± As long as a real Demonic Creature¡¯s heart was inserted, there was no way to remotely shut it down. The only way was for him to enter the simtion site and take it out himself. However, there would certainly be casualties during the time he took to enter. As Hatan¡¯s expression contorted at such a thought¡­ ¡°Just a moment, War Chief! Something¡¯s strange!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯re detecting a massive energy!¡± Someone in the situation room shouted as such. ¡°Massive energy? What-¡± And before Hatan could even finish his sentence¡­ -! -! -!! A ¡®Grey¡¯ aura¡­ Explosively flooded out from within the train. From a glimpse between the gaps of the broken train, it seemed as if two women, with their swords drawn, had shot out a blow from that very spot. ¡°What in the¡­!¡± At the same time someone let out such a shout¡­ The entire screen went nk.
¡°¡­Are you alright?¡± I had to confirm that first. Looking at the stunned Riru, who I ended up embracing in my arms, it seemed her condition was fine. Actually, it was a countermeasure I thought of on the spur of the moment. The ¡®Stigmata¡¯ skill, which used all avable means to boost Endurance, had evenpletely blocked Kasa¡¯s strike. I had generated that in the right spot to ¡®collide¡¯ with Riru and I caught her falling body mid-air before escaping from the Demonic Bird¡¯s attack trajectory. It was probably the best way to protect someone who couldn¡¯t change directions in mid-air. I didn¡¯t know about defeating the Demonic Bird, but at the very least, there wasn¡¯t a better n than this if my aim was to protect her. Moreover, it actually seeded as well. ¡°¡­¡± Yeah. The problem was that I seeded. As cold sweat broke out, I turned my head towards the direction of the approaching footsteps while ¡®still holding Riru in my arms¡¯. ¡°¡­I came because I heard your voice from above.¡± Eleanor sheathed her sword as she spoke. I alternated my gaze between making sure her sword went back into her scabbard and the aftermath of the ¡®strike¡¯ that she had unleashed. The ceiling of the train that had received her strike first was cut more cleanly than expected. Of course, I wasn¡¯t trying to say that the chunk of ply metal that wasn¡¯t even the main target of the strike was fine. It had been sted away by it, after all. I was just saying that because it was in a way better state than the thing that had actually received that strike behind it. The strike, which extended straight upwards from inside the train, sliced through a portion of the train like tofu and continued extending. Then it practically turned the High-Grade Demonic Bird in its path into dust, shattering it into ¡®fragmented pieces¡¯. And it extended for a long while before even demolishing the ¡®outer wall¡¯ in the form of a dome that was enclosing this simtion set. Thanks to that, the sky could actually be seen now. It was to the extent that seagulls could be seen between the sparks from the wires sticking out of the broken outer wall. ¡°I came thinking I needed to rescue you as quickly as possible in such an emergency situation.¡± And¡­ If I was unlucky, I might end up being hit by an attack of that magnitude. Eleanor spoke with a bleak expression. ¡°Who is that woman?¡± Together with that voice, I looked at the window that came out right in front of my eyes. System Message [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has increased by 50%! ] [ The target enters a state of ¡®suspicion¡¯! ] [ During the ¡®suspicion¡¯ state, the rate of increase in Corruption Value is doubled! ] ¡°¡­¡± Who was the guy who said that there wouldn¡¯t be any risk of me dying before we got to the school grounds? I swear I¡¯ll fucking kill him. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 84: Suspicion Chapter 84: Suspicion ? Suspicion ? Riru Garda was someone who was incredibly quick at grasping the situation. Even though she had just experienced an unimaginable threat of death just a moment ago, she could quickly assess how the ongoing situation was unfolding. ¡°So, about that¡­¡± Dowd Campbell seemed to want to say something. He appeared just as tense as the woman approaching him was fierce. It was as if she was several times more of a threat than the gigantic Demonic Bird they had faced just moments before. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing this, Riru unwrapped Dowd¡¯s arm that was around her, abruptly standing up. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but¡­¡± And then, her mouth began to move before her thoughts did. ¡°Are you threatening this guy right now?¡± ¡°Step aside. This has nothing to do with¡ª¡± ¡°It does.¡± With a bewildered expression, Eleanor stopped in her tracks. She seemed so baffled that she didn¡¯t even know how to react. This was probably something that no one in this ce had anticipated. After all, even Dowd was staring at her with a stunned expression. ¡°¡­Wait, what kind of rtionship do you ha¡ª¡± ¡°At the very least, just know that I owe him a life debt because of his actions a moment ago.¡± If someone asked her why she was doing this, Riru wouldn¡¯t be able to provide a clear answer either. However, doing nothing after receiving favor of any kind from someone did not sit well with her conscience. There was no doubt that her mind had recognized that this man, at the very least, held enough ¡®value¡¯ for her to take such actions. ¡°If you intend to do something to this guy, then you¡¯ll have to get through me first.¡± It would be a lie if she were to say that she wasn¡¯t afraid. After all, the person in front of her was someone even she knew very well. It was because she remembered being overpowered once by her ¡®spirit¡¯ before. The Student Council President of Elfante. She was a woman who had easily obliterated the gigantic Demonic Bird that was about to kill Riru in just a single strike. There was no doubt that if they were to fight, she would be destroyed in mere seconds. It would be a miracle if she could even endure one bout. ¡°¡­¡± Even¡­ Riru still assumed a fighting stance, desperately trying to calm her trembling arms. She steeled herself before ring at her opponent. ¡°¡­?¡± And, strangely enough¡­ Instead of retaliating, her opponent¡¯s spirit seemed to wane. To be more precise, it seemed like she was ¡®shocked¡¯. Her face even showed signs of sadness. ¡°¡­Alright. That¡¯s enough.¡± And before Riru could even think about this strange phenomenon, another voice intervened in the situation. It came from the mouth of a woman who had appeared through a Teleportation Spell that was casted in the air. ¡°¡­!¡± As soon as she identified who it was, Riru¡¯s expression immediately turned almost demon-like. The night when most of her n members died¡­ She could never forget, even in her dreams¡­ That face. That utterly nonchnt face with those half-closed eyes and giggling expression, almost as if she was the Devil incarnate. This was the woman who was responsible for ¡®handling¡¯ her entire n while n and Kasa carried out their duel. ¡°Chief Priest¡­!¡± Riru let out a snarl. Although her voice was filled with such dense killing intent that it was at the level of a beast¡¯s roar, Tatiana, who was confronting it head-on, still wore the same grin. ¡°Everyone did a terrific job in passing the exam! You are truly the best of the best!¡± At the sight of Tatiana intentionally ignoring her, Riru¡¯s expression contorted even more horribly. Her fists became tightly clenched. She yearned to immediately punch that face she wished so desperately to rip apart. However, before she could do so, a hand pulled her back. When she turned around, she saw that it was Dowd¡¯s hand. He shook his head. ¡°¡­¡± Riru also knew that it wasn¡¯t a wise decision at all. No matter the circumstance, she was still in the position of an exile, chased away from the Tribal Alliance, while Chief Priest Tatiana was the closest confidant of the current Chieftain, n Ba-Thor. Just confronting her would invite an unimaginably immense bacsh. It was obvious that this man would try to stop her right now. And, more than anything¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t win against her.¡± Dowd¡¯s words pierced into Riru¡¯s eardrums. An intense surge of anger overcame her, enough to make her mind go nk. However, she couldn¡¯t deny that his words were true. Chief Priest Tatiana was powerful. She had single-handedly faced and murdered the Chieftain¡¯s n, which consisted of elite warriors even whenpared to the rest of Tribal Alliance. ¡°For now.¡± So, when that man spoke such words¡­ With widened eyes, Riru had no choice but to turn around and look at him. While she remained speechless and still for that brief moment, Dowd had already stood up, passing by her to approach Tatiana. ¡°Nice to meet you, Chief Priest Tatiana.¡± ¡°¡­My, I haven¡¯t even introduced myself, but you already know me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite the celebrity after all.¡± Dowd continued his words in an indifferent manner. ¡°Also, you¡¯ve sent me ¡®greetings¡¯ a few times. I¡¯ve received them well.¡± While he had not directly dealt with it, there was no doubt that she had dispatched assassins on several asions. Tatiana¡¯s half-closed eyes slightly widened at his words. From within her yellow slits akin to pupils of a reptile, an unmistakable killing intent flowed out. Her demeanor waspletely different from just before, when she treated Riru as if she was mere air. ¡°¡­So you are that student, Dowd Campbell?¡± ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± She extended her hands as if to shake hands. As if¡­ Unlike Riru, he was a person ¡®worthy of facing¡¯ seriously. ¡°I have heard many stories from the one I serve.¡± A normal person would immediately think of the Chieftain when hearing the phrase ¡®the one I serve¡¯. However, both Tatiana and Dowd were aware that the person she was talking about was not him. Compared to the Chieftain¡­ That person was much more ¡®dangerous¡¯. ¡°Please give my regards.¡± While still maintaining his smiling face, Dowd took Tatiana¡¯s extended hand before shaking it. ¡°Last time, we didn¡¯t even get to have a proper conversation because of the circumstances. Please convey that I will face that person properly the next time we meet.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. Perhaps. After all, the one I serve is quite the busy person. If you have business to handle, you will probably need to resolve it with me first.¡± ¡°Shall we, then?¡± Both of their expressions were smiling. Even their manners were both courteous. The atmosphere around them, however¡­ It was like they were both walking on a razor¡¯s edge. As if each of them was hiding a dagger beneath their words. ¡°¡­For now, would you like toe into the amodation? I imagine you are fatigued from traveling.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for the warm wee.¡± And by the time they had exchanged such words, everyone present in that ce realized something. This man and this woman¡­ They had simr personalities. There was not a sliver of a doubt that they were both insanely cunning.
If a VIP was as important of a figure as Lady Tristan, a foreign country¡¯s academy had no choice but to provide her with private amodations. This meant that when Eleanor arrived at her amodations, the conditions were perfect for her toy her heart bare to someone. [¡­Why is your expression like that?] From the magically engineered video receiver, Beatrix¡¯s voice sounded horrified as she asked such a question. If someone unfamiliar with Eleanor saw her face right now, they would first question whether anything was different from her usual emotionless expression. However, Beatrix, at least, could say this with extreme confidence. This was, by far, the worst expression that Eleanor had shown recently. Chills had run down her spine when a woman, who rarely contacted anyone without a good reason, suddenly requested a video call from her. [Haven¡¯t you been in a really good moodtely? Didn¡¯t you keep showing off your ring to literally everyone you passed by?] Of course, as someone who knew the meaning of that ring, Beatrix had already scolded her to stop such actions before rumors started spreading. But still, it would be a lie to say that she didn¡¯t feel pleased when she saw Eleanor looking happy everyday. ¡°¡­Beatrix, you see¡­¡± After hesitating for a while, Eleanor began to speak with a sigh. ¡°I have a strong feeling that Dowd is cheating on me.¡± Beatrix¡¯s jaws dropped. [That fucker cheated on you?! It¡¯s only been a few days since you got engaged though?!] ¡°It¡¯s not certain yet. Didn¡¯t I say I just had a feeling?¡± Eleanor replied tly. ¡°If I was sure he was cheating, I wouldn¡¯t have even asked you.¡± [What does that even mean?] ¡°It means that I would¡¯ve already chopped the vixen trying to seduce that man into pieces before doing anything.¡± [¡­] Indeed. At the very least, the fact that the vixen couldn¡¯t immediately say what her rtionship was with that man indicated that she was beyond infatuated with him. [Then are you certain he hasn¡¯t cheated? You said there was a high chance he was, right?] ¡°¡­Even before, he was a man who went around here and there, leading on other women countless times without even being aware of himself. I had already half-given up in that regard.¡± [¡­] At this point, rather than giving advice or whatever as a friend, she was primarily worried as a member of the same species. What kind of man was she engaged with¡­? ¡°¡­However, things seem a bit dangerous this time.¡± Moreover, if someone who was even giving this much leeway was feeling a sense of crisis, it was even more worrying. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been long since they met, but seeing that he earned that woman¡¯s ¡®sincerity¡¯ within such a short time¡­ This is not at the level of him just ying around.¡± Not to mention, it hadn¡¯t been that long since she gave him the ring. She could somewhat understand and ept up until that girl, Yuria. After all, from what she heard, they had toed the line separating life and death a few times before. Even though Dowd had this strong team spirit, she could at least understand that much. However, in the case of Riru Garda this time¡­ They did not even know each other for that long, there were no special experiences, and they weren¡¯t even on good terms. ¡®¡­It would¡¯ve been better if she was that type instead¡­¡¯ Eleanor still remembered how that woman tried to pick a fight with her by saying she would steal Dowd away. If she was trying to use him like that, she would¡¯ve already torn Riru in half by now. However, just a little while ago¡­ The woman was sincerely trying to ¡®sacrifice¡¯ herself for Dowd. Not ¡®out of interest¡¯, but in order ¡®to protect¡¯ him, she tried to sincerely fight against Eleanor. What sort of unspoken connection did the two have for her to act in such a way? ¡°¡­¡± Her head drooped low. Her bodynguage clearly showed an endless amount of depression at the thought of this. When she reached this point, she couldn¡¯t help but imagine the worst-case scenario. Perhaps, that man¡­ Even after receiving a ring from her¡­ Was forming a ¡®rtionship¡¯ with another woman that was as intimate as the one with her. She didn¡¯t want to believe it was true, but¡­ Perhaps even the ring he gave her was merely a ¡®temporary measure¡¯ to keep her from bing disappointed. [¡­So, what are you going to do?] ¡°What do you mean?¡± [What are you going to do if you¡¯ve confirmed that he¡¯s really cheating?] ¡°¡­First, I will have to kill that woman.¡± [¡­] For now, this part was already a lost cause to Beatrix. After all, Eleanor had been thinking about it so matter-of-factly from the beginning, so she didn¡¯t think there was any room for her to say anything that would be taken into ount. However, the answer she didn¡¯t hear earlier was¡­ [What about that Dowd?] ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t thought about what to do to that extent yet.¡± Beatrix flinched. After all, the appearance of Eleanor when she said such things¡­ It was so foreign that even for someone like her, who had watched over her for over ten years, it was the first time she had seen such a side of her. ¡°¡­Rather than killing him, there should be a better ¡®method¡¯. I absolutely do not want to do something like that to him. I want to keep him by my side, no matter what.¡± There was something else encroached in her voice. ?And, above all else¡­.? Just looking at the thing stirring within Eleanor was enough to blind her eyes. ?Just killing him¡­ Is too simple of a punishment, isn¡¯t it?? [¡­] Seeing such an appearance, Beatrix began to recall something else. That guy, Dowd¡­ He better not be cheating. Or else, even she was not sure what could happen. [T-Then, isn¡¯t it a good idea to at least confirm it first?] At the very least, talking about this seemed like a much better idea than hearing disturbing stories about killing someone. After all, it seemed that leaving Eleanor as she was now would lead to some kind of incident. Eleanor raised her head slightly in reaction to Beatrix¡¯s words. ¡°Confirm it?¡± [You only have suspicions, but you don¡¯t have any evidence, right? If so, you just need to confirm whether it¡¯s true or not from now on! I¡¯ll also collect information about that guy!] ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor slowly raised her head at her words. Although her movements still seemed gloomy¡­ Unlike before, her bodynguage showed a clear willingness to listen. ¡°¡­As you say, in that case, it¡¯s a good idea to thoroughly confirm my suspicions.¡± [How are you going to do it?] With Eleanor appearing much more energized than before, Beatrix smiled slightly. It was because she also felt much better after seeing Eleanor stroke her chin, as if she hade up with a good idea. At the very least, boosting her friend¡¯s energy was an achievement in it¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t I just need to closely monitor him?¡± [¡­What?] ¡°How he sleeps, when he wakes up, who he meets, what he eats, who he talks with, and who he smiles at. Everything. Without missing a single speck of information.¡± [¡­] ¡°I¡¯ll find out if there is someone who is intercepting the affection that should be fully given to me. If there is, I will find out with my own two eyes which bitch it is.¡± [¡­] ¡°I should start now. I¡¯ve done something simr before, so it will be much ea¨C-¡± Correction. While Eleanor had regained her energy, the cost was that he would face an extreme amount of harassment in the future. ¡®¡­I¡¯m sorry, Dowd.¡¯ Beatrix sincerely apologized in her heart to someone she had never even met. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 85: Friendly Duel (1) Chapter 85: Friendly Duel (1) ? Friendly Duel (1) ? ¡°n Ba-Thor¡¯s authority as the Chieftain remains valid. While a significant number of War Chiefs in the Alliance are expressing discontent, the desired level of control is being maintained.¡± Tatiana¡¯s voice softly descended in the empty private room. As the Chieftain¡¯s closest confidant, she was able to use a spacious private room so that her ¡®regr reports¡¯ were not hindered in any way, but even so, she never let her guard down. Half-closed eyes and a smiling face. The reason for that was simple. Because the Prophet had ordered her to act this way. She always adhered to the orders she received from the Prophet. Even if she had to put her life on the line. [What about the artifact used to brainwash that person? Is it still working properly?] White steam rose from the masked face that asked such a question. The Prophet was undoubtedly in the Northern Region of the Empire at this moment. To be exact, in the territory under the rule of Margrave Kendride. It was said that something was being ¡®prepared¡¯ at that ce. ¡°Yes. It should at least continue to function as intended for the desired period of time.¡± [I see. If any problems arise with it, we will miss many interesting scenes. You better manage it properly. Do you understand?] ¡°I receive your orders¡± [No need to go overboard. You just have to keep it as it is during the ten days when the exchange students from Elfante are staying over there.] If someone were listening, those words would probably only sound like the babbling of madmen. Just to witness an ¡®interesting scene¡¯ during an ¡®Academy Event¡¯ which wouldst for a mere ten days¡­ They had brainwashed the leader of a continental superpower so that they could use him in whatever way they wished. [This is an unusually precious opportunity where four Devil¡¯s Vessels are all gathered in one ce. We can¡¯t just let it pass, can we?] ¡°¡­Did you just say four?¡± She had already met two of the mentioned Vessels. Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan. The Grey Devil¡¯s Vessel. Yuria Greyhounder. The White Devil¡¯s Vessel. But there were actually two more? [The Blue Devil and¡­ The Red Devil. Both are present in that location right now. I am able to feel it, you see. Though, from now on, we¡¯ll have to find out who the Vessels are.] ¡°¡­I will keep that in mind. To ensure a satisfactory resu¨C¡± [Ah- nono, no need to put in too much effort. They¡¯ll eventuallye to us anyway.] With that, the Prophet yawned before waving Tatiana off. [After all, we have the world¡¯s most efficient ¡®trap¡¯, don¡¯t we?] ¡°¡­¡± Indeed, that was true. Wasn¡¯t there a man whose existence was literally a ma for the Devil¡¯s Vessels? However, there was one thing that still puzzled her. ¡°¡­May I ask one thing?¡± [Mm? You are usually so submissive and obedient, but suddenly you¡¯re asking questions? What¡¯s the asion?] ¡°Why are you only giving that man¡­ ¡¯Trials that are possible to ovee¡¯?¡± First, Marquis Riverback. Second, the Boy King Valkasus. Through those battles, that man had only grown stronger. He had even gradually built closer rtionships with the Devil¡¯s Vessels, enough to call them hispanion. Considering the nearly omnipotent and omniscient abilities of the Prophet, the only way that man could produce such results was because the Prophet had given him trials that could be ovee. Without that, there was no way such results could be produ¡ª [I¡¯ve never done such things, though.] ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± [I was sincerely trying to kill him. Although I haven¡¯t really used my full power, the level of the conditions I set needed a miracle to happen for him to even remain breathing.] ¡°¡­¡± [He was able to ovee them with such efficiency with solely his abilities. It¡¯s pretty interesting to see every time it happens, you know?] ¡°¡­¡± With a giggle, the Prophet continued. [Well, if you are looking for a reason why I don¡¯t use my full power even while knowing that is because¡­ It¡¯s not a bad thing for us if he gets stronger and stronger.] ¡°What¡­ Does that mean?¡± [After oveing more trials, that man will get stronger and his rtionship with the Devil¡¯s Vessels naturally bes closer. That, in itself, is good for us, isn¡¯t it? It actually bes easier to achieve our ¡®goal¡¯, doesn¡¯t it?] All those facts aligned with conditions necessary to reach the ¡®final goal¡¯ that the Prophet had longed for. After all, even though the end goal that she and that man sought were probably different, both of their primary goals were to ultimately gather all the Fragments of the Devil¡¯s Vessels; And paradoxically, that man was undoubtedly a huge help in achieving this. [Simultaneously, I like that it¡¯s never dull to watch Dowd flounder around in a desperate attempt to survive.] Seeing the speechless Tatiana, the Prophet let out another burst ofughter. [Are you jealous?] ¡°¡­¡± [You look extremely upset because Iplimented him.] At the Prophet¡¯s yful voice from across the video call, Tatiana remained silent for a while. The Prophet was probably doing this on purpose. After all, there was no way the Prophet did not know how Tatiana, someone who would devote her entire body and soul for the Prophet, would feel when hearing such words. [Yes. I¡¯m doing it on purpose.] ¡°¡­¡± [Try to kill him to the best of your ability. It won¡¯t be easy. After all, neither that cunning Marquis Riverback nor the strongest Forbidden Sorcerer, the Boy King, were able to. I wonder, how would you fare against him?] ¡°¡­¡± [Perhaps I couldpliment you if you seem more fun than that man?] ¡°¡­¡± [Cheer up, Apostle of the Reversed Sea. Isn¡¯t it more advantageous for you if you¡¯re near the sea?] The call ended with that. After sitting in silence for a long while, Tatiana nodded her head and stood up from her seat. ¡°¡­¡± For a brief moment, she suddenly looked at her ne that she had always worn. A jewel embedded in the middle was blinking a dull green light. If she closed her eyes, she could hear the ¡®thing¡¯ inside of it calling for her; ¡®An enormous presence¡¯ near the Forge of Struggle. Apostle of the Reversed Sea. Thest survivor of a tribe forgotten in history that served the ancient existence buried beneath the sea. She would use all her strength¡­ To kill Dowd Campbell. WIthin ten days, by any means necessary. ¡°¡­I receive your orders.¡± She quietly murmured while tightly grasping the ne with both hands.
There was one a piece of both good news and bad news. System Info [ The effects of consistent exercise are being disyed! ] [ Rank of ¡®Strength¡¯ stat is increasing! ] [ Rank of ¡®Agility¡¯ stat is increasing! ] ¡¸Dowd Campbell¡¹ < Status Info > [ General ] Strength: E ( Rank-Up: 10% ) Agility: E ( Rank-Up: 10% ) Endurance: F Luck: F Power: D The good news was this. Dowd Campbell. Finally, his first Rank-Up. How glorious. How emotional. How touching. While in the territory, no matter how much farm work I helped with, my rank refused to go up. However, after wearing the Lion¡¯s Ne and exercising for a few hell-like months, the moment hade for my efforts to finally bear fruit. With this, the efficiency of Desperation would be iparable to before. I would definitely see its effects when using the Tristan-Style Swordsmanship or Fighting Arts. As for the bad news¡­ ¡°Keukk, Heauk, Aaahk, Ahk, Ahhh-¡± Even with the stat increase, I could not follow the training course Kasa had written for me. ¡°¡­¡± Riru, who saw me making noises simr to that of screaming rather than breathing, narrowed her eyes. Today was the first day of the ¡®training¡¯ that Kasa had ordered. Among them, this was the most basic physical fitness training. ¡®¡­Usually, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for me to rage while asking you what kind of crazy shit you¡¯re talking about.¡¯ Basic physical fitness wouldn¡¯t just suddenly increase overnight, so there was obviously no way for me to instantly increase my stats that were absolute trash in just a day. Instead of that, it would just be more efficient to learn her ¡®techniques¡¯ first. I tried to argue with Kasa about this, but¡­ ¡®So, are you saying that your goal to finish learning all the Fighting Arts I have umted for decades in just ten days makes sense?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®You probably said such words because you had your own means, Child. And just like you, I have my own reasons. That¡¯s why I¡¯m ordering you to do this. Do you have any other opinions?¡¯ Of course I didn¡¯t. Regardless, I had dered to Kasa that I would reach the peak of the Fighting Arts she had devoted her entire life to within ten days. Since she had simply let it go even after hearing such words, I had no choice but to do anything she ordered withoutining. ¡°¡­Hey, stop. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any point in running any further.¡± And Riru, who had ran next to me for pace-making purposes, stopped me while clicking her tongue, ¡°I¡¯m, ahhhhh, sorryyyyahhk-¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t speak and just collect your breath.¡± After a sigh Riru approached me, who was dry-heaving so hard that it sounded like I was vomiting. ¡°Stand up straight.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru red at me with a slightly red face. Her expression seemed like she was telling me to not cause her to make any unnecessary exnations. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll give you a massage. So, stand up straight. You won¡¯t even be able to stand up properly if you just stop exercising like this.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice. Do you wanna die?¡± When I involuntarily stood up in response to her brutal words, Riru grabbed my arms and legs and started massaging them. Perhaps because of her embarrassment, she was using a bit too much of her strength, thus causing me pain. Nevertheless, the effects were clear. The pain in my arms and legs, which felt like they were tearing apart, began to dull. ¡°¡­¡± What the hell? Why was she being so kind? Considering her image in the original game, wasn¡¯t she supposed to coldly look at me with contempt while asking why I couldn¡¯t even do this much? Even if I took into ount her favorability levels, this side of her was undoubtedly unprecedented for her personality. ¡°¡­Granny has a lot of expectations for you.¡± As if she had read such thoughts of mine, Riru¡¯s murmuring continued. ¡°She also told me to try my best with you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this. Usually, I would never pull shit like this for a guy like you.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Despite your words, it felt like you¡¯re really working hard though, you know? As I stayed still while smiling at her words¡­ Chills ran down my spine. An ominous sensation traveled across my entire body and goosebumps arose. ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it, there was one more piece of bad news. ¡°Hey, Riru.¡± I mouthed these words. After all, the person I was being cautious of right now was someone capable of hearing the tiniest sounds. ¡°What?¡± She seemed to catch on quickly since she followed my lead and mouthed such words as well, even while furrowing her brows. ¡°Is she still there?¡± Riru grasped her forehead without a word. It seemed like she had felt the same sensation as me. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The tracking spell is unbelievable. Someone like me would never be able to find it.¡± ¡°¡­How did you know it was there if you couldn¡¯t find it?¡± ¡°The killing intent trickled out in a stream. When I massaged your body just now, it started bursting out like crazy.¡± ¡°¡­Ah. That¡¯s how.¡± After all, I felt ¡®something¡¯ as well. It seemed that it was so uncouth and rough that even I, who was iparably dense when it came to these things, could feel it. ¡°Exactly how much love are you receiving from that person for her to act this way?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know either, my guy.¡¯ It was Eleanor. She had been following me since this morning. I probably wouldn¡¯t have even known if Riru didn¡¯t tell me. ¡®¡­Why is she like this?¡¯ Although I had no clue why she decided to do something like this¡­ It was still scary. Like, deadass. Even now, whenever I got just a tiny bit closer to Riru, I felt a tingling sensation running all over my body. ¡°¡­Putting that aside, we should start moving soon.¡± After seeing the clock, I sighed while stretching. Thanks to the exercise with Riru from early in the morning, I felt utterly exhausted, but I couldn¡¯t afford toy around and rest like this. After all, the first Exchange Student Event, ¡®Friendly Duel¡¯, was scheduled soon. ¡®¡­Friendly my asshole.¡¯ It was said that this event resulted in injuries, from minor to serious, due to the characteristic of people not wanting to be inferior to the academies of other countries. Of course, rather than such a characteristic, what was more important to me was¡­ ¡®¡­An opportunity to raise my Endurance stat.¡¯ If I achieved excellent results in this event, I would have a chance of obtaining a fairly decent item with the ¡®Token of Promise¡¯ that Riru had received from Luca. Even if only for that reason, I couldn¡¯t afford to take this lightly. ¡°¡­But will you be okay?¡± As I had such thoughts, Riru, once again, used only her mouth to convey such words. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°To be honest, with your skill, it would be difficult to find someone who could be your duel partner.¡± That¡­ Was a legitimate concern. After all, I was nothing without my Desperation state. How many times now had I been looked down on because I looked weak? ¡°But you know, if you can¡¯t find an opponent, then you¡¯ll probably have to stay alone in the empty waiting room corridors twiddling your thumbs, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The goosebumps from earlier returned in full force. ¡°Can you guarantee that when you¡¯re alone, that woman will do nothing to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ah.
The arena, where exchange students from the Empire were scheduled topete and test their skill against the Tribal Alliance¡¯s students, was filled with excitement. Of course, most of the enthusiasm came from the Tribal Alliance while the members from the Empire stood half-dead in the waiting room. With a few exceptions, this friendly duel, taking ce in the Forge of Struggle, was no different from an execution ceremony for most Elfante students. Although it might be different in other fields, the individualbat abilities of the Tribal Alliance warriors were already widely-established. And Badel Gup-Ta, who had applied for this event,ughed mockingly while looking at the students from the Empire. ¡®These fucking Empire weaklings.¡¯ With a greatsword the size of his height slung over his shoulder, he watched the Empire students with contempt. As expected, there was still no one worthy of catching his eyes. There was virtually no change from a year ago. It was absurd that these weaklings were considered members of the same ¡®Three Superpowers¡¯ that his country was a part of. He had also applied tost year¡¯s event with that thought in mind. ¡®Ah, what a joyful memory that was.¡¯ He could still vividly feel the sensation of his fists when he smashed the Empire students to the point of shattering their teeth, as they begged him for mercy. ¡®Is there anyone here I can beat the shit out of just like I did back then¡­¡¯ Regardless of his wishes, students from the Forge of Struggle and Elfante had to freely find their opponents because this event was meant to be friendly. In that regard, Badel had a particr knack for finding weak opponents. Although he had quite some confidence in his own abilities, he much rather enjoyed tormenting his opponents slowly by controlling his strength, after all. A suitable ¡®prey¡¯ quickly caught his eye. ¡®¡­He doesn¡¯t even seem like a man.¡¯ A man endlessly looking around with a pale face. His eyes continued to wander around anxiously. He voluntarily approached other students and pleaded with them for a duel. However, the students from the Forge of Struggle all frowned and shook their heads, one after another. It was clear that they didn¡¯t want him because he was ¡®too weak¡¯. Every time they did so, even more despair crept over the man¡¯s face. ¡®¡­What a weird guy.¡¯ With such abilities, it was obvious that he would get absolutely pummeled. This was¡­ How do you put it¡­ His attitude seemed like he had to ¡®find an opponent at all costs¡¯, even if he had to get beaten up. Almost as if he was being pursued by someone. Although it was a bit weird¡­ His weak appearance and uncertain attitude was undoubtedly Badel¡¯s ¡®preference¡¯. He nced at the name tag. Dowd Campbell. ¡°Hey, you. Let¡¯s fight.¡± ¡°Oh, really?!¡± When he approached and uttered those words, the man¡¯s expression lit up instantly, making Badel inwardly mock him withughter. Badel approached the guy who was enthusiastically shaking his hand without a care in the world and whispered sinisterly in his ear. After all, he wanted to see the bastard¡¯s expression as he froze in fear. ¡°How stupid of you to be happy. You should prepare yourself instead. It was toote to back out as soon as I became your opponent. From now on, when the duel starts and until the event ends, I will continue to make you su¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Badel was left speechless by the unmistakable sincerity of his response. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 86: Friendly Duel (2) Chapter 86: Friendly Duel (2) ? Friendly Duel (2) ? After ten minutes into the duel¡­ Badel was feeling a genuine terror. ¡°Won¡¯t you be using any weapons?¡± ¡°If I use something like that, it¡¯ll be over too quickly.¡± He recalled the short question and answer session they engaged in when they started the duel. Badel had actually never used a weapon in any of the previous duels he had been in. From start to finish, he had always used his bare fists to pummel his opponents. After all, his preference was to enjoy watching his opponents suffer in agony. ¡°Really? You¡¯ll beat me with your bare fists?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nice. That¡¯s great.¡± In hindsight¡­ He should¡¯ve been more cautious from the moment his opponent¡¯s face brightened up at those words. ¡°¡­Have you gone crazy, you bastard?¡± And due to that carelessness, he was stuck in the present time, muttering those words with a trembling voice. The difference in their abilities were overwhelming. That was why he had chosen to duel with this man in the first ce, so that he could slowly and leisurely torment him. However¡­ -! His fistnded squarely on Dowd¡¯s jaw. That fact was undoubtedly true, even his skilledbat senses were informing him so. As long as they were human, that blow would be enough to make them copse. After all, receiving a fist to the jaw would undoubtedly rattle one¡¯s brain. However¡­ This man refused to fall. Just like how it was countless times now. He staggered back a step or two, then nonchntly cracked his neck before walking back towards him. ¡°Ah, that was good.¡± The voice, that seemed to say he was genuinely enjoying it, made shivers run down Badel¡¯s arm. ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t we stop the duel here? You should go to the infirmary and get treat¡ª¡± ¡°Why?¡± His tone, which sounded like he genuinely didn¡¯t understand what Badel was talking about, made thetter take a step back. It was an instinctive movement. ¡®¡­Did I just take a step back? During a duel against a bastard of the Empire?¡¯ As soon as he realized this truth, his face contorted tightly. Harsher blows rained down on Dowd. Each blow held so much force that it made anyone who was watching them end up pitying the poor guy getting pummeled. Dowd¡¯s body was thrown around in all directions. Flesh jutted out and blood spurted like a fountain. However¡­ ¡°¡­I chose my opponent well. Nice.¡± This time as well¡­ Even though he was practically in a half-dead state, he let out augh. ¡°¡­¡± Badel¡¯s face was gradually turning pale. If it had just been a weakling putting on airs, he would have weed it. After all, he felt a certain satisfaction in thoroughly crushing such a person. ¡®But, with this bastard¡­¡¯ He was genuinely ¡®enjoying¡¯ a situation where he was being unterally beaten. Almost as if he had received some tremendous gain! ¡°Again.¡± At the sight of Dowd muttering as such while walking towards him, Badel¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but fill with terror. ¡®What in the world am I doing right now?¡¯ ¡®In the first ce, is this even a duel?¡¯ ¡®No, is this bastard even a human?¡¯ ¡°¡­Don¡¯te any¡­closer.¡± ¡°Why? That blow just now was good. One more ti¡ª¡± ¡°I said don¡¯te closer¡ª!¡± With apletely pale face, Badel staggered back and tried to press a red button that was ced on the stage. If he pressed it, the duel would probably be dered over by surrender. Normally, he would never press it, butpared to facing this somewhat monster of a man, he thought that a brief humiliation would be better. However, a hand dripping blood grabbed him. ¡°No.¡± Dowd spoke urgently. There was a desperate anxiety in his eyes that went beyond his already frantic voice. ¡°No, don¡¯t do that. You can still do more, right? Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll beat me until the time is up?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Dowd¡¯s almost subservient smile as he held Badel¡¯s arms, Badel¡¯s face turned even paler. Normally, it wasn¡¯t the kind of face that he should be scared of. But, how out of ce his face was managed to make Badel almost go insane. ¡°You can do it. You¡¯re still full of energy. Why are you the one surrendering when I¡¯m the one getting beaten the shit out of? Are you fucking with me right now?¡± ¡°Hieek¡­!¡± ¡°Keep your promise. Please. I¡¯m begging you.¡± ¡°Go away¡­!¡± In the end¡­ With a shrill scream, Badel had no choice but to press the surrender button.
¡°Mmm¡­¡± As my opponent ran while shivering, as if he had seen a ghost, I could only watch him with a saddened expression. It was such a shame. System Log [ Engaged inbat with an opponent who used remarkable Fighting Arts! ] [ A new set of movements will be added to ¡®Mastery: Fighting Arts ¨C Stance Á¢Ê½¡¯! ] [ Engaged inbat with an opponent who used remarkable Fighting Arts! ] [ A new set of movements will be added to ¡®Mastery: Fighting Arts ¨C Stance Á¢Ê½¡¯! ] [ Engaged inbat with an opponent who used remarkable Fighting Arts! ] [ A new set of movements will be added to ¡®Mastery: Fighting Arts ¨C Stance Á¢Ê½¡¯! ] . . . System Log [ Sessfully continued the battle despite serious injuries! ] [ Proficiency of ¡®Mastery: Iron Man¡¯ increased. ] [ Sessfully continued the battle despite serious injuries! ] [ Proficiency of ¡®Mastery: Iron Man¡¯ increased. ] [ Sessfully continued the battle despite serious injuries! ] [ Proficiency of ¡®Mastery: Iron Man¡¯ increased. ] . . . He really wasn¡¯t half-bad. By just standing there while getting beaten was enough to stack up the proficiencies of two of the Masteries. This was something that would only be possible if I were to face up against a fairly formidable foes. If only he could continue on for a little longer¡­ Too bad he suddenly ran away for some reason¡­ System Message [ Target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ is extremely furious at the fact that target ¡®Badel¡¯ dared to strike you. ] [ She radiates intense hatred toward the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± Because of that, the chances of this person harassing me had increased. Moreover, she was still spying on me. After all, if they hadn¡¯t been watching me, this window wouldn¡¯t have popped up. ¡®Badel, why did you run away¡­!¡¯ ¡®You said you would keep fighting me until the time runs out¡­!¡¯ ¡°That Badel got scared and ran away¡­!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Empire has an insane motherfucker like him¡­!¡± ¡°He is such a madman that I can¡¯t help but be impressed¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The murmurs and nces of the Tribal Alliance students nearby pierced my heart. ¡®Why are you guys saying those things? It¡¯s hurtful.¡¯ ¡®¡­Anyway, let¡¯s check the important things.¡¯ Eleanor wouldn¡¯te out even if I tried to find her anyway. I might as well just see what I had gained instead. [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Iron Man èFÈË Grade: Basic Proficiency: 88% Description: Warriors of the Tribal Alliance repeatedly put themselves in extreme situations in order to constantly train their ability to react to such situations. It is very risky, but effective. [ ¡ö Endurance to various injuries and pain is increased. Reduces the intensity of pain and allows for easier movement even when severely injured. ] [ ¡ö Effects are proportional to the Endurance stat. ] First, the one Mastery that I gained proficiency in after getting beaten like a dog. Even though I had only used a simple first aid kit to apply some medicine and wrap some bandages, my wounds were healing at a noticeable speed. Unless the medicine was unbelievably excellent, if I had taken this much damage, I would usually have to empty my remaining points to buy an expensive potion from the Point Store. And, more importantly¡­ ¡®It doesn¡¯t really hurt, though?¡¯ The effect written here said it reduced the ¡®intensity of pain¡¯. But, it was a lot more impactful than I expected. If I practiced and refined it well enough, it could be one of my trump cards in this chapter. The pain that I actually felt when I got beaten the shit out of wasn¡¯t that severe, you know? [¡­You do realize that even with such an ability, people normally don¡¯t think of getting beaten up that much, right?] ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad, though? I can endure it easily.¡± [Are you still the same guy who asked me about how to endure pain not too long ago?] ¡°I mean, people grow and be more mature over time.¡± [Isn¡¯t it more correct to say that you¡¯re gradually bing crazier rather than growing or maturing?] ¡°¡­¡± Shut up. Ignoring Caliban, I checked my other Mastery. [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Fighting Arts ¨C Stance Á¢Ê½ Description: Efficient movements honed for a lifetime by a brawler with gifted insight. It can exert tremendous power even though it has not been fully perfected! [ ¡ö Receives Strength adjustment inbat when unarmed. ] [ ¡ö Receives Agility adjustment for evasive movements inbat when unarmed. ] [ ¡ö Through practice, various movements included in this Fighting Arts can be unlocked. ] [ New movements unlocked! ] [ Perfection Progress: 10% ] This was more important than the Iron Man Mastery. Especially the words ¡®Perfection¡¯ Progress in thest sentence. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that the Mastery description stated it wasn¡¯t perfected yet. After all, it was a style that even Kasa hadn¡¯t been able to perfect. ¡°¡­¡± And to lead Chapter 3 to my desired oue, I had to perfect this in its entirety. After all, the final ¡®enemy¡¯ in Chapter 3 could never be defeated with a weapon. I should keep working hard. [ Updating the current status. ] While I was thinking as such, a message appeared on the electronic notice board inside the stadium. It seemed it was boosting the rankings of people who had currently earned a higher ¡®score¡¯ in this Friendly Duel. Scoring factored in variousplex elements to give a higher score to the person that showcased a ¡®better fight¡¯. If a weaker opponent held their ground well against a much stronger one, the former would actually receive a higher score than thetter. For now, I checked through this scoring system, starting from the very bottom. I just needed to secure a ce within the top three¡­ [ 1st ¨C Riru Garda ] [ 2nd ¨C Iliya Krisanax ] [ 3rd ¨C Dowd Campbell ] I barely made it. Given the difference between mybat power without Desperation and that guy¡¯s, the fact that I made him surrender meant that I would score incredibly high. ¡®¡­Riru made it as well.¡¯ Although this was an obvious oue, considering herbat power, it still needed to be said that she had to be within the top ranks. It was necessary for the progression of the ¡®Main Quest¡¯. And I continued to look at the ranks below the top three. Everything else looked fine, but¡­ [ 4th ¨C Faenol Lipek ] As soon as I saw the name right below mine, my brows instantly furrowed. Come to think of it, she had alsoe as an exchange student, purely for the sake of story progression. That girl wasn¡¯t someone I particrly wanted to run into though. She was a key character in Chapter 4 and the ¡®central core¡¯ of the Heretic Inquisition that I was trying so hard to evade. The problem was¡­ System Message [ Target ¡®Faenol Lipek¡¯ has taken an interest in you. A rted event will be generated soon! ] [ Upon contact with the target, the benefit, ¡®Heretic Inquisition ¨C Special Interaction¡¯, received from clearing ¡®Boss: Boy King¡¯ will be unlocked immediately! ] [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ cannot be applied to the target! ] As soon as I saw her name, this window popped up. My eyes squinted instinctively. If my memories were correct, Faenol undoubtedly had the role of an antagonist. Moreover, she was a viin that was highly likely to be rted to a Devil. However, how was it that the system, which had always skipped over all process and coherence and just pped Fatal Charm on anyone, didn¡¯t even consider to p that thing on her? ¡°¡­¡± If that was the case, the importance of the ¡®rted event¡¯ written here would skyrocket. Considering her personality, that skill was the bare minimum of insurance I could get. If the system couldn¡¯t apply it on her, that meant I would be in some kind of ¡®danger¡¯ as soon as we made contact. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s think about thatter.¡¯ When had I ever cared about such things anyway? Regardless, there wasn¡¯t enough information toe up with a countermeasure. Besides, the system didn¡¯t even tell me when the event would ur. For cases where countermeasures or ns could not be made no matter how much I racked my brain, it was best to just think about it after it happened. I sighed and got up from my seat. This was because¡­ [ For students who ced within the top three, please gather at the Hall of Honor. A presentation of awards will be held.] Such an announcement had followed. It was time to use the token Riru received from Luca. I was going to use it to collect Endurance stats that would protect my constantly injury-ridden body. In other words, it was reward time baby. System Message [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has increased by 10%! ] [ The target is in a state of ¡®suspicion¡¯. Corruption Value is applied at 3 times the rate! ] [ The target¡¯s current Corruption Value is nearing 100%! The possibility that the Fragment can ¡®berserk¡¯ has formed! ] ¡°¡­¡± I had to find a way to resolve this somehow, but¡­ The ¡®berserk¡¯ of the Fragment mentioned here was not an event that could be seen that easily. Exceeding 100% would only result in them ¡®manifesting¡¯ with the Vessel as a medium. Reaching ¡®berserk¡¯ was out of the question. In numerical terms, it probably had to exceed 200% to even have a chance. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Once it did happen, the destructive power would be unmatched. A Fragment¡¯s berserk was¡­ Just on a different ne of existence. It was at a level that perfectly showed how a Devil¡¯s Vessel could potentially destroy the world if something went wrong. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, it was an event that was hard toe by. It could only be witnessed in important events of the main scenario. ¡®¡­Well, there¡¯s no way it happens anyway, right?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like I was going to purposely provoke Eleanor in her current state. Right?
In order to bestow a special meaning to the concept of honoring someone, this ce was created at the very top of the dome-shaped structure, known as the Forge of Struggle. Thanks to that, the sea surrounding the academy could be clearly seen when it was usually difficult to do so. And from there, Chief Priest Tatiana faced three students with her usual half-closed eyes. Riru Garda. Iliya Krisanax. And me. Those who were spectating this nearby all had dissatisfied expressions. After all, there was a widespread perception that, normally, members of the Empire would nevere up here, no matter how many years passed. ¡°¡­¡± I inwardly made a bitter smile. As could be glimpsed during the Duel Event, for the most part, the Forge of Struggle was a ce that inwardly looked down and refused to acknowledge Elfante. That basic trend practically overflowed in their every action. ¡®¡­Though, some things were possible thanks to that.¡¯ While reviewing what I would request at this ce, I looked straight forward. Tatiana¡¯s gaze sequentially swept over me and the two women on my both sides. ¡°I heard you all achieved remarkable results. In the Forge of Struggle, those who achieve remarkable results in directbat, where blood is exchanged, will always receive prizes.¡± It was a tradition that had been passed down throughout the Tribal Alliance¡¯s history. A prize would undoubtedlye for those who achieved excellent results, especially through ¡®fighting¡¯. ¡°First, shall we see what the first ranker wants?¡± When her gaze rests on Riru, the expressions of the surrounding audience stiffened. Voices full of nder and words of contempt could be sporadically heard. ¡°¡­The debauchee has returned. Didn¡¯t her n getpletely wiped out after she picked a fight with the Chieftain¡¯s n first?¡± ¡°I cannot fathom why she has returned to thisnd, but at the very least, she¡¯d learn one more lesson before leaving. We don¡¯t wee such trash.¡± The evaluation of Riru in the Tribal Alliance was ¡®coward¡¯ or ¡®unrivaled human trash¡¯. There were two reasons for this. First, the reason why Kasa Garda and n Ba-Thor had fought was because Riru ¡®could not control her anger and picked a fight with him¡¯. Second, the reason why the Garda n was wiped out was because Riru did ¡®foul y¡¯ during a battle between the War Chiefs. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, in my perspective, who knew the inside story, summarizing the situation to merely that was enough for me to retch in disgust. All of it was nned by the woman with half-closed eyes in front of me ¡°¡­Let me enter my n¡¯s ¡®district¡¯¡± Riru¡¯s tone made it as if she spit out those words to Tatiana. I was worried she would rush over and fight with Tatiana right here and now, but fortunately, it seemed that she recognized it was unwise. ¡°There is still something that hasn¡¯t been resolved yet.¡± At her words, there was an immediate and intense reaction from those around us. ¡°That shame of the Alliance dares!¡± ¡°The souls of the dead warriors will curse a bitch like you! You dare to step into the space of those who died because of you!¡± The people who were calmly mumbling previously, as they merely talked behind her back, were now shouting at her so loudly that the blood vessels of their eyes and necks were at the verge of bursting. After all, from their perspective, the bitch who caused her family to die was now asking to set foot on thend of her hometown. ¡°Hyrule Mountain Range¡¯s Luca Han-Chai guarantees my rights. It is the authority of a War Chief.¡± Unphased by the reactions around her, Riru lifted up the Dream Catcher that I had tied around her wrist. It seemed like the crowd nearby recognized what it was, as their roars instantly faded away. In the Tribal Alliance, the authority of a War Chief was almost as powerful as the authority of the Empire¡¯s Imperial Family. In essence, even if they were dissatisfied, they would not dare to speak out of turn. ¡°Go do so.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Of course¡­ Even though she took that fact into ount¡­ It seemed Riru did not expect Tatiana to so easily ept her request, as her eyes widened slightly in surprise. Riru had probably expected that, as the culprit behind her entire n¡¯s annihtion, Tatiana would still cause all kinds of disturbances to hinder her. ¡°¡­¡± And that was the same for me as well. I red at Tatiana, whose eyes were practically slits. If it was her, there was no way she didn¡¯t know what it meant for Riru to go into her n space. After all, the biggest hint for killing the one she served, the ¡®Existence of an Ancient Era¡¯, was at that ce. As such, I had thought that she would have set up all kinds of interference. ¡°Then, what does the second ranker wish for?¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Iliya looked around with an awkward expression. She seemed to find it difficult to adapt to this hostile atmosphere. ¡°¡­Can I think about it a bit and tell youter? I¡¯m still not sure what I want.¡± ¡°Do so when you¡¯re ready.¡± She probably decided to act cautiously since she felt if she were to ask for something, she¡¯d also get insulted by the surrounding crowds. Nevertheless, just as before, Tatiana easily agreed. After all, there was no reason not to ept her suggestion. ¡°Then, you?¡± ¡°¡­Can I also think about it a bit more?¡± Originally, I had several requests I had to make right away. For example, the right to ess the Forge of Struggle ¡®Workshop¡¯, a ce that was absolutely necessary to visit at least once in the game. Or the right to apany Riru to her homnd for the Endurance stats. However, that bitch¡¯s attitude was somehow suspicious. The fact that she epted Riru¡¯s request without a word was already more than enough proof for me to think as such. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing the way she casually epted made my eyes narrow even further. ¡®What¡¯s her game? What¡¯s she nning?¡¯ While I was thinking that way¡­ Tatiana descended from the dais and stood in front of me. The people around us were looking in her direction with questioning nces. ¡°Especially, if it¡¯s a request from you, then I don¡¯t mind anything, Dowd Campbell.¡± Even while being subject to all these eyes on her one body, she still had the same smile that was always stered on her face. She approached just a little closer to me. As if she wished to whisper in my ear. ¡°Since, you¡¯re going to die in this ce anyway.¡± At the same time as such words¡­ From the ne she was wearing, a green light began to flicker. The meaning behind that statement could be immediately noticed. There was no need for words to exin it. A wide space in the ¡®sea¡¯ near the dome-shaped Forge of Struggle started to ripple. It moved at the same rhythm as the flickering of her ne. An extremely¡­ ¡®Ominous¡¯ movement. Tatiana¡¯s half-closed eyes widened slightly. ¡°I heard that your characteristic was to always n and prepare for everything, Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s your weakness.¡± The virulence of her voice seeped into my ear. She came even closer towards me and hugged me gently. People nearby seemed slightly surprised by this sudden action, but she paid no attention to them. ¡°If I were to summon ¡®that,¡¯ everyone here would die, perhaps, myself included.¡± Madness oozed out from her slightly widened eyes, making my head spin. The unique chaos of a madman melted into her mutterings, further strengthening that dizzying sensation. ¡°Even so, I¡¯ve been waiting and waiting just for this moment. The moment when youe out of the Academy ¡®structure¡¯.¡± ¡°Perhaps you didn¡¯t predict that I would act so recklessly, but¡­ ¡°Since the Prophet ordered me to kill you with all my might, I am going to burn every ounce of my existence in this ce to make sure yo¡ª¡± She continued to speak, but¡­ ¡°Hey. Shut the fuck up for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I frantically cut off Tatiana¡¯s words. Her expression momentarily froze, looking utterly stunned. However, I didn¡¯t have time to care about shit like that. ¡°I get that you want to kill me and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve prepared some tricks or whatever bullshit that you¡¯re confident with! I get all of that, okay?! But¡ª!¡± This bitch did seem to be immersed in her own world and had nned something tremendous, but¡­ That wasn¡¯t the primary thing I needed to focus on right now. ¡°Back off, please!¡± I desperately tried to break my body free from Tatiana¡¯s tight ¡®embrace.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Sadly, I couldn¡¯t. Regardless of the fact that she wasn¡¯t specialized inbat, Tatiana was still the final boss of a chapter. It was clear that her physical abilities were far superior to mine. My struggles were truly no different from an insect crawling around. ¡°¡­Teach, what are you doing?¡± Besides me, Iliya spoke in an incredulous voice at the sight of my excessive actions, but¡­ I was being serious. ¡°You said that there was a high probability that you would also die if you summoned that, right?! That means that it¡¯s possible for you to live as well!¡± Going beyond mere seriousness, my vision was actually spinning. I was so frantic that I was on the verge of losing my mind. I barraged the stunned Tatiana with even more words. ¡°If you don¡¯t let go right this instant, even that low survival probability will vani¡ª!¡± However¡­ Before I could finish my sentence¡­ System Message [ Target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ is enraged to the point of losing her rationality at the sight of your body rubbing onto the body of another new woman! ] [ Target is in a state of ¡®suspicion¡¯! ] [ Corruption Value of target has increased threefold! ] [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has exceeded 300%. ] [ Target is entering a ¡®berserk¡¯ state! ] [ The estimated damage range is the entire ¡®Forge of Struggle¡¯! ] [ The probability of survival is 0% ] ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± As that message popped up along with my nausea¡­ -¡­ Everything around me¡­ Started to break down. ¡°¡­Uh. Uh?¡± ¡°Wh-What¡¯s happening?¡± Such murmurs began to trickle from people nearby. Since they, too, had instinctively realized that ¡®something¡¯ was happening. The first second. Grey energy surged in all directions. Everything started to gradually slow down. Just like how it always did when the Grey Devil manifested. ¡°¡­¡± However¡­ A Devil¡¯s ¡®berserk¡¯ wouldn¡¯t just end after merely this much. The following second. The world split apart. ¡°What the?!¡± ¡°Holy shit¨C!¡± Screams erupted from all around. As if someone had sliced this dome-shaped structure in half with a giant sword, the space became distorted and stretched grotesquely, splitting the entire building. This building that had been painstakingly built over many years by thousands, if not tens of thousands of humans. One of the greatest architecture in the continent, constructed with the highest level of technology in the entire world¡­ As if the defense facility, force field, and even the Seraph¡¯s barrier were futile¡­ In just a single second¡­ Was split in half¡­ And had crumbled into pieces. ¡ª-!!!!!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The noise of the copsing building made my ears ring. Even the people screaming themselves hoarse were drowned out by the sound of the dome splitting apart. At the scene of such immense destruction, not only did people lose their minds, but some broke into loud sobs, and others justpletely lost consciousness. ¡°¡­This is¡­insane¡­!¡± In the midst of that hell, I turned my head frantically to find the perpetrator of this chaos. And the one I was looking for could be easily found. It was Eleanor, who had somehow joined the crowd at a certain point in time. And the moment I saw her¡­ I realized a chilling fact. All of this was not something Eleanor had ¡®intentionally¡¯ caused. The person responsible for this was just silently standing there, not doing anything besides breathing, but it seemed like the world couldn¡¯t bear its presence, so it had crumbled. All of these actions werepletely void of any hostility. How did I know this? ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s eyes, which were redder than blood, confirmed this fact. ?¡­I have already held back one time. In the case of Riru Garda, I had continuously stepped back and thought that it could just be my own misunderstanding.? Right now, in this ce¡­ ?However, it¡¯s impossible for me to endure. Twice.? The only person Eleanor sincerely ¡®wished to harm¡¯. The only person she, who could exert this much power just by standing in ce, would pour out her full strength onto was¡­ ?Who is that woman, Dowd?? Me. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 87: A Dramatic First (1) Chapter 87: A Dramatic First (1) ? A Dramatic First (1) ? The Forge of Struggle, that had beenpletely divided in half, tottered before copsing. It looked as if someone had cut an apple in half and each piece fell to the ground. Everywhere around, people were losing their bnce, tumbling while screaming. ¡°Teach, we need to quickly get¡ª!¡± ¡°What are you doing?! Why are you standing around¡ª?!¡± The screams of Riru and Iliya could be heard as well. But, those sounds started to be more distant from my eardrums. They gradually slowed down and faded away. ¡°¡­¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t a metaphor, my surroundings were ¡®slowing down.¡¯ The reason for this was the dense grey aura that emerged from Eleanor¡¯s body. It epassed everything around me. It was the Grey Devil¡¯s Authority, ¡®Corrosion¡¯. It was the ability to exercise absolute dominion over all nearby spacetime. And when thinking of its appearance in the original game, a space that was under a state of Corrosion went beyond simply stopping time; It also distorted the very fabric of space, ultimately resulting in tearing apart everything. When the Grey Devil revealed her true power, it could even reach such a phenomenon. The ability to ¡®erase¡¯ a part of the world. Since she hadn¡¯t collected all three Fragments yet, the true power of the Final Boss wouldn¡¯t be revealed. Nevertheless, this much power would be enough to obliterate the entire Forge of Struggle without much difficulty. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] Amidst the slowed down world, such a message appeared before my eyes. Except for a very small part in the main scenario, in most cases, a Devil¡¯s berserk event was pretty much a ¡®Game Over¡¯. As could be seen from the fact that it happened without me doing a single thing, the saying that a Devil in berserk would cause the destruction of the world were not empty words. ?¡­? And¡­ The piercing re from Eleanor¡¯s red eyes, as she floated in the air even though there was no space to stand on, was undoubtedly hostility verging on killing intent. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that the system window disyed a 0% probability of survival. In the first ce, my attempts to survive were rendered meaningless because of the power gap between us. If the Grey Devil herself emerged, then I could somehow try talking with her, but even that was impossible right now. When a Devil¡¯s Vessel went on berserk, it didn¡¯t mean that the Devil herself would descend. Instead, the Vessel¡¯s inherent evil disposition would be insanely amplified by the influence of the Fragments. Although the Vessel contained the Devil¡¯s demonic aura, the one causing this phenomenon was not the ¡®Devil¡¯, but Eleanor ¡®herself¡¯. In other words¡­ There was no way out of this. This was a certain death for me. I felt the blood draining from my entire body. [Get your shit together, you idiot! Why are you standing around like that?! Are you looking for death?!] Amid such sensations, Caliban¡¯s roar broke through my daze. [¡­Wouldn¡¯t she understand if you just exined to her that it wasn¡¯t your intention? Weren¡¯t you also writhing around, desperately trying to escape?] Caliban spoke in a serious voice after seeing my expression. Previously, right before I was about to receive the ring from Eleanor, he still acted carefreely. But now, it seemed that even he wasn¡¯t able to maintain such a feeling. It was obviously because, at this moment, the force bursting out of Eleanor was incredibly tumultuous. ¡°¡­That won¡¯t solve anything.¡± [What?] ¡°If she was able to ept a rational exnation, then, her state wouldn¡¯t be called ¡®berserk¡¯, would it?¡± It felt like this was the result of her venting all her displeasure for me. In other words, it wasn¡¯t a problem that could be solved by persuading her with words. Rather than listening to my exnation, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she were to immediately drew her sword and cut me to¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Huh, wait. As I was thinking that, my mind became clearer. The system window said the probability of survival was 0%, right? That meant, if she really wanted to kill me, she would have done it already. Since there was no way she¡¯d be able to maintain her sanity during her berserk state, why hasn¡¯t she killed me yet? This meant, despite her not being in the right mind, there was some factor that prevented her from attacking me. In fact, ever since she entered the berserk state, she had not spoken a single word, nor had she taken any further actions. She had only been ring at me. I scrutinized that expression closely. [If an exnation won¡¯t work, then at least run away right now, you idiot! Take Iliya with you no matter what and¡ª] ¡°No.¡± And finally, I realized something. ¡°She¡¯s fighting right now.¡± [¡­What?] Compared to earlier, there was no focus in her eyes at all. It was as if she waspletely void of consciousness. Instead, the ¡®atmosphere¡¯ in her pupils continuously changed by the second. ording to the setting of the game, that was a battle for control. Most likely, the evil side of Eleanor, amplified by the influence of her berserk state, was telling her to kill me while her rational side was refusing such an impulse. ¡°¡­¡± In other words¡­ Even with her mind being encroached by the Devil¡¯s Fragments¡¯ berserk from the influence of her overwhelming anger¡­ She was instinctively fighting it. Just so she couldn¡¯t kill me with her own hands. [¡­That¡¯s verymendable of her. But how does that help with the current situa¡ª!] ¡°This is enough help.¡± As long as her mind wasn¡¯tpletely encroached by the fragments, it would be of help to me. After all, it meant there was still room for ¡®persuasion¡¯. [¡­What are you going to do?] ¡°I need to release her from her anger.¡± Since that was the case, what I had to do was simple. If the cause of her berserk was because she was angry, I just needed to release her from her anger. In the first ce, the reason for her anger was clearly stated in the system window. All I needed to do was make her properly understand the reason. [Didn¡¯t you say just before that she wasn¡¯t in a state to listen even if you said something?] ¡°Even if she can¡¯t hear me, there¡¯s something I can still try.¡± Even if she was not in a state to listen to me right now¡­ There was an ¡®action¡¯ I could do, so that my intention would reach her. So basically¡­ If my deduction was correct, I just needed to give her a little ¡®shock¡¯. My judgment was quick. My decision was even quicker. System Message [ ¡®Skill: King of Pandemonium¡¯ is activated. ] [ Gained an absolute advantage against Devil-type enemies for the next 5 minutes! ] [ Facing a target with parallel abilities. ] [ Resisting target¡¯s unique ability ¡®Authority: Corrosion¡¯! ] When I activated that skill, my gradually slowing body regained its speed. In this ce, where even thews of physics slowed down, only I could move ¡®as usual¡¯. Amidst the slowed down world, I put strength into my legs. This might have been impossible before, but I had recently raised my strength, agility and endurance to E-Grade. With the help of EX-Grade Desperation, it was definitely possible. ¡°¡­Heup!¡± And as I let out a shout of determination and leaped towards Eleanor¡­ The impact of me kicking off the ground shattered the floor beneath me before a shockwave rippled out. Due to that influence, the already tottering and unstable surroundings shook like crazy. Almost as if an earthquake had urred. ¡°¡­Holy fuck¡ª!¡± Nearby, I could see Iliya shouting in slow motion and Riru slowly gaping her jaw in surprise. And then¡­ Almost as if I was a rocket filled with propent, my body shot up. ¡°¡­¡± It really was a bit absurd. I had only increased by one grade. From F-Grade to E-Grade. Although my previous increase in stats was already unbelievable, what I was doing now could match the specs of Eleanor who had eaten 2 Fragments, even if it wasn¡¯t at the level of Kraut yet. Contemting how absurd the skill I possessed was, I sequentially activated my other skills. System Notification [ ¡®Skill: Proof of Faith¡¯ activated. ] [ All stat bonuses are temporarily converted to ¡®Endurance¡¯. ] Right before colliding with Eleanor, I fully braced myself to endure some punishment. From what I could tell¡­ This was probably going to be quite painful. ¡°¡­Heugh¡­!¡± The moment I collided with her, the air was knocked out of my lungs. It felt like I had tackled an electric pole with my bare body. And,pared to the pain that followed, even that was nothing. ¡°¡­!¡± Due to direct contact with Eleanor¡¯s body, the Grey Devil¡¯s aura instantly burrowed into my body. It felt like my entire body was melting as it burned in mes. This sensation made me instantly realize how much the Grey Devil had been holding back for my sake. Although I had be somewhat desensitized to pain recently, this was hell at an unbearable level. ?¡­? However, even as I went through this process¡­ Eleanor didn¡¯t even budge an inch. She continued to float silently in the air, in a state ofplete stillness, and seemed utterly unaware of my collided figure. This was undoubtedly true, judging how she remained in such a state, even as I hung onto Eleanor¡¯s body while gasping in pain. [¡­Alright. What are you going to do after sticking to her like this?] ¡°Caliban.¡± With a mutter, I get into position. Since there was no solid ground to step on, I had to support my entire body with only my arms, which made it quite challenging, but¡­ At least, this made it possible for me to get to my desired position. A position where me and Eleanor¡¯s face was ¡®directly facing¡¯ each other. ¡°First experiences are usually good if they¡¯re dramatic, right?¡± Well, actually, this might be a bit too dramatic, but¡­ It do be like that sometimes. [What kind of bullshit are you¡ª] Before that sentence could continue¡­ My lips enveloped Eleanor¡¯s. ¡°¡­!¡± And then¡­ Eleanor¡¯s pupils, which were nk until now, suddenly widened. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 88: A Dramatic First (2) Chapter 88: A Dramatic First (2) ? A Dramatic First (2) ? Thest thing she remembered was the explosive wrath she felt when she saw Dowd embracing another woman. Even right now, everything was just a blur to her. The act of thinking felt so meaningless, almost as if a fog was covering her entire consciousness. She realized that there was something crumbling down nearby and people around her were screaming. But all those sounded so faint, as if they came from a faraway ce. ¡°¡­¡± As her gaze wandered in the air for a moment¡­ In the monochromendscape, akin to a faded photograph, she could vaguely see the contours of a person gazing down at her. It was a mysterious atmosphere, floating in the air as if defying gravity. The only thought that came to mind was her acknowledgement that even a peculiar figure without a single stitch of clothing could have such a presence. However¡­ Even with just that vague outline, she could at least recognize its ¡®shape¡¯ clearly. If she were e to age just a few more years, maybe she would look like this. ¡®¡­Mother?¡¯ In her daze, that was the first word to cross her mind. After all, it was someone she had seen many times in her dreams. Someone she missed the most. However, there was one thing she could feel for certain. Although the shape was identical¡­ She was not the same existence as the mother she remembered. The ¡®essence¡¯ was as different as heaven and earth. -¡­ ¡®Something¡¯ that took the form of her mother was desperately trying to say something to her. ¡®Stop doing that. Please stop.¡¯ It felt like something was trying really hard to stop her. However, that voice didn¡¯t get through. Almost as if in her ¡®current state¡¯, that existence¡¯s voice didn¡¯t reach her. ¡°¡­¡± And then, even that figure quickly disappeared. Eleanor gazed at the vanishing figure with a dazed expression. ¡®¡­What am I doing¡­?¡¯ However, even in a state where her head was in the clouds and she could barely muster such a thought¡­ A wicked voice that seemed to slither like a snake could be heard all too clearly. -Why don¡¯t you just do it? Do what? -Don¡¯t you want to make that man yours forever? ¡°¡­¡± -You don¡¯t want to feel hurt anymore, right? But still¡­ Dowd was Dowd. -If you don¡¯t want to kill him, you can just turn him into your puppet, you know? Then, she remembered. She had heard this voice before, back when she tried to give Dowd a ring for the first time. However, this time¡­. It was much harder to ¡®resist¡¯ than at that time. Almost as if,pared to before, it had taken over more parts of her. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t want to.¡¯ She barely managed to conjure up such a thought as she shook her head. No matter how angry he made her. No matter how much he hurt her. Dowd was still Dowd. Kill him? Make him a puppet? She didn¡¯t wish to harm that man like how the voice was telling her to. -I said do it. -Hurry. However, such a voice burrowed into her dazed consciousness. It was gradually increasing in volume, to the point that her ears were ringing. However, as that voice continuously got louder and louder and louder like that¡­. Right when she thought that she couldn¡¯t endure it any longer¡­ It suddenly disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t understand the situation. Since she did not know the reason for its disappearance, all she could do was blink her eyes nkly. She examined the surroundings with the sliver of reason that had returned to her. In order to understand even a little of what was going on, she strained her dazed eyes with all her strength. And thanks to her focusing her consciousness on her ¡®sight¡¯¡­ Eleanor could see Dowd¡¯s face right in front of her. Not only that, she could also feel the touch of his lips enveloping hers. ¡°¡­¡± She had heard Beatrix fiercely argue many times that a first kiss tasted like cherries. But, instead of that, she could only feel a prickly sensation and the stale taste of dust. Then again, it wasughable topare her first kiss to cherries or whatever, especially when her surroundings were literally crumbling to pieces. After all, there was no doubt that this man didn¡¯t prepare anything special before he pressed his lips against hers. ¡°¡­¡± Wait, he pressed his lips against hers¡­? Right. That. It was that. A kiss. ¡°¡­¡± Only then was she clearly aware of her surroundings. In this monochrome world, akin to a faded photograph¡­ Only she and Dowd could move properly. As if in this stopped world, only she and him existed. Moreover, in a state where their lips were pressed together. Her eyes widened even further than before. A kiss? A kiss? Seriously? This man, to her? Really? Why? Why in the world? Wasn¡¯t he fooling around with another woman just moments ago? ¡°¡­W-Wa¡­¡± Her expression broke. Her heart dropped. The heating running up her entire bodypletely drained her strength. At that moment, his lips were separated from hers. This was the first time she had a clear look at Dowd¡¯s face. ¡°You finally woke up.¡± At the sound of his voice, Eleanor¡¯s face became flushed to the point of bursting. Maybe it was because of his kiss, but he looked dozens of times cooler than usual. Of course, the normal her couldn¡¯t see anyone else except for this man, but at this moment, that fact was even more pronounced than usual. She was getting short of breath. Before she knew it, various thoughts sequentially came to mind. What did she eat today? Did she brush her teeth properly? Maybe he felt unpleasant? She desperately hoped that wasn¡¯t the case. If it was, next time, he may¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Wait. Next time? Wait, no. Now was not the time to think about such things just because that one action put her in a trance. ¡®Get a hold of yourself, Eleanor. There are things you have to settle first.¡¯ First, she had to address this man¡¯s infidelity¡ª- ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it again.¡± ¡°¡­What? Wait, no what¡ª¡± When she heard Dowd¡¯s voice, she instinctively tried to distance herself by leaning back, but it seemed that he had noticed her actions since that man¡¯s arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. Considering the difference in their abilities, she could probably easily shake him away. However, she couldn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t resist at all. As soon as she felt this man¡¯s desire for her, all she could do was redden her entire face and stiffen up. And at that moment¡­ The second shock came. Once again, Dowd¡¯s lips were pressed against hers. Taking it a step further, this time, even his tongue entered her mouth. ¡°Ah¡­Ooh¡­D-Dowd¡­Ah, ah¡­W-Wait¡­¡± She tried to say something, anything, but it was all in vain. The inside of her mouth was practically vited. Dowd¡¯s probing tongue immediately intertwined with her own. It sloshed around, yanking and burning, sticky and thick. She felt distressed. This was her first kiss. So why was this man so skilled? ¡°¡­¡± As their saliva entwined, all the thoughts Eleanor had built up in her scrambled mind until nowpletely copsed. Argue? Settle the score? Address his actions? Putting all that aside¡­ ¡®¡­I love it.¡¯ This sensation. This devotion. The warmth that this man was filling her with. It swept away all the gloomy emotions that were eating at her just a moment ago. Her entire body was filled with warmth. ¡°¡­¡± In the end¡­ Before doing anything¡­ Eleanor wrapped her arms around Dowd¡¯s waist without even being aware of it herself. It definitely expressed that she did not intend to argue about anything. ¡®¡­For now, those things don¡¯t matter.¡¯ It really was as such.
¡°¡­Hahh-¡± As I took my mouth away, a long strand of saliva dangled. Was this how it was done? I wasn¡¯t sure if I was doing it right since it was my first time¡­! [You were doing pretty well. Are you sure you weren¡¯t a gigolo in your first life?] ¡°¡­¡± What do you think? [Then you must have been born with the talent of seduction. Whenever you do something rted to that, you seem to do well. As expected, even among trash, are the pros different?] ¡°¡­¡± You. Shut up for a moment. With that thought in mind, several messages appeared before my eyes. System Message [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has plummeted by more than 250% in a short period of time! ] [ ¡®Berserk¡¯ state is released! ] [ Tremendous achievement! You have been granted a new Title! ] System Message [ ¡®Title¡¯ System is added! ] [ Equipping Titles can provide additional proficiency in nonbat actions! ] [ Currently, the Title granted to you is ¡®yboy¡¯! ] [ When you flirt with women, you can perform more skillful, versatile, and proficient techniques than before! ] ¡°¡­¡± Was this little shit picking a fight with me right now? Why the fuck was the Title, ¡®yboy¡¯? And, what in the¡ª? Why were all the effects of this such bullshit? No, wait. For now, I should worry about thister. ¡°Eleanor, are you¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Ah, Haah, Hahhh-¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just a nce at her was enough to tell me she was far from okay, so I shut my mouth. She was panting heavily,pletely red from her neck to the tip of her ears. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll support you.¡± With that, I tried to approach her, but¡­ ¡°¡­Can you¡­Note closer?¡± Eleanor stopped me while gasping. ¡°If youe closer right now, it will be dangerous in many ways.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At her words, my expression stiffened once again. When she said it was dangerous, it could be interpreted in various ways. Even though she was feeling better at this moment, this was right after she had already gone berserk once. This meant that it was more than probable enough that there were aftereffects. In fact, the Grey Devil¡¯s aura had notpletely dissipated yet. After all, the world was still frozen. Moreover, Eleanor¡¯s state of ¡®suspicion¡¯ was still active. As such, what I needed to do from now on was clear. Iposed myself and opened my mouth to speak to Eleanor again. After all, I needed to think of something that would further ease her mood. System Message [ Effect of ¡®Title: yboy¡¯ is disyed! ] [ Revisions are attached to your actions! ] ¡°Eleanor.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°Recently, just hearing your voice makes my heart flutter. If I don¡¯t see you for a few hours, I want to see you again. It makes me want to thank God everyday before I sleep for blessing me with such a fiance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s jaw dropped. And I, who had spat out such words, was horrified as well. No. Wait a fucking minute. Halt. Hold. Chotto Matte. I didn¡¯t intend to say anything like this. It was as if my mouth moved on its own, beyond my control. Stop it. Don¡¯t fuck with me. SHIT, DON¡¯T FUCK WITH ME¡­! This was undoubtedly because of that Title bullshit. I had to immediately deactiva¡ª System Message [ Requested the deactivation of Title: yboy. ] [ It is the only Title. Deactivating is impossible! ] MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡°¡­I-I see. You were having such thoughts?¡± While I silently screamed inside, Eleanor avoided my gaze and fidgeted. At the very least, it was fortunate that she didn¡¯t seem as angry as before, but¡­ My following actions due to the influence of the ¡®Title¡¯ couldn¡¯t be seen as fortunate at all. ¡°Eleanor.¡± ¡°¡­What is it this time?¡± I steadily approached Eleanor, whose face was still burning red, and lowered my head. I embraced her into my chest before pressing my lips on her forehead. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even though I couldn¡¯t quite see her in this position, there was no doubt that Eleanor had stiffened with only her mouth moving, as it opened and closed. After all, she would find it ridiculous. And I felt the same way. Stop it. Please stop it, Title or whatever you are. If this continues, I¡¯m going to die of embarrassment¡­! However, even such screams were in vain. My body, which was already far beyond my control, pressed my lips against Eleanor¡¯s forehead once again and whispered in her ear. ¡°I love you.¡± Faint whimpers and moans resonated against my chest. I could clearly feel Eleanor¡¯s body trembling. Although I couldn¡¯t see her face well because it was burrowed into my body, judging by how her ears were red to the very tip, I could tell what state she was in without even needing to see her with my own two eyes. [Wow, whOA, WOAH! AHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAAH-! I-I can¡¯t b-breat-! Heuk, I-I¡¯m going to die! STOP! PLEASE!] What the fuck was this dead person saying? Bro, you already died once. No, rather than that, I also really wanted it to stop, okay? Fucking hell. Soon after, I tried to lower my head once again to press my lips against her, but Eleanor extended her arms and stopped me. ¡°D-Don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Although her words said not to do it, her arms didn¡¯t have any strength in it as I gently pulled it down. This was even despite the fact that Eleanor could have easily pushed me away if she so wished. I pressed my lips against her again and whispered. ¡°S-Stop¡­ Dowd¡­ People around us are watching. I said, they¡¯re watching¡ª¡± Time had stopped, so no one should be watching us, but Eleanor seemed to be embarrassed that there were people around since she kept mumbling. However¡­ ¡°Just let them watch.¡± My fucking piece of shit mouth responded as such to Eleanor¡¯s desperate voice before lowering my head. Once again, I pressed my lips against her and whispered. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°Ah, t-this¡­¡± Once again, my lips¡­ ¡°S-Stop¡­ Stop!¡± ¡°Are you not angry anymore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! I said I¡¯m not!¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the same time as Eleanor said this while nearly welling up in tears¡­ A window appeared before my eyes. System Message [ Target Eleanor¡¯s state of ¡®suspicion¡¯ has been released! ] [ The fluctuation of the Corruption Value has been properly corrected! ] ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, okay. Great. I managed to pull it off. At the price of my dignity. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 89: Restoration Chapter 89: Restoration ? Restoration ? ¡°But, what in the world is this?¡± These were the first words that Eleanor, who had just regained her senses after a while, spoke. Although she was still a little flustered, she looked around with a moreposed demeanor than before. The surroundings were still frozen in time. The grey colored world showed no signs of resuming its flow of time. ¡°I have a feeling that¡­somehow, this phenomenon has a ¡®connection¡¯ with me.¡± Eleanor raised her hand and lightly touched the grey aura that was clustered around her. ¡°Do you happen to know what this is, Dowd?¡± She sped and unsped her fists, moving the grey aura back and forth. ¡°¡­Who knows?¡± I could only give her that vague answer. ¡°It seems like something you shouldn¡¯t delve too deep into, though.¡± ¡°¡­? Delve too deep?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling of mine. Also, Eleanor, please promise me you won¡¯t try to look into it too deeply.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem to be of harm to me at this very moment anyway.¡± Although the promise was practically forced upon her, it only prompted a tilt of Eleanor¡¯s head before she epted it easily. She herself could probably never imagine that the unidentifiable power she possessed was actually a ¡®Devil¡¯, even in her wildest dreams. ¡®¡­The existence of Devils, of itself, is the most closely guarded secret, after all.¡¯ Those who knew about the mechanisms of the current Devil¡¯s Fragments and Vessels were far and few between. The handful of people who knew about my ¡®constitution¡¯, which made me unconditionally loved by Devils, were probably the only ones who knew. And excluding them, there was only¡­. [The Heretic Inquisition?] Yep. Exactly. I couldn¡¯t help but let out a bitterugh when I heard Caliban¡¯s voice from inside the amulet. After all, the chill contained in his voice was abnormal. The enmity this person had against that group was likely to be immense. After all, if only that group was just a little¡­ ¡®normal¡¯, he and his fellow Guardians would have survived during the Crimson Night Incident. ¡®Anyway¡­¡¯ At this very moment, revealing the truth of their existence to a Devil¡¯s Vessel would be the worst gambit. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that I had not been honest with them so far. ¡®¡­The Main Scenario would start to go awry.¡¯ You see, their reactions were quite a sight when they found out that they were ¡®Vessels¡¯. Then again, there was no way that telling them the fact that they carried the literal enemy of mankind within their body would have a positive influence on their mental state. Considering that a Devil¡¯s Vessel going berserk is dependent on their own mental state, such action was essentially suicide. Moreover, each and every one of these Devil¡¯s Vessels possessed an enormous weight on the scenario. The true value of their importance was highly likely to be revealed in the uing events; For the Blue Devil, imbued within Riru, it would be during the highlight of this chapter, ¡®Great Duel¡¯, and for the White Devil, imbued within Yuria, it would be during the ¡®Holy Land Invasion¡¯ of Chapter 6. If these people were made aware of this truth, causing the entire scenario to bepletely derailed, there was no doubt that it would never be a good thing from my perspective. Moreover, if the subject in question was the Grey Devil, the key axis that the entire game passed through, there was no good reason to precisely exin that existence to Eleanor. She would find out some time soon anyway. Chapter 5 of the scenario was set against the backdrop of Eleanor acquiring the third andst Fragment, so at that point, there was no way she herself did not know what was in her. At least until then, it was right for me to just quietly hold my tongue. ¡°¡­I think I can get used to it very quickly.¡± While I was having a plethora of thoughts, Eleanor was moving the Grey Demonic Aura that was spread around her, manipting it to createplex shapes in the air. It was a proficiency at the level that, if someone were to see it, they would think she had been training for a long time. System Message [ Hidden Stat of target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has been unlocked! ] [ From now on, the target can manipte ¡®Grey Demonic Aura¡¯! ] This¡­ was understandable. She had fulfilled the conditions to some extent. After all, she was a Vessel that had consumed two Fragments and had even gone berserk once, so it was a no-brainer that a Devil¡¯s power would be somewhat unlocked. ¡®Am I¡­ Supposed to be happy about this?¡¯ Honestly, even in the future, if I got involved with other Devils and made even the slightest mistake, there was a very high chance that they would explode like what had just happened. However, even considering that, Eleanor was one of my strongest allies. Even more so if she could use the Grey Devil¡¯s Aura. ¡°Then, can you do something with that?¡± It would be good to test that power first. I requested as such to Eleanor, who continued to manipte the Grey Demonic Aura. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°¡­Something that could sort this out.¡± With that, I looked around. The obliterated Forge of Struggle, that waspletely divided in half due to Eleanor going berserk, caught my eye. ¡®¡­It¡¯s still the key background for Chapter 3, you know?¡¯ In its current state, it would be impossible to proceed with the scenario or anything, for that matter. Just now, I realized once again how influential the actions of this person were. To turn one of the most famous buildings on the continent into this sorry state in just a few seconds¡­ ¡°¡­Sort it out, you say¡­¡± Eleanor cocked her head. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try¡­ I have a feeling that there¡¯s something I can do about it.¡± Subsequently, Eleanor slowly closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and manipted the Demonic Aura. At the same time¡­ The world was ¡®rewound¡¯. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡®What the fuck? This is insane.¡¯ My jaws dropped. Before, during the Purifier Boss Battle where she manifested a Grey Devil¡¯s Fragment, she had once restored the hole in my heart by ¡®rewinding time¡¯. It was almost like rewinding a video. What was happening right now was exactly the same phenomenon. However, the difference was that this time, her entire field of vision was being rewound, not just one ce as it did before. The shattered dome that was cracked in half was mended. The people who fell out of the building and into the sea because of the aftermath were returned back inside the building. Explosions that had happened here and there, as well as the debris and objects from the building raining down; All of it was returned to its previous state. Eleanor and I also floated, as we were positioned back to where we were right before this chaos had urred. I stood in front of Tatiana, at the ce where I requested what I desired, and Eleanor was near the crowd, where she had looked over such a scene. It only took a few dozen seconds for the Forge of Struggle to cleanly return to its original state, as if nothing had happened. As the question of whether one person should have such power kept repeating in my mind¡­ A window appeared before me. System Message [ Target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ has used ¡®Grey Demonic Aura¡¯! ] [ Fusion rate of the second Fragment has significantly increased! ] ¡®¡­What?¡¯ In horror, I activated Scan on Eleanor. System Notification [ Using ¡®Scan¡¯. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] [ Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan ] < Character Info > Characteristic: Vessel ¨C Grey Devil < Status Info > [ General ] Strength: S+ Agility: S+ Endurance: S+ Luck: C Power: A+ [ Special ] Magic Power: B Law Power: F Divine Power: F Grey Demonic Aura: EX < Misc. > Current Fused ¡®Devil¡¯s Fragment¡¯ Amount: 2 Stage 2 Fusion Progress: 55% Corruption Progress: 0% ¡°Eleanor, stop! Stop!¡± ¡°¡­Mm?¡± As I frantically screamed, Eleanor finally opened her eyes. Because our positions had changed from previously, she looked around before finding me. ¡°¡­Please promise me just one more thing, Eleanor.¡± And as I met those eyes, I urgently spoke. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Promise me that you will never, under any circumstances, use this power again, even if you die. Please promise me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s face seemed to say, ¡®You literally just told me to do it, so what the fuck are you on about now?¡¯ But for me, it was an urgent matter. After all, since I had never handled this kind of ability in the original game, I could never have imagined it would actuallye with such an effect. ¡°It seems like you are making me promise many things today particrly.¡± Eleanor let out a sigh. ¡°¡­Although you might find it unpleasant¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really mind. It feels good to share so many secrets with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was fortunate she listened to me so well. ¡°Then¡­ For now, I¡¯ll remove all of this energy.¡± Eleanor let out a sigh as she spoke. ¡°The stopped time would likely start to flow from that point forward. I have never tried it before, but I think that¡¯s what will happen.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. I will find a way to silence the people here so that nothing about what just happened leaks.¡± After all, if people noticed that a single human wielded this much power, I didn¡¯t even want to imagine the aftereffects such a radical action would bring.. Therefore, it would be best to make it so that this situation didn¡¯t happen as much as poss¡ª ¡°¡­No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯l remove all the energy. You¡¯ll understand when you see it.¡± Eleanor snapped her fingers. Following that, at the same time as theplete disappearance of the grey energy¡­ The world¡¯s time began to flow once again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± However¡­ There were no signs of chaos or pandemonium from anyone or anywhere. Everything turned quiet. The expressions of all the people nearby were calm; So calm that it felt like the building had never been shattered in the first ce. ¡°¡­Why is that bastard just standing there?¡± ¡°Oy, did you not hear the Chief Priest asking you for what you wanted? Speak quickly!¡± As I remained stunned, angry shouts trickled from the crowd. ¡°¡­Everyone, are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­? What is he saying?¡± ¡°Is there something to not be fine about¡­?¡± As I spoke in a slightly dazed voice, such responses returned. And it was only then that it dawned on me. When Eleanor rewound time, every single person here ¡®lost their memory¡¯ about what had just happened. As if it had never happened. [¡­It¡¯s an unbelievable power.] Within the amulet, Caliban groaned. [It seems like the entire time axis has been distorted. Except for those with resistance to Devil¡¯s Aura, no one would even know what had just happened.] ¡­Yeah¡­ Even in the original game, the Grey Devil¡¯s power only briefly appeared during the Final Boss Battle, so I never imagined it would have this strong of an effect. ¡®However¡­¡¯ Not everyone was susceptible to that effect. I took a note of everyone around who seemed bewildered. Tatiana. Riru. And¡­ ¡®¡­Iliya?¡¯ Why in the world was she part of this entourage? She wasn¡¯t a Devil¡¯s Vessel nor was she a Devil Worshipper like Tatiana. And she was someone who did not even have the slightest hint of owning that type of ability, unlike the other two. ¡°¡­¡± I could check back on thister. Rather than that, I needed to get through this current situation as naturally as possible. That was the best I could do for now. ¡°Chief Priest. I shall tell you my request.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I called out to the dazed Tatiana. As if nothing had happened. ¡°When Riru enters her n¡¯s district, please give me the right to go to¡ª¡± When I was continuing these words, from inside the amulet, Caliban spoke up once again. [Hey, let me ask one thing.] ¡®Hm? What is it?¡¯ [If she can control such tremendous power, why did you so desperately block her from using it earlier?] ¡®Ah? That?¡¯ ¡®Well, if she were to use that power too often, rather than making her overpowered and be able to steamroll everyone, a more terrifying ¡®side effect¡¯ would appear instead.¡¯ [¡­What?] ¡®No, really. I¡¯m being serious.¡¯ ¡®You see, if the second Fragment¡¯s fusion rate increases that quickly¡ª!¡¯ The more the fusion rate increased, the more Eleanor¡¯s dark side, incited by the Fragment, would strengthen. It meant that it would be incredibly likely that her Corruption Value would see-saw and spazz out depending on her mood. Considering the shitfest that happened from a single berserk, it was best to avoid causing such cases as much as possible. ¡°¡­¡± And although I used a temporary shock method to block it¡­ If she happened to berserk one more timeter¡­ ¡®At that point, I¡¯ll actually have to marry her¡­!¡¯ As far as I could think of, if Eleanor went berserk again, that was the sole ¡®measure¡¯ to suppress her. I couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of newly-wed life was awaiting me after I got caught in her clutches. [¡­So, to summarize¡­] From the amulet, Caliban suddenly let out a burst ofughter before continuing. [You told thedy to not use that power because the more she uses it, the more likely it is that you have to marry her?] ¡°¡­¡± [You know what I¡¯m going to say, right?] ¡®No, wait. I get it. I know I¡¯m a fucking trash¡¯ ¡®Yes, I know it¡¯s pretty shitty of me to be so stubbornly against a marriage after everything I¡¯ve done so far. But still, that¡¯s the one thing that I could never do. Ever.¡¯ ¡®Even when considering the existence of the other Devils, the moment I was left with that sole choice to prevent Eleanor from killing me would be the moment where I¡¯d turn into a corpse¡­!¡¯ [I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t really want to stop you when you¡¯re trying so hard, but¡­] Caliban continued with a nonchnt voice. [Whenever you go out of your way to evade something, it always seems to mean that it will eventually blow up in your face.] ¡°¡­¡± [It seems like it is already a confirmed future that you will be at the mercy of thatdy, so¡­ It¡¯s only a matter of when, right?] ¡°¡­¡± [Perhaps it¡¯s not too far out in the future?] ¡®Please.¡¯ ¡®Please be quiet.¡¯
¡°¡­Yuria?¡± With a dubious voice, Lucia gazed at Yuria, who was receiving ap pillow from her. Usually when she was in Lucia¡¯s embrace as she was now, Yuria would calmly enjoy the warmth until going out like a light. After all, this was the routine she always went through after the Sanctification needed to slow down the curse from Severer. This routine didn¡¯t change even after traveling to the Forge of Struggle and sharing a room together. However, at this moment¡­ Yuria¡¯s ¡®appearance¡¯ was not normal. ¡°¡­Big Sis. Did Big Sis not feel that just now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of her usual sleepy eyes, Yuria spoke with a slightly narrowed re. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Something¡­rewound. Just now.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®What is she saying?¡¯ ¡®Rewound? What?¡¯ As those thoughts came into Lucia¡¯s mind¡­ Someone knocked on the door. Her expression immediately crumpled into a frown. ¡°¡­Who is it? I haven¡¯t made any particr appointments, though?¡± Even if it was a foreign country, she was still the Saintess; Someone who was treated as a VIP in the Holy Land. It was not normal for someone to abruptlye find her like this without scheduling an appointment. However, the person outside the door didn¡¯t seem to care about this fact and started speaking. ¡°You felt that just now as well right?¡± A female voice. She had a gentle and well-mannered tone. And at those words¡­ Yuria flinched. Although those words were not spoken to any specific person, it seemed like she was clearly aware that the sentence was directed towards her. ¡°¡­I asked, who are¡ª¡± Lucia, who saw her sister¡¯s expression, tried to question as such, but the courteous voice from earlier did aplete 180, as more words were spat out. ¡°You, shut your mouth. If I recall correctly, I did not give permission for an inferior lifeform to speak, right?¡± There was a genuine contempt in that voice. As if it was sickening for her to even trade words with Lucia. ¡°¡­¡± Utterly stunned, Lucia¡¯s jaws dropped. ¡®Wh-What was wrong with this lunatic?¡¯ ¡°Inferior lifeform?! How dare¡ª!¡± ¡°I havee to see you. Yuria Greyhounder.¡± She once again spoke in a courteous voice while utterly ignoring Lucia. ¡°I am Faenol Lipek. I am a court mage affiliated with the Heretic Inquisition.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Yuria expressionlessly looked beyond the door¡­ ¡°¡­I have an urgent matter that I wish to tell you.¡± Her words continued. Undoubtedly, her words were¡­ ¡°Regarding the man known as Dowd Campbell.¡± Coated with a thick venom. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 90: Sea King (1) Chapter 90: Sea King (1) ? Sea King (1) ? ¡°¡­Mm.¡± While I fiddled with an object simr to a PDA, I let out a sigh. To put it simply, this was something simr to a newspaper. However, instead of using paper, they used an ¡®electronic device¡¯ instead,pletely on brand with the technological capabilities of the Tribal Alliance. There was an article written on it that said the Tribal Alliance Chieftain, n Ba-Thor, himself woulde to the Forge of Struggle to inspect and visit. The news made headlines on all the channels, meaning it was undoubtedly important news. ¡®She must be getting anxious.¡¯ Superficially, it might sound like it was just news about a prestigious individual visiting the academy, but Tatiana always followed him closely behind, so I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. It wasn¡¯t my intention, but it seemed she had gotten quite nervous after Eleanorpletely fucked all her ns up. Getting n to make a move was a type of ¡®insurance.¡¯ She got hit over the head by Eleanor once already, so she undoubtedly called him over to ensure that she could deal with me once and for all. After all, if Eleanor were to try to kill her with all her might, he had enough capabilities to at least buy her some ¡®time.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Well, that was what she thought, anyway. The Grey Devil¡¯s Vessel in her berserk state was the Final Boss of the game, you know? Did she seriously think that she could stop her with merely that much? Though, from my perspective, that was a little meaningless since I was against using Eleanor¡¯s power, whether I liked it or not. Not just because I didn¡¯t want to get married, but also because the fusion rate increase itself was a precondition for calling forth new Fragments. Speaking of, the third fragment¡­ It had the most significant impact among all the main events of the scenario. It wasn¡¯t by chance that it was ced randomly behind the scenes. Anyway¡­ [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Apostle of the Reverse Sea ¡½ < Quest Info > [ 5 days left until the ¡®Great Duel¡¯ incident! ] [ The boss battle follows immediately after this incident! ] The good thing for me was that as long as Tatiana adopted such a ¡®cautious¡¯ attitude, she wouldn¡¯t be doing shit like sending assassins or summoning something during this period of time. She had already tried to use her full power to confront me before witnessing Eleanor¡¯s strength and freaking out. As such, she wouldn¡¯t be thinking about killing me in earnest until the means to counteract such power were in ce. ¡°¡­¡± And during that moment of respite, it was the perfect time to improve my specs. With such thoughts, I looked at Riru, who was performing the traditional ancestral rites of the Tribal Alliance. On top of the coastal cliffs, a barendscape consisting only of dead grass that had long dried up and withered, she had lit a fire and was burning nes with it. ¡°Please open the path, Sky.¡± Riru, who closed her eyes and murmured, quietly ced another ne on the fire. ¡°So that the warriors can return home.¡± Previously, these nes were carefully kept in the run down house that Riru had built. The purpose of those was as identity cards for the Tribal Alliance warriors. This ce was one of the few ces in the dome-shaped Forge of Struggle that had a clear view of the sky. And as you¡¯d expect from such a ce, the smoke produced from all the burning scattered directly into the air. ¡°¡­¡± Riru, who raised her head silently, watched the scattering smoke. For a while, she stared at that sight without a word. It looked like she was holding back tears. Considering the setting¡­ These should be the belongings of her n members who had died instead of Riru and Kasa in order to save them on the night that n Ba-Thor applied for a ¡®Great Duel¡¯ to take overmand from the previous Chieftain, Kasa. The reason why she insisted on returning to the Tribal Alliance was so that she could perform this ritual, to honor the warriors who weren¡¯t even able to be properly buried in their homnd. After all, there was a widely held belief that warriors, who weren¡¯t given proper funeral in thend of their respective tribe, could not return to the ¡®Homnd of Warriors¡¯ that dwelled in the sky. ¡°¡­¡± And as that smoke spread¡­ I red intensely below the coastal cliff. [What are you doing?] ¡°Memorizing.¡± [Memorizing? Memorizing what?] ¡°The path.¡± [¡­Path? What path? There¡¯s nothing there but the sea, though?] ¡°There¡¯s something like that. And it¡¯s all here.¡± I could feel Caliban giving me a confused look from inside the amulet. It was understandable. After all from the outside, it looked like there was nothing there except the crashing waves. Not to mention that it seemed like I was staring at the tides as well. However, I wasn¡¯t spouting bullshit. There really was a path there. I did not request this to Tatiana first for no reason. The way to increase my Endurance stat and essential hints on how to split open the chapter boss¡¯s head were all here. ¡®Inside¡¯ of those raging waves. The reason why I came here was to examine that. After all, I could only see them from here. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± And as I was doing so¡­ Riru, who had sat and watched the bonfire for a long while to make sure all the nes turned into ashes, suddenly spoke up. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have the opportunity to fulfill this¡­.wish within such a short period.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong. Considering the progress of the original game, the fact that Riru had been able toe here in the first ce was impossible without receiving Luca¡¯s ne. If I didn¡¯t intervene in the middle, there was a high possibility that it would not have actually happened. Although it was fortunate that this seemed to have at least immensely lessened one of this person¡¯s emotional burdens¡­ ¡°What are you going to do from now on?¡± To my question, Riru went silent once again. After thinking for a long while in this deep silence, she spoke again with a determined voice. ¡°¡­I will seek revenge.¡± ¡°On who are you referring to?¡± ¡°On all those rted to the deaths of my n.¡± Riru continued with an icy voice. ¡°I will kill them all with my own hands. It¡¯s my natural right in order to honor those who had died unfairly onest time.¡± I had no intention of disagreeing with her words. Those were probably virtuous and innocent people. Not to mention that they were her family. It was a truth that if someone wished to kill others, they had to dig two graves. Those who kill should also pay the appropriate price to match such actions. ¡®¡­No, but wait. Wait a minute.¡¯ Cold sweat started to appear on my body. I looked towards the blue aura surrounding her body. It was undoubtedly the Devil¡¯s Aura. I swear to fucking God. This was practically a disease at this point. How could she pour out something like this whenever she got pissed? ¡°Well, I¡¯ll help with that as well.¡± Saying that, I grabbed Riru¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s stay strong. After all, I, too, have a promise with Kasa.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru opened her eyes wide and looked at me and my hand that grabbed hers in turn. ¡°W-Why are you holding my hand out of nowhere?!¡± Her face red red as she pushed my hand away. When I saw the Blue Devil¡¯s Aura scattered to the surroundings, I let out an inward sigh of relief. I swear, the more I saw her, the more I felt like she really didn¡¯t have any tolerance for making contact with men. While I stayed with her, whenever she looked like she might get angry, I deliberately did this to soothe her. ¡°¡­¡± Sometimes, I felt a bit pitiful about my own circumstances, but¡­ Well, there was nothing I could do. If I wanted to survive, I had to just suck it up and live with it. [Ah. Ah. This is a broadcast from the central control room.] As I wallowed in my sadness, a voice echoing far and wide, as if using a loudspeaker, reached us. [A rainstorm is approaching. ording to the shamans, it is thergest one in recent times.] Certainly¡­ The sky looked iparably gloomy and cloudy. It seemed like there would be a huge thunderstorm happening shortly. If the people in this ce weren¡¯t batshit insane, they would probably tell everyone to stay inside quietly and not make any trouble. However¡­ This was the Forge of Struggle. Whenever even a glimpse of an opportunity presented itself, they would throw their students into extreme situations. [As such, all students assemble at the za near the coast now. That¡¯s all.] What the fuck did I even expect? With a bitter smile, I got up. This was an event that officially announced the start of Chapter 3. An announcement that signaled the beginning of the ¡®Hunter¡¯s Night¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± The problem was her. With such thoughts, I looked towards Riru. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that I had mentioned before that the key to clearing Chapter 3 was guiding the violent side of this person. When considering how the Tribal Alliance was treating Riru right now and her personality¡­ During the progress of Chapter 3, it was basically confirmed that Riru wouldn¡¯t be able to suppress her anger and would pick a fight here and there. In the original game, this problem would only cause slight bumps to the game progression, but in our current situation, I also had to deal with the Blue Devil, who¡¯d explode in anger at the slightest form of provocation. Basically, what it meant was; to make sure that she didn¡¯t end up in a berserk state like Eleanor, I had to stick to and babysit her as much as humanly possible during the entire progression of this chapter. In other words¡­ First, let¡¯s organize everything I had to do in the next 5 days.
  1. Provide continuous mental care for Riru to ensure that she wouldn¡¯t get angered beyond a certain point.
  1. Not get my head split apart by Eleanor and Yuria.
  1. Receive Fighting Arts training from Kasa.
¡­That was it. Thinking about this list made me sigh involuntarily. ¡®Will it go well?¡¯ As always¡­ This will be a long week. Who knows if I could eat or sleep properly this week¡­
At a coastal area battered by rain and wind like a storm. Outside the tform of the Forge of Struggle leading to the external facilities, numerous wild-like people stood naked below such weather. Whether they were male or female, they all had copper-toned skin, as if they had been tanning, and healthy bodies. ¡°¡­¡± What the fuck? All of them had insane builds. No matter how much I worked out, I could never reach that level. ¡°Assemble!¡± Hatan U-Jul. He was the Dean of the ¡®Hall of Hunters¡¯, a school specialized in hunting Demonic Creatures, so it was only natural for him to directly participate in this kind of event. ¡°Normally, this time of the year would mark the beginning of the new semester and I would give a brief introduction, but¡­ This is the Forge of Struggle. You guys don¡¯t need such things, do you?¡± Hatan let out a wild smile as he continued. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it short and intense from the very beginning of the new semester. It¡¯s been a few years since we had a Hunter¡¯s Night, you bastards. It¡¯s the time when the most honorable warriors shine!¡± In response to these words, thunderous cheers and apuse erupted from the crowd. It was as if a festival that they had been sincerely waiting for had finally appeared before them. In the face of such an atmosphere, the students from the Empire looked around with bewildered expressions. I mean, shit. There was a storm raging so intensely that it wouldn¡¯t be strange for anyone light enough to fly away. What were these fucking lunatics so excited for? Why were they practically getting off on this shit? ¡°All of you guys here know what a Hunter¡¯s Night is, but since we have guests from the Empire, I¡¯ll exin it briefly. With that, Hatan tossed a metal sphere into the air. It was a hologram drone. A general overview of the itinerary for what would happen here was clearly organized and projected in the format of a video. ¡°Among all the nations of the continent, the Tribal Alliance is the ce where Demonic Creatures appear the most frequently. So, excellent warriors are no different from excellent hunters. Our entire academy is a facility that focuses heavily on educating how to hunt Demonic Creatures.¡± Then, the video on the hologram changed. Burning volcanic regions. Huge snowfields raging with blizzards. Jungles akin to a dense forest. And the stormy coast where we were standing at this very moment. Each of these areas were famous for being the most barren and harsh regions. And above all, they were the habitats to the most notorious Demonic Creatures. ¡°The Forge of Struggle has artificially recreated the ecosystem of these Demonic Creatures inside the academy itself with the aim to prepare for facing such Demonic Creatures. To provide an experience as close to realbat as possible.¡± The exnation continued. ¡°And the Hunter¡¯s Night¡­ Is the most ¡®difficult period of time to hunt¡¯ all of the Demonic Creatures nearby the academy. Some have special abilities added, some simply have theirbat power amplified, and there are even bastards who won¡¯t die no matter how many times you kill them.¡± The video on the hologram continued to y, disying the appearances of various Demonic Creatures. A Demonic Creature that turned transparent. A Demonic Creature that had its ws and leather hardened several times more than usual. A Demonic Creature that regenerated even its severed head. ¡°This event, which willst for several days, is a significant asion where the most excellent hunters in their respective environments will receive the highest honor that the academy can bestow. It is not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the most important periods of time. Understood?¡± The Empire students nced at each other. How could they possibly not understand? To put it simply, the entire academy would turn dozens of times more dangerous than usual during this period of time. ¡°¡­Then why were we being called outside? Shouldn¡¯t we be in a safe ce inside the aca¡ª¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Hatan let out a smirk. A smirk that made him seem like the incarnation of ferocity itself. ¡°It¡¯s precisely at times like these that we should be more active in killing those fuckers.¡± ¡°¡­But isn¡¯t the risk of dying much higher? The basic strategy when going about a Demonic Creature Conquest is to target the time when they¡¯re weaker to minimize casual¡ª¡± ¡°What are you even saying? The greater the risk, the greater the reward.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Empire student who was trying their best to argue fell silent at such words. It seemed that they were only now realizing that the people here had apletely different mindset than them. This ce was originally like this; a ce where only the nutjobs obsessed with fighting survived. They were taught to rush in head first. The stronger their opponent was the greater their fervor. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that the students of the Empire, who approached everything with a rational mindset, were looked down upon and got shit on by these people. Even Riru, who was called a mad dog in Elfante, wasn¡¯t considered that violent here. Did I need to say anything more? ¡°Well, I¡¯ll at least provide you with the most minimum safety measure. If you feel like you¡¯re about to die, call me. I¡¯lle to rescue you.¡± With that, Hatan looked around at the students with a chilly gaze. ¡°Of course, for the bastards that don¡¯t even have skills nor balls¡­ I believe they aren¡¯t worth staying at this academy anyway. It¡¯s safe to say that they will receive the lowest possible score.¡± ¡°W-Wait a minute please. The scores we receive in the Forge of Struggle will also convert to our grades back at our academy¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, you guys just need to hunt. What is the problem?¡± At his nonchnt response, the Empire students turned pale, but Hatan didn¡¯t seem to care as he continued to speak. ¡°And the first part of the Hunter¡¯s Night is ¡®Sea Hunting¡¯. The one who catches the strongest creature first will earn the greatest honor!¡± Hatan pointed to several boats anchored near the coast. The boats were equipped with harpoons,s, and other misceneous hunting equipment. ¡°We have already prepared the boats for you. Now, get going!¡± With these words, the students from the Forge of Struggle each let out a roar before beginning to divide into groups and board the boats. On the other hand, the students from the Empire wore incredulous expressions and remained still. ¡°¡­Is that it?¡± Beside me, Talion spoke with a dejected voice. ¡°Without exining how to use the boats, how to find Demonic Creatures to hunt, what to do if we find them, or anything? ¡°Why would they need to tell us that?¡± Riru, who was with me, responded with an even more incredulous voice. ¡°The quickest way to be proficient in hunting is to sh and gain firsthand experience. After all, learning from your mistakes after failure is the best way to learn.¡± ¡°So she says.¡± I chuckled and patted Talion on the shoulder, as his expression seemed to say, ¡®What kind of dogshit are you even on about?¡¯ These guys were the only ones here who could be in my team right now. After all, Eleanor, Iliya, and even Yuria and the Saintess all imed to be busy and had forcibly excused themselves. ¡°¡­¡± I had no idea what they were so busy with that they were immersing themselves with their own things aftering all the way here, but¡­ In the end, Riru and Talion were the only two that were suitable enough to go with me. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t know about Sea Hunting, it¡¯s just hunting while riding on a boat for a day. It¡¯ll be insanely fun.¡± While walking towards the boat with me, Riru grinned as she spoke. The way her pupils were practically sparkling showed that she was beyond excited. As if she felt my gaze, Riru then tilted her head before questioning me. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? ¡°Nothing. I just felt like you really belong in the Tribal Alliance.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You look happy here,pared to back at the Empire. You were literally angry 24/7.¡± ¡°¡­Are you tooting your own horn or something? When you¡¯re the one who brought me here?¡± Riru grumbled as such before scratching the back of her head in silence. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it kind of looked like her face had reddened just slightly. ¡°¡­? What.¡± When I turned towards Talion, who kept tapping at me from the side, this time, it was this bastard¡¯s eyes that were sparkling as he had his fists tightly clenched. ¡°As expected of Senior Brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I did feel like you had your eyes on herst time, but as expected, you immediately started your conquest to add another¡ª¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ll steer the boat.¡± As punishment for speaking such nonsense, I handed him the hardest role on the boat. ¡°¡­I have to steer the boat for an entire day alone? It is possible, but still, it seems a bit¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any intentions of staying out for that long either. Let¡¯s catch a big one as fast as possible and return.¡± ¡°I like that. Catching a big one and returning, you say? What do you want to go for? A Kraken? A Giant Sturgeon? Or-¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t going there just to hunt, Riru.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± At the bewildered Riru, I responded with a chuckle. As slightly shown before, Chapter 3¡¯s Apostle of the Reversed Sea was connected to the ¡®Existence of an Ancient Era¡¯ that was under the sea. Just as the name implied, the bastard was outrageously strong. And in order to clear the chapter without the help of a Devil¡­. It was also necessary for me to make contact with an existence that was fairly ¡®outside of the norm¡¯. And this was the task I had to continuously do throughout the duration of the Hunter¡¯s Night. There were things that were only possible when those Demonic Creatures were particrly strong, you see. ¡°We are going to go meet the king of this sea.¡± For now¡­ I needed to start with the sea, the homeground of that bastard. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 91: Sea King (2) Chapter 91: Sea King (2) ? Sea King (2) ? ¡°How do I use¡ª Kyaaaak!¡± Trisha, who had just finished her shower, was fiddling with an object on the dressing table when a stream of water suddenly sprayed all over her, causing her to let out a scream. This happened because she pressed a button in the center. With her face getting trenched, some tears came out of her eyes. Due to how it looked like a simple metal rod at a first nce, she never expected water toe out of it at all. ¡°Haah, there are so many fascinating things here, but I need to figure out how to use them. But, I can¡¯t even get my head around it, you know? Iliya¡ª¡± As she turned her head while saying those words, she suddenly fell silent. On the other side, Iliya was nonchntly drying her hair with a machine that emitted hot wind. ¡°¡­How are you using that thing so well?¡± ¡°I just knew how to.¡± ¡°¡­You just knew how¡­?¡± When Trisha responded with an incredulous face, Iliya nodded expressionlessly. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Strange¡­¡¯ The Iliya Trisha knew was someone who was unimaginably ignorant of the ways of the world. Even when she considered the fact that the other girl had grown up in an abbey, she still found her ignorance was ridiculous sometimes. But, what about the current Iliya? ¡®Normally, at this point, she¡¯d be clinging onto me while going all ¡®Trisha help~¡¯¡­¡¯ With such thoughts, Trisha tilted her head. Currently, Iliya was casually using unfamiliar things that even Trisha, who was known among her circle of friends as someone who had the strongest ability to maintain her livelihood, was having difficulties with. It was to the extent that an outsider would probably believe that she had grown up with such devices due to how natural she looked when using them. ¡®Oh yeah, she has been acting a little strangetely, right¡­?¡¯ This friend of Trisha¡¯s had always been stated as quick-witted and sharp, but the ¡®learning ability¡¯ she had showntely seemed to have gone beyond just that. To put it simply¡­ It felt like Iliya could grasp anything instantly as soon as she saw it. As if her ¡®understanding¡¯ and ¡®insight¡¯ had increased considerably. Considering how she used to droop pathetically whenever she struggled to read a sentence that was even a little bit too long, the disparity was more than noticeable. It was as if she had gained a special ability. ¡°¡­¡± However, putting that aside¡­ Iliya¡¯s current appearance was at a state that was impossible for Trisha to simply ignore. ¡®It seems to be getting better, but¡­¡¯ Not long ago, Trisha recalled that Iliya had shared her lunch with ¡®Teach¡¯ and jumped around in joy over that fact. She also mentioned something about him enjoying the lunch or whatever. However, right after the recent Friendly Duel and after she received some kind of prize, her face had been devoid of expression, as if she was contemting about something. Just like how she looked right now. Even when considering today, when some important event called the Hunter¡¯s Night or whatever where students with excellent grades were selected, Iliya refused to participate with an utterly disinterested attitude. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you think you should pay attention to your grades a bit?¡± ¡°I did well during the Friendly Duel, so missing the night of hunting or whatever it was for a day won¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°¡­And what if it affects you negatively on the matter of the joint practical exercise with the Holy Land next semester? That¡¯s also based on grades, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cross that bridge when I get there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®How irresponsible.¡¯ Although, judging by the color of her emotions, it was a relief that she didn¡¯t seem that depressed, butpared to when it waspletely stered in pink, her current state definitely wasn¡¯t a good sign. It was true that Iliya originally had a tendency to go through a roller coaster of emotions whenever that man was involved, but even so, this kind of gap between her emotions was way too severe. In the end, Trisha couldn¡¯t help but speak up with a sigh. ¡°Is there something that¡¯s bothering you again?¡± ¡°¡­Eh? Huh? No, nono.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Trisha let out another sigh. This time, deeply. ¡°Iliya.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re refusing my help because you don¡¯t want to trouble me or whatnot, I¡¯m going to get angry at you, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping because I want to. Not because someone else told me to. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­But stiiiil¡­¡± Iliya pouted her lips. ¡°You know, every time I consult you about problems regarding Teach, it feels like I¡¯m troubling you and I feel sorry about it, you know¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s even more so if it¡¯s rted to that person.¡± ¡°¡­Huh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s someone that even I can¡¯t predict or understand. Personally, I find it a bit interesting.¡± From her perspective, someone who specialized in human observation, there weren¡¯t many people that were as strange as him. Since he was already involved with Iliya, Trisha thought that it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to find out more about him. ¡®¡­It¡¯s so faint that I can¡¯t even see it.¡¯ Although it wasn¡¯t an extreme case like Faenol, where she couldn¡¯t see her color at all, Dowd had never disyed clear enough emotions to tell what exactly he was thinking. Despite there being an entire line of girls who treated him favorably, his emotions never radiated any kind of color that signified he was ¡®fond¡¯ of them. It was as if¡­ ¡°¡­He was forcibly suppressing his own feelings.¡± ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°N-No. Nothing.¡± As Iliya¡¯s eyes widened at the words that she unintentionally spoke aloud, Trisha shook her head. There was no good reason to talk about anything regarding that man¡¯s state. ¡°No, tell me a bit more in detail. Did you say Teach is purposefully suppressing his own feelings?¡± However, Iliya had already locked onto the topic. She even stopped brushing her hair, dragging her chair closer to Trisha. ¡°¡­U-Um¡­¡± At the sight of that firm attitude, Trisha could only give in. Her cheeks trembled before she continued to exin. As a matter of course, she still didn¡¯t want to talk about her ability. After all, if it was revealed that she possessed such an ability, people wouldn¡¯t be looking at her nicely. That was why she kept her exnation as vaguely as possible. ¡°I mean, like¡­ When I see his actions, It just seems like that man thinks that something would go terribly wrong if he was discovered to have feelings for or be fond of someone.¡± ¡°You think that too, Trisha?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What the hell is this over-the-top reaction?¡¯ Her reaction was as if the thing she had been pondering to death until now was actually this. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I feel that way too.¡± Iliya frowned abruptly after saying such words. ¡°Lately, I¡¯ve been feeling a bit¡­ ¡¯Sensitive¡¯ about the things around me, Trisha¡­ I don¡¯t know the cause. It just feels that way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was exactly the same as what Trisha had felt while observing Iliyately. Iliya herself must have known about it the best. ¡°And with that sense, there¡¯s one thing that I can feel really well, you see.¡± She paused for a moment. As if she herself couldn¡¯t recall as horrible of a memory as this one. ¡°There¡¯s something lurking inside Lady Tristan¡¯s body.¡± ¡°¡­Something? Inside?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to Teach. I¡¯m saying there¡¯s something that explodes massively whenever Teach is apanied by a different girl.¡± She definitely felt it. The sensation that something was somehow ¡®twisted¡¯ still vividly remained with her. There was one incident so huge that she felt it was strange to even sit down and have this conversationpletely fine inside the academy Although she couldn¡¯t remember, the sensation of something exploding when Dowd and another woman were ¡®entangled¡¯ was undoubtedly engraved on her body. ¡°¡­Is there really something like that?¡± ¡°Yes. For sure.¡± Because of that¡­ ¡°Then it¡¯s a big problem.¡± ¡°A big problem? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because that man is currently with another woman. I heard they look quite close to each other.¡± ¡°Who is it? There isn¡¯t only one or two women that fit that description, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judging by her words, it seemed that even Iliya had started to identify that man as trash. As a friend, was she supposed to stop her from taking such a thing in stride? Or was she supposed to just give up and let it be? While harboring such thoughts, Trisha sighed and continued to speak. ¡°I heard it from the other guys. Apparently, he took a boat with Talion and that person called Riru before heading to the sea in this weather.¡± ¡°Because of that Hunter¡¯s Night thing or whatever? That¡¯s not a big problem though, right?¡± ¡°No, so you see¡­ I heard that people caught a glimpse of Lady Tristan nearby.¡± Hearing those words, Iliya took a deep breath in horror. Of course, Eleanor¡¯s actual aim probably wasn¡¯t to chase after him. If it was, she already would¡¯ve exploded at the sight of him with another girl. It was likely that she was there for something unrted to Dowd and had a valid reason for being in his vicinity, but¡­ ¡®Nothing good is going to happen even if they merely bump into each other¡­!¡¯ At the very least, it was only natural to give them a tip-off or a warning. ¡°I¡¯m going to go ask for help!¡± ¡°Help? From who?¡± ¡°A trustworthy friend that I know!¡± With those words, Iliya rushed out of the room.
¡°¡­¡± On a terrace flurried by a storm, Yuria silently fiddled with Severer while staring at her own arm. A white stem that slowly spread, starting from her fingertips. This indicator, which showed that Severer was corroding her, had finally reached near her wrist. She didn¡¯t reveal that it hade down this far because it was obvious that her big sister, who always watched over her, would be sad if she knew. ¡®¡­It¡¯s not far off now.¡¯ As someone who had carried this sword for a long time, she felt it instinctively. Fingertips. Wrist. And then, the moment the curse climbed up her body and reached her heart¡­ She wouldn¡¯t be able to exist in this world as Yuria Greyhounder like she was now. Instead, she would transform into ¡®something¡¯ different. And, when she stared at it¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but recall the words spoken by Faenol, the person who had just visited. -Just leaving it alone will never be able to stop it. The woman who referred to herself and Yuria as the ¡®same kind¡¯ had definitely said those words. -You probably think of it as simply a curseing from that sword, but the Heretic Inquisition has a slightly different opinion. The Heretic Inquisition. A special enforcement agency of the Empire that operated separately from the Holy Land. It was the only group in the world that was established under the grand ideal of opposing ¡®Devils¡¯. It was also an organization above thew, where even the Imperial Family could not easily control its actions. Even though she was someone who had verbally abused her big sister, Yuria had no choice but to sit down and listen quietly; This was the level of power that these individuals wielded. -¡­A different opinion? What does that mean? -That is not a simple curse. Despite that woman being only second to the Pope when ites to the amount of divine power¡­ Despite her sticking next to you all day, performing Santifications¡­ It isn¡¯t by chance that there seems to be no progress when ites to releasing that curse. With an expressionless face¡­ She spoke as if it was an obvious truth that even a human with the highest level of divine power could not handle it. -That curse of yours is¡­ more than just a curse of an ancient era; It has something added to it as well. Therefore, to improve your condition, you need to have one more method. Faenol continued to speak without stopping. -If you do not monopolize that man, you will die, Yuria Greyhounder. -¡­Monopolize? -That man is¡­ It¡¯s difficult for me to exin right now, but he possesses an ability that is almost like a miracle cure for the ¡®existence¡¯ slumbering within your sword. And the Heretic Inquisition is very interested in that particr quality of that man. Faenol continued with a bright smile. But to Yuria, it was a smile that felt like sweet bait put in a mousetrap. -To put it simply, the Heretic Inquisition wants to support you in order to ¡®experiment¡¯ with that ability. So that you can monopolize that man. For them, you seem to be the most suitable subject among those near him to observe him. -¡­What do you mean by support? Dowd had already told her he had the most sincere rtionship with her. He even left her a token of promise. While she touched her nape while having such thoughts, the words that came from Faenol¡­ Still vividly remained in her brain. -Do you really think that? -¡­ -Even though there are so many charismatic and attractive women among that man? -¡­ Disregarding the stiffened Yuria¡­ Faenol continued her words. -If you¡¯re confident, I won¡¯t stop you. But if you ever need help, please contact me anytime. -¡­ -I¡¯ll be waiting. Yuria touched the pendant Faenol gave her with a gloomy expression. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ Dowd was not someone who would deceive her. No, he had to be so. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it. ¡°Yuria!¡± As she pondered such thoughts, the door suddenly burst open. It was Iliya, gasping for breath. ¡°A-Are you here to see Big Sis? Right now, it¡¯s her designated worship hours, so she¡¯s probably at the cathedral¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to see you, not the Saintess!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡®Me?¡¯ ¡®Not Big Sis?¡¯ Although she wasn¡¯t sure about her childhood before she grasped Severer, ever since she could remember, she had always spent time alone. As such, this was the first time someone hade to find her. ¡°Uh¡­ That¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ To think you came all this way to find someone as insignificant as me¡ª¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t the time to say those kinds of things. We have something to do together!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Something to do?¡¯ Originally, she would have just adequately refused. Even though she was wearing the Starsteel Circlet, her body was still housing one of the most powerful curses in human history. If she were to go berserk, she¡¯d certainly cause an incident or two. Moreover, didn¡¯t she just hear from Faenol that there was a powerful existence connected to her that even her older sister, the Saintess, could not regte? ¡°How could you say such things? We¡¯re friends!¡± ¡°¡­¡± If only Iliya did not say something like that, then she probably would have refused as she usually did. ¡®F-Friend?¡¯ ¡®I-is it okay for her to say such a grandiose word so easily?¡¯ Yuria, who was extremely fluttered, continued her words in a stutter. ¡°D-Did we h-have¡­ S-Such a decisive event¡­ T-That c-could allow us to call e-each other that?¡± Her human rtionships roughly included:
  1. Family-Big Sis
  1. Most Precious Person-Dowd
  1. People she was thankful for-Dame Ophelia, who provided her with a facility, and Headmistress Atnte, who weed her into Elfante
¡­It could be summarized entirely like this; Truly, the very pinnacle of minimalism. However, to think that someone like her, who couldpress all her human rtionships into a single hand, would be called a friend. That was too¡­Too¡­ ¡°¡­F-Friends. Yes. Uh, ehem.¡± Sweet of a word to refuse. ¡°Uh, what¡­ Is the thing we need to do together¡­?¡± ¡°We have to go save Teach together!¡± At those words, Yuria flinched. ¡®Go save him? Is he currently in some kind of danger?¡¯ ¡°Right now, he¡¯s with this person called Riru Garda, but if the Student Council President nearby sees that, a big problem could¡ª¡± Iliya definitely wasn¡¯t at fault for seeking Yuria¡¯s help. After all, she was the most skilled person among the people she knew. And whether it was intentional or not, she was a reserved person and she got along well with Dowd. However¡­ What she failed to realize was¡­ ¡°That person called Riru Garda.¡± Just ¡®how¡¯ good Yuria and Dowd¡¯s rtionship was. ¡°Are they¡­ A woman?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is that person a woman?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Judging from your reaction, she¡¯s a woman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Shall we go now? Where is that person right now?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Iliya was sure that her intention was to ask Yuria to help her tip off Dowd, so that he wasn¡¯t caught and utterly obliterated by Eleanor. But¡­ ¡®Why is she reacting so coldly?¡¯ ¡®¡­It kinda feels like I avoided an uncertainndmine, just to step on a definitendmine?¡¯ That monologue was probably far more urate than Iliya would think. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 92: Sea King (3) Chapter 92: Sea King (3) ? Sea King (3) ? Dowd Campbell was a strange person. If someone were to ask Riru about him, she¡¯d have nothing more to say other than that. One could see how strange he was just by seeing what he was doing right now, in the middle of the sea where storms raged and massive waves sshed. ¡°Pull the side brake there. And turn the wheel to port by thirty degrees.¡± ¡°¡­What is a side brake?¡± ¡°You just have to press the button to the left of the helm.¡± He acted as if he had been handling Tribal Alliance ships for more than a dozen years. At first, she was running around, trying to help here and there, but now, she sat quietly with a petnt expression. ¡°¡­¡± Once again, she confirmed how strange of a person he was. Not only did he know about the existence of Law Power, something that only a few people in the whole Tribal Alliance could control, he could also handle the boat like a professional. The same boat that was notoriously difficult to even turn the engine on if one hadn¡¯t received formal training. The more she watched him the more she wondered if the man¡¯s ability had limit at all. And as she watched him, her mind naturally wandered to a certain question. ¡®¡­What part of me made that kind of guy interested? To the point that he treated me this well?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand his intentions. Everything he did seemed to be nned from start to finish and he made a conscious effort not to engage in meaningless actions. Nevertheless, for some reason, he¡­ Had been treating her so well. Whether it was during her confrontation with Luca or during the emergency situation on the train. The fact that he treated her so well without any exnations made her bewildered. ¡®So annoying.¡¯ She mumbled such words deliberately, but it didn¡¯t really assist her in disliking him. Frankly, no matter how nicely one put it, Riru and Kasa Garda, people who were both chased out of the Tribal Alliance, were nothing more than a ¡®nuisance.¡¯ Although this was the case for any ruler chased out of a position of power, their position was even worse than that since the very person who chased them out with his own two hands was in the position of power now. Anyone with a brain could tell that nothing good woulde out of being rted to people like them. Yet, this guy¡­ With his nonchnt attitude, he kept ¡®prioritizing¡¯ her. In the brief period of time they had spent together, she noticed that¡­ Whenever she seemed to feel ¡®negatively¡¯ about something, he¡¯d intervene and alleviate those feelings. It was as if he couldn¡¯t stand seeing her angry. ¡°¡­¡± Considering all that, how could she just obstinately dislike him? Looking at the current status of Kasa and herself, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to evade them like a gue, but instead, he did the opposite¡­ -Isn¡¯t he doing that because he likes you? -¡­Stop saying nonsense, Granny. -It¡¯s not nonsense. Men are all like that. Most of them first express their feelings by being nice without exining anything. Suddenly, the conversation she had with Kasa came to her mind. When she found out that he had approached her while knowing about Kasa¡¯s existence, she was surprised. Adding to that surprise, he even managed to gain Kasa¡¯s recognition and became her disciple. She still didn¡¯t know how did he even manage to do that. Even so¡­ -That¡¯s why you should respond to him properly. He¡¯s someone you have to seize no matter what. But, the most surprising thing was the fact that Kasa went to such an extent when she was talking about him. Kasa wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d talk behind people¡¯s backs to begin with, and it was even rarer for her to acknowledge other people. After all, Kasa was a bit¡­ Narrow-minded¡­ No, actually, her narrow-mindedness was on an entirely different dimensionpared to other people. Even Riru, someone who could reduce the students, who were considered the cream of the crop in the Empire, to pulp as long as she couldnd her punches on them, was only considered as a brawler who had ¡®barely passed the level of a novice¡¯ by Kasa. -Seize? What does that mean? -Your face is passably decent¡­ Do whatever you need, at any and all costs, to seize a spot besides him. He¡¯s someone worth that much effort. -¡­You know¡­ I get that he¡¯s a bit strange, but¡­ ¡®Was this really something she should be saying to her own granddaughter?¡¯ She remembered back then she grasped her forehead while giving a response that was filled with such perplexion. -I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s as great as what you¡¯re saying, Granny. Perhaps, a hint of resentment and jealousy were mixed in that response as well. -You told me that I had only barely passed the level of a novice or whatever and I understand that. But, why did you ept him when he merely imed that he¡¯d reach the peak of your style in the span of ten days? The main reason why she trained everyday, from morning to afternoon, suffering while doing so, was because she wished to perfect the Fighting Arts, ¡®Stance,¡¯ that Kasa failed to reach. It was the technique of the Chieftain known as the Fist Saint, the strongest brawler of them all. Theption of movements that she umted for the majority of her life. A style that could be considered as Kasa¡¯s own life. The collection of all her struggles, efforts and aplishments. And there was only one final step remaining before it could be perfected. At the very least, that was the case from Riru¡¯s perspective. For Kasa though, she always said in self-deprecation that this one step was a wall that was far taller than anything she had aplished throughout her life. -Indeed, I epted him. -¡­ And that was also the reason why Riru couldn¡¯t understand the reason behind her actions. After all, it was something that Kasa herself imed that it was difficult to attain. For her to agree to such an unreasonable demand from a dummy who didn¡¯t even recognize the F in Fighting Arts, Riru simply couldn¡¯t get her head around it. -That guy, he doesn¡¯t know anything; Breathing techniques, flow, form, poomsae1In Korean, it¡¯s a sequence of Taekwondo techniques! So basically, it¡¯s a sequence of techniques, orbinations, that you learn/memorize in order to earn your ¡°belt¡± or proficiency., he doesn¡¯t know anything. Why are you entrusting your lifelong dream of reaching the pinnacle off Fight Arts to someone like¡ª -That¡¯s not what¡¯s important, Riru. However, Kasa dismissed her question with just a single sentence. -Do you know why I wasn¡¯t able to fullyplete the Fighting Arts, Riru? -¡­Why? -It¡¯s because no one tried to kill me. Riru could still vividly recall Kasa¡¯s fiery eyes as she said this. Kasa Garda¡¯s life was a life filled with struggle. As she knocked down everyone who was standing in her way, she fought to survive, brawled against another opponent whenever a new day arrived¡­ -Fighting for survival is the most desperate of fights. Before I could reach the peak, before I could think that there was no need for me to fight anymore¡­ There was no longer anyone who¡¯d challenge me to kill me. But, at one point, there were no more opponents left for her to knock down. And it was around this period of time that she was first called the Chieftain. -Even the guy who took my arm and legs would have been quite useful if pruned well¡­ But honestly, that wasn¡¯t even a fight. He was ckmailing me with hostages. I couldn¡¯t do anything but stay docile while my arm and legs got cut off, you know that too, don¡¯t you? -¡­ She was talking about her arm and legs flying away as if she had tripped over some jagged stone. As Riru, who was recalling that night, frowned, Kasa cackled while smoking from her pipe and continued. -And that guy, Dowd, canplete it. He¡¯s someone who has managed to climb the endless path of struggle all on his own. If he said he was going to achieve it within ten days, there is no doubt that he has his own thoughts and means to do so. And what I did was respect those methods. Of course, I have to make him meet the ¡®minimum¡¯ requirements to exhibit it. ¡®¡­Was that absent-minded and foolish-looking guy actually worthy of such tremendous epithets?¡¯ Of course, in certain situations, Riru would also find herself surprised at his reflexes and ability to handle situations. However, the image of Dowd that she remembered was mostly mysterious, strange, or foolish. That was why it was hard for her to even begin to understand why someone, who was once the leader of a superpower, would give him such a tremendous evaluation. -Do you want to make a bet? -A bet? -It¡¯s not like you dislike that guy either, right? -¡­I never said that. -Do my eyes look like decoration to you, Riru? Am I blind to you? Do you think I couldn¡¯t notice it just because you haven¡¯t said anything? -¡­ -Until now, there¡¯s no other men who dared to approach you because they were scared of you. This old woman knows all too well that you don¡¯t have any experience with men. But, if you¡¯re keep trying to deceive me by being in denial, how am I supposed to¡ª -Ah, Ah Ah, Ah AH AH-! So what is it?! Just tell me what you want to bet on! -That guy said something daring. About how he wants to be very intimate with you within ten days. And how he wants to go all the way. -¡­ She was so taken aback that she couldn¡¯t even respond properly. Her lips twitched. ¡®That guy.¡¯ ¡®Did he really say something like that?¡¯ -I have the feeling that boy can really pull it off. The annoying smirk on Kasa¡¯s face shimmered before Riru¡¯s eyes. -Let¡¯s see if that¡¯s going to happen or not. Whether youpletely fall for that nobody, ording to you, or not. ¡®There¡¯s absolutely no chance of that happening¡¯. ¡®For sure.¡¯ Riru pursed her lips. ¡°¡­So.¡± She spoke in a curt voice, fearing that if she continued to think about it, her irritation would rise even further. ¡°So, what kind of bastard is this Sea King we are trying to find? How powerful of a Demonic Creature is it?¡± ¡°Well, strictly speaking, it isn¡¯t a Demonic Creature. Rather, it¡¯s closer to¡­ An indigenous being.¡± He answered her question as such. ¡°From now on, it¡¯s better to establish contact in advance. Things will be morefortable that way.¡± ¡°¡­Comfortable? What are you nning?¡± ¡°Just¡­ Something¡­ I have to do it because there¡¯s a guy under the sea who keeps calling for unreasonable things.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru frowned at his vague answer. ¡°¡­It better not be something strange. I have to get a high score.¡± Riru replied with a fierce voice. ¡°The one who scores the highest in the Hunter¡¯s Night will gain the right to directly implore the Chieftain himself for one thing. That is what I¡¯m aiming for.¡± ¡°Yes. And I have a rough idea on what you¡¯re going to do to the Chieftain.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Whatever it was, this bastard always said that he knew all about it. As Riru frowned once again at such thoughts, Dowd, who was skillfully giving orders to Talion, seemed to have thought of something since a frown had formed on his brows. ¡°The problem is¡­ Uhh¡­To meet the king of this sea, we need something like a ¡®sacrifice¡¯.¡± ¡°Sacrifice?¡± ¡°Like a bait to call him. That¡¯s why I was nning to hunt a suitably decent Demonic Creature along the way, but¡­¡± Dowd looked around at the surrounding sea. But, there was nothing there. Nothing at all. ¡°¡­How strange. During the Hunter¡¯s Night, there should at least be something swarming around. Why is there nothing?¡± He was right. Normally, during this period of time, the Demonic Creatures would be more active than usual. It was normal for small to medium-sized Demonic Creatures to asionally pop out. However¡­ Right now, there was nothing. It was as if someone swept them all away beforehand. ¡°That foolish face of yours looks amusing. Did youe here to find some prey?¡± That remark came so suddenly, prompting the gazes of everyone on the boat to simultaneously turn towards the direction of that voice. There was a formation made up of several boats. Standing at the head, a man with an enormous figure and a suspicious smile approached. Riru recognized the face. ¡°¡­¡± Krun Ger-Do. The sessor for the War Chief of a tribe that respected the Blue Boar of Ger-Do teau. They were bastards who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to jump into major crimes like drugs or human trafficking. She remembered how Kasa had rebuffed and denounced them often. Due to this, they were the most uncooperative and nitpicky bastards for the Garda n. Moreover, now that her status was that of an exile, there was no doubt that they would be even more ruthless in their evil conducts. ¡°It seems that even Demonic Creatures can detect the scent of an exile incredibly well. Seeing as how nothing is around you, you bitch.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Such bullshit.¡¯ His deceptive mockery was utterly meaningless. It meant jack. This was probably a scheme that was initiated to ensure that Riru received low scores during the Hunter¡¯s Night. Given how petty these bastards could be, this much was practically a given. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go somewhere else. There¡¯s no reason to face these guys.¡± Saying that, she swiftly turned away from him. Usually, she would¡¯ve obliterated his jaw right there and then. However, she would only lose if she went against them right now. The bastard was a candidate to be the next War Chief. Within the Tribal Alliance, an exile like her couldn¡¯t evenpare to him when it came to position and authority. Right now, those who were on that ship were the best warriors of his tribe, the warriors who¡¯d be chosen to be personal escorts of a War Chief. Prioritizing her own emotion to fight them here would only make her a nuisance to the guys who were with her. ¡°Are you running away? THE Riru Garda? Ha, HAHA!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru let out a sigh. Trying to disperse her wrath with that sigh. In any case, she realized that the best thing she could do was to just back down. Although she was someone who wasn¡¯t used to suppressing her anger, she was able toe to that conclusion at least. ¡°As expected of the bitch who couldn¡¯t even protect her own n! You¡¯re no better than a bug!¡± That would¡¯ve been the oue, if the other guy didn¡¯t say such words. Riru¡¯s movements came to an abrupt halt. Rage surged within her. It burned, turning her mind nk. The feeling bubbled up from deep within her chest. After taking a deep breath and calming her thoughts for a moment, she spoke once again. ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what you were thinking when you decided to you set your feet on the Tribal Alliance¡¯snd once again, but you really fuck off before you show an even more pathetic disy. There¡¯s no tribe that will wee a traitorous bitch like¡ª¡± In the middle of his speech, Krun suddenly copsed just like that. It was probably because someone had violently flipped his chin over with a hook. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk so carelessly just because you have a fat and pierced mouth.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Unless you don¡¯t value your life.¡± With a dazed expression, Riru nkly watched Dowd, who had somehow crossed over to Krun¡¯s boat before delivering a punch to his jaw. ¡®¡­Again¡­!¡¯ ¡®This guy is doing this kind of shit again.¡¯ ¡®Why? Why does he keep doing this?¡¯ ¡®Whenever she tried to hold it in¡­ Whenever she barely held it in to avoid being a nuisance¡­ He got angry in her ce, as if to tell her she didn¡¯t need to make such an effort. How could he do something like this to a bastard who wasn¡¯t even worth fighting with, even at a quick nce¡­! -Isn¡¯t he doing that because he likes you? ¡® ¡­So.¡¯ Riru thought to herself. There was no way. What reason would he have to ever like someone like her? If it was a man with this much ability, he would probably think he would be better off with another girl instead of her. It was utter nonsense to think that he wanted her. -It¡¯s not nonsense. Men are all like that. Most of them first express their feelings by being nice without exining anything. However¡­ Kasa¡¯s words continued to circle inside her mind. -Let¡¯s see if that¡¯s going to happen or not. Whether youpletely fall for that nobody, ording to you, or not. ¡®There¡¯s absolutely no way! It¡¯s never going to happen!¡¯ She repeated those words to herself. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± If someone were to ask her if she really meant to say those words¡­ She wouldn¡¯t be able to give them an affirmation. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls
  • 1 In Korean, it¡¯s a sequence of Taekwondo techniques! So basically, it¡¯s a sequence of techniques, orbinations, that you learn/memorize in order to earn your ¡°belt¡± or proficiency.
Chapter 93: Sea King (4) Chapter 93: Sea King (4) ? Sea King (4) ? [¡­I wonder if it¡¯s necessary to go that far?] Hearing the answer that came from the other side of themunication screen, Tatiana bit her lip. Originally, she had absolutely no intention to seek help from the Prophet. After all, even though the Prophet had ordered her to kill that man, she hadn¡¯t offered any items for her to use. However, considering the power she had experienced not too long ago¡­ With just her current power, it was too much for her to handle. [Shouldn¡¯t it be enough to just call the Chieftain for now? You even want to use that artifact?] ¡°¡­Judging from the circumstances, the time axis has been twisted once.¡± Tatiana barely managed to let out a reply. She could feel her mouth going dry. ¡°Even among the Rulers of Hell, only the most powerful existences can cause such an unbelievable event. There is no doubt that this had happened because of the Grey Devil¡¯s Fragment.¡± She had known for a while that the Grey Devil slumbered within Lady Tristan, but she had never expected her to use her power so¡­ ¡¯Devotedly¡¯ for that man. However¡­ [Hm¡­Who knows. It¡¯s probably not like what you¡¯re thinking.] But, the Prophet¡¯s response waspletely different from what she expected. ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± [It probably didn¡¯te out just to help that man. If the time axis only got twisted, that meant the Devil didn¡¯t descend with its true form.] Tatiana blinked. ¡°¡­What¡­ Does that mean?¡± [If the Grey Devil¡¯s true form had directly descended, things wouldn¡¯t have ended with just the time axis getting twisted. That means, what happened back then was just the Vessel going berserk. Am I wrong?] ¡°¡­¡± Tatiana was at a loss for words. After all¡­ Even after such a phenomenon had urred, this woman had merely dismissed it as ¡®nothing¡¯pared to when a Devil¡¯s true form manifests. [And, if a Vessel goes berserk¡­ He would definitely not be pleased about it. No matter how much unconditional love he gets from the viins, his constitution wouldn¡¯t be of a help to him if the Vessel was filled to the brim with malice.] Unfathomable exnations continued to pour out. Of course, it was only a matter of course. When it came to understanding Devils, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the Prophet was the most knowledgeable person among all the humans in the Material Realm. ¡°¡­Does that mean¡­ There isn¡¯t any reason to worry¡­?¡± [Well, more or less~ That man won¡¯t intentionally make a Vessel go berserk just to use their power. Though, I guess it won¡¯t hurt to give it to you. If that man dies this time as well, it¡¯ll be a little troublesome for me.] ¡°¡­?¡± Tatiana looked at the Prophet, as if doubting what she had just heard. ¡°¡­Did you just say ¡®this time as well¡¯?¡± [Yep.] The Prophet let out a giggle before answering. [That man¡­ A Devil did something terrible to him a while ago. And he died because of it.] ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®Aren¡¯t the person we¡¯re talking about currently living well right now?¡¯ Such a thought crossed Tataiana¡¯s mind, but the Prophet continued on as if it was nothing significant. [If it happens again, I¡¯ll get a little sad, you know~] Tatiana¡¯s eyes widened. After all¡­ Within that answer¡­ There were countlessplex emotions mixed inside. Has this woman, someone who had always adopted an inhumanly nonchnt attitude persona, ever revealed this much emotion before? From remorse, sadness, anger, irritation, and most of all¡­ Regret. It was as if this woman, who always seemed like they knew everything in advance¡­This woman, who detested any variables that were added to their decisions¡­ There was something that even she couldn¡¯t do anything about. Shocked by this revtion, Tatiana widened her eyes even further and stiffened, before suddenly realizing something odd. ¡°¡­But, Prophet. Didn¡¯t you order me to kill that man?¡± [Right, I did that, didn¡¯t I?] ¡°Then, why¡ª¡± ¡®Why are you acting as if you don¡¯t want to see his death?¡¯ ¡®Didn¡¯t you tell me that you had thrown an ordeal that could legitimately kill that man?¡¯ Just as Tatiana tried to question her with such doubts¡­ [That guy is like a spring.] The Prophet gave her a strange response.. ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± [The more intense the pressure he receives, his power springs up several fold of that very intensity. He¡¯s basically a guy who grows faster the more he is under the threat of death.] ¡°¡­¡± [He¡¯ll probably grow more, as much as you try to kill him. If you seed in killing him, then¡­ Well, it means it was fated to be a ¡®failure¡¯ this time as well. Or something like that, I guess.] ¡®Failure? What is she even talking about?¡¯ Tatiana¡¯s expression stiffened. After all, the Prophet¡¯s attitude right now felt inexplicably out of ce. ¡°¡­Prophet.¡± [Yeah?] ¡°I apologize for my rudeness. But, I have one question.¡± Right now, this woman¡¯s words and actions seemed as if¡­ ¡°All of your actions and goals seem to be aimed at ¡®making that man stronger¡ª-¡¯¡± [You know.] Tatiana immediately shut her mouth. Cold sweat dripped down. She could feel the emanating chilling from the Prophet¡¯s voice. [Let¡¯s stop it at that, okay?] ¡°¡­¡± Tatiana bowed her head without a word. She could earnestly feel the pressure that signified she was stepping on the line. To the point that she could feel that this topic was undoubtedly the Prophet¡¯s ¡®reverse scale¡¯. Fortunately, the Prophet, who saw that she had shut her mouth, immediately returned to her usual light-hearted voice. [Well, anyway.] The Prophet stretched her body before continuing to speak. [I can give you what you asked for. Even the strongest artifacts can only seal the presence of a Devil for a brief moment, but¡­ That should be enough for you, right?] ¡°¡­Yes. Thank you.¡± [Well, I can give you this much at least. I¡¯ll send it over, so do your best and work hard on what I asked you to do~] With a light-hearted voice, the Prophet continued. [And while you¡¯re doing that, when that man has his hands full with you, I¡¯ll continue working toward my ¡®real goal¡¯.] ¡°¡­I receive your orders.¡± The call ended with that. Tatiana bit her lip until it bled, silently watching as the Prophet disappeared. As always, the Prophet prioritized that man over her. This was so inly obvious from the way she spoke. ¡°¡­¡± And so, she decided on what she needed to do. To meticulously write up a n and utterly crush that man. If the Devil¡¯s power was sealed, it was safe to say that there was no force within the academy that could stop the ¡®Existence of an Ancient Era¡¯ she could summon from beneath the sea. As long as she was able to deploy it in the most efficient manner, it wouldn¡¯t be hard for her to subdue that man. Now, all she needed to do was to read the ¡®moves¡¯ that man had nned before the artifact arrived. ¡®¡­Where is that bastard right now?¡¯ The hologram set up in her room, which disyed the current status of the entire academy, unfolded itself. Thanks to it, finding the current location of Dowd Campbell wasn¡¯t all that difficult. If she could see where he was and how much time he was spending there, she could also get a rough idea of what he was up to. After all, he wasn¡¯t someone who would idly twiddle his thumbs without preparing anything. Before long, she found where he was; Out in the middle of the sea. It was currently the Hunter¡¯s Night, so she assumed that he was participating in it. ¡°¡­¡± But¡­ When Tatiana realized ¡®what¡¯ was located where Dowd had stopped his ship, her expression momentarily froze. That reaction of hers didn¡¯tst long. ¡®¡­No, there¡¯s no way.¡¯ No matter how much of a lunatic he was, all he had with him were a few students. There was no way that he¡¯d ever consider making contact with that being while bringing only that much manpower. And even if he actually made contact with it¡­ That would be nothing short of suicide. After convincing herself as such, Tatiana closed the hologram. ¡®¡­That bastard is just wasting time, I see.¡¯ With that, she let out a sigh. She didn¡¯t know the godforsaken reason as to why he was trying to meet the ¡®King of the Sea,¡¯ but¡­ Whatever it was, in the end, he¡¯d only end up cornering himself.
¡°Heuk¡­ Heuk¡­¡± While gasping for breath, I looked down at the guys sprawled beneath my feet. They were the ones who rushed me in a rage after I knocked down that fat bastard who kept oinking his abusive words to Riru. ¡°Huh? They aren¡¯t as strong as I thought.¡± They had jumped out so ferociously, so I had assumed that they were quite formidable. However, since I managed to wipe them out even without Talion and Riru¡¯s help, it was clear that they were merely fodders. The fact that Desperation merely adjusted to B-Grade convinced me of that. ¡°¡­¡± Well, in any case¡­ I was able to test the extent of the Fighting Arts¡¯ stats adjustment when fighting bare-handed. ¡®It feels better than I thought.¡¯ The result was, not only did it increase my stats, it also felt like my athletic prowess was considerably improved. For example, I became able to perform various movements that my previous self couldn¡¯t even imagine doing. From doing Somersault Kicks and Triple Roundhouse Kicks, to smoothly reacting to the opponent¡¯s attacks with counter-punches. ¡®¡­If it¡¯s this much¡­¡¯ If this was this level of performance after barely raising the progress rate by 10%, thenpleting it before the Main Quest Boss Battle arrived should be possible. After all, if I remember correctly, there was an uing event where I could increase my proficiency in Fighting Arts exponentially. I would probably be able to see this progress after leaving this sea and just by moving onto the next stage of the Hunter¡¯s Night. ¡°¡­Is it okay to act so nonchntly after knocking down this many people?¡± Talion, who was collecting all the equipment these guys had after receiving my orders, spoke with an incredulous voice. ¡°I heard that properly equipped warriors of the Tribal Alliance had the power equal to, maybe even surpassing the Empire¡¯s official knights¡­¡± ¡°Why are you evenparing mere academy students to actual warriors?¡± Honestly, the battle itself wasn¡¯t really anything to write home about. They were buffed with their excellent equipment, but with the backup I received from my skills, I could easily handle them. Just in case some incident would ur if they went near Riru, only Talion and I fought them, hence why I was so exhausted right now. ¡°¡­¡± Like, seriously, did you know how scared I was when I saw that blue auraing out because of that fat bastard¡¯s idiotic rant? If she were to join in the battle in that state, something would definitely go wrong! ¡°Rather than worrying about that, just gather the equipment properly. We¡¯ll always have a use for themter.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± At mymand, Talion picked up the pace of his work. Tribal Alliance¡¯s ¡®Workshop¡¯ was considered to have the best technological prowess among all the academies. Since I hade all the way here, I couldn¡¯t just not use it. With that in mind, I recalled the list of ¡®materials¡¯ I had collected so far. Starsteel, Adaptive Leather I had previously torn off of a Demonic Creature, Ectosm, Intermediate-Grade Artifact¡­ When adding the equipment that we were collecting from these guys to all of that, I realized that I could make quite a useful item. Something that would be enormously helpful in strengthening both this person and me. As I gazed at Riru with such thoughts in mind, she suddenly looked back at me with an expression, indicating that her head was throbbing. ¡°¡­Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Why did you fight them? You even made sure that none of them got close to me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I mean, if I had sent one over to you, the Blue Devil would have definitely gone berserk. And if that were to happen, everyone would die on the spot. But there was no way that I could tell her that. ¡°I see. So you don¡¯t want to exin? Whatever, forget about it.¡± With a sigh, Riru mumbled in a low voice. ¡°¡­So, men really express their feelings without exining anything?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, rather than that¡­¡± With a sulky face, Riru continued. ¡°¡­What are you nning to do with this guy?¡± I had ced all the guys whose equipment had been looted on the boat. I was going to send them back to the docks. All of them except for one guy whom I tied up tightly with a rope. It was the guy who badmouthed Riru out of nowhere. ¡°I¡¯ll use him as a sacrifice, of course.¡± Since I wasn¡¯t able to find a sacrifice until now, this was simply perfect. Just like how you had to use your gums if you didn¡¯t have teeth, I had to at least use this guy if there wasn¡¯t a suitable Demonic Creature. ¡°¡­Sacrifice?¡± Riru narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized the tied-up pig. His state did look a bit odd, to say the least. To put it into words¡­ ¡°¡­It kinda looks like bait being hung on a fishing rod, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Talion¡¯sment made me chuckle. Since it was much more urate than I thought. ¡°You did mention that you needed a¡­sacrifice¡­ But is there a situation where we need a human-sized one¡­?¡± ¡°Of course there is.¡± After saying those words, I gave Talion amand. We held the guy at both ends. ¡°Throw it as far as you can on the count of three. One, two, three.¡± Following this, the body flew into the air, drawing an arc. Perhaps it was because Talion and I threw it with all our strength; that enormous figure turned into the size of a fist rather quickly. I could hear the sound of someone falling into the sea with a ssh, before being followed by a scream. He had been sprawled unconscious all this time and seemed to have only regained consciousness after falling into the water. While ignoring the guy¡¯s sputtering screams, I nced at my watch. ¡®It¡¯s not toote.¡¯ The creature was quite the rare bastard. Even within the game, it was notorious for needing to match all sorts of conditions in order to meet it. If I were to wait at this exact ce while holding a simr-sized ¡®sacrifice,¡¯ during this specific time on the Hunter¡¯s Night¡­ There was a creature that woulde out to eat it. A very, very terrifying creature. As I recalled that information, I controlled the ¡®fishing rod¡¯ connected to the fat pig¡¯s rope. I dipped it into the water, then pulled it out, then dipped it into the water, and pulled it out again. To make it look like a tempting prey, I moved it in a rather shy way. ¡°Uu, uphew, y-you, s-son of bitches! What the hell is this! I am Krun Ger-Do! The sessor of a War Chief!¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°The fuck do you mean ¡®I see¡¯? Pull me out immediately! If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll pay a harsh¡ª!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Riru watched me indifferently handle that guy, she sighed and intervened. ¡°In any case, you still need to be careful. Even if he doesn¡¯t look like much, like he said, he¡¯s still a War Chief¡¯s sessor. The Tribal Alliance won¡¯t stand still, you know?¡± ¡°Let them do as they please.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°In any case, as long as they went out of their way to provoke you, that meant they were picking a fight with me as well. So, it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And hearing that¡­ Riru closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Her bodynguage seemed to be pondering why this guy spoke this type of shit as naturally as breathing. ¡°¡­Why is that such a natural conclusion.¡± Riru responded with a weak voice, but it was hard for me to focus on that at the moment. You see, that thing was about to ¡®take the bait.¡¯ ¡°¡­The wind¡­ Stopped.¡± Talion was the first to notice. The storm that had been raging around us hade to a halt. The waves that had been surging in the sea also subsided. It was like the calm before the storm. ¡°¡­¡± Come to think of it, that was a terrifyingly fitting description. After all, there was no word that would suit the existence, which would now reveal itself, better than ¡®storm¡¯. ¡°Hold on tight.¡± I spoke to Talion and Riru, who were looking around quizzically. ¡°Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to keep your bnce.¡± Following that¡­ Right in front of me, where Krun was¡­ ¡®Something¡¯ was gradually revealing itself. First came the enormous horns. When Riru saw the two horns on top of its head, she stiffened, as if she had realized something. Since it was her, she probably knew it already. Exactly what this existence was. ¡°You.¡± Riru¡¯s voice was trembling as she spoke. ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you clearly say that we were meeting an indigenous being?¡± ¡°It is an indigenous being.¡± ¡°That?!¡± I chuckled at the screaming Riru. Well, strictly speaking¡­ Since it had continued to upy this vicinity and lived here for a long time, you could ssify an indigenous organism. It was just a bit much to call it a ¡®Demonic Creature¡¯¡­Since its ¡®level¡¯ was way too high. After the horns, its figure revealed a body covered in scales. Whiskers. And, unmistakable even from so far away¡­ A ¡®Dragon Heart¡¯ pulsating from its chest. Sea Serpent. Though it was said to be a distant coteral line, it still belonged within the Dragon race, which was ssified as one of the strongest Demonic Creatures in this world. And that very monster had revealed itself right in front of us. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 94: Sea King (5) Chapter 94: Sea King (5) ? Sea King (5) ? ¡°H-Hieeeek-!¡± Even from a distance, I could hear Krun¡¯s horrified voice as he floated there as a sacrifice. At least during this moment, I had no thoughts of shitting on him for being a coward. After all, even Talion and Riru had their mouths wide open and didn¡¯t seem to intend to close them anytime soon after seeing the existence right before their eyes. ¡°¡­Is that a dragon? From the Myths of Creation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a Sea Serpent, but strictly speaking, it¡¯s not that kind of dragon.¡± In the world of Sera, dragons were not such¡­ ¡®Insignificant¡¯ creatures. They yed a role in maintaining the entire world, so even in the game, they wouldn¡¯t reveal themselves unless it was truly a special case. Of course¡­ That did not mean that the Sea Serpent was an easy opponent. At the very least, in terms of specs rted to bat power¡¯, although they were inferiorpared to the real deal, they were still at a level where they could proudly call themselves as part of the dragon race. Just looking at what followed proved that. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ A powerful adversary that can potentially be hostile is observing you. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to A-Grade. ] ¡ª!!!! As soon as the Sea Serpent, which had revealed its gigantic figure, opened its mouth and let out a roar, an ear-shattering shockwave spread through the surroundings, as if tearing the air itself apart. The roar contained a ¡®wave¡¯ terrifying enough that Talion and Riru covered their ears in horror and copsed beside me. ¡°Fuck¡ª This¡ª Just from this roar alone¡ª!¡± Such words trickled through Riru¡¯s clenched teeth. Beyond a certain grade, a Demonic Creature¡¯s roar would possess a special effect; Before enteringbat, it would cut down the opponent¡¯s stats. Considering that this roar was something that came from an existence that was a part of the dragon race¡­ System Message [ Physical Defense decreased! ] [ Magic Resistance decreased! ] [ You instinctively feel fear due to the difference in status. Physical movement bes sluggish! ] I guess it was safe to say that it was more a curse skill than just a roar. Your average mages would need to spend several tens of minutes to barely cast a debuff at this level, but this fucker just needed to scream to do it. ¡®¡­Wait, isn¡¯t it actually a curse?¡¯ In the game, a dragon¡¯s roar was ssified as a curse. Fortunately¡­. Since they ssified it as such, I had a skill that could reasonably counter it.. [ Skill Info ] Skill: Conquest of the Devil ½µÄ§ Grade: Unique Description: Those who have faced curses for a long time naturally be familiar with ways to resist them. [ ¡ô Opens the VS. Curse Rted Stat, ¡®Devil Conquest¡¯. ] This was what I was talking about. The thing I ripped off Yuria. System Message [ Rolling ¡®Devil Conquest¡¯ Stat¡­ ] [ Resistance sessful. You will not be affected by any negative effects! ] There you go. Jackpot! While Riru and Talion were still lying on the ground, gasping for breath, I was able to move without trouble. So, I activated the emergency safety device of the boat. A blue force field was generated near the boat. The roar that had been echoing in our ears was blocked, allowing those two to stand up, barely. ¡°¡­How can you move so freely after facing that kind of existence¡ª?!¡± ¡°Because I¡¯ve been training hardtely.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What I got from her as a reply was a gaze that said, ¡®That isn¡¯t something that someone who became half-dead just from a little bit of running should say!¡¯ I was telling the truth, though. This was the result of my advance nning. If I didn¡¯t rip off the ¡®Devil Conquest¡¯ stat in advance, I would¡¯ve been paralyzed like those two. ¡°¡­That aside, what are we going to do about that guy?¡± Talion said as he pointed toward the limp Krun, who was a distance away from our boat. It seemed like the roar made him faint since he hadn¡¯t been moving for a while now. ¡°Mm.¡± I nodded my head before yanking back the fishing rod connected to him. As Desperation A-Grade was applied to my stat, it was not difficult at all to fling the pig into the air if I used all my strength. After drawing arge arc, he flew way past the back of the boat before falling into the sea with a ssh. Alright, with that, the dude would have a lesser chance to be killed by the Sea Serpent. ¡°¡­Is that enough?¡± ¡°People won¡¯t die just from hearing someone¡¯s yell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He might be traumatized, though.¡± I mean, he just needed to float around the water to survive from now on. Since he was a sessor of a War Chief, he should have at least one item that could prevent him from drowning, right? Whatever state he was in, as long as he didn¡¯t die, we were all good. ¡°As expected of Senior Brother. You¡¯re merciless for someone who has the same gender as you.¡± ¡°¡­Are you trying to say that I¡¯d treat a woman differently?¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Shush. ¡°If you guys have time for small talk, think about how to immediately get out of here instead!¡± Seeing us bicker, Riru whispered quietly. She seemed to have no intention of needlessly provoking the existence in front of us. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention to attack us yet.¡± Indeed. The Sea Serpent, whose sacrifice had disappeared right before its eyes, was alternately looking at where the sacrifice had been and at us while blinking itsrge eyes. All that had happened was that something right in front of him had disappeared. It was unable to understand where it went or why it happened. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it dumber than it looks?¡± Talion said these words in an incredulous voice. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s unimaginably strong, but he¡¯s dumber than an ordinary Demonic Creature.¡± This was the biggest difference between dragons and the Sea Serpent. Through their Super Intelligence, Dragons were even well-versed in all knowledge regarding Pandemonium and Heaven. As such, in terms of intelligence, the levels between them were a difference of heaven and earth. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that I belittled it as an indigenous being instead of a Demonic Creature. Fun fact, the reason why it popped out after seeing the sacrifice was because it saw something edible floating on the water the moment it woke up from its sleep. That was why it didn¡¯t seem to have any hostile intent towards us. ¡°Then, we should quickly get out of here while it¡¯s still trying to figure out what just happened¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­I agree.¡± With cold sweat dripping, Riru¡¯s words trickled out in a whisper and Talion, who heard this, voiced his agreement in a hushed voice as well. Both of them shared the same opinion; Under no circumstances should they provoke the existence in front of them. And their decision was undoubtedly correct. Considering the difference in stats between that thing and us, it didn¡¯t make any sense for Desperation to only be stuck at the A-Grade. It was safe to say that this happened because it didn¡¯t have any interest in us at the moment. ¡°No, there¡¯s a better option for us to do.¡± With a s¨¦ attitude, I scratched my cheek. While the Sea Serpent remained still and silent, I kicked the lever and released the force field near the boat. ¡°Talion. Did you bring the spear? Not the one used by your household. The disposable javelin used for throwing.¡± ¡°I did bring it, but why¡­?¡± ¡°Good. Give it to me.¡± After receiving the spear under his suspicious gaze¡­ ¡°Heup.¡± I immediately threw it with all my might towards the Sea Serpent. The spear hit the dorsum of its nose with a thud, before bouncing off without leaving a single mark. Talion and Riru turned towards me with dazed expressions. ¡°¡­¡± Mm. Surprisingly, I didn¡¯t do any damage whatsoever. Since my Tristan-Style Swordsmanship guaranteed a certain amount of damage regardless of the weapon used, I thought at least the tip would pierce it a bit. However¡­. At least I managed to seed in drawing its ¡®attention¡¯. After all, the blinking eyes that had been searching for its sacrifice just a moment ago, now fixated on us. ¡°¡­I thought you said that thing¡¯s strength is equal to a dragon¡¯s?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°You knew this and you still provoked it?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± In response to Riru¡¯s despondent voice, I gave her a weird look. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want a high score? And you have to get it no matter what?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A dragon will give you a high enough score, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru quietly closed her eyes. She wore an expression as if she had given up on everything. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be going first, Granny.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While she was mumbling something simr to a will¡­ System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] The Sea Serpent¡¯s fierce roar cascaded down on us.
A tsunami was approaching. Until a moment ago, a storm had been raging, but now, it had turned into an iparably enormous tsunami; Its height was several tens of times bigger than the boat we were currently steering. One of the Sea Serpent¡¯s most useful abilities was its ability to manipte the current. For it, this was as easy as breathing. ¡°Wait, this will immediately capsize the¡ª!¡± What I was trying to say was, we shouldn¡¯t be panicking just from this much, I grabbed the screaming Talion by his shoulders and immediately pushed him inside the cockpit. ¡°Grab the helm.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Ever since we departed, I¡¯ve taught you everything about steering the boat. So, you steer it.¡± I grinned at Talion, who was looking at me with a nk expression. ¡°Get a hold of yourself. I believe in you.¡± At the very least, among those who I could bring to such a situation without feeling burdened, Talion was the only one who could do this kind of work. His extemporaneous abilities were good, his focus was good, his dexterity was good, his memory was good, and most importantly, I didn¡¯t have to worry about any ¡®bacsh¡¯ from him. ¡°¡­If you believe in me, can you please discuss with me first before you do such insane things, Senior Brother?!¡± Despite his screaming, he still took over the wheel and faithfully followed mymands. Not only that, he also dutifully performed evasive maneuvers to avoid the iing tsunami. While the boat slid through the middle of the wave as if it was surfing, Riru and I were tossed around on the shaking boat. ¡°Do you really intend to fight that thing?!¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have provoked it!¡± Riru bit her lip and stared at me. ¡°¡­Did you entrust the future of your Style because he¡¯s someone like this, Granny?¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Why was she muttering in this kind of situation? Seriously, I couldn¡¯t hear her! If she wanted to say something, she should SPEAK LOUDLY! ¡°It¡¯s nothing. How are we going to win, then?!¡± ¡°Win?¡± ¡°You had some kind of n, right?! You didn¡¯t risk your life for nothing, right?!¡± I felt a bit sorry for Riru, who made such an assumption, but¡­ ¡°We can¡¯t win!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I continued to speak to the dazed Riru. ¡°In the first ce, how could we win against something like that? It¡¯s a dragon! We can¡¯t win even in a million years!¡± ¡°¡­Then why did you pick a fight with it in the first ce, you crazy motherfucker¡ª!¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s necessary!¡± No matter what the situation was, I loved to n things up from the very start in a step-to-step manner. Bringing Talion along to the Tribal Alliance was to use him for this very moment and extracting the Devil Conquest stat from Yuria was also to make good use of it now and forter. And, as for what I was trying to do to the Sea Serpent¡­ I wasn¡¯t trying to fight it, but¡­ How should I put this¡­ I was going to leave an ¡®Imprint¡¯ on it. So that it would make a ¡®specific reaction¡¯ whenever it saw me. And¡­ Such groundwork would undoubtedly be of crucial helpter on. Specifically, at the . ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but if we continue like this, we¡¯ll be wiped out! We at least need a way to fight back¡ª!¡± ¡°Of course there¡¯s a way!¡± Saying that, I pounded on the cockpit door. ¡°Talion! Slow down!¡± ¡°What?! If we slow down now, the boat will immediately cap¡ª!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, just hurry up!¡± ¡°¡­Seriously, I don¡¯t care anymore!¡± After that scream, he made the boat slow down. Almost immediately, it became exposed to the enormous tsunami and swayed violently. However, that gave Riru and I a very brief chance to move. ¡°Heup!¡± When that moment came¡­ I grabbed Riru and jumped to the top of the boat. Since the boat had a mast, when I came up all the way here with a single bound, the altitude itself felt different. It was to the point that I could feel the anger filled within the Sea Serpent¡¯s pupils. Seeing us, the Sea Serpent lifted its foreleg. It seemed to be intending to strike us down on the spot. If that strike actually connected, forget about us, the entire boat would be smashed to pieces. That was why, at this moment, I should¡­ ¡°Riru.¡± ¡°What?! If we don¡¯t move quickly, we¡¯ll get screwed by that¡ª-¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡­Adjust Riru¡¯s position. I gently put her down behind me and finely adjusted her position. So that¡­ It appeared as if I was covering this person with my body to ¡®protect her¡¯. And then, I embraced her deeply. In order to make us look like lovers. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru spoke with a voice that sounded like she was holding back, even as she reached her limits. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m devising a way to fight the Sea Serpent.¡± ¡°¡­This?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I confidently replied to Riru¡¯s soulless voice. ¡°¡­¡± Obviously, my words sounded like absolute nonsense on the surface¡­ But this was the only way to get out of my current ¡®situation¡¯. While the Sea Serpent was important¡­ ¡®Something¡¯ that woulde after was also as important. I sneakily opened the system window. And I read through the ¡®logs¡¯ written there. System Log [ An emergency event may ur soon! ] ¡®¡­If someone is subjected to something multiple times, they¡¯d gain the ability to learn from it.¡¯ What I had realized over the past few days was that the obsession of the Devils was much greater than I thought. Even Eleanor, who was generally mild and gentle when it came to matters regarding myself, went berserk after a few situations were blown out of proportion, causing it to go awry. In other words¡­. By now, even without anyone teaching me, I had learned through my experiences that ¡®something¡¯ that was more sensitive about my ¡®rtionships¡¯ than Eleanor would arrive about now. With that thought in mind, I naturally took out one of my countermeasures. Seeing this, Riru forgot about the situation for a brief moment and blinked her eyes in a daze. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with the mask all of a sudden?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t wear it, I¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Seriously. Without it, I¡¯m fucked.¡± Because a certain someone wasing. Even whenpared to the Sea Serpent, it was someone that could cause phenomena close to natural disasters¡­. That someone was dozens, no, hundreds of times more terrifying. And as I had such thoughts¡­ ¨C!!!!!!!! Someone, filled with rage from head to toe, swung a ¡®white sword strike¡¯¡­ And it split the Sea Serpent¡¯s forelegs, which were about to descend upon us, in two with just one blow. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 95: Gaslighting (1) Chapter 95: Gaslighting (1) ? Gaslighting (1) ? Blue body fluid sttered in all directions. Inside my arms, I could see Riru with her mouth agape. It was understandable, after all, the same being that she and Talion desperately tried to run away from had suffered such a fatal wound from just a single strike. ¡°¡­¡± I turned around while making sure my mask was still on. Beyond the tsunami, I could see a boat skipping across the water, approaching us from a distance. At the forefront was Yuria, Severer drawn in her hand. ¡°Heup!¡± First thing first. The loot. I caught the Sea Serpent¡¯s severed foreleg that had begun to fall down after that one blow. ¡®Gottem.¡¯ A dragon¡¯s body was an equivalent to a treasure chest. All parts of its body could be used in a variety of ways. The materials I had collected so far would undoubtedlye in handy at some point. ¡®¡­That aside¡­¡¯ ¡®Sheesh, it really only took her a single strike¡­¡¯ Most weapons wouldn¡¯t even scratch its scales. Too bad it had to face a monster who was able to slice through an Automaton made of Starsteel with a single strike, well under the condition that her target was within her range. Unless it was a real dragon, there was no way something at the level of that Sea Serpent could deal with such an attack. This oue came with a problem though¡­ Just look at the space between Yuria and the Sea Serpent she just fucked over. Even at a nce, no way in hell that they were only three steps apart. ¡®¡­Seriously, what the fuck?¡¯ ¡®How did she be so strong?¡¯ System Message [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Yuria¡¯ has exceeded 90%! ] [ Due to the influence of the ¡®White Devil¡¯ imbued in the item ¡®Severer¡¯, the curse on target ¡®Yuria¡¯ has be even stronger! ] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Huh? There was that kind of effect? First time I¡¯ve ever heard about it¡­¡¯ Imagine if I hadn¡¯t given her the Starsteel Circlet to remove the side effect where she¡¯d indiscriminately sh anyone in her sight¡­ Something horribly wrong might have happened long ago¡­ ¡®¡­Still, the fortunate part is¡­¡¯ With this kind of power, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to engrave the ¡®Imprint¡¯ on the Sea Serpent as I originally intended. Even in the game, certain Demonic Creatures, to be exact, those powerful enough to receive special treatment, could be engraved with special Imprints through battles. Using said Imprints, one could partially release a set of ¡®interactions.¡¯ Those interactions included taming them as mounts, summoning them during battles or receiving special items from them. In the Sea Serpent¡¯s case, the Imprint made it harbor an intense sense of ¡®wrath¡¯ towards the opponent who inflicted severe injuries upon it. -!!!! The Sea Serpent¡¯s eyes shed with rage as it turned towards Yuria. Although one of its forelegs was severed, the bastard was technically still a dragon. It still possessed a tremendousbat po¡ª ¡°Know your ce.¡± From the distance, I could hear Yuria coldly recite such words. -! Another white sword strike followed. This time, its remaining foreleg flew away. The Sea Serpent screamed in agony as it writhed. -!! Then, she took another swing. A part of the Water Dragon¡¯s body was sliced off. -!!! Another swing. It was one of its legs this time. -!!!! Another swing. A part of its tail. ¡°¡­¡± At this point, Talion and Riru¡¯s expressions changed into something that went beyond astonishment. Again, it was understandable, since that woman was¡­ Turning the Water Dragon¡¯s body into minced meat with every swing of her sword. ¡°¡­Am I dreaming right now? A dragon is being mutted and hacked apart by a single human?¡± ¡°Even the Dragon yer from the legends couldn¡¯t toy with them this easily¡­¡± And, for once¡­ ¡°¡­I agree.¡± I wasn¡¯t free from such a reaction. While I had expected some kind of stat enhancements due to the Devil¡¯s influence¡­ It never crossed my mind that the enhancements would be this significant. Since the Grey Devil was considered as the strongest among the devils, I thought, ¡®Maybe this only happened because it¡¯s the Grey Devil.¡¯ Besides, in the original game, Eleanor was the final boss. Her base stats were already incredible to begin with. But, for Yuria to be strengthened to this level as well? Just from her anger increasing the Corruption Value slightly? System Message [ Target ¡®Sea Serpent¡¯ is experiencing intense pain! ] [ Target¡¯s Unique Ability ¡®Current Maniption¡¯ is weakening! ] Together with that message, the tsunami subsided and the Sea Serpent lost its mind, twitching and floundering in agony. I should say that it was impressive for it to still be alive considering how badly mutted he was. However, seeing it dive into the water with its tail drooped between its legs made me question whether it deserved such praise. System Message [ Target ¡®Sea Serpent¡¯ is retreating! ] [ Target has been engraved with a ¡®Fear Imprint¡¯! ] [ From now on, the target will recall this experience when seeing ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Huh? This worked?¡¯ ¡®How did she do it?¡¯ ¡®¡­No, wait¡­So¡­¡¯ When considering which Imprint would be the best, by far, the Fear Imprint topped. Depending on the circumstances, a Demonic Creature engraved with the Fear Imprint had the possibility of reaching the final technique of taming: ¡®Breeding¡¯. To engrave the Fear Imprint onto a Demonic Creature, one would need to continuously inflict ¡®non-lethal¡¯ yet extremely powerful attacks in a short period of time. Honestly, I hadn¡¯t even considered that such a feat was possible in the first ce. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± While I was lost in such thoughts, Yuria¡¯s boat slowly approached before finally making contact with the front of ours. Yuria, who had been at the forefront, hopped over to our boat. Her movements could be called dainty and cute, but from our perspective, after witnessing what the fuck she had just done, she looked downright terrifying. But even so¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I took a deep breath. Her specs turned out to be much more powerful than expected, but that was irrelevant. From the moment I expected her toe my way, what I had to do was already determined. ¡®¡­I¡¯ve been thinking of doing this ever since Eleanor went berserk.¡¯ If Eleanor, who was that devoted to me, would chase after me in anger to such an extent, then this woman would definitely do the same as well. System Message [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Yuria¡¯ is in a dangerous state! ] [ If you respond incorrectly, an emergency event may ur immedia¡ª ] h h h. Although messages like that appeared in front of me¡­ I already knew what it was going to say. Just like usual, the other person would get angry, asking things like ¡®Why are you with other women?¡¯ or ¡®Am I not the most important person to you?¡¯ Of course, if I couldn¡¯t resolve this, I¡¯d die. This pattern had repeated itself several times prior to this. ¡°Yuria.¡± But¡­ At this moment, those things weren¡¯t important to me. What was important was that I had to properly set up a ¡®milestone¡¯ right here and now. ¡®¡­To be honest¡­.¡¯ With my luck, I couldn¡¯tpletely block them from attaching themselves to me like that. No matter how many privileges I had due to various knowledge of the original game¡­ Even considering my disposition to be unconditionally loved by those people¡­ How could I, someone who was ultimately just a human, stop fights at the level of Devils? Moreover, ones that were motivated by blind and irrational love? All I could do was hold on for dear life, desperately praying that I don¡¯t get swept away. In the end, the only way was to continue engaging in many different rtionships without anyone finding out. However¡­ Whatever it was, it should never interrupt the progression of the ¡®Main Scenario¡¯ like what was happening right now. Especially when it involved a Devil¡¯s Vessel like Riru, who required delicate management. There shouldn¡¯t be any more variables than there already were. And so, I had to use a bit of an aggressive move. ¡°Why did you interfere?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± At the words that I had spat out the moment I saw her face, Yuria responded with a bewildered voice. It was probably because she was being questioned by the very man that she should be questioning instead. Iliya, who was on the same boat as Yuria, stared at me as her jaws dropped. Judging from her appearance, it seemed as if she knew exactly why Yuria had dragged a ship all the way here in this weather. As such, she was reacting this way because she knew that the question I had the audacity to raise was even more insane than ying with fire inside a powder keg. But even so¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Though I did not have zero experience with love, this was the conclusion I had reached after racking my brain again and again. It would actually make my life easier if I disyed this kind of attitude at least once. Rtionships were always a two-way street, not a one-way alley. In other words¡­ No matter how lopsided the rtionship between a Devil and a human was¡­ As long as ¡®she¡¯ loved ¡®me¡¯¡­ She wasn¡¯t the only one holding a dagger in her hands. System Message [ Effect of Title ¡®yboy¡¯ is disyed! ] [ Revisions are attached to your actions! ] ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever asked for your help. Right?¡± As soon as she heard my cold voice, Yuria¡¯s body visibly froze stiff. The atmosphere was even colder than I had intended it to be. This was probably the first time she had seen this side of me. Although there may be varying levels of intensity, the behavior I had disyed whenever I had met her so far was mostly consistent goodwill. No matter what she did, I epted her with open arms, I did everything she wanted, and I even yed with her often. To put it simply, it was the first time she had seen my current appearance; Me who was seething with ¡®anger.¡¯ ¡°¡­No, wait, no, that¡¯s not important. In the first ce¡ª¡± Yuria stammered as she opened her mouth with difficulty. She probably wished to argue what was important to her right now; Why was I with another woman, once again, without telling her? However¡­ ¡°It¡¯s important to me, though?¡± Before she could do that, I cut her offpletely. It was important to finely manipte the atmosphere. Getting too angry would bring the opposite effect of what I intended. I could never forget the ¡®difference in weight ss¡¯ between us. She was a Devil that could send my head flying if I made just the slightest mistake. Any violent or aggressive expressions that could shatter the rtionship itself was strictly prohibited. Since that would instantly lead to death. However¡­ Establishing a sense of urgency or danger that the rtionship could potentially be ¡®warped¡¯ was more than possible. ¡°Just now, I was trying to handle that Sea Serpent ording to my n and without your help. It was going well and if you hadn¡¯t intervened, I could have achieved the results I wanted.¡± Obviously, that was a load of bullshit. Without Yuria, I would most likely have died. However, now was the time to foster perception. Something along the lines of: Because of ¡®your mistake¡¯, ¡®I¡¯ suffered damage. ¡°¡­N-No, r-rather than that, right now, why is Mister Dowd¡ª¡± ¡°Even in this situation, you are still acting so selfishly.¡± As the slightly discouraged Yuria started to speak, I cut her off with an even colder voice. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say that the Sea Serpent was important to me?¡± Yuria¡¯s body flinched. She hunched up even further, even going as far as taking a step back. The wrath that filled her pupils turned faint. ¡°¡­¡± Even if it was a rtionship between a Devil and a human¡­ The most fundamental parts remained the same. I don¡¯t want to disappoint the person I like. I don¡¯t want to be abandoned by that person. In other words, at this moment¡­ She was scared. This woman, who had not moved an inch while mutting a dragon with a few swings of her sword, was terrified just because of a few of my words. Just because of the possibility that our rtionship would go awry. And because of my attitude, which was much colder than usual. ¡°¡­¡± Even as I spoke, my heart was aching. I was already scared of the words Caliban would throw my way. However, even so¡­ ¡°You know¡­¡± For my future, I had to shut my eyes and say this shit properly. ¡°For the first time, I¡¯m a little disappointed in you.¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes began to shake like crazy. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 96: Gaslighting (2) Chapter 96: Gaslighting (2) ? Gaslighting (2) ? Reflecting back, Dowd had always been like sunshine to Yuria. Despite almost having a horrifying experience from the very first time they met, he had never avoided her. Instead, he was the one who had always approached her first. Excluding her older sister, he was the only one who knew about her condition. Despite that, he still offered hispany and assistance. He was the only one who provided her a bridge to the world, allowing her to interact with others and live as she did now. He enveloped her dark and damp world with warm sunshine. However¡­ That very same person¡­. ¡°For the first time, I¡¯m a little disappointed in you.¡± While emitting an atmosphere as cold as ice, he articted each word, as if driving it home. Such a sentence flew like a knife, stabbing deep into her heart. As if she had actually been physically beaten, Yuria couldn¡¯t help but backpedal a few steps. Without realizing, she clutched her chest tightly. ¡°¡­¡± It hurt. In the beginning, she had definitelye here in anger. Even until just a while ago, a ¡®voice¡¯ kept echoing in her head, whispering how she needed to do something to this man, who continued to meet other women. But now¡­ Such things weren¡¯t important. Her hands were trembling. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. She lost strength in her legs. Chills ran down her entire body. She was scared. In case¡­Just in case¡­. This man¡­ Would be disappointed in her and never look her way again¡­ ¡°¡­¡± It was just her anxiety taking over at the moment. But even so¡­. The mere ¡®chance¡¯ that such a thing could happen¡­ It was unbearable. ¡°U-Um, so¡­¡± She opened her mouth with great difficulty, as her trembling voice trickled out. An excuse. She had to at least make some kind of an excuse. ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t t-trying to do that, I-I w-was¡­¡± She desperately tried to force her voice out, in hopes he would have his fury relieved, even if it was just by a little. However, before she could even finish her sentence¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t say this to hear your excuses.¡± A stern voice cut her off. She flinched so hard, as if she was struck by a lightning bolt. Her movements stiff, barely managed to raise her head as she met Dowd¡¯s eyes. The usual warmth lingering in his eyes was nowhere to be found. In its ce was a piercing gaze overflowing with ire, as if he was looking at a mortal enemy. Even through the mask he wore, it felt heartbreakingly clear. At the sight of his cold wrath, she spoke out of reflex. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Yuria sniffled as she fell to her knees; Her legs hadpletely given out. ¡°I r-really w-wasn¡¯t t-trying t-to do that, I-I, s-so-¡± She never had any intention to harm this man. It was¡­just¡­ Her greediness overflowed a little. Only love me. You said I was precious to you. You said I was the most important to you. Even while deceiving other women, you said our love, our bond, was the truest one. So, prove it to me. Tell me I¡¯m the most dear to you. All she did was project such a desire to this man, ¡°I-I promise I w-won¡¯t d-do that f-from now on, from n-now on, I-I¡¯m really s-sorry, I¡¯m s-sorry, so p-please-¡± Please don¡¯t look at me with such eyes. Please treat me warmly like before. Please. Please don¡¯t abandon me. I¡¯ll do anything. I¡­ I can¡¯t live without you. ¡°¡­Then, can you promise me?¡± And right as her mind spiraled deep into the abyss, such words shined down on her. Unlike before, at the very least, she couldn¡¯t feel the coldness in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve done it on purpose anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, I don¡¯t want this to happen again in the future, so for the time being, I want some space.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Yuria¡¯s expression turned into one of desperation. No wait, but, if he did this¡­ Her anxiety rose, perhaps because she felt that she and this man could start growing apart from¡ª ¡°Yuria.¡± Before she could even continue her thoughts¡­ Dowd¡¯s hand grazed the cor she always had fastened on her neck. To be more precise, he touched what was tied there; A handkerchief engraved with the crest of the Campbell Viscounty. It was the present he had given her before, as a ¡®token of promise¡¯. She could feel his warmth. Yuria instinctively reached out with both hands to tightly grasp Dowd¡¯s. As if this tiny bit of warmth would disappear at any moment if she didn¡¯t do so. ¡°B-But, But¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make a promise too.¡± Her sobs were covered by Dowd¡¯s voice. ¡°If you keep your promise, I, too, will never disappoint you again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yuria.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yuria.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Can you trust me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look at me.¡± Yuria looked up at Dowd¡¯s face with great difficulty. What greeted her was the face she was familiar with. Though he seemed a bit absent-minded at times¡­ He was always gentle, dependable, and had always shone warmly in her dark world. He was her sunshine. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± So¡­ She had no choice but to agree. ¡°I trust you.¡± The expression she currently saw on this man¡¯s face was¡­ A treasure she could never lose.
¡°¡­Are you gonna be okay?¡± As I threw such words to Iliya, she gazed in Yuria¡¯s direction, as if finding this entire situation difficult to swallow. She was on the boat, looking as if her soul had left her body. And I had just requested her to take Yuria back to the Forge of Struggle safely. ¡°¡­I¡¯m okay, but¡­¡± She alternated her gaze between me and Yuria. Her expression was¡­How should I put this¡­ It was filled with unconceble doubt. ¡°¡­Teach, just now, you seemed like apletely different person.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡®s weird. Usually, you¡¯re not the type of person to¡­ ¡¯Purposely¡¯ coax others, like you did just now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her gaze suddenly sharpened. ¡°It makes me think that perhaps you have some sort of circumstance, so you can¡¯t help but to do so.¡± Chills ran down my spine. Certainly, my attitude just before could induce such thoughts, but¡­ If she bbered to someone else and caused some sort of incident, it would be no different from an express train to hell¡ª ¡°But, there obviously must be a reason for that, right?¡± However¡­ She just winked as she yfully spoke. While I was at a loss for words, she returned to her original boat with Yuria in tow; her face seemed to say that she already knew everything, so I could just leave it to her. ¡°¡­¡± Thanks, you punk. I didn¡¯t expect her to be this much of a help. ¡°Caliban.¡± [What.] ¡°Why are you not saying anything this time?¡± [¡­] Surprisingly, throughout this entire fiasco, the only thing I could sense from the amulet was a feeling of pity. Wasn¡¯t he usually someone who would call me trash and criticize me extensively? So, what was the asion? [¡­It¡¯s only worth making fun of you if you do it in moderation, but¡­] Caliban let out a bitter chuckle. [Now that it has reached this level, I¡¯m kinda looking forward to it instead.] ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± [It¡¯s sort of exciting to think about what trashy behavior you will show next time. After all, you¡¯ve never disappointed me before in that regard.] ¡°¡­¡± [Also, I¡¯m curious if you¡¯ll have your limbs ripped apart when getting caught in the future. What I¡¯m dying to know is how many pieces you¡¯ll be divided into¡ª] ¡°¡­Shut up, please.¡± Of fucking course. What did I even expect from him? With a frown, I gazed towards Iliya¡¯s boat, gradually getting farther away in the distance. To be more precise, my focus was on Yuria, who was sitting inside. She was hugging her knees on the seat of the boat, sobbing in despair with her head buried between them. She was in such a miserable state that Iliya, who had been innocently dragged along, had to keep soothing and reassuring her, seemingly at a loss for what to do. ¡°¡­¡± I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry¡­! They aren¡¯t empty words! I¡¯m really sorry¡­! While lost in such thoughts, I looked towards the window that appeared in front of me. System Message [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Yuria¡¯ has drastically decreased. ] [ Conditions for an emergency event to generate have disappeared! ] System Message [ Target ¡®Yuria¡¯ is assigned to a state of ¡®anxiety¡¯! ] [ For the time being, she will be extremely attentive to your mood and expressions. She will never do anything that you haven¡¯tmanded her to do! ] For now, the immediate threat to my life had been resolved. She was probably going to be overwhelmed with guilt in the foreseeable future, but still¡­I managed to pull it off. Honestly, throughout my act, I was on pins and needles, constantly worrying that she would say ¡®Why are you throwing a fit when you¡¯re the one who did something wrong first?¡¯ and then proceed to cut off my head. ¡®¡­Damn, this works a lot better than I expected.¡¯ And the reason why all that was possible was because this son of a bitch yed a glorious role. Still unsure about whether I should praise or abhor its effects, I looked towards the Title that read ¡®yboy¡¯. I had a strong feeling that Yuria couldn¡¯t even properly refute my words,rgely because of this ¡®revision¡¯ effect. Of course, since it automatically activates, I always had to be wary of strange side effects, just like when I first used it on Eleanor; However, It was still undeniable that it would be helpful in navigating future incidents. ¡®¡­Well, anyway.¡¯ At the very least, during the progression of this chapter, I could stop worrying about Yuriaing after me, sword in hand, as she did just now. But now¡­ The problem was this. System Message [ Due to the actions taken against ¡®Yuria¡¯, a subsequent event will be triggered! ] [ Rted event for ¡®Faenol¡¯ will be generated! ] < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Faenol Lipek [ No Favorability Level ] [ Rted Event urs in D-2 ] Hm. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like one of those events that were an express train to death. You know, like how it was for Yuria and Eleanor, when the favorability levels skyrocketed nonstop, as if it was an 8-ton truck that lost its fucking brakes. In the end, it was my fate to meet her as well. Though, I had tried my best to avoid her so far. Faenol ¡®Deathwish¡¯ Lipek. The main character of Chapter 4, ¡®Crimson Night¡¯. Ranked first as the character mostmonly chosen by Sera users as a ¡®character that could blow up the entire fucking game in your face if encountered recklessly¡¯. She had quite a few simrities with Yuria. Moreover, among all the characters that made an appearance, like Yuria, she held the position of a ¡®Chapter Final Boss¡¯. There was also a high probability that she was one of the ¡®Devil¡¯s Vessels¡¯ as well. However¡­ When simply considering the danger she possessed, hers far surpassed Yuria. Merely encountering her would be enough to make me scared for my life. ¡®¡­If it¡¯s in two days, then¡­¡¯ It was when the second phase of the Hunter¡¯s Night, ¡®Volcano Zone¡¯, began. Simr to how I bitchpped the Fear Imprint onto the Sea Serpent, at that location, there was another Demonic Creature that I had to ram an ¡®Imprint¡¯ into. ¡®So, I¡¯m going to meet her there, huh?¡¯ ¡®¡­I should thoroughly prepare myself.¡¯ To be honest, Faenol¡¯s behavior patterns were a lot more predictable than you would expect. Despite the variety of chaotic reactions that Devil¡¯s Vessels disyed due to my constitution, I could still roughly estimate how she would conduct herself when encountering me. ¡°¡­¡± The problem was that I couldn¡¯t prevent it even though I fucking knew. I didn¡¯t go out of my way to avoid her for no reason, you know? While I was lost in such thoughts, another window appeared before me. System Message [ Due to the actions taken against ¡®Yuria¡¯, a subsequent event will be triggered! ] [ Rted event for ¡®Riru¡¯ will be generated! ] < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Riru Garda [ Interest Level 3 ] [ Rted Event urs in 3H ] ¡°¡­¡± The fuck was this? There wasn¡¯t even a few days¡¯ dy for this. It would happen in three hours. ¡°¡­Riru?¡± ¡°What.¡± When I spoke to her, Riru replied with a slight edge to her voice; She was staring at the Sea Serpent¡¯s severed foreleg, loaded onto the stern of the boat. She had continuously been in this state since earlier. Perhaps she was frustrated at herself for not being able to fight against the Sea Serpent and instead, had only cowered in fear. ¡°¡­What are you thinking right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, only silence returned. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± RIru continued with a deep sigh. ¡°¡­From the very beginning, you came here with the intention to catch this thing, right?¡± ¡°¡­? I guess so?¡± I guess that¡¯s true. After all, I expected Yuria toe looking for me. Though, there was a decent amount of luck involved when it came to sorting out the aftermath. ¡°So that¡¯s what I should have emted.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You asked me what I was thinking, right?¡± Riru let out a sigh before responding. ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I able to do it like you? I shouldn¡¯t have hesitated to use any means or methods in pursuit of my goal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I now understand that Granny didn¡¯t choose you without a reason. That¡¯s what I was thinking. If I wanted to get stronger too, I shouldn¡¯t have lived in moderation.¡± That was the lesson she learned after seeing my garbage, piece of shit actions? Was this right? As I nkly gazed at her, Riru scratched her head. ¡°You know. That Eleanor girl. Where is she right now?¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Why were you curious about that, dude? For real, why? ¡°¡­No, just.¡± Riru continued to sheepishly scratch the back of her head. ¡°Whatever. It¡¯s nothing. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The vague response made me whip my head back to the system window, as I scoured it once more. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Riru Garda [ Interest Level 3 ] [ Rted Event urs in 3H ] So, you¡¯re telling me she¡¯s trying to look for Eleanor right now and some event will materialize in 3 hours? Hm. ¡°¡­¡± I hope nothing much happens. Seriously. Please. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 97: Struggle (1) Chapter 97: Struggle (1) ? Struggle (1) ? ¡°Did you really just catch a few Man-Eating Fish and actually expected me to grade that?¡± The student, who hadid out the Demonic Creatures on his ship, turned pale at the cold words that Hatan just uttered. Among the Demonic Creatures that could be hunted in the surrounding sea, the Man-Eating Fish were considered to be quite high in rank. But to think that this was the reaction he received. ¡°It¡¯s the Hunter¡¯s Night, you know? The. Hunter¡¯s. Night. The time when all kinds of Demonic Creatures pop out everywhere. When I was your age, I could beat the shit out of them with my bare hands. Understood?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®This crazy fucking boomer.¡¯ Though such a thought crossed the faces of all the students present, unfortunately for them, Hatan was someone who had the skills to justify such a boomer mindset. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that he was the only hunter in history to sessfully hunt High-Grade Demonic Creatures by himself. ¡®¡­They¡¯re all below par.¡¯ Hatan swept back his hair, which was wet from the rain, and clicked his tongue once. Since it was the Hunter¡¯s Night, he thought there would at least be a few people who would achieve some noticeable results. But the result disappointed him. ¡®¡­Is there really no one here who can meet my expectations?¡¯ He didn¡¯t even expect them to hunt a High-Grade Demonic Creature like he did. But still, he expected them to hunt those with a decent level, at least. ¡°W-War Chief! War Chief Hatan!¡± To make things worse, this bastard spawned out of nowhere. How could he not be frustrated? Hatan turned towards the one calling his name, barely suppressing the blood vessels that were about to pop on his forehead. Krun Ger-Do. The son of Velua Ger-Do, who always annoyed the shit out of him due to his arrogant attitude in every War Chief Assembly. ¡°¡­Here, shouldn¡¯t you be calling me ¡®Dean?¡¯¡± It would be a lie to say that his previous behavior didn¡¯t factor into his current fury; After all, a terrifying aura began to pour out from Hatan, that was in no way suitable when dealing with a student. In fact, even Krun, who was stomping towards him in a huff, froze for a moment when seeing such an expression. ¡®Pathetic bastard.¡¯ After swallowing down such words, Hatan spoke in a voice tinged with irritation. ¡°What is it, Krun? If it¡¯s nothing much, then fuck off.¡± ¡°T-There are bastards who havemitted violence against me, a War Chief sessor.¡± Hatan wiped his face, before sweeping back his hair. He felt an unbearable headache. ¡°So? The fuck do you want me to do about it?¡± ¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± Krun flinched and took a step back. It was because killing intent gradually surged from Hatan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hey, you. Blue Boar Tribe¡¯s War Chief sessor.¡± A snarl escaped from his lips. ¡°If you got the shit beaten out of you, get revenge with your own hands. Solve shit with your own hands, whether it¡¯s with those drugs or that criminal syndicate your tribe is so proud of. Don¡¯t be pathetic and whine to me for help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Krun¡¯s face was now beyond pale and had started to turn purple. At the sight of this, Hatan sneered dismissively. Considering this bastard¡¯s usual conduct, it was obvious what had happened. He probably couldn¡¯t rid himself of his old habits and provoked the Garda n. Hatan did not expect him to be so one-sidedly beaten like a drum and driven away, though. But anyway, it wasn¡¯t something he wanted to get himself involved in. His job was to encourage students to y dirty and petty among themselves. After all, through such fights, they could surely mature. ¡®¡­Was that guy with her?¡¯ Hatan frowned and tried to recall his memories. Dowd Campbell. He was someone who particrly stood out among the people of the Empire, whom he mostly disregarded. ¡®He¡¯ll have a bit of a hard time. Poor punk.¡± Krun was second to none when it came to ying dirty. If the two got tangled up in such a manner, it was highly possible that Dowd would have a rough time dealing with the bastard¡¯s petty tricks during the Hunter¡¯s Night. But, well¡­ He didn¡¯t look like the type of guy who was unable to resolve just that much. ¡°Thest boat is returning!¡± ¡°Last? Who¡¯s on board?¡± ¡°Riru Garda, Talion Armand, and Dowd Campbell!¡± ¡®Speak of the Devil.¡¯ Hatan let out a wry smile as he faced towards the boat¡¯s direction. Though, his expression soon turned slightly grim. ¡®What¡¯s with that atmosphere?¡¯ Dowd, with cold sweat dripping down on his pale face. Riru Garda, wearing a noticeable frown. And Talion Armand, who sat at the helm with a nk face, as if he had been through some bizarre experience. ¡°¡­Go back and tell the Chief Priest.¡± With a sigh, he ordered the assistant next to him. ording to Hatan¡¯s conjecture, there was no doubt that Riru Garda was aiming for ¡®Imploration,¡¯ so that she could meet the Chieftain. However¡­ ¡°Tell her that no one is going to go meet the Chieftain in person this time around.¡± She would definitely be pleased. After all, she had been going out of her way to ensure that the Chieftain would not interact with others. Though, from Hatan¡¯s perspective, he could only let out a snort of disdain; he was almost certain that Tatiana had fiddled with Chieftain n¡¯s mind. ¡®¡­The more people the Chieftain meets, the sooner people will realize that he is not in a normal state.¡¯ As such, unless one made a huge contribution or achievement during this Hunter¡¯s Night, she would have definitely tried to eliminate any opportunity to have an audience with the Chieftain. If those guys came back in such an atmosphere, there was no way they caught any game that was particrly special or noteworthy. Basically, it was over. ¡°Hey. What do you think it will be?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I mean the Demonic Creature. How exceptional does it have to be for her to give permission?¡± ¡°¡­Unless they brought back an Intermediate-Grade Demonic Creature by themselves, like how the War Chief did, she would reject it for not having enough justification.¡± Hatan started at the assistant¡¯s response. That was the record he had set as a student. One that had never been broken before. ¡°Who knows. Judging by her attitude, even if they caught a High-Grade, she would merelymend them with some words.¡± ¡°¡­There is no way she would actually do that, right? There has never been a student who had sessfully hunted an Intermediate-Grade Demonic Creature besides the Dean. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Indeed, it had been like that for decades. As such, those guys probably didn¡¯t even have a sliver of a chance. At least, that was what he had thought until he heard the report of a seemingly depressed Dowd Campbell. ¡°¡­Say what? What did you say you brought?¡± Hatan questioned in a daze, without even a single thought to wipe away the rain droplets trickling down his face. Simrly, the assistant beside him didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to close his gaping mouth. Why? It was because the Demonic Creature this guy had hunted was¡­ ¡°A Sea Serpent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why the fuck was he reporting that kind of shit in such a gloomy manner? No, wait. In the first ce, his demeanor seemed to express that such an aplishment wasn¡¯t even a problem to him. Hatan¡¯s gaze alternated between Dowd, who spoke with a depressed look, and the massive chunks of a Demonic Creature that caused the entire boat to tilt to one side. ¡°A Sea Serpent?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡­ The dragon race?¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not a dragon. The War Chief knows that as well, isn¡¯t that so?¡± Of course he fucking knew. But he also knew that, even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily a dragon, it was still a foe that a student couldn¡¯t possibly fight against. No, strike that. Even Hatan himself would have to stake his life if he ever wished to hunt one. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying you killed it?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t kill it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It ran away. So I only managed to cut off an arm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was even more absurd. Demonic Creatures were a bunch that had tendencies to give in to their rage rather than fear. That was just how they were. If he made such a Demonic Creature run away, it could only mean that he had unleashed an ¡®overwhelming strength¡¯ capable of quelling that fury in an instant. Moreover, it was against a Sea Serpent that was so powerful that even Hatan himself could not harm it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± While everyone around was gaping in disbelief, Hatan hesitatingly approached the pieces of the Demonic Creature¡¯s body covered by a tent. When he yanked it away, there was something that caught his eye in a heartbeat. For sure, it was a gigantic ¡®foreleg.¡¯ It was big enough that he could believe it came from a Sea Serpent. And to prove this impossible sight¡­. It had scales imbued with mana, a unique characteristic of the dragon race. ¡°¡­¡± Without a word, Hatan grazed the scales with his hand. It was real. There was no doubt about it. It was the scales of a dragon. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± Hatan turned to the assistant next to him and started speaking with a rigid voice. ¡°Go tell the Chief Priest.¡± However, in his words, there was a smile mixed with a torrent of emotions that even a hunter couldn¡¯t conceal. Delight. ¡°¡­Tell her that this is the first time since the establishment of the Forge of Struggle¡­.¡± It was the pure admiration that one felt when gazing at those who achieved an incredible, impossible feat. ¡°Where students had seeded in ¡®dragon hunting.¡¯¡± A silence mixed with astonishment spread through the surroundings.
System Message [ You have achieved outstanding results in Phase 1 of the Hunter¡¯s Night! ] [ As a reward, 1 ¡®Hall of me¡¯ Pass is given! ] [ 35% of the establishment conditions for the ¡®Great Duel¡¯ Event has been fulfilled! ] ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± While rolling the card I received from Hatan in my hand, I red at the system window in front of me. I had been given this as soon as he saw the Sea Serpent¡¯s foreleg. He told me it was a reward from him, which was separate from the right to implore to the Chieftain. Seeing that he burst into heartyughter, remarking that he had not seen such an excellent resource recently, it seemed that he was genuinely happy. ¡°¡­¡± Honestly,pared to his overblown reaction, I was not that excited nor proud. I literally picked it off the floor after Yuria ripped it to shreds; and the only reason she was even there was because she chased after me with the intention to kill me. Whatever. Anyway, if it was the Hall of mes, then it referred to the Workshop inside the Forge of Struggle. I aimed to go there in the first ce. After all, there was special equipment that could only be made here. ¡®Finally, I can use them.¡¯ I had gathered a lot of materials¡­ Ectosm that was left after making Soul Liner, Starsteel that remained after crafting Yuria the circlet, Adaptive Leather I ripped off the hind of the Demonic Creature, and even the Intermediate-Grade Artifacts. In order to beat the ever living fuck out of n and Tatiana, simply raising my specs would not be enough. Though Tatiana, who could summon all kinds of Demonic Creatures inside the sea, was a problem, the bigger issue was her hidden card, Chieftain n. Not only was he a skilled Unarmed Combatant that could go toe-to-toe with Margrave Kendride, but there was also no one who could confidently guarantee victory, unless they were simr in level to Kasa at her peak. Moreover, there was no way she would just send out a person with such specs. There was a high probability that she would attach various artifacts to raise hisbat power. Therefore, it was an impossible fight for me unless I also crafted items to counter hers. To be more precise, I would be fucked unless I created an object that was no different from an end stage boss in the area of ¡®Bare-Handed Fighting¡¯. ¡°¡­Uh, excuse me, Riru?¡± That was why this person¡¯s role was important. I had to wear this equipment together with her, you know? So please. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the Hall of me now. Would you like toe with me?¡± Please don¡¯t cause trouble when I¡¯m not around¡­! When I spoke with such thoughts in mind, Riru mumbled while avoiding my gaze. ¡°¡­No.¡± Considering this person¡¯s usual confident and magnanimous way of speaking, this attitude waspletely out of character. It was as if they felt embarrassed when they looked at me. ¡°G-Go ahead first. I have something else to do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No, fuck, so like¡­What is that something else? Huh? The fuck is it? She kept going out of her way to avoid showing or talking about it while I was present. However¡­ < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Riru Garda [ Interest Level 3 ] [ Rted Event urs in 1.5H ] The problem was that this gave no signs of disappearing. ¡°W-What are you doing? I already told you to go quickly. D-Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± To make things worse, she was trying to send me off even more aggressively than before. Almost as if there was something she had to do only when I was absent. ¡°¡­Fine, then.¡± If you want to y like that, then I had my own ways as well. When Riru brightened up at my response, I muttered inwardly. ¡°Caliban.¡± After confirming that Riru was quite a distance away, I spoke to Soul Linker. [Mm?] ¡°As expected, I should follow her, right?¡± [¡­] ¡°That¡¯s the most rational thing to do. Right?¡± [¡­I swear, you sound like you¡¯re gradually bing more braindead the more time passes.] ¡°¡­¡± It would have been nice if he just said I was adapting to survive instead.
¡°-So, my rtionship with Dowd right now is quite harmonious. It was all thanks to your advice.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s fortunate.¡± Bail replied, cold sweat dripping down his back. It could be said that his reaction was quite natural. Especially considering that the person he was talking to was able to knead a 5kg steel ingot by using just a few fingers. Recently, Eleanor had beenining that her usual exercises couldn¡¯t make her break out in sweat. So, she started to do something as batshit crazy as that as an exercise to make her grip stronger. Although the transcendental superhuman strength this woman disyed whenever they had their ¡®regr contact¡¯ had be increasingly monstrous with each encounter, Bail still couldn¡¯t help but think that this new exercise of hers was a bit too extreme. ¡°If he is going to do something as intense as that to me¡­ Then, I guess I can tolerate him seeing other women for a bit.¡± Eleanor already knew that Riru Garda and Dowd were together right now. However, that man had done¡­ ¡¯That¡¯ to her not too long ago. Unless he was a yboy who was so trash that he belonged in the sewers with the rats¡­Surely, he wouldn¡¯t purposely try to lead other girls on, right? As Eleanor blushed slightly and lightly grazed her lips with a finger, Bail swallowed dryly before beginning to speak. ¡°Also, the Vagabond¡­ The ¡¯Usurpation¡¯ project you requested has almost finished.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± Eleanor was literally molding the ingot into a ball as she responded. ¡°It will be a good wedding gift for Dowd.¡± ¡°¡­Are you serious? You¡¯re going to use an organization as big as this for just that purpose?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Eleanor smirked, turning her head to his direction. When she slightly applied some force into her hand, the steel ingot tore like paper. ¡°Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As if there could be any. As Bail quickly sealed his mouth, Eleanor suddenly frowned before getting up from her seat. It was because she sensed someone¡¯s presence outside her private room. ¡°¡­Is it a guest? I¡¯ll contact youter.¡± With that, Eleanor ended the video call. She would¡¯ve never been able to anticipate who was standing there before she opened the door leading to the hallway. ¡°¡­Riru Garda?¡± Eleanor cocked her head, puzzled by this unexpected visitor. After all, she couldn¡¯t think of a reason why this person woulde find her. ¡°Hey.¡± Riru let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about this, you see.¡± ¡°¡­About what?¡± ¡°Granny once said this; people get stronger a lot more quickly when they fight for their lives and struggle to achieve what they want.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®What in hell is this woman talking about?¡¯ As Eleanor blinked with such thoughts contained in her pupils, Riru cracked her knuckles and continued. ¡°And in my opinion¡­I think there¡¯s a way I can satisfy both those methods through you.¡± ¡°What in the world are you talking a¡ª¡± ¡°So.¡± Then, Riru cracked her neck as well. ¡°Let¡¯s have a go.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± She looked so nonchnt as if this was the most obvious thing to her¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s try killing each other once. With that guy, Dowd, as the bet.¡± Eleanor¡¯s face surged with killing intent at an rming rate. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 98: Struggle (2) Chapter 98: Struggle (2) ? Struggle (2) ? Yeah, okay. Sure. It was great and all that I managed to sessfully follow her. But what kind of fucked up situation was this? [Shouldn¡¯t you stop them?] ¡°¡­Stop that?¡± When I saw Riru and Eleanor enter the arena, such a response came out automatically. ¡°If I interfere, it¡¯ll just turn into an even bigger shitfest, you know?¡± [¡­I do agree with that, but¡­] Caliban let out a bitterugh. [Does that mean you¡¯re just going to let those two fight?] ¡°¡­¡± I knew that would be disastrous in its own way as well. If they fought right here and now, one of them would die. Most likely, it would be Riru. And the moment Riru died, the foundation in clearing Chapter 3 was as good as lost. ¡®¡­That person is absolutely necessary.¡¯ I didn¡¯t say the equipment needed to be shared with another person for no reason. After all, in this chapter¡¯s boss battle, we had to face both Tatiana and n at the same time. When taking Tatiana¡¯s abilities into ount, there would be times when it was impossible to use ¡®weapons¡¯. So, it was not an exaggeration to say that Riru was the only one who could deliver effective strikes with her bare hands. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s just watch for now. It¡¯s not like it only does harm.¡± Considering the original game¡¯s progression, there was a narrative that when Vessels shed with each other, their skills rapidly improved. Apparently they stimted each other¡¯s Devil¡¯s Aura, thus dragging out theirtent abilities. Of course, most of the time, it led to catastrophic situations, but judging by the current situation, it wasn¡¯t like there were only negative parts about it. After all, I was someone who earnestly wished for Riru¡¯s growth. [Anyway, doesn¡¯t that just mean it¡¯s already half-certain that an incident is about to happen?] ¡°¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. [What are you going to do when that happens?] ¡°¡­¡± I stroked my chin at Caliban¡¯s question. Finally, I gave him a serious response, wearing a stony expression on my face. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll all work out fine, right?¡± [¡­] ¡°You can¡¯t even answer that, can you?¡± [¡­] Yeah, no. I knew you couldn¡¯t. In any case, I believed in myself¡­ That I¡¯d do whatever the fuck it takes to survive when any fatal threates my way¡­! [¡­Aren¡¯t you just slowly starting to give up now as well?] ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, he wasn¡¯t wrong.
As expected of the academy that encouraged fights among students the most out of the three academies, the arena in the Forge of Struggle was a state-of-the-art facility. You need look no further than the medical station; it healed the patient¡¯s injuries to a level that was almost magical. At the very least, there was no need to worry about dying, no matter how many shes and explosions urred in this ce. And, honestly¡­ Right now, such help was more desperately needed than anything else. ¡°¡­¡± From the outside, Eleanor didn¡¯t seem to be that angry. In the first ce, she always wore an expressionless face, so it was impossible to read her emotions just by looking at her. Even so, she could certainly feel it. Killing intent. The tingly sensation that was crawling up her skin was undoubtedly that. She wasn¡¯t imagining it, it was as real as it could be. ¡°¡­¡± She steadied her breathing. There wasn¡¯t really a particr reason why she chose Eleanor out of the many people in the Forge of Struggle. It was just that she instinctively felt that this person was the most dangerous among all the humans near her right now. Simply because of the experience they had before¡­ And also because her senses had been ringing rm bells ever since the ¡®awards ceremony¡¯. That was a monster she should never go up against. ¡°¡­¡± However¡­ She was going to fight that very monster. ¡°¡­I know who you are, Riru Garda.¡± While she was lost in such thoughts, such a sentence was sent her way. ¡°Any warrior of the Tribal Alliance would look for an honorable fight and a glorious death. I am fully aware of such a disposition.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°The thought of you using Dowd as part of such a process doesn¡¯t make me feel any particr emotion now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So I shall forgive you if you at least withdraw now. Or else.¡± Eleanor took a single step towards heer. A familiar feeling. It was as if her entire body was being sliced by a de, even though there had been no physical danger that hade her way. She wanted to back down. They had faced each other many times, but even now, she desperately wished to turn her back and run away. ¡°¡­¡± However¡­ This time was different. ¡°¡­At first, that was how it was.¡± Riru began to speak in a gloomy voice. ¡°Even until some time ago, my head was filled with thoughts of¡­ ¡¯Using¡¯ him to aplish my goals.¡± She herself understood why Eleanor showed such a reaction. After all, in the past, Eleanor reacted most intensely when Riru, in an attempt to get on her nerves, mentioned that she would take away her lover. Therefore, it was likely she believed that even this current situation was merely an extension of that time. She probably thought that Riru was just trying to pick a fight, like what an average Tribal Alliance warrior would do. However¡­ The situation now was vastly different from before. Both her feelings about Dowd, as well as the gap between her and Eleeanor. This woman was undoubtedly strong. However, it was absolutely not to the extent that she would feel overwhelmingly outssed. ¡°Come at me. I wasn¡¯t saying such things as mere empty wo¡ª¡± Before she could even finish those words, a powerful blow struck Riru¡¯s abdomen. ¡°¡­-!¡± With a single kick, her insides werepletely wasted. Without any chance to react or readjust her posture¡­ Her body, honed over many years¡­. Was reduced to nothing by a strike from ady from a household famed for their swordsmanship, despite the fact that she hadn¡¯t even drawn her sword yet. [ Fatal injury detected. ] [ Medical drone activated. ] At that moment, the medical station that would only respond to fatal injuries was immediately activated. As if emphasizing the level of the damage she had taken. If this wasn¡¯t the ¡®arena¡¯ but a real battle, she would have died from that strike just now. However¡­ ¡°¡­Again.¡± Riru wiped the blood trickling from her lips. The me in her eyes remained undiminished. ¡°I¡¯m just getting started.¡± Again, they shed. This time, there was a slight difference in result. She managed to adjust her footwork, carefully measuring the distance between her and her opponent as she advanced. However¡­ ¡°¡­-!¡± Once again, she was kicked aside effortlessly. Threepound fractures in the ribs. The arm that had blocked the blow was grotesquely twisted. [ Fatal injury detected. ] [ Medical drone activated. ] ¡°¡­¡± Riru gritted her teeth and stood up again. ¡°¡­Again.¡± And following that¡­ The same routine repeated itself. No matter how she tried to sh, she was shattered and broken under the opponent¡¯s effortless strikes, as if merely swatting a fly. The gap was overwhelming. An insurmountable difference that made her feel like all the techniques, powers, and knowledge she had umted were utterly useless. ¡°¡­Why are you going this far, Riru Garda?¡± Eleanor let out a sigh. She wasn¡¯t even moving properly, yet she was practically beating Riru into mush without shedding a single drop of sweat. ¡°I shall be honest. I do not understand the reason behind these actions. That is why I am going easy on you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was all of this actually Eleanor going easy on her? Even though she was disying such monstrous strength? It was enough to make her feel despair. At the very least, she wanted to drag out this woman¡¯s ¡®full power¡¯. Only then could she at least find the foundation she needed toy out, but¡­ It seemed it was impossible with her current abilities. ¡°Because I want to be stronger.¡± ¡°If bing stronger was your wish, there are an abundance of ways. There¡¯s no particr need toe find me and do something so reckless.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To be honest, it wasn¡¯t even worthy of a warm-up. I¡¯m not sure if there is anything you can gain from here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru bit her lip so hard, blood flowed out. ¡°Moreover, there is even less of a reason to namedrop Dowd.¡± Eleanor continued in an apathetic voice. ¡°Why would you say you would take that man for yourself if it wasn¡¯t to provoke me? What¡¯s the reason for that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t love him deeply enough to warrant this much effort to go against me.¡± That was true. It would be a lie to say that she had no favorable feelings for that man, but it would also be a lie to say that she was in love with him. If anything, the most vivid emotion she held was¡­ Jealousy. That was the emotion she felt when Kasa chose that man over her, someone who had been by her side and had taken care of her for decades. However¡­ That wasn¡¯t the only reason why. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to receive help again.¡± She muttered with frustration. The identity of that emotion¡­ Even she herself didn¡¯t know¡­ What she knew was that she didn¡¯t want that man to suffer for her sake anymore. She could feel such an emotion clearly, like a lump in her chest. ¡°Even more so¡­ If it¡¯s from someone I¡¯m indebted to¡­¡± In such a short time, she had gained this chance for revenge, even though she wasn¡¯t even certain that she could secure such a chance alone if she were to spend her whole life working for it. But even after giving her such a gift, he continued to help her. If she at least knew what his intentions were when helping her, she wouldn¡¯t be this frustrated. However, for her sake, this indecipherable man busied himself, suffered, and continuously intervened in her actions. To be honest, she didn¡¯t even know how to treat him. As such¡­. ¡°¡­I also have a duty to do the right thing. At the very least, I should get rid of the thing he fears.¡± If you receive something from someone, return their favor, even if you have to stake your life. Kasa had taught her as such. So, even if it was to avoid receiving future help¡­ She had to grow strong enough to protect him at least once by eliminating the thing he was most terrified of. Risking her life and shing with this woman was a part of such progress. ¡°¡­Fear? What does Dowd fear?¡± Riru¡¯s face was covered with incredulous disbelief. ¡°Are you really asking because you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s you. You and the swordswoman who wields that white aura.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He seemed afraid of you two from time to time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he be able to gain at least some peace of mind if I defeat you and make you never approach him again?¡± As a seasoned warrior on the battlefield, this was a fact that she could assert. Moreover, as a capable unarmedbatant with extreme sensitivity to emotions, she could state this truth with even more certainty. That man, from time to time, was afraid of these two women. Such a sensation was conveyed vividly. Eleanor¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°¡­You¡¯re talking utter nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru¡¯s expression became slightly serious. This woman, who had always treated her as if she were a mere nuisance, had reacted in a sincere manner to that statement. In other words, this could be considered an ¡®opportunity¡¯. An opportunity to see this woman¡¯s full power. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not that you¡¯re in denial?¡± She began to provoke Eleanor. ¡°You guys don¡¯t look good together, though.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Why do you think he epted you? It¡¯s because he had no choice. You kept throwing yourself onto him like¡ª¡± As soon as such words were spoken¡­ ¡ª-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A sh of light exploded in front of Riru¡¯s eyes.
Dirt and dust turned the surroundings into a fog of smoke. ¡®That was dangerous¡­!¡¯ With such thoughts, I looked at Riru, who was retching while vomiting blood. She was aplete mess. If I hadn¡¯t just used that skill, she would have died on the spot. As soon as she left the stage, she would not have been able to receive any support from the medical station. ¡°¡­¡± With cold sweat dripping down my back, I looked at thepletely devastated stage, courtesy of Eleanor¡¯s sword swing from just a moment ago. How did she even manage to think about fighting something like that? ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As I whispered in a volume that Eleanor couldn¡¯t hear, Riru¡¯s eyes kept rolling backwards. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t help me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said don¡¯t help me!¡± Riru spoke with clenched teeth. It was a voice filled with shame and humiliation. And somehow, it also sounded tearful as well. But more than that, I witnessed a chilling sight that made my blood run cold. ¡°This time, I don¡¯t need your help! There¡¯s still so much I owe you, so don¡¯t make the list any longer¡­!¡± A blue aura was spreading. I didn¡¯t know why, but this person became extremely angry as a result of my help. ¡°Riru.¡± For now, I opened my mouth. Above all else, I had a duty to calm this person¡¯s ire. However, I couldn¡¯t think of anything to say. What should I say? I didn¡¯t even know why she got so angry in the first ce¡­! However, if I didn¡¯t reassure her right now, there was no doubt that it would be a massive problem. As such, I opened my mouth to calm her down. System Message [ Title ¡®yboy¡¯ recognizes your situation! ] [ After recognizing the situation and target, itposes the optimal sentence to ovee the current crisis! ] ¡°¡­¡± No. Please don¡¯t. Don¡¯t do that. When I saw the system window that popped up in front of my eyes, goosebumps rose all over my body. Although I applied it quite usefully when pushing away Yuria before, I still remembered what this son of a bitch did to calm Eleanor down. If this fucker handled the part that I didn¡¯t ¡®n¡¯¡­ It was going to fucking spit out whatever ridiculous shit it want¡ª! ¡°There is no need for you to feel indebted to me because of my help.¡± As soon as the sentence popped out of my mouth before I could even finish my thoughts¡­ ¡°After all, it was all my choice. I wanted to do it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I like you, Riru Garda.¡± Riru¡¯s expression instantly turned nk. ¡°¡­¡± And mine did as well. W-What¡­ What the fuck did I just say? You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 99: Vow Chapter 99: Vow ? Vow ? System Message [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ is activated! ] [ The favorability level of target ¡®Riru Garda¡¯ has soared from ¡®Interest Level 3¡¯ to ¡®Trust Level 1¡¯! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] System Message [ Verifying that crisis has been averted. ] [ Title ¡®yboy¡¯ has been deactivated! ] Yeah, okay. Great. Cool. I get all that, but¡­ I really couldn¡¯t sympathize with thest part about how the crisis was averted. Reflexively, I checked Eleanor¡¯s figure, who was gazing at me while standing on the center of the stage. No way in hell that she didn¡¯t hear what I had just told Riru. The fact that she alternated her gaze between me and Riru with a look of disbelief was more than enough proof of that. System Notification [ Using ¡®Scan¡¯. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] [ Elnore Elinalise La Tristan ] Characteristic: Grey Devil¡¯s Vessel (2 Fragments), Lady Tristan Status: Intensely contemting the meaning of Dowd Campbell¡¯s ¡®I like you¡¯. The only fortunate thing was that, upon hearing those words, she didn¡¯t immediately throw herself at me, trying to end my godforsaken life. It bought me some time. Enough to make up some bullshit to go through this situation. ¡°¡­Y-You, what on earth are you sa¡ª¡± Riru, who was being held in my arms, stuttered with a face flushed to the tip of her ears. Her expression clearly showed that she herself could not believe what she had just heard. I was inplete agreement. If I was sane, I would never have been able to say such things. Especially not in front of Eleanor. [He¡¯s racking his brain~ Dowd Campbell¡¯s racking his brain~] ¡°¡­¡± [I wonder how you¡¯ll survive this time. Wow, I¡¯m so excited already.] Has the world ever witnessed a person who was as fucking unhelpful as him? How could you say such things when someone¡¯s life was in danger? [Why don¡¯t you just be honest with her? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to go like ¡®My situation is like h h h, so can you cooperate?¡¯ or whatever?] No. How many times do I have to tell you that I¡¯d die if I were to do that? As soon as I informed the Vessels about the existence of Devils, the already twisted scenario would likely descend into chaos. Soon, I would be entangled with Faenol as well, and when that happened, the events would be even more catastrophic since it would involve the Heretic inquisition. I was already getting fucked left and right because of my rtionships with the Devils, but it could go beyond even that and unfold a shitfest that was beyond salvation. Basically, I wouldn¡¯t be able to progress at all. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I could just sit still here and die. Ibed through my memories. The game settings, Eleanor¡¯s current condition, the Grey Devil¡¯s disposition, everything. As if my Swordsman¡¯s Focus skill was activated, my thought process elerated, making it feel like my entire surroundings were slowing down. [Damn, it seems like this is a checkmate. Is there any way out for you?] In such a situation, Caliban spoke with a voice mixed with amusement. [Last time, it ended by mming your lips over hers. What will you use this time to calm her?] ¡°¡­¡± [Even if you do that again, the issue this time is way too big to contain, so I don¡¯t think she would listen to you, right?] I agreed. However, still, just brazenly doing something like you said is way too¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Wait¡­ Brazenly doing something? ¡®Perhaps, couldn¡¯t that actually be¡­¡¯ ¡®Possible?¡¯ Even I, who was the progenitor of this idea, got dizzy when I thought of it, but¡­ There was no doubt that it would work. [¡­Your face doesn¡¯t look all that bright, though?] Just because it would work, didn¡¯t mean that it was a good thing for me. Honestly, I really didn¡¯t want to go that far¡­! However, the scene unfolding right before my eyes spared me from such meaningless concerns. After all, Eleanor, who was in the center of the arena, unched¡¯ herself straight in my direction. At this point, her physical abilities had transcended being mere excellent and reached the level of a walking man-made disaster. ¡°¡­What does that mean, Dowd?¡± Her red eyes were zing. ¡°You said you liked her, what does that me¡ª¡± ¡°¡­It means exactly what you¡¯re thinking.¡± While sweat coalesced in the palms of my hand, I answered. ¡°¡­I like Riru.¡± Upon hearing those words¡­ As Riru¡¯s jaw dropped once again, at the same time, sparks flew out from Eleanor¡¯s eyes. However, before she could say anything, I continued with another statement. ¡°Isn¡¯t she the perfect person to take as a concubine?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Both Eleanor and Riru¡¯s expressions simultaneously turned nk.
A hellish silencested for a few minutes. Eleanor alternated her gaze between me and Riru with an expression that seemed utterly lost, as if she didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°¡­A concubine?¡± Seeing as how she hesitated to speak the word out, which was unexpected of her, it was clear she was quite flustered. She probably never could have imagined someone would utter such a word right in front of her face. And while facing the flustered Eleanor, I brought forth a game setting that I knew before. ¡°ording to the Empire¡¯sws, all nobles above the rank of a count are legally encouraged to practice bigamy.¡± Due to this influence, in the game, there were times when Iliya brought around several men with her. Just their existence themselves were enough for high-ranking nobles to be walking and talking lumps of influence. By using the institutional strategy known as marriage, numerous connections could be formed into a hub; Since the Empire could utilize such a hub, they also encouraged this to some extent. However, it was clear that such encouragement was for a specific purpose. Unlike ¡®legal wives¡¯, ¡®concubines¡¯ had a very clear distinction in their ¡®purpose¡¯. Essentially, there was an absolute gap between the wife that was truly loved and other women, bound only in marriage out of necessity. ¡°¡­After I marry you, I n on taking Riru as a concubine.¡± Usually, when someone said something like this, the majority of the Empire¡¯s noblewoman would understand and yield. After all, ording to the Empire¡¯sws, the ¡®difference in treatment¡¯ was that significant between legal wives and concubines. ¡°¡­Do you really think that¡¯s an eptable excuse right now?¡± Of course, even so¡­ If the person in question was a Devil who was fundamentally embedded with obsessive attributes, they were highly likely to listen with only half an ear. This was also the reason why I hadn¡¯t used this method on Yuria despite having it in mind. ¡°Of course.¡± However¡­ The turning point was here. In the end, a Devil¡¯s obsession came from the desire to ¡®monopolize¡¯ that person. Even the Grey Devil, who was almost unfailingly favorable to me, could not yield in this regard. So, just like how I epted the ring that Eleanor handed to me¡­ I needed to give her ¡®proof¡¯ that could definitively quell that desire. Proof that Eleanor was the most precious person to me that no other person could possess. ¡°¡­¡± Fuck. Seriously. I really didn¡¯t want to do this. I closed my eyes internally. And with a feeling that was akin to pulling a trigger, I spoke. ¡°Riru takes very good care of children, after all.¡± Eleanor, who was about to lose her temper, froze in her tracks. Then, her face immediately distorted. She seemed to be half in doubt about what she just heard. ¡°¡­Child?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Even while my five viscera and six entrails felt like they were getting twisted, my face still maintained a smile as I continued. ¡°Our child.¡± Eleanor¡¯s face flushed so rapidly, it looked like it was about to explode. She even took a step backward, as if she had been hit by something. ¡°C-Ch-Chi-Child¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°D-D-Dowd, w-what are y-you saying right now, so-¡± ¡°My n¡­¡± From inside the amulet, I could hear Caliban roaring withughter while rolling around. He was struggling to breathe; It honestly sounded like thest gasp of a near-dead person whose breath had been cut off. But even so, I continued to maintain my smile as I spoke. ¡°Is to have a child with you soon, Eleanor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As the leader of her n, Riru has a lot of experience in taking care of children very well. She would be a great help during the¡ª¡± ¡°S-Stop. Stop!¡± Eleanor urgently cut me off. She was covering her face, flushed to the tip of her ears, with both her hands. She was extremely out of breath as well. ¡°H-How could you say s-such things i-in front of o-other people, have y-you actually g-gone insane?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I know, right?¡¯ I found myself miserable, deplorable, and distressing for saying such thingspletely sober without even the activation of the yboy Title. But the effect was clear. After all, Eleanor, who had been filled with rage, could not even think properly due to the topic I had just brought up. However¡­. Even though Eleanor had calmed down, there was plenty of room for a problem to ur from the ¡®other side¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± I snuck a nce at Riru. Surely enough, her expression had turned icy. Near her body, a faint blue aura could even be observed with the naked eye. Yeah. I know. I get it. A man just confessed that he liked her, then proceeded to casually bark absolute dogshit about taking her in as a concubine; If it was me, I would have been so enraged, something inside me would have snapped. As such, I needed to take further action. ¡°¡­¡± I took a deep breath and tapped the amulet with my finger several times. This was something that was possible to do since they were people who could read the sentences in my mind without me needing to say it aloud. Valkasus. Please. I beg you. I¡¯m sorry for waking you up after such a long time and immediately assigning you a task like this, but¡­! [¡­You really lead quite the colorful life, don¡¯t you?] A voice full of pity flowed out from Soul Linker. At the same time, Riru¡¯s eyes widened. Even if it was Eleanor, who could detect all kinds of auras and energies because of her insane General stats, there was no way she could sense a very tiny note written by using ¡®Forbidden Sorcery¡¯. And thanks to that, Riru, who was about to vent her anger, suddenly wore a bewildered expression. It was probably because she felt ¡®letters¡¯ being carved on top of her skin. While using a pressure that was at the level of rubbing someone with a finger, I was drawing a text on top of that person¡¯s skin. And with that¡­ I carved ¡®words¡¯ that would be able to calm this person down. After all, I only had a few Tattoos, so my Forbidden Sorcery abilities were only at this level. [Cooperate. Death if don¡¯t. Save me.] A shoddily written sentence. It meant that if she didn¡¯t cooperate with me, we would both die right here and now. Fortunately, it seemed as if she understood, since Riru¡¯s eyes widened even further. ¡°A-A concubine for r-raising t-the c-children¡­¡± Eleanor muttered with a tone of disbelief. With her face reddened as if it were about to burst, she alternated her gaze between me and Riru. ¡°L-Let¡¯s have t-this conversation a-againter¡ª!¡± With those words, Eleanor left the room. She left a crater with a single stomp and, at the same time, she vanished at a speed that left an afterimage. It felt like something out of a manhwa. ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, okay. I survived this time as well. But at what price¡­? [What do you think? Soon enough, you¡¯re going to get sucked dry until you be a dad. Congrattions, sheeeesh. I¡¯m jealous. So impressive. How amazing.] ¡°¡­¡± Shut the fuck up. [But how do you n to deal with that Yuriady?] Wot? [If she hears that you¡¯re taking someone as a concubine, she won¡¯t sit still, right? Her level of obsession is many times more severe even whenpared to Lady Tris¡ª] ¡®¡­Caliban.¡¯ I replied with a transcendent smile, as if I was above such unimportant things. ¡®Let¡¯s cross that bridge when we get to it.¡¯ [¡­] ¡®There¡¯s no point in worrying about it now, so isn¡¯t it better to see how the situation turns out before figuring it out?¡¯ [Didn¡¯t you just do that exact same thing and all that¡¯s left for you now is to get sucked dry?] ¡°¡­¡± [You know~ I don¡¯t even know what to say. I¡¯m looking forward to what kind of things you¡¯d do to dig up more of your own graves¡ª] I released the amulet from my hand and let it tter onto the floor. Sorry, Valkasus. Only Valkasus. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 100: Chieftain (1) Chapter 100: Chieftain (1) ? Chieftain (1) ? ¡°I¡¯m back, Granny.¡± ¡°You came back ear¡ª What happened to you?¡± Unbing of her, Kasa Garda was startled. Seeing her granddaughter alwayse back drenched in sweat was a familiar sight for her, but returning with bruises and injuries covering every corner of her body like this was not amon urrence, even from her perspective. Without a doubt, she had been in a fight and returned utterly battered. While such incidents used to happen rtively frequently in the past, they had be fairly rare recently. ¡°Did you be like this after training with that guy?¡± Kaya asked with an incredulous voice. Basic exercises to improve Dowd Campbell¡¯s stamina was something she had already been making Riru supervise everyday. Even the person in question had his doubts about why he was spending his time on such physical training rather than learning proper ¡®techniques¡¯, but due to Kasa¡¯s stubborn insistence, it had continued everyday. Anyway¡­ Getting injured to this extent from just that much training was absurd. After all, even Riru was pouting, denying her suspicions, as she shook her head. ¡°Obviously not.¡± ¡°Then how did you end up in this state?¡± Riru fell silent for a moment at Kasa¡¯s question. She was clearly in deep thought, pondering whether it was right to consult Kasa about this. ¡°¡­Hey, Granny.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru pursed her lips with hesitation for a long while, before finally managing to speak. ¡°¡­That Lady Tristan. Do you know about her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of her. Isn¡¯t she well-known throughout the entire continent as the swordsmanship genius? What about her?¡± ¡°What is a good way to train if I want to fight and win against her?¡± Kasa¡¯s expression was filled with questions. ¡°¡­Why against her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I somehow ended up fighting her once.¡± Riru stroked her chin in contemtion as she continued. ¡°¡­I thought I could be immediately stronger if I fought against her.¡± There wasn¡¯t much time left until the end of the Hunter¡¯s Night which also meant there was not much time left until she could directly confront the Chieftain. In that case, she needed to try out every possible means that could make her stronger. And¡­ It wasn¡¯t like that was the only reason either. ¡°Also¡­¡± Riru, who was about to continue, let out a sigh instead. In her mind, the incident from earlier came rushing back. The unidentifiable power that Dowd Campbell had used to engrave that sentence on her arm. [Cooperate. Death if don¡¯t. Save me.] ¡ªShe was sure that was what he said. But, the problem was¡­ Depending on the interpretation, it could be seen as a slightly different sentence. It could potentially mean that if Dowd Campbell ¡®himself¡¯ did not ¡®cooperate¡¯, he would die. So¡­ Combined with his usual tendencies of being ¡®scared¡¯ of Eleanor, quite a novel conclusion could be drawn. ¡°I¡¯m not certain yet, but¡­¡± Riru fidgeted awkwardly. ¡°I feel like someone is getting threatened.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± As Kasa responded in a bewildered tone, Riru pouted. ¡°¡­You know¡­¡± Her embarrassment was abundantly clear, but, without a doubt¡­ ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be pitiful if someone were to be forced into marriage against their own will?¡± Her determined ¡®will¡¯ was more than apparent in the tone of her voice.
Honestly, if one guessed how the Chief cksmith in charge of the Hall of me would look like, it was normal to think of a rough and rowdy old man. However, surprisingly, the person responsible for managing the equipment of the best educational institution of the Tribal Alliance was light years away from such an image. For one, it wasn¡¯t even a person. [User Recognition. ID Verification. Elfante 2nd-Year Exchange Student Dowd Campbell. Wee to the Hall of me.] ¡°¡­¡± There wasn¡¯t even any scorching heat. Rather, when I entered, a neatly designed room akin to a reception room and a huge ¡®machine¡¯ ced right in the center came into view. Excluding the asional releases of magically engineered tools which were pieces of over-technology1Korean ng for revolutionary technology that is far beyond its era., this was quite a bizarre sight, especially when considering that the world of Sera maintained a premodern level of technology. When seeing just this scene alone, one would think that they were ying a sci-fi game instead of fantasy. [I am Sephira, the AI in charge of the Hall of me. What can I assist you with today?] ¡°Equipment production.¡± [Confirmed. Please input the materials in the slot and select the blueprint you desire.] With those words, I shook out everything I brought into the hole on the side of the machine. Ectosm. Starsteel. Adaptive Leather. Even the ¡®Dragon Scales¡¯ obtained from beating the shit out of a Sea Serpent recently. They were all high-quality materials. With just one of them, you could swagger to any Chief cksmith and leave them to cook up the highest-quality products. ¡®¡­Honestly, it¡¯s not necessarily good to use all of these at once.¡¯ Just like putting all kinds of ingredients into cooking didn¡¯t guarantee delicious taste, stuffing a bunch of good materials in one ce didn¡¯t always ensure good results. Rather, something might go wrong during the manufacturing process; It was possible that the ingredients wouldn¡¯t match and worse results woulde out,pared to just not including them in their entirety. As such, Master Craftsmen would probably refuse to ept this as-is, saying they didn¡¯t have the confidence to handle materials of this caliber. ¡®But this thing is different.¡¯ With such thoughts, I looked towards the machine in front of me. There was a reason why I had brought these things all the way here instead of leaving it to Elfante¡¯s workshop. At the very least, when it came to ¡®creating¡¯ something, those bearing the Magic Tower brand were unrivaled, even if one scoured the entire continent. In fact, the response I received was not some sort of reaction, but a mechanical hologram window. Basically, it would never say that it was ¡®impossible¡¯. Even in the original game, this was a versatile production machine that spat out anything with ease, no matter what was stuffed in. [All Materials Confirmed. Considering the quality and quantity, making a defensive gear is rmended. Making something that covers the whole body is the most efficient-] ¡°No.¡± I certainly agreed with that statement. After all, with this amount, it was truthfully not efficient to make just one weapon. But still¡­ ¡°No defensive gear. No weapons either.¡± Considering the structure of Tatiana and n¡¯s boss battle, this was a necessary condition. If I made this demand to a Chief cksmith, most of them would kick me out on the spot. However, even this time, Sephira simply returned a calm response. [In that case, please choose the category of equipment you desire.] Starting with the major categories of equipment such as weapons or defensive gears, it led to subcategories like swords, spears, helmets, or shields. It was a very modern design, like ordering food from a kiosk. ¡®¡­They really do live in an entirely different world all by themselves.¡¯ With such thoughts, I operated the hologram window. Even when considering the original game, the Magic Tower was a group who always produced objects that seemed to be a different genre all by themselves. Even when considering the standards of the Tribal Alliance, which was the most technologically advanced nation among the superpowers, they fell far shortpared to the Magic Tower. To prove this, the Tribal Alliance even brought an object from their ce to handle their most important matter; ¡®equipment¡¯ production. Just the immediate response alone indicated the overwhelming technological prowess as well. [ Estimated Equipment Production Time: 30 Minutes. ] ¡°¡­¡± Even if I entrusted this to Professor Vulcan in Elfante¡¯s School of Crafting, it would probably take a week for this amount of work. But this thing would finish in just 30 minutes. If it wasn¡¯t because all the equipment made by the Magic Tower required the ¡®Magic Tower-Made Battery,¡¯ something that they sold at a ridiculously high price, the industrial revolution would have already happened a long time ago. You see, they were quite a selfish group. They were willing to put their lives on the line to prevent others from taking their technology. After all, they were scientists who were only interested in research, regardless of its purpose. ¡®¡­I have to visit them some timeter.¡¯ That time wouldn¡¯t be so far off. In fact, starting from the next immediate branching route of the Main Scenario, Chapter 4, there was a high likelihood that I would build a bond with the Magic Tower. With such thoughts, I examined the signature of the ¡®artist¡¯ engraved on the front interface of Sephira. [ Artist: Expunged Record. ] [ Assistant: Faenol Lipek ] ¡°¡­¡± There was a familiar name. It was quite heterogeneous to have the name of a mage from the Heretic Inquisition engraved on Magic Tower equipment, but it was not that strange when considering her background. And when taking into ount that Faenol held the position of the final boss in Chapter 4, it was definitely a ¡®clue¡¯ that could never be overlooked. [Production isplete.] As I was lost in such thoughts, the front part of Sephira opened and the equipment I requested slid onto the conveyor belt. Two pairs of ¡®gauntlets¡¯ interwoven with various materials throughout. This was the equipment that straddled the boundary between weapons and defensive gear. ¡®Noice.¡¯ Since it seemed better than expected, I picked it up with a smile. [ Infinity Gauntlet ] Equipment: Unique Description: Gauntlets with various effects from the usage of all kinds of high-quality materials. [ ? Dragon Scales: Receives Endurance that never breaks or wears out in any situation. ] [ ? Ectosm: Disys a very high fusion rate with various Special Powers. When enhancements or buff skills are casted on the equipment, the effect is doubled. ] [ ? Starsteel: Highly resistant to various curses and reacts most sensitively to the divine. ] [ ? Adaptive Leather: Automatically copies the target¡¯s attributes when struck. On the second hit, automatically weakens the target¡¯s attribute. ] ¡®It¡¯s perfect.¡¯ This was why until now, I didn¡¯t use all the materials I collected right away and waited for Sephira instead, It was because the properties of all the materials I inputted were perfectly integrated. No cap, this should easily match the ¡®Holy Sword¡¯ that Iliya would obtain in the next chapter. Of course, it couldn¡¯tpete with the Holy Sword¡¯s full potential as it was the protagonist¡¯s exclusive weapon, but it was definitely still an excessively good equipment for just one person to receive. It would never break, could be enhanced more easily than your average equipment, had curse resistance and was sensitive to divine power. And, most importantly¡­ The feature at the end that ¡®weakens the target¡¯s attribute¡¯, was¡­ An ability that could practically snipe Tatiana. The name was quite funny, though; It almost felt like I needed to ce stones on the glove. ¡®¡­Riru will probably be pleased if I bring this to her.¡¯ The reason I made two pairs was because one of them had to be given to Riru. If that person received such a fine piece of equipment, she would undoubtedly be deligh¡ª System Message [ Special Interaction between the ¡®Blue Devil¡¯s¡¯ Vessel ¡®Riru Garda¡¯ and the ¡®??????????????????????????????????¨¤????????¨¬?????????????????????????????????????????¨¹????????????¡¯¡¯s Vessel ¡®Eleanor¡¯ unfolds. ] [ The frequency of contact between the two Vessels will increase! ] ¡°¡­¡± Okay first, I could understand very well why Riru couldn¡¯t be ady. Still, what was fortunate was that the nuance of the system window suggested it was not a particrly threatening situation. If it was an event that posed a threat to my life, this bastard, considering its features, would have already warned me to go and stop it quickly. ¡®¡­Well, a point of contact should have been formed.¡¯ Not only did they sh on their own when I didn¡¯t bridge any gap between them, but they also interacted several times even without my involvement. However, considering Riru¡¯s personality, she wouldn¡¯t want to meet Eleanor for some time since she lost so overwhelmingly to her just a while ago. As such, it was a mystery to me why their frequency of contact would increase at all. Why in the world would that happen? ¡°Ah, you are here.¡± As I was lost in such thoughts, a very unpleasant voice resounded in my ear. When I turned my head, I saw Tatiana. As always, she had her machine-like smile on her face. ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know why, but this bitch, who had been silent until now, had suddenly revealed herself in front of me. She probably wasn¡¯t intending to have a battle right here and now in an effort to kill me. After all, she would think that her head would immediately fly off due to Eleanor the moment that she did. Until some means to ¡®suppress¡¯ her were created, the possibility of any armed demonstration here was very low. As I frowned slightly, Tatiana spoke in a light voice. ¡°The Chieftain will soon arrive at the Forge of Struggle. Everyone is preparing for the wee ceremony.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± I guess it was around that time. After all, the news about that man visiting here had been circting for a few days now. ¡°And¡­¡± Tatiana smiled. ¡°He apparently wants to see you first, Dowd Campbell.¡± In contrast, my expression crumpled even further. ¡®¡­She¡¯s already letting me make contact with n?¡¯ No matter how I thought about it, I couldn¡¯t understand the reason for that. That was a hidden card which was normal for this bitch stash away. She didn¡¯t need to reveal it to me already and leak such information. ¡°Ah.¡± However, Tatiana remained indifferent to my expression and just continued talking. ¡°On your way there, can you bring Riru Garda and Kasa Garda with you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Chieftain wishes to see those two as well.¡± Truly, that sentence wasn¡¯t pleasant to the ears. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls
  • 1 Korean ng for revolutionary technology that is far beyond its era.
Chapter 101: Chieftain (2) Chapter 101: Chieftain (2) ? Chieftain (2) ? If one were aware of Yuria Greyhounder¡¯s identity, the question, ¡®Why does this woman always have someone around her?¡¯ would immediatelye to their minds. Probably, the most urate impression they had on her was that they barely saw her alone. But, if that person knew that she harbored two existences that could cause cataclysms, they would freak out when they saw her by herself. She was a walking human time bomb; One that carried two uncontroble entities within her. And¡­ Faenol Lipek knew this better than anyone else. Mages affiliated with the Heretic Inquisition received an almost disgusting amount of detailed information about Devils and their Vessels. This was only natural, as it was their lifelong duty to purify the world of those things. As such, it wasn¡¯t a surprise for them to be educated to the bone about those things¡¯ danger and evil nature. Not to mention that in her case¡­ She didn¡¯t even need formal education; She could actually ¡®sense¡¯ those things herself. ¡°¡­¡± Faenol closed her eyes and suppressed the ¡®aura¡¯ she felt within her own heart. Both Lady Tristan and Yuria, both of them were having a hard time because they didn¡¯t know the identity of ¡®this¡¯ existence. However¡­ She was more than aware of what kind of existence it was. Dreadfully so. To the point that it made her sick. ¡°You went out of your way looking for me.¡± She looked towards the other person with a grin. As Faenol began to talk, across from her, Yuria nodded with a gloomy expression. The other woman hadid her heart bare, saying that she came here without even telling the Saintess, the person who yed the role of her guardian. She even told Faenol the reason why she came looking for her. ¡°¡­I think Mr. Dowd hates me.¡± The tone of her mumble was so depressing to the point that one would shrink in despair by just listening to it. It was a reaction that could easily be inferred after hearing all of Yuria¡¯s stories. This woman was extremely sensitive to the favor of others, especially because she had lived alone for a considerable amount of time. It was even more so since she harbored the ¡®White Devil¡¯, whose trigger to going berserk lies in these kinds of issues. ¡°¡­¡± Faenol raised the teacup she had taken out without saying a single word. Every little move of that man named Dowd was trulyughable. From her perspective, what he had done was nothing more than clowning around. A farce. The absurdity of his action could be seen from what he had done to Yuria. He was just making an excuse, like your usual yboy. However¡­ ¡°Of course. There will never be a case where you regret my assistance.¡± Faenol could not afford to lose out on that man called Dowd. Even if it was because of ¡®this thing¡¯ slumbering in her heart. Regardless of how ridiculous these Devil¡¯s Vessels might seem because of how easily they get swayed by his absurd words, she could not let her true feelings be noticeable. Even if she had to use everything and anything¡­. That man had to be kept within her ¡®clutches¡¯. ¡°For now¡­¡± As such¡­ What she had to do now was use this windfall she received to the fullest. The first step in doing so was¡­ ¡°Shall we start by taking off your clothes?¡± ¡°¡­My clothes?¡± ¡°Yes. All of it.¡± Yuria¡¯s expression distorted scandalously.
Come to think of it¡­ After I showed off Eleanor¡¯s existence, the extent of Tatiana¡¯s threat and pressure was severely limited. Although it wasn¡¯t my intention, it seemed like, through that, I had put strong pressure on her instead. ¡®Thanks to that, I¡¯ve gained quite a bit of leeway and time.¡¯ This was also the reason why I was windingly roaming around right now, trying to leave Imprints on the Sea Serpent, a different Demonic Creature in the Volcanic Zone, and then another Demonic Creature during the period of the Hunter¡¯s Night. Considering the Main Quests so far, the speed of progression was practically at a crawling pace. And, as always¡­. This damn world I had came to kept on trying to fuck me over. There was no way it would allow me to progress so easily. As proof of that, there was this person right in front of me, the Chieftain of the Tribal Alliance himself. ¡°¡­¡± Nauseating. That was the first thought I had. And¡­ Even on my way here, I felt that something was strange¡­ ¡°Why did you not bring Riru Garda and Kasa Garda?¡± ¡°¡­Would you bring them if you were in my position, Chief Priest?¡± Starting from the reaction she showed when I came here alone after handing over Riru to Eleanor. It would be quite troublesome if Riru, who harbored the Blue Devil of Wrath, went berserk after getting involved in this bitch¡¯s imperceivable wicked schemes. As such, I decided toe alone and leave her with Eleanor, so that Tatiana could not easily mess with her. But still¡­ ¡°¡­Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Those two are more like a ¡®hobby¡¯ to me anyway.¡± This bitch just shrugged her shoulders and brushed the topic aside. As if anything I did with them was fine with her. The following event was even stranger. Usually, the process of announcing the Chieftain was quite a grand ceremony in itself. Just look at the Hunter¡¯s Night. The biggest reward you could receive after going through that event, the event that could rouse the entire Forge of Struggle into action, was to meet with the Chieftain directly and implore your desire to him. Yes, his authority was the weakest among the three superpowers. But, you were still meeting the leader who governed an entire country. It was still a matter of great importance. However¡­ All of the usual processes were skipped. I was facing n Ba-Thor in the ¡®audience chamber¡¯. There was not a single entourage, much less a War Chief. The reason was evident as soon as I saw him. Tatiana probably did not want to show this appearance to anyone else unless she had no choice but to do it. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to let others know that she had brainwashed him. It was part of the reason, but it barely could qualify as her whole reason. Rather than that, right now, n¡¯s condition was¡­ Much more horrifying. ¡°¡­¡± In the original game¡­ Although n Ba-Thor emerged in a brainwashed state due to the effects of Tatiana¡¯s artifact from the very beginning, as long as the yer could beat Tatiana, it was possible to see his original appearance. To describe his original appearance¡­ I guess you could call him a magnanimous one. Passionate. Cheerful. Simple-minded but upright. He knew how to uphold justice and was braver than anyone on the battlefield; He was a man who always exuded the atmosphere of a friendly neighborhood brother. However¡­ You couldn¡¯t apply any of those traits to the current him. While he was looking like this, there was no way he could return to his previous appearance. Ever. I gazed at the monstrosity sitting on the throne in front of me. Cursing under my breath, I looked at the monster in front of my eyes and the ck armor covering his entire body. At a nce, it looked like a defensive gear that was a pain in the ass to wear, but it would ensure the user to be heavily armed. I would agree with that observation if the various types of ¡®curses¡¯ weren¡¯t being injected through the test tubes and syringes connected to that armor. n¡¯s expression buried underneath the armor was not visible; It was to the point that it was hard to tell whether he was even alive or dead. However¡­ That sticky ¡®something¡¯ that wrapped around his entire still body was visible inside the armor. It looked like tentacles one might find in marine creatures. Starting from his face, it protruded throughout the entire body. Not only was it protruding, but it also stuck close to the body¡¯s shape, transforming him into a grotesque form. It was almost as if he was a poorly molded lump of flesh in the shape of a meat doll. And this was a form I was familiar with. ¡°¡­Incarnation of the Riptide¡° I uttered such words with a groan. Riptide Marchalon. The Reversed Sea. In Chapter 4, if you were to make contact with it, that was the trigger for Game Over. As soon as the bastard awakened, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the entire Forge of Struggle would be submerged into the sea. And right now¡­ n had been reduced to a mere medium to ¡®call forth¡¯ that cursed existence. In the original game, it was an enemy that only existed as dummy data. I heard that the difficulty of facing him was too high, so they scrapped the idea duringunch. Honestly, that assessment sounded about right. This existence that had be an Incarnation was able to summon ¡®numerous¡¯ entities that even Tatiana herself had to sacrifice her life to sessfully call forth one of them. It was not wrong to assume that the destructive power that would rush forth was virtually on the verge of Eleanor going berserk with two Fragments. Not to mention¡­ ¡®¡­This is already the final stage of the mutation.¡¯ At this level, Tatiana could summon the Riptide whenever she wishes if she set her mind to it. It was not a level where I could do anything to prevent it. If it was this much, it made sense for her to confidently approach me first, even after considering the presence of Eleanor. After all, she had also brought an entity that wouldn¡¯t be outdone by Eleanor¡¯s strength. ¡°As expected, you can recognize anything as soon as you see it, can¡¯t you? It is just like the Prophet had proimed.¡± Facing me, Tatiana shrugged her shoulders. ¡°As you said, the Chieftain has received that being¡¯s grace, bing its glorious Incarnation.¡± As always, there was a light smile on her face. ¡°Soon, the Reversed Sea will reveal their form in this world through this person¡¯s flesh.¡± Moreover, even when she brought up the following topic, the same damn smile remained. ¡°It would have been nice for Riru Garda and Kasa Garda to see this appearance.¡± With those words, the armor wrapped around n opened. And, between the tentacles that enveloped his entire body, I could see ¡®things¡¯ studded here and there. ¡°¡­!¡± And as soon as I saw those things¡­ I immediately realized why this fucker told me to bring Riru and Kasa. ¡°¡­Crazy fucking bitch.¡± I suppressed my urge to vomit and spat out a curse. Those things were absorbed into n¡¯s body and were being used as an ¡®engine.¡¯ I now understood why she mentioned hobbies and shit earlier. It was something a fucking lunatic with bad habits like her would do. Kasa was one thing¡­ But under no circumstances should Riru be allowed to see ¡®that¡¯. After all, as the Vessel who harbored the Devil of Wrath, she would immediately go berserk at the sight of it. ¡°¡­Did the Prophet order this?¡± ¡°Nope. This is something I did based on my own judgment.¡± I thought so. One thing I was sure of was that n was not originally someone to be¡­ ¡®Wasted¡¯ like this. Of course, considering the effect of the Incarnation of the Riptide itself, a powerful host was absolutely necessary. The conditions couldn¡¯t have possibly been met without a warrior of n¡¯s caliber. But still. Even considering all that¡­ This person¡¯s current position was the ¡®Chieftain¡¯. Even though he had ascended to that position through all sorts of unpleasant events, he was still the head of the Tribal Alliance. Even if this situation was resolved without incident, there would undoubtedly be an enormous aftermath. Starting with the Prophet, the Devil Worshippers would also face a crazy amount of bacsh. However¡­ ¡°That person had onlymanded me to ¡®try my best¡¯. To do whatever it takes to kill you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tatiana continued to speak with a light smile. ¡°So, I did as shemanded. I tried my best. Toe up with a method that could kill you no matter what.¡± Right now, this crazy bitch was saying that¡­ No matter what happened, it would be fine. Even if she discarded the head of a superpower, throwing the entire continent into turmoil, it would be fine. As long as she could kill me, nothing else mattered. And she implied all of this as if it meant nothing to her. As if it was just a matter of course since the Prophet hadmanded her to do so. ¡®¡­This bitch has lost her mind.¡¯ I realized the instant I saw her rush at me before while disregarding her own life, but¡­ This fucker was an absolutely batshit crazy bitch. There was no other way to describe her. ¡°¡­¡± Cold sweat ran down my back. Honestly speaking, I waspletely fucked in the ass. After all, this was a super ultra massive variable that distorted the entire premise of the boss battle I had been nning. I had prepared all this time for a fight against Tatiana and n. NOT fighting against Tatiana AND numerous ancient monsters from the deep sea! At least I could stop Eleanor from going berserk, even if I had to throw my body onto her. But if I considered an existence with the same power as her purelying at me with the intention to kill¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Just thinking about it made me shiver. It was just another way to tell me to fucking die. Even so¡­ Although the reason I didn¡¯t give up on life and suicide straight away was partly thanks to experiencing simr situations several times, thus gaining some form of tolerance to this kind of bullshit¡­ Ultimately, it was all because there was a point that I was ¡®skeptical¡¯ about. I barely stopped my hair from whitening out of stress as I spoke. ¡°¡­Then let me ask onest thing.¡± I did not expect the other person to answer willingly, but I was half sure about my theory, so I was just asking to confirm. ¡°Why are you showing me this in advance?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re really trying your best just to kill me, then there¡¯s no reason to show me this right now. Moreover, there¡¯s no reason to just let me off the hook for not bringing Riru and Kasa either. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Honestly speaking, it was just Game Over if she summoned that thing right here and now. In other words, this bitch had some ¡®different intention¡¯ when calling me here. And that¡¯s exactly why I kept my calm, even at this very moment. ¡°¡­That person¡­¡± Tatiana spoke in a monotone voice. At the very least, when she was speaking these words¡­ There was no indication of her usual amusement mixed in her voice. Almost as if¡­ She was jealous that I took away something that she was supposed to receive. ¡°Is keeping an incredibly close eye on you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Such a being told me to refrain from causing a cmity that would crush you without even being able to resist. I was told to at least make you resist to the best of your ability, as you scramble around.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°One day, Dowd Campbell. That¡¯s the grace period that person had given you by ordering me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± So¡­ What she was trying to say was that within a day, I had to find a way to defeat a monster that was as strong as Eleanor in her berserk state. Fuck. ¡°¡­¡± The audacity of her to announce that kind of bullshit with such a t tone¡­ ¡°Give it your best shot. Squirm and struggle desperately. There¡¯s nowhere to run, so the only option left is to fight.¡± Her words were undoubtedly¡­ ¡°Against the reversed sea that will soon sweep over you.¡± A death sentence.
¡°¡­Fuck.¡± Leaving Tatiana and n behind, as soon as I came out of the ¡®audience chamber¡¯, I involuntarily spouted out a curse. To be honest, my situation was quite hopeless. Throughout the progress of the scenario so far, I had never faced such a rapidly overblown boss with such a short preparation time. ¡°¡­¡± I felt my chapped lips as I wiped my face. One day. It was just one day. Twenty four hours from now. No matter how much I racked my brain, trying to organize the things I needed to do within that time span¡­ There was no way in hell it was possible with the manpower ¡®I currently had on hand¡¯. Then, there was only one option left. Originally, I nned to never get involved with her, but now, I had no choice but to borrow a helping hand from her. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Faenol Lipek [ No Favorability Level ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] I had to meet the one person I would rather die than make contact with. Much faster than nned. As I was lost in such thoughts¡­ Suddenly, a window popped up in front of me. System Message [ This action is likely to trigger a Special Interaction with ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] [ It is rmended to equip the Title ¡®yboy¡¯ in advance! ] ¡°¡­¡± Wait, no like¡­ I only had one Title, so it wasn¡¯t like I could equip any other titles, but¡­ What the fuck were these two doing right now? You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 102: Incarnation (1) Chapter 102: Incarnation (1) ? Incarnation (1) ? For now, I needed to sort out the things that I had to do. There were barely twenty hours left. Within that time span, I had to prepare the means to withstand a boss battle on the level of Eleanor in her berserk state. ¡°¡­¡± When only looking at the proposition, it seemed overwhelmingly daunting. Like, how was I even supposed to achieve that? ¡®¡­I should start with what I can do.¡¯ What I had to do was to deal with the urgent issues, one at a time. It reminded me of the time when I was facing Valkasus. Panicking or sumbing to fear wouldn¡¯t help. My countless experiences proved that. [¡­Well, I don¡¯t know about that.] As I was lost in such thoughts, from inside Soul Linker, Caliban smirked. [It doesn¡¯t seem like this particr problem can be so simply exined with just that.] ¡°Excuse me?¡± [I know that you¡¯ve had nerves of steel since long before, but even considering that, your current state is undeniably strange.] His words continued. [No matter how thick someone¡¯s nerves are, at the very least, their survival instincts would be triggered when they feel a threat to their own life.] Not to mention that this particr someone had their ns foiled when he wasn¡¯t even halfway done. Normally, when one was in this kind of situation, some kind of ¡®reaction¡¯ should have urred. Caliban fell into a brief moment of silence. [Just look at the guy sleeping in the room next to me. Back when you faced the Boy King, you werepletely different from now.] ¡°¡­What are you trying to say?¡± Usually, Caliban would only give me his cooperation when it was necessary. Most of the time, he¡¯d only mock me gleefully while acting like a bystander. However, there were times when he got into his serious mode. Those times were either when my life was in danger¡­ Or when I was swept up by something rted to ¡®Devils.¡¯ [You¡­ Hasn¡¯t something about you changed?] A chilling voice trickled out. [I¡¯m talking about what¡¯s engraved on your chest.] I looked down at the Fallen¡¯s Seal engraved on my chest. If I were to check the system window, the following message would greet me. System Log [ Stage 1 Restriction of ¡®The Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ is released. ] [ Your attribute will gradually change from ¡®human¡¯ to ¡®¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¯. ] [ The more intimate rtionships you form with ¡®Devils¡¯, the faster the attribute change will ur. ] Certainly¡­ I had been forming very close rtionships with Devils recently. As Caliban said, there was no doubt that the point in time when something would begin to change had already passed. ¡°¡­¡± I briefly fell silent after hearing his voice half mixed with disgust. He was someone who had died alongside hisrades after being deployed to take care of a Red Devil¡¯s Vessel who was in her berserk state. There was no way he had any positive feelings left for such things. [Things that involve Devils never end well. At the very least, I wish you specifically do not get entangled with them.] Caliban continued with a stiff voice. [After all, if you get involved, there is a high probability that Iliya will get tangled up in it too.] ¡°Iliya and I do not have that special of a rtionship, Caliban.¡± [For now.] ¡°¡­¡± [From the perspective of her big brother, I can tell just by observing next to you. As long as she is already caught in your evil hands, there is no chance for her to escape. If you don¡¯t push her away tantly, she won¡¯t be able toe to her senses even till the end¡­] Caliban fell silent for a moment and then chuckled bitterly. [And you don¡¯t have any intention to let her go, do you?] ¡°¡­It isn¡¯t what you think.¡± [Whether romantic feelings are involved or not, you intend to keep Iliya by your side until the very end, right? Even though I may not know things in details, such as the deep memories you have hidden away, I¡¯m still able to feel the intentions and emotions that you brought to your mind.] ¡°¡­¡± [Honestly, I don¡¯t care how many people attach themselves to you. You seem like someone who is worth at least that much. But still, sooner orter, you have to decide. Make Iliya your legal wi¡ª] ¡°I¡¯m busy right now, so can you spare this nonsense forter?¡± ¡®What the fuck are you on about? She¡¯s your own sister, you know?¡¯ ¡°¡­Anyway, we¡¯re going to meet someone you hate with a burning passion.¡± There were obviously several reasons why I shunned the human called Faenol. One, the fact that she was the Final Boss of Chapter 4. Two, the fact that she was a Devil¡¯s Vessel. And, three, the most important reason of them all. The fact that she held a ticking time bomb both for me and Caliban. It was especially the case for Caliban. ¡°Caliban, promise me one thing.¡± [What is it.] ¡°Never, ever, do something foolish. Understood?¡± [¡­I don¡¯t know what this is about, but I understand. How surprising that you¡¯re the one warning me of something like that.] As I listened to Caliban¡¯s words, I stopped in front of Faenol¡¯s amodations that I hurriedly walked to. System Log [! Warning !] [ Important target. Contacting in advance may cause changes in the scenario. ] [ Upon contact with the target, the benefit, ¡®Heretic Inquisition ¨C Special Interaction¡¯, received from clearing ¡®Boss: Boy King¡¯ will be unlocked immediately! ] [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ cannot be applied to the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± Although I had seen this message before, now that I was actually about to meet her in person, I felt a little bit pressured. It was even more so when I recalled what had happened when messages about ¡®Scenario Changes¡¯ had popped up in the past. Back when the axis of the world¡¯s ¡®flow¡¯ moved from Iliya to me and back when Eleanor fell for me and began to chase after me. And, if my thoughts were correct¡­ Just the act of meeting this person would result in something simr to that. ¡®¡­Moreover, there is the added fact that Yuria is involved as well.¡¯ In this room, she and Yuria were doing ¡®something¡¯. I didn¡¯t know what exactly it was, but in the original game, Faenol was¡­ Someone with an incredibly twisted personality. She was a true psychopath who did not treat people as human beings unless she had acknowledged them. Depending on how she ¡®treated¡¯ Yuria¡­ Things would probably escte into a battle. As I raised my hand to knock on the door¡­ I could hear Yuria¡¯s voice from inside. ¡°N-No. I-I don¡¯t want to. S-Still, this, this is-¡± ¡°Oh my. Didn¡¯t you ask me for help?¡± Following that, I could also hear Faenol¡¯s low andid-back voice, as if mocking her. ¡°If you can¡¯t even handle this much, won¡¯t you be discarded by that man?¡± Upon hearing that voice, I immediately realized. This bitch was ¡®forcing¡¯ Yuria to do something against her will, using me as an excuse! With such thoughts, I aggressively opened the door and entered. And as I did so, inside¡­ ¡°¡­I-I¡¯ve never w-worn clothes like this before¡­¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s even more of a reason why you should wear them! To capture Dowd Campbell¡¯s heart, you must first adorn yourself!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since early times, clothes have been like wings for women! How could he ever feel any charm if you wear such shabby things everyday?!¡± Wearing only a set of underwear and holding fluttering women¡¯s clothes in each hand, Yuria was trembling with eyes filled with tears. Both outfits were highly revealing. There were more ces where skin was exposed than covered. Next to Faenol, whose eyes were shing in concentration, a pile of simr clothes was stacked like a hill. ¡°¡­¡± The fuck was this? As I observed the two with such thoughts¡­ At longst, Yuria and Faenol simultaneously turned their heads towards me, realizing that I had opened the door and entered. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± An awkward silence ensued. During that time, Yuria, with a dazed gaze, nced down at her own appearance. A thin bra. White panties with a polka-dot pattern. Those were the only clothes that she was wearing. Overall, it was thin and flowing, but her naked body clearly asserted her graceful curves. And then, her unfocused gaze slowly rose in my direction. Then¡­ She realized that I was gawking at her with a vacant stare. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Starting from Yuria¡¯s face, her entire body turned bright red. As I witnessed such a phenomenon, I even thought it was fascinating how tremendous the speed of her flush was. Yuria¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. Her mouth opened. She took an incredibly deep breath. [As expected of Dowd.] ¡°¡­¡± [Wow, I mean. Just opening a door unfolds this kind of situation? Are you actually the protagonist of some third-rate novel?] Apanied by Caliban¡¯s voice that was mixed with forcedughter, a window appeared before my eyes. System Message [ Effect of Title ¡®yboy¡¯ is disyed! ] Ah, I see. So this was why I was told to equip it in advance. To at least be of some help when making excuses. ¡°¡­Wait. There¡¯s a reason for th-¡± But, before I could even finish my excuse, Yuria¡¯s shrill scream resonated loudly in the surroundings.
From that encounter, I managed to gain one piece of information. The fact that Yuria¡¯s specs had risen considerably. I already noticed this when she turned the Sea Serpent into rags with just a few shes, but now, I knew for sure that it happened. After all, even though Severer was still in its scabbard, she still almost turned me into a pulp with just a few swings. System Log [ Sessfully continued the battle despite serious injuries! ] [ Proficiency of ¡®Mastery: Iron Man¡¯ increased. ] Why else would the proficiency of this Mastery increase unless I got absolutely fucked in the ass? ¡°¡­¡± But still, I survived. That was the important part. Basically, before I could even properly prepare for the boss battle tomorrow, I had narrowly avoided an unsightly death of my head flying off at the hands of an ally. ¡°¡­Hm.¡± Instead, I was half minced-meat; Faenol stroked her chin while looking down at such a state of me. ¡°Are you alive?¡± ¡°¡­Somehow.¡± The first thing that caught my eye was the entirely fucked up room due to Yuria going wild while crying and screaming. After that, she shouted ¡®Mr. Dowd, you idiot-!¡¯ or some shit like that before dashing off somewhere. As I pulled myself together and copsed in front of the table, Faenol very casually poured a cup of tea. ¡°It is nice to meet you, Dowd Campbell.¡± Faenol smiled brightly as she extended her hand for a handshake. ¡°¡­¡± After vacantly gazing at that, I soon grabbed her hand. And at the same time¡­ [¡­] Within Soul Linker, I could vividly feel Caliban¡¯s horror and dismay. Seeing as we even made physical contact, there was no way he wouldn¡¯t be able to feel that aura. [¡­No, No way. You¡¯re kidding me. Don¡¯t fuck with me right now.] Yeah. I told you. [This bitch, I-I, definitely¡­!] Killed her. Faenol, as Caliban said, was a being who had died once. Caliban and all the Guardians expended their lives to defeat her, after all. And, although the outward appearance he remembered might be different, this was the exact same being, The main culprit behind the ¡®Crimson Night Incident¡¯ that swept away Iliya¡¯s entire family. ¡°So¡­¡± Faenol ¡®Deathwish¡¯ Lipek. The Final Boss of Chapter 4. The first pleted¡¯ Vessel in the scenario, who possessed ¡®all¡¯ the Fragments of the ¡®Red Devil¡¯. In other words¡­ ¡°What brings you here to see me?¡± Going beyond a Vessel who simply held Devil¡¯s Fragments¡­ She was the only existence that transcended into an ¡®Incarnation¡¯ that harbored a ¡®Completed Devil¡¯. And that very same existence smiled softly towards me. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 103: Incarnation (2) Chapter 103: Incarnation (2) ? Incarnation (2) ? In the world of Sera, there were various kinds of divine beings. From the Existence of an Ancient Era deep in the sea that Tatiana served to the Gods in the Astral Realm that ruled over angels and were worshiped by the Holy Land. Even the Devils of Pandemonium were included in this illustrious list of existences. In terms of strength, beings from the Astral Realm and Pandemonium were the most powerful, but they were just a fraction of the elements that made up the entire world. And Incarnations were existences chosen by such beings as the ¡®ones closest to them¡¯; Those who were specifically selected to wield their power in the most effective ways. In the original game, the easiest Incarnations to encounter were Vessels that had collected all the Devil¡¯s Fragments. And among them all, Eleanor, who became the Grey Devil¡¯s Incarnation, was the one you¡¯d stumble upon the most. Since she was the Final Boss, it was an inevitability that all the Devil¡¯s Fragments would be gathered to her, without you needing to fulfill anything specifics.. ¡®¡­Also, she is the only one you couldmunicate with when in that state.¡¯ Maybe it was because she was chosen from the very beginning? Out of all the Incarnations, Eleanor, who had collected all the Fragments, had the least amount of ¡®side effects¡¯. Even among those existences, there was virtually no one who could be like her. That was why, you could consider that being chosen as an Incarnation gave you no benefit whatsoever. An incarnation with apletely intact body or personality was an extremely rare case. Look at n for example. He became an Incarnation of the Riptide, but his body had transformed to the point that he could never return to his original appearance. But, those who reached the realm of an Incarnation could easily perform unreasonable feats that were impossible to exin by anyws. For example¡­ Coming back to life despite dying once. ¡°The amulet looks fascinating.¡± Faenol remarked as such while gazing at Soul Linker erratically emitting light. This phenomenon was caused by Caliban. It seemed he still found it hard to believe that the person in front of him was the very same being he had once killed. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to worry about it.¡± I hid Soul Linker behind me. At the moment, nothing good woulde out of revealing this person¡¯s existence. After all, the reason why I came here this time was to seek her cooperation. ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect you toe see me first.¡± Faenol elegantly sipped her tea. Considering the setting, she was undoubtedly a youngdy of a noble household. That was why she had the tendency to ignore anyone who wasn¡¯t a member of a noble household; Thinking that they didn¡¯t belong in the same level as her. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been deliberately avoiding me until now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to look so surprised. I¡¯ve always been listening to information about you.¡± She let out a faint smile. ¡°I can understand the intention behind the way you treat me reasonably well.¡± Why did every woman I meet have so much interest in me to the point of being creepy? Yes, I knew I had this special constitution, but wasn¡¯t this a little too much? ¡°Still, you¡¯re quite alright,pared to the bugs that swarm around nearby.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is even more so in this barbaric ce. It¡¯s a backwards country where reason can not be found anywhere, as they believe in everything and anything if it¡¯s a tradition. Don¡¯t you think so as well?¡± Each and every word she uttered was something that could get her stabbed with a knife if she were to say it out loud through the entirety of the Tribe Alliance. In this country, the tradition of a tribe held a status close to a religion. After all, even though anyone would agree that n Ba-Thor¡¯s extortion of statutory power was a bizarre circumstance, they all acknowledged the regime change all in the name of tradition. However, Faenol¡¯s voice, which spewed out such crazy sentences, was not agitated at all; Rather, it went beyond calm and could even be considered serene. Almost as if she was nonchntly expressing her true feelings. ¡®¡­In the whole universe, only I exist.¡¯ I groaned inwardly, recalling a sentence that best described Faenol. She was an egalitarian in the truest sense. After all, she saw every human except herself as mere garbage. Well, at least Yuria and I had something that could make her unable to look down on us. ¡®¡­She went berserk as soon as the Fragments gathered because she was this kind of person, after all.¡¯ As seen in Eleanor¡¯s case, the more Devil¡¯s Fragments were collected, the more the negative aspects of the target¡¯s personality got amplified.. The Crimson Night Incident had probably urred because, unlike other Vessels, this woman had no intention of suppressing the negative effects transmitted by the Fragments. [¡­If that¡¯s the case, we have to kill this bitch right here and now.] ¡®¡­Caliban.¡¯ [Damn it, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know either. She is a walking cmity. I don¡¯t know how she came back to life after dying once, but if we leave her alone, then¡ª!] ¡®You promised me.¡¯ To not do anything foolish. My words were transmitted clearly through Caliban¡¯s silence, as he gritted his teeth. Yes. I knew as well. Caliban¡¯s concern was quite urate since she was the Final Boss of Chapter 4. However, killing her right now waspletely illogical, even if I disregarded the fact that I came to request her cooperation. ¡®She won¡¯t die.¡¯ [What?] ¡®I said she won¡¯t die.¡¯ Until I managed to ce the Holy Sword in Iliya¡¯s hands in Chapter 4, there was absolutely no possible method to kill her. Incarnations were all such bizarre beings, after all. ¡°¡­And there is probably no need for me to step out and do it either.¡¯ If my thoughts were correct¡­ She probably didn¡¯t appreciate being brought back from the dead either. There was a reason why she was called Deathwish. ¡°¡­I came to request your cooperation.¡± However, that was one thing. Right now, I had no time; I had to devise a method that could stop the Reversed Sea within a day. I started swiping at an imaginary abacus in my head. I organized every single card that could even have a chance in making her interested in coopera¡ª ¡°I ept.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I blinked in surprise because of the all too easy affirmation that Faenol returned. ¡®The fuck?¡¯ From what I knew about her personality, she should¡¯ve demanded various things and put all sorts of shackles on me, as I was the one who reached out to her first. ¡°¡­From your expression, I can tell what kind of expectations you had whening here, but¡­¡± Faenol chuckled before continuing. ¡°Do you know what kind of position you hold within the Heretic Inquisition, Dowd Campbell? ¡°¡­Not a good one, I assume.¡± This was a group that saw red and flipped out whenever anything rted to Devils were mentioned. There was no need to even guess how I would be portrayed by them, as I was someone who attracted the presence of Devils by just breathing That was also the very reason why I had been avoiding the Heretic Inquisition all this time. However, Faenol¡¯s following answerpletely deviated from my expectations. ¡°The Heretic Inquisition wants to do everything in their power to protect you from any threats to your safety. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Wot?¡¯ ¡°I shall tell you one thing, Dowd Campbell.¡± A t voice flowed serenely. ¡°The Heretic Inquisition is carefully tracking the possessors of Devil¡¯s Vessels; In order to do our best in making sure those beings do not go berserk.¡± Because of that¡­. ¡°Recently, the Grey Devil went berserk and it took us a bit to figure out everything that happened, including the fact that the Vessel turned back the time axis.¡± My reaction to those unexpected words was a bit dyed. ¡°¡­¡± As I looked at her with a slightly surprised look on my face, Faenol chuckled. ¡°I can sense your questioning gaze, asking how they found out, but¡­ Well, I¡¯m also an Incarnation in my own right. Even though I don¡¯t know what exactly happened, it¡¯s not that difficult to deduce what happened when connecting the fact that something was ¡®twisted¡¯ and the knowledge of the Grey Devil¡¯s abilities.¡± She gracefully set her teacup down before staring straight at me with her red pupils. ¡°And what was more astonishing than the ability itself was the fact that a Devil that had already gone berserk once was able to regain its ¡®reason¡¯.¡± Without a doubt¡­ Her eyes were filled with interest and ¡®possessiveness¡¯. ¡°Because of your influence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is unprecedented. The power of a Devil belongs solely to the Devil; From the past to the present, there has never been a case where it was influenced by others.¡± That was probably true. There was a perfect example right in front of me. When Faenol went berserk during the Crimson Night Incident, the only way to stop her was to kill her. ¡°And the Heretic Inquisition is currently judging that some kind of ¡®rtionship¡¯ manifested between you and the Vessel, leading to this miracle.¡± My eyes narrowed at those words. Atnte had mentioned something simr before. She had said that my rtionship with the Vessels were the only means to seal them. After saying those words, Faenol took a moment to collect her breath. ¡°¡­In other words, it¡¯s possible that a Devil¡¯s Vessel who has ¡®fallen¡¯ for you may give you the ¡®right to control¡¯ its power based on how precious you are to it. That¡¯s the conclusion they hade to.¡± Atalente had said something simr as well. I had no way of knowing the process, but didn¡¯t she say it was possible to seal the Devils if I formed a rtionship with them? And what this girl was saying right now was the process of such a phenomenon. ¡°¡­¡± Alright. Okay. I get it and all, but¡­ Having heard that much, I could kinda predict what would follow. And it was not something I would find pleasing at all. ¡°¡­Judging from your tendencies, I do believe you already know about this. I have returned from the dead once before.¡± Faenol continued with a voice that was void of any emotion. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll experience itter, but let me tell you in advance. It was not a pleasant experience.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t death like that for everyone?¡± ¡°No, not death.¡± Faenol wore a hollow smile. ¡°¡­This¡­ ¡¯Life¡¯ that has¡­ Nothing¡­ After death.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I ¡®resurrected¡¯ through part of the Authority given to me as the Red Devil¡¯s Incarnation, but¡­ It cost me something quite precious in return.¡± Yes, that was for certain. I knew very well what she had ¡®lost¡¯ while undergoing such a process. As I mentioned earlier, among Incarnations, this girl was a rare case where she reached such a state without any side effects. But, I might need to attach one more exnation to that. Strictly speaking, this girl also had a ¡®w¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± And that w¡­ Was a bit more terrifying than one may think. To the point where she would be far more scared of living right now than being dead. It was even enough for their ¡®mutual interests¡¯ to align. What a strange thing to think about, huh? Going beyond a Vessel, apleted Incarnation was attached to the Heretic Inquisition, who were known to denounce anything rted to Devils. However¡­. The Heretic Inquisition wished to capture and exterminate all Devils. And Faenol knew that she fell into such a category. So, the conclusion that those two reached was that¡­ In the end, the most convenient ¡®tool¡¯ in achieving both of their goals was me. As such, it was incredibly obvious what she would ask of me. ¡°Dowd Campbell. I will cooperate with whatever you wish. Since I¡¯m currently standing in as the Acting Inquisitor for the Heretic Inquisition, I will give you my cooperation using my authority. However, I would appreciate it if you could grant me just one thing.¡± Faenol grinned as she opened her mouth. ¡°Could you seduce me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please make me fall in love with you. Through that rtionship, help me suppress the Devil imbued inside me.¡± Such words sank heavily in the tense air of the reception room. ¡°That way, I can finally die again.¡± You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 104: Speedrun (1) Chapter 104: Speedrun (1) ? Speedrun (1) ? [¡­Say that again.] ¡°¡­I asked for you to send me some materials rted to sexual techniques.¡± [¡­] On the other end of the call, Beatrix wrapped her hand around her chin and fell into deep thought. She opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, before closing her mouth again. It seemed she didn¡¯t even know where to start. In the end, seemingly to have given up on everything, she grabbed her head and spoke with a resigned tone. [What kind of bullshit did that fucker do this time?] ¡°¡­¡± Even though Dowd was tantly getting sworn at, Eleanor couldn¡¯t find it in herself to defend him this time. And when thinking about the words that would follow, this feeling weighed onto her even more heavily. ¡°Dowd¡­s-said¡­c-c-chi-ch¡ª¡±¡± Eleanor stammered out the sentence with a face flushed bright red. It was understandable. The sentence she wanted to say was something that could embarrass even herself; A woman who had never shown any emotion on her face. [¡­Ch? What? Did you malfunction? Are you broken?] ¡°He¡­said¡­we¡­should¡­have¡­a¡­child.¡± [¡­] ¡°A-And, I thought it wouldn¡¯t be too bad to have at least one before conducting the ceremony.¡± With a soulless expression, Beatrice, who had been silent for a brief moment, began to speak with great difficulty. [Why did that topic suddenlye up?] ¡°¡­He announced his intention to ept a concubine for childcare, so he¡­uh¡­said we should¡­p-push ahead w-with such ns¡­soon.¡± [Eleanor.] Beatrix took a deep breath. The tone that came out of her mouth was lower than usual. It was her attempt to stay calm and talk nicely without exploding. Or at least, she tried to. It was a nice try, though. [Are you insane¡ª?!] ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor instantly shut her mouth at the expected reaction. After all, even if the culture of encouraging both legitimate wives and concubines was prevalent among high nobility, that didn¡¯t mean the parties involved would be happy about it. Moreover, Beatrix was someone who knew very well that Eleanor had consistently given Dowd her pure love. No matter how the words were structured and constructed, there was no chance she would take it graciously. [You, you¡­How can you talk about such a thing so easily¡­! A concubine?! A bastard who just received a mere Viscounty dares to demand such a thing first from the Young Lady of a Duchy? How does that make any sense¡ª!] ¡°¡­¡± Unbing of her usual self, Eleanor continued to get scolded as she bowed her head and pursed her lips. Except for her father, she had never experienced such a treatment from another person in her entire life. However, if the person involved in her discussions with Beatrix was Dowd, this wasn¡¯t an unusual thing. [You idiot! And you aren¡¯t angry at him?! It should be him who should get on his knees and beg for your eptance! He is the one who should be showing his belly like a dog! How can you be so easygoing just because he mentioned that he wants to have a child with you¡ª!] ¡°¡­But¡­¡± Even while continuously hearing such admonitions, Eleanor stammered out her words. ¡°¡­H-He asked for it to that extent¡­If I refuse, i-it might hurt h-his feelings, right?¡± [¡­] Going beyond mere anger, Beatrix now looked at Eleanor with an expression closer to utter horror. There should be limits even when one was blinded by love. He asked her to ept a concubine since he would have a child with her? And she just epted that without hesitation because she was worried he would get his feelings hurt?! Was this really the same person who had previously dered that she would kill any woman around him if she wasn¡¯t his top priority?! [If you let him get a concubine, there¡¯s a chance that he won¡¯t prioritize¡ª] ¡°I don¡¯t think such a case would ever happen.¡± [What?] ¡°He won¡¯t have time or luxury to focus on someone other than me when we¡¯ll be having our children.¡± [¡­?] Mm. Wait a moment. Something was odd. The focal point of the conversation seemed off. Beatrix paused for a moment, reflecting upon their recent conversation. Wait, previously¡­ Didn¡¯t she say she was fine with ¡®at least one¡¯ before conducting the ceremony? [¡­] Ah. I see. Beatrix met Eleanor¡¯s eyes with a look of realization on her face. [¡­How many children are you thinking of having?] ¡°¡­?¡± Eleanor looked at Beatrix, as she tilted her head in puzzlement. Her appearance seemed to question why Beatrix would ask something so obvious. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be at least five?¡± [¡­] ¡°epting a concubine for childcare would be meaningless unless we have at least that many. There is no doubt that Dowd had such intentions when making such a request as well.¡± [¡­] No. That probably wasn¡¯t it. He probably would already feel incredibly burdened with just one, let alone five. With cold sweat dripping down, Beatrix gazed at Eleanor. ¡®¡­Naturally, if she ns to give birth to that many kids, there is absolutely no leisure for him to pay attention to the concubines¡­ Actually, he won¡¯t have any leisure to pay attention to anything at all.¡¯ Marriage and childbirth among high nobility was like a huge business of itself. Considering Eleanor¡¯s health, as well as the aftermath of the following political and cultural storm, giving birth to five children would require Dowd to stick around Eleanor for at least a dozen years without being able to go anywhere on his own. This woman was definitely speaking with that in mind. ¡®Of course she is. What did I even expect from her?¡¯ Eleanor would never ept another woman attaching herself to that man in such an easy manner. Her ¡®possessiveness¡¯ was probably still the same. If someone else tried to take away the time that she and that man had together, there was no doubt she would rush in to remove such obstructions, her eyes ignited with fiery rage. However¡­ All that was added was, well¡­ How should she put it¡­ Now, there was also an opportunity to ¡®wring out¡¯ that man, Dowd, whenever she had the chance to. That bastard really dug his own grave. While Beatrix clicked her tongue, Eleanor turned towards the door with a questioning look at the sound of a knock. ¡°Wait. It seems like a guest has arrived. I will contact youter.¡± Lately, it somehow felt like many people wereing to visit her amodations. With that, Eleanor ended the call. The person outside the door was someone she recognized as well. ¡°¡­Talion?¡± The 1st-year student who had been sticking around Dowdtely. ¡°Oh, do you remember me?¡± ¡°Of course. I know everyone and anyone who has been nearby Dowd for at least five seconds.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Thanks to the fact that his socialwork wasn¡¯t as wide as she expected, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to keep track of him. As such, Eleanor couldn¡¯t understand why Talion¡¯s expression went stiff after hearing her words. ¡°¡­Um, yes. This is indeed a message from Senior Brother Dowd as you just mentioned.¡± Talion let out a few coughs, clearing his throat. ¡°He said he had something to request from you.¡± ¡°I understand. What do I need to do?¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it better to hear the contents first before epting?¡± The speed of her response was fast enough for Talion to react in such a way, but Eleanor just shrugged her shoulders without a care. ¡°It is not right to procrastinate any work. As someone who is about to be a parent, shouldn¡¯t I be a role model for my children?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± For Talion, it was a sentence that he could not even begin toprehend.
System Message [ Contact has been made with target ¡®Faenol¡¯. ] [ Interaction with the ¡®Heretic Inquisition¡¯ has been released! ] [ All authority corresponding to the discretion of the ¡®Heretic Inquisition¡¯ can be requested for cooperation! ] [ Changes are made in the scenario. ] [ Special Interactions will urter with all existence rted to Devils! ] Seeing such messages, I sighed inwardly. The biggest reason for seeking cooperation from Faenol was ultimately because of this. The most significant help I could receive from her was the authority of the Heretic Inquisition, who could exercise power that even went beyond thew when it came to matters rted to ¡®Devils¡¯. It was not Faenol¡¯s personal abilities that I aimed for. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t expect anything rted tobat from her.¡¯ Being the Vessel of apleted Devil meant having immense power, but at the same time, it also meant that the consequences would be just as significant if things went awry. It was not necessary to take such risks. Rather than that¡­ ¡®¡­What does it mean by Special Interactions with existences rted to Devils?¡¯ It was going to unfoldter? The fuck was going to happen again? As I was lost in such thoughts, a sulky voice flew out from within Soul Linker. [Why are you standing in a daze again? Did you lose your mind or something?] ¡°¡­Are you mad?¡± I asked as such to Caliban who was inside Soul Linker. [¡­It¡¯s not a matter of being mad.] Caliban responded with a sigh. [Honestly, I¡¯m not even angry because I don¡¯t understand anything. It¡¯s just absurd to me. The being that I had no choice but to kill by sacrificing my own life is somehow alive. Moreover, now she is whining to you about how she wants to die again.] Indeed, his voice was more despondent than angry. [Are Vessels usually like that if they have collected all the Fragments? When they be an Incarnation, do they resurrect even if they die?] ¡°¡­That shouldn¡¯t be the case.¡± Even in the original game, Eleanor, who had her head cut off by Iliya during the Final Boss Battle, remained dead. It was just that this phenomenon urred because she was none other than the Incarnation of the Red Devil; An existence with an Authority that was insanely tenacious in matters rted to life force. ¡°Your goals align either way, don¡¯t they?¡± I tapped Soul Linker as I continued speaking. ¡°You want her dead, the Heretic Inquisition wants Faenol dead, and she herself wants it as well.¡± The problem was¡­ When put into perspective¡­ Even the Guardians, the Empire¡¯s greatest knights, and the Heretic Inquisition, who didn¡¯t shun away from any means if it meant hunting Devils, were not able to find a way to pletely¡¯ kill Faenol. In the end, such a bizarre request fell on myp instead. [Do you really intend to do as she wishes?] ¡°¡­¡± Well¡­ Yeah, I guess I had to. I was talking about her request for me to seduce her. Her theory was that the closer my rtionship with a Devil¡¯s Vessel was, the more ¡®control¡¯ I had over the power of a Devil. If this was true, then the more favorable she felt towards me, the greater the possibility became of sealing the Red Devil. Basically, it meant skipping the entire final boss battle of Chapter 4. In the original game, only Iliya, wielding the Holy Sword, could inflict anything resembling a ¡®hit¡¯ on existences rted to Devils. If such an effect could indeed be achieved by just that, there was no reason for me to not try it out. It was a tremendous difference that allowed me to immediately understand why messages about ¡®Scenario Changes¡¯ or whatever popped up when I met her. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, that was one thing. What was more important was that, by agreeing to such a request, I had been delegated the authority of the Heretic Inquisition from her. That meant, I would be able to endure all the ¡®bacsh¡¯ for what I needed to do from now on using that authority. From now on¡­ I could not dy even for a single moment. All the tasks lined up in front of me must be dealt with at the fastest speed possible. First and foremost¡­ Like I did with the Sea Serpent, I needed to leave an ¡®Imprint¡¯ on each Demonic Creature which were virtually permanent tenants of the zones nearby the Forge of Struggle. Although there was usually a great burden of danger when it came to doing such work on Demonic Creatures as strong as the Sea Serpent, at the very least, I could not give up on this. It was honestly an essentialponent that I needed toplete for this boss battle. As such, I even had to mobilize methods that I originally had no intention of using. [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Apostle of the Reversed Sea ¡½ [ 21H left until the ¡®Great Duel¡¯ Incident! ] [ The boss battle will follow immediately after the incident in question! ] Once again, the time remaining seemed to have significantly shortenedpared to before. ¡®Damn it, I can¡¯t trust the time limit this fucker gives anymore.¡¯ With such thoughts in mind, I confirmed two blue lights sequentially ring on the magically engineeringmunication device in my arms. They were signals; One from Talion, who went to Eleanor, and the other from Iliya, who went to Yuria. It probably meant that they smoothly handled the tasks I requested them to do. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± And next to me, Riru, who was in the same group as me, was cracking her neck and knuckles. ¡°In the Hunter¡¯s Night, the sea held the least importance, unlike the Scorching Zone, Snowfield Zone and the Jungle Zone. From today until the end of the period, it¡¯s practically a free-for-all in those zones.¡± Riru spoke excitedly with sparkling eyes, as if she was a child who had just found Santa us. ¡°It¡¯s best to go to the Scorching Zone first. We can obtain essentialponents that are necessary for long-term survival in the wilderness by hunting the Demonic Creatures in that area. Then, based on the obtained materials, we can choose the next route by making the wisest judgements poss¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Riru.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I halted a very excited Riru¡¯s tirade. From her perspective, it might feel like going on a pic. Even I could see that. Originally, I also had a lot to do here. I intended to experiment with Valkasus¡¯ Forbidden Sorcery, check out the newly acquired equipment, and slowly test how strong the skills I had gained so far were. And above all, I was going to humor Riru, regardless of what she wished to do. However¡­ What I needed to do right now was to prepare for the boss battle tomorrow by any means necessary. Even if it meant shattering this person¡¯s romanticism and expectations into itty bitty pieces. I looked towards the steel gate opening in front of me. The heat of the Scorching Zone was transmitted intensely. ¡°Sorry, but this time, we don¡¯t have time for hunting or anything like that.¡± The ¡®me Demon¡¯ of the Scorching Zone. The ¡®Ice Tiger¡¯ of the Snowfield Zone. The ¡®Horned Ogre¡¯ of the Jungle Zone. Their status was notcking at all, evenpared to the Sea Serpent; Special-Grade Demonic Creaturesmonly referred to as cmity-grade. However¡­ In this current situation, I had to reach out to these existences that were dangerous to even meet. And as long as I had even brought out such a card¡­ The time I needed to spend taking out all three of them was¡­ ¡°¡­I¡¯ll finish it within 5 minutes.¡± There was a mountain of things I needed to do in just one day. And I could not dy for even a single second.. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 105: Speedrun (2) Chapter 105: Speedrun (2) ? Speedrun (2) ? ¡°¡­Five minutes?¡± Riru¡¯s immediate response was as predictable as expected. First: A reaction that showed how she failed to understand anything. ¡°¡­What are you going to do in five minutes? Are you saying you¡¯re going inside?¡± ¡°¡­I said, I¡¯m going to hunt down the Warden inside within five minutes.¡± Second: Denial. ¡°It¡¯s not the time for jokes. The Scorching Zone is filled with Demonic Creatures that are iparably more dangerous than the ones we hunted in the¡ª¡± ¡°Yes. And I¡¯m saying I¡¯ll catch the most powerful and dangerous one in five minutes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing me repeating myself again, finally she realized that my words weren¡¯t a slip of the tongue or nonsense I chose to spout. Riru, who was looking at me with a face surpassing horror and verging on despair, soon held her forehead and sighed deeply. ¡°¡­You¡¯re making that face again.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the same face you had when you said you would catch the Sea Serpent.¡± Riru crossed her arms and red at me. ¡°Anyone else would think it¡¯s just ridiculous nonsense. But for some reason, you act like you¡¯re really sure it would work.¡± ¡°¡­¡± How strange. Her words sounded like apliment¡­ But her tone was filled with anger¡­ ¡°Whenever you make that face, you always babble about crazy shit as if it¡¯s a walk in the park.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, fine. Go on. Say it. What do you n to use me for this time? You didn¡¯t bring me here without any reason, right? Are you not going to include me in your nonsensical n?¡± Her words were spot on, I couldn¡¯t even rebuke her. Eleanor, paired and sent off with Talion. Yuria, paired and sent off with Iliya. There was a reason why I divided the teams in such a manner. This team was no exception. I had a very specific use in mind for her. ¡°Riru.¡± Saying so, I tightly grasped both of Riru¡¯s arms with my hands. ¡°¡­Eh?¡± Riru blinked dazedly at this sudden action. As I closed the distance between us while holding her arms, her face rapidly turned red. ¡°¡­What¡­are you doing?¡± Her voice trembled slightly. I was prepared to hear her say something like, ¡®How dare youy your hands on me?¡¯, followed by a punch to the chin, but fortunately, doing this much didn¡¯t seem to be that bad for her. Well, considering that she didn¡¯t immediately crack my head open like an egg when I mentioned bullshit about concubines, she must have some degree of favorability towards me. That was why¡­ At the very least, I was confident she wouldn¡¯t immediately kill me for what I was about to do. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± I continued, locking eyes with Riru¡¯s trembling pupils. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± ¡°This is about you and me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Realizing that my expression was far more serious than normal, her body started to tremble. The trembling evolved to tremor; her entire body was practically wriggling about. At the same time, the flush on her face deepened even further. ¡°¡­Wh-What i-is it about? Stop beating around the bush and just say it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What was she so embarrassed about? This was the same person who led a rough life, someone who¡¯d wildly beat the shit out of anyone who got in her way. Never did I expect that she would be so¡­ Unstable¡­ Almost dangerously so¡­ After I approached her like this¡­ Her face was as red as a ripe tomato. Her eyes were spinning. Maybe it was just my imagination, but even her breathing seemed a bit shallow. [Usually, someone like her is unexpectedly weak to physical affection. After all, other men definitely wouldn¡¯t have gone near her because they got scared of her.] ¡®Caliban.¡¯ [Yeah?] ¡®Why are you talking so much when you haven¡¯t had much experience with romance either?¡¯ [¡­] ¡®I already know all about how you were too busy with swordsmanship training and knight duties to have time for that. Smh.¡¯ As I inwardly clicked my tongue, I meticulously double-checked my words before voicing them out. So¡­ < Gift-Rted Character Alert > ¨‹ Riru Garda [ Trust Level 1 ] [ Rewards Avable! ] About this¡­ Setting the reward aside¡­ Since her favorability was already at Trust Level 1, it should be high enough for me to get away with what I was about to do. ¡°Do you remember when I said I would take you as my concubine?¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yes, I guess t-that did h-happen?¡± ¡°To be honest, that was a lie. Just as you suspected. I have no intention of forming that kind of rtionship with you.¡± ¡°¡­Um, t-then?¡± ¡°Taking you in as a concubine is an act of disrespect. A woman like you deserves a much higher position than that.¡± Riru¡¯s eyes started spinning even faster. ¡°A-A higher p-position than a c-concubine is b-better for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°D-Don-Don¡¯t y-you already have t-that woman who is the legal wife?!¡± ¡°Eleanor? She doesn¡¯t matter.¡± I snipped her words at the bud. As if to say that she didn¡¯t need to worry about that woman in our rtionship. Riru flinched and chewed on her lips. Her flush had reached a level where her face couldn¡¯t get any redder. Now, it was undoubtedly noticeable; Her breathing had turned into pants. ¡°¡­Hey, you bastard. T-This kind of thing is¡ª You know!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Y-You should have s-set the mood a b-bit better and chosen a nice ce to tell me! A-And g-give me s-some time to t-think! I-I¡¯m a woman too, you brat! Respect my opinions as well!¡± Riru was practically on the verge of tears as she rambled on. At this sight of her, I nodded my head. Anyway¡­ My goal was to ¡®use¡¯ her to clear this area within five minutes. After all, Yuria and Eleanor, whom I sent to other hunting grounds, would have surely finished their own hunts within that time. ¡®¡­I can¡¯t just directly throw her into a battle.¡¯ Even though a huge thread was twisted in the canvas that was the boss battle, Riru was still someone who had a key part in defeating the Apostle of the Reversed Sea. Unlike Eleanor and Yuria, she had not fully fused with a Fragment and was not at a point where her specs had significantly increased. Therefore, she had to be handled with utmost care. She must not get hurt, after all. And¡­ In order to finish the hunt within five minutes without sending her into battle¡­ I had no choice but to step in myself. ¡°Yes. So I shall ask for your opinion.¡± And to do that, this method was the most effective¡­ At the very least, it was something I could handle to a certain extent. ¡°What do you think about being friends?¡± Each and every one of Riru¡¯s movements frozepletely. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re your own person. A woman with her own individual rights and personality. Instead of receiving such heinous treatment by bing a concubine to someone like me, isn¡¯t it much better to be friends, united by trust and camaraderie?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You think so as well, right?¡± Riru¡¯s face went nk upon hearing this. She seemed to be calmly pondering the meaning of my words. And then¡­ ¡°¡­What did you say?¡± A blue aura began to emanate from her body. And that was exactly the reaction I was waiting for. System Message [ Detected a moment of danger. ] [ A powerful being is about to turn hostile towards you. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to A-Grade. ] System Message [ Devil¡¯s Aura is detected! ] [ ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ reacts! ] Mhm. There we go. I knew a Devil¡¯s Vessel would get insanely furious just from hearing such wordse out of my mouth. ¡®¡­With this, the buff is ready.¡¯ Thanks to an increase in my specs due to the recent daily training with Riru, my stats, inted by Desperation, had reached a level not far behind some decently strong beings. Moreover¡­ [ Infinity Gauntlet ] Equipment: Unique Description: Gauntlets with various effects from the usage of all kinds of high-quality materials. [ ? Dragon Scales: Receives Endurance that never breaks or wears out in any situation. ] [ ? Ectosm: Disys a very high fusion rate with various Special Powers. When enhancements or buff skills are casted on the equipment, the effect is doubled. ] [ ? Starsteel: Highly resistant to various curses and reacts most sensitively to the divine. ] [ ? Adaptive Leather: Automatically copies the target¡¯s attributes when struck. On the second hit, automatically weakens the target¡¯s attribute. ] If I also had something like this¡­ It meant I could manage to do pretty monstrous things on my own. ¡°¡­¡± But¡­ A-Grade was still really not enough¡­ ¡°Oh, also. Riru.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I added another remark to Riru, who was ring at me as if she wanted to kill me. ¡°I don¡¯t really like women with shitty personalities.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Try to fix that temper of yours that res up at every little thing. Eleanor doesn¡¯t do that, you know?¡± System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation to be a significant, massive, and absolute threat to your life. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] System Message [ You voluntarily did something so batshit crazy that it is no different from throwing your life away as if it¡¯s worthless! ] [ The enhancement condition of ¡®Skill: Desperation¡¯ has been unlocked! The condition in question has been added to the Gift Tab! ] ¡°¡­¡± Okay, for now, it seemed that the drug was working pretty well. The problem was that it was working too well.
Hatan U-Jul took on serious strides as he entered the control room. After all, it was the Hunter¡¯s Night, one of the most important events in the Forge of Struggle. Therefore, as a Dean and a War Chief, it was only natural for him to feel heavily burdened. ¡°Scorching Zone. No issues with the control system.¡± ¡°Snowfield Zone. No issues with the control system.¡± ¡°Jungle Zone. No issues with the control system.¡± Hatan nodded slowly as he received these reports. ¡°Track the vital signs of all students.¡± Laying down such an order, Hatan checked the visuals of each ¡®hunting ground¡¯ disyed on the screen. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that the scenes unfolding were the most chaotic in the history of this institution. Intermediate-Grade Demonic Creatures that normal students wouldn¡¯t even be able to escape from, let alone confront, were sprawled everywhere. And even the High-Grade Demonic Creatures, who were supposed to be slumbering even during this period of time, were frequently visible. It was to the extent that even signs of the ¡®Rulers¡¯ of each Demonic Zone were detected; beings that one might see once in decades. After all, the presence of the Sea Serpent, Ruler of the Sea, had already been confirmed. ¡®It shouldn¡¯t have been this chaotic originally.¡¯ It was indeed a bit strange. From the perspective of an experienced hunter, the most logical reason for these Demonic Creatures to awaken would be the presence of a stronger Demonic Creature nearby. However¡­ What being could possibly make these Wardens, Rulers of their respective Demonic Zones, so fearful? It was utterly iprehensible. ¡®¡­But still, this year¡­¡¯ As tumultuous as the environment was, it was fortunate that someone stood out just as much, shining far brighter than others. Hatan smirked as he recalled the guy who had recently seeded in the insane feat of ¡®dragon hunting¡¯. There was no doubt that he was an extraordinary person. ¡®If it¡¯s him¡­¡¯ He might not just stop at the Sea Serpent and instead, hunt another Ruler in a different Demonic Zone. It would be a great undertaking that was not easily achieved even by warriors who had left their names in history, let alone students. Perhaps he might even go beyond two and reach three. And if that happened¡­ In front of all the War Chiefs, he would receive the title of ¡®Great Hunter¡¯, a title not given to anyone since the establishment of the Tribal Alliance. Even Hatan, known as the greatest hunter in modern times, could not even dare to think of receiving such a title. And more importantly, that man would gain the authority that came with being recognized by ¡®all the War Chiefs¡¯. At the very least, when it came to dealing with ¡®Demonic Creatures¡¯, the entire Tribal Alliance would have no choice but to heed his words. ¡°-an. Dean!¡± While Hatan was lost in such thoughts, someone reported to him in an urgent voice. ¡°Rulers have emerged s-simultaneously in three Demonic Zones! They are currently engaged in battle!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hatan nced at his watch. Only 3 minutes had passed. But what the fuck did he just hear? ¡°¡­Check again that it¡¯s not a device malfuncti-¡± ¡°The Ruler of the Jungle Zone and the Ruler of the Snowfield Zone are dead!¡± ¡°¡­¡± What. Didn¡¯t you say they just emerged? Didn¡¯t you say the battle had just begun? Before Hatan could utter another word, the report continued from an employee who looked like they had lost their breath. ¡°F-For now, we will transmit the visuals from the Scorching Zone, the only area where a Ruler of a Demonic Zone is still alive!¡± With those words, the screen began to disy the scene of the Scorching Zone. At the very center of the screen were Riru Garda, emitting a blue aura from her body for some reason, and one man. And the following scene that unfolded from those two was¡­ Undoubtedly¡­ A sight that could be called a natural disaster. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 106: Speedrun (3) Chapter 106: Speedrun (3) ? Speedrun (3) ? The me Demon, an age-old Demonic Creature, had long reigned as the Ruler of this Scorching Zone. Its massive body could truly be said to boast the majesty of a Giant of Fire. ¨C¡­ And that giant rose up, waking up from its long slumber. Normally, it should currently be in the midst of hibernation, but it had forced its eyes open, drawn by the potent smell of an overwhelming ¡®presence¡¯. -¡­ The me Demon immediately fell into thought. What kind of existence could possibly dare to make it feel this way? At the very least, it had to witness who it was with its own two eyes. With such a resolution, the me Demon fully rose from its slumber. The mes of mana wrapping around its body held the grandeur of a disaster; the mana flowing endlessly mixed with its breath, enough to cause an ultra high temperature me just on its own. As it made its grand appearance and stepped out of its nest, other High-Grade Demonic Creatures nearby ran away with their hearts in their mouths, utterly terrified to death. After all, the Ruler of this vast Scorching Zone had revealed its overwhelming majesty to the entire firmament. -¡­ Its eyes then turned towards the direction where it felt the most powerful aura. The far distant sea. The me Demon was familiar with what was lurking beneath. The Sea Serpent. The Ruler of the Sea with strengthparable to its own. -¡­? However, something was strange. The Sea Serpent¡¯s aura which could always be felt from there was absent. Instead of the expected aura, something much more sinister could be sensed. Below the depths where the Sea Serpent usually dwelled¡­ In a much deeper ce. -¡­! And the me Demon, instinctively detecting this aura, flinched. Although the me Demon itself was a considerably ancient being, what dwelled within those depths was¡­ Not just ancient, but something that was closer to indescribable. Merely looking at it brought an unpleasant feeling crawling up from the depths of its consciousness. Upon feeling this, it unconsciously stepped back a few paces, then froze in shock because of a truth it realized. It was scared. The me Demon itself was scared. An existence, who had reigned over this area as a Ruler for ages, was now afraid of the being in the deep sea. Without even facing it directly, just the aura that emanated from there was enough to cause this phenomenon. -¡­ Shocked, it became rigid and onlyter did it detect a ¡®change¡¯ happening nearby. -¡­? It could feel something strange. Something much closer than the monstrous entity far in the sea was approaching. As the me Demon turned its head towards that direction, a simrly unfathomable scene was unfolding. -¡­ The me Demon looked at the ground and the sky alternately with a questioning look. What had happened? Had thews of the world changed while it slumbered? Why? Why were bastards that should be walking onnd floating in the air? -!!!!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Screams and howls filled the air; Courtesy of the Demonic Creatures that were all hit by something and sent flying in the air in a half-obliterated state. Moreover, among them were powerful High-Grade Demonic Creatures that even the me Demon itself would be wary of. Golems of Fire, made of mana stones of mes,rger in size than even itself. Hellhounds that could tear through most defensive gear with just its teeth and ws. Even Fire Spirits that were capable of turning the entire area into ashes by pouring out demonic spells of fire. Each and every one was a cmity if let loose outside this Scorching Zone. And yet¡­ Those existences were being flung into the air, screaming in groups of at least dozens at a time. -¡­? And if it scrutinized such a scene in greater detail, it would only deepen the questions and doubts the me Demon harbored on what the hell was happening in the world. For there was a human ¡®punching away¡¯ these respectable Demonic Creatures as if they were pounding out feathers. As they ran, they merely swung their hands, as if flicking away dust. It felt as if they were nonchntly removing some troublesome obstacles that were in their way. However, despite such weak andckluster movements¡­ -! A Golem of Fire shattered to pieces when hit by their fingertips. -!! A Hellhound was split in half from a casual halfhearted kick. -!!! The ze conjured by a Fire Spirit pouring out all its strength just ¡®bounced¡¯ off their bare body as they advanced. Each and every one of these Demonic Creatures that were close to a cmity were effortlessly handled as if they were mere toys. What was this? Where the hell did this monstere from? -¡­ As if its soul had left its body, the me Demon looked nk towards them, then focused more intently on the humans. They were an odd pair, fitting for such bizarre sights. After all, the me Demon had rooted itself in this specific zone for a long time. And during its long reign, most ¡®humans¡¯ that the me Demon had encountered were always incredibly tense and nervous. Even if their races were different, it had definitely sensed the nervousness and awe that such humans felt when facing Demonic Creatures that they had only heard of in the folklore of hunters. However¡­ These humans¡­ ¡°Hey. Stop right there. Stay still. Did I ever say I was going to kill you? I¡¯m just asking you to exin what you said a moment ago, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Your eyes are out of focus, Riru.¡± A woman,pletely enveloped in a blue aura, chasing a man with such vigor that it almost felt like a ghost on her shoulder was urging her on. And a man who was sweating bullets as he ran away from the terrifying woman. In the conversation they had while sprinting this way¡­ There was not a speck of ¡®nervousness¡¯ that could be felt. ¡°Oh, found it.¡± Instead, upon spotting the me Demon, the man being chased even wore a bright smile on his face. As if, the extreme Scorching Zone, where powerful Demonic Creatures and even the me Demon ruling over them dwelled, were all of no concernpared to the woman chasing right behind him. -¡­ And such an attitude¡­ Was more than enough to scratch the temper of the me Demon, whose pride had already been wounded just a moment ago. ¡ª!!!!! A roar echoed. As the me Demon pounded its chest, several pirs of me containing its mana shot up around it. The mes, almost reaching the sky, were massive enough to say that they connected heaven and earth. Normally, this was a trump card it used only when cornered, but now it nned to confront these bastards with its full power from the very start. Not a single legendary human hunter who had survived the Scorching Zone and reached the me Demon had ever been able to withstand the pirs of fire created by it. It was doubtful that it could even count the number of living beings that had been reduced to ash by this attack alone. ¡°Heup.¡± And as the man arrived in front of the pirs of fire, he futilely ¡®punched¡¯ at them. At the sight of this, the me Demon sneered. No one had ever withstood this attack, but what was he trying to achieve with that form of resistance? It was obvious that he wished for death, melting in the fire and bing mere cinders. It opened its mouth widely, ready to triumphantly roar at the sacrifice that would soon turn into ashes. And then¡­ -¡­? As if it was nothing¡­ The sight of the punch ¡®scattering¡¯ the pirs of fire that had split the heavens¡­ Became thest memory of the me Demon.
¡°¡­Mm.¡± I stared at the head of the me Demon flying through the air, its mouth still agape. It had been reduced to that state with just one punch from me. ording to my watch, it took exactly 5 minutes. System Message [ Target ¡®me Demon¡¯ is temporarily annihted! ] [ Target has been engraved with a ¡®Fear Imprint¡¯! ] [ From now on, the target will recall this experience when seeing ¡®Dowd¡¯! ] Even though the me Demon, as a boss mob, could resurrect periodically within the Scorching Zone even after dying¡­ It seemed that the Fear Imprint was sessfully applied due to it being obliterated in one blow. ¡®¡­This really is unbelievable, though.¡¯ Thinking this, I looked down at the gauntlet on my arm. [ Infinity Gauntlet ] < Item Info > [ ? Ectosm: Disys a very high fusion rate with various Special Powers. When enhancements or buff skills are casted on the equipment, the effect is doubled..] ¡ú [ Effects of Mastery: Fighting Arts ¨C Stance Á¢Ê½ are doubled! ] [ ? Adaptive Leather: Automatically copies the target¡¯s attributes when struck. On the second hit, automatically weakens the target¡¯s attribute. ] ¡ú [ Copying Fire Attribute. Next hit will weaken the Fire Attribute! ] The me Demon¡¯s pir of fire was a troublesome pattern in the game. After all, it dealt a fixed damage that was a percentage of the yer¡¯s health, regardless of equipment or stats. But just now, I ¡®broke through¡¯ that pattern and beat it to death in one hit, didn¡¯t I? ¡®¡­Even if Desperation was taken into ount, it¡¯s incredible.¡¯ Of course, this magnitude of ¡®attack power¡¯ came from Desperation, but¡­ The utility to maximize that attack power was all provided by this thing. Although it wasn¡¯t written here currently, thanks to the ¡®Dragon Scales¡¯, I didn¡¯t receive any damage even though I had stuck my arm into the pir of fire. It was the very definition of a perfect bnce of offense and defense. This should be more than enough when fighting with Tatiana; I shouldn¡¯t need to worry at all. Moreover, I didn¡¯t even use the Starsteel feature that resisted curses and reacted sensitively to the divine. But there was one remaining problem¡­ ¡®Someone¡¯ that was right on my tail at this very moment. System Notification [ ¡®Skill: Proof of Faith¡¯ activated. ] [ All stat bonuses are converted to ¡®Endurance¡¯ and ¡®Divine Power¡¯. ] System Notification [ ¡®Skill: Guardian Shield¡¯ activated. ] [ Creating 2 simultaneously due to the influence of ¡®Mastery: Divine Power Mastery¡¯! ] This skillbination had even blocked Kasa¡¯s punch once. Considering the inted buffs that Desperation provided, it should be even stronger than before, though. -! -!!!! ¡°¡­¡± Yep. Of fucking course. Such a thought involuntarily passed through my mind as I watched a hand shatter two divine shields to pieces as if they were paper. ¡°Why do you keep running away¡­? Huh? I told you to exin, right?¡± Immediately after, a hand grabbed my cor while wrapped in a blue aura; of course, the owner of it was Riru. Her eyes were lifeless; There was no focus in them at all. Clearly, she had lost her fucking mind. ¡°¡­¡± Uh. But, um hey, you know¡­ I would like to answer, but I¡¯m kinda suffocating. Since I was hanging in the air, grabbed by my cor, it was impossible for me to breathe. A choked voice leaked out. My vision flickered. ¡°You, you, you definitely said you liked me befor-¡± Riru, veins popping on her forehead, tried to continue to say something, but¡­ ¡°Yes. That¡¯s as far as you go.¡± There was a ¡®red aura¡¯ that interrupted. Interfering with the blue aura emanating from Riru, it pped her hand away. [¡­] From within Soul Linker, I could feel Caliban¡¯s displeasure rapidly increasing. The reason for that was¡­ Red Devil¡¯s Aura. ¡°¡­¡± When I turned my head, I saw Faenol standing on a rock, holding a staff. I had called her here in advance. I knew I would definitely need her around this time. While smiling slyly, a red aura bloomed from her body. Unlike Riru, who had let her aura flow wildly in her surroundings, hers was clearly controlled and disciplined. ¡®¡­The only Vessel that is able to control her Devil.¡¯ While recalling this characteristic, I sighed inwardly. I had no intention of using her in an actual ¡®battle¡¯, but it was necessary to utilize her to deal with Riru at this very moment. After all, only a Devil could counter another Devil. I was able to survive thanks to her knocking Riru¡¯s hand away. ¡°¡­Who is she?¡± ¡°Faenol Lipek. I¡¯m running for the next candidate to be Mr. Dowd¡¯s lover. Nice to meet you, Waiting Line Senior.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Riru looked at Faenol, grinning and waving, with an incredulous expression¡­ While her focus was elsewhere, I took the opportunity to attach the mana stone I got from Faenol onto Riru¡¯s body. It was a ¡®teleportation¡¯ mana stone that any moderately skilled mage could make. The set coordinates were the outermost area of the Forge of Struggle. The effect was immediate. Riru, with the mana stone attached, disappeared in an instant. ¡°¡­Ah, I actually almost died.¡± While coughing, I stood up from where I had copsed. A fresh blue bruise was marked on my neck where Riru had just grabbed me. Despite all the cheat skills I had stered myself with, I still suffered this much; It was truly difficult to grasp the extent of power that the Devil¡¯s Vessels possessed. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this just pushing back the issue by avoiding it now?¡± While observing my condition, Faenol said this with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯ve done everything you asked, but what is even the point of this?¡± ¡°It buys some time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Faenol frowned. ¡°¡­The Blue Devil is heavily influenced by its Vessel. Haven¡¯t you been paying a lot of attention to that from the very start?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Yes. But if you just provoke her and then fling her away to somewhere else without a proper exnation, won¡¯t that just make her even angrier?¡± ¡°It will.¡± I rummaged through the destroyed body of the me Demon while rubbing my neck. There was something in here I needed to find, after all. ¡°¡­Then how do you n to soothe someone who¡¯s that angry? If the Vessel goes berserk, like the case of the Grey Devil before, this entire area will-¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to soothe her.¡± I sighed in response to Faenol¡¯s words. As I did so, her expression instantly went nk. ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said, I¡¯m not going to soothe her.¡± I deliberately provoked her and flung her away with such thoughts in mind from the very start. To make sure her head positively fumed with anger. To make the Devil¡¯s Aura flow more intensely. ¡°¡­¡± Throughout the entire progress of this chapter, I really took care to not make Riru angry, but¡­ Seeing n¡¯s current state made me change my mind a bit. As I said before, to face an unbeatable boss, I needed to do some batshit crazy things myself, to a level even Tatiana couldn¡¯t predict. Although going out of my way to meet Faenol was part of that n, I needed something more¡­ ¡¯effective¡¯ than that. And so, I gave it more thought. What was the craziest thing I could do within manageable limits? What was a mean strong enough to smoothly get through the boss battle? And that led me to this conclusion. ¡°I¡¯m going to make the Blue Devil go berserk once.¡± Well then¡­ Let¡¯s take a look at Riru in her purest form. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 107: Omen Chapter 107: Omen ? Omen ? Talion Armand was someone who took pride in his own abilities. It was understandable given that he could evenpete with Iliya, who had received the title of Hero, a distinction reserved only for the most promising talent in the continent. Recently, however, he had been feeling the widening gap between himself and her, almost akin to a difference between heaven and earth. As such, his confidence has wavered a bittely. Dowd Campbell always seemed to attract and be entangled with monstrous individuals. Despite his limited social circle, the capabilities of those around him were so absurd that any concerns about his few interpersonal rtionships were virtually meaningless. For instance, other than Iliya¡­ First, there was the Saintess of the Church and a terrifying swordsman who could kill a dragon with a single blow; both came as a set. Then, there was Riru Garda, who even Iliya, a fellow freshman, wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke recklessly was included in this terrifying list. Moreover, those individuals werepletely devoted to him. ¡®¡­Devoted?¡¯ Well, at times, their excessive favorability was a little problematic, but anyway¡­ When standing next to that man, it was inevitable for him to feel that he was such a small person. ¡°¡­¡± And Talion had realized one more truth. The fact that it was silly of him to even feel that way. In the first ce, the sense of inferiority born fromparison would only really hit home when one felt that they are ¡®simr¡¯ to the person they arepared to. If the counterpart was a monster, a sky above the sky¡­ Then the fact that he felt inferior waspletely preposterous in the first ce. ¡°I found it!¡± They were in a certain frozennd, where mana-powered blizzards raged. In this ce, there was a Ruler; A tiger with the size of a house, the Ice Tiger. Thanks to the blue jewels that adorned its entire body, it possessed defensive capabilities at the level of defensive gear made from rare metals. It was a Demonic Creature that possessed innate elemental magic from birth. Demonic Creatures titled as Special-Grade were never considered as ¡®prey to hunt¡¯ and the Ice Tiger was no exception. They were more like creatures of legend for the hunters, unbelievable existences used to scare children with sayings such as, ¡®Behave well or the Ice Tiger will get you!¡¯. These Special-Grades were so formidable that even a battalion of official knights, who each could easily face Intermediate-Grade Demonic Creatures, would only have a possibility to subjugate these monsters. Above them were only the dragon race, beasts from other dimensions, and the Four Cardinal Gods, who werest seen decades ago. But now¡­ This Ice Tiger had met an opponent that was able to ¡®tear it apart¡¯ in a blink of an eye. ¡°¡­¡± When he first entered this hunting ground and was requested to eliminate the Ice Tiger with Eleanor in 5 minutes, he thought that was just an exaggeration from that man, a way to tell them to do the deed quickly. Among the students, it was already well-known that Elfante¡¯s Student Council President was abatant who possessed historic levels of strength; but even so, wasn¡¯t she still just a student? Or that was what he thought. Until Eleanor abruptly let out a punch without moving from where she was standing at upon meeting the Ice Tiger. ¡°¡­?¡± At first, he thought that she had lost her mind. After all, she was a swordsman, yet her sword remained unsheathed against such a powerful foe. Not to mention that what she threw wasn¡¯t even a serious punch, just a casual thrust as if she was pushing something in the air. The motion she made was bizarre, as if she didn¡¯t have the slightest intention to even hit her opponent. However¡­ Alongside that light motion, a ¡®grey aura¡¯ burst forth from Eleanor¡¯s body. And at the same time¡­ -!! -!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The scenery before him was ¡®ripped apart¡¯ in its entirety. And even the Ice Tiger, who was swept away by such an aura, was shredded into pieces without a chance to resist. Dowd had instructed them to instill ¡®fear¡¯ to it, so it didn¡¯t seem like she killed it, but it was definitely one step away from dying. All that was achieved from this single mind-boggling attack. Talion could only watch with his mouth agape at the sight. ¡°¡­¡± This person¡­ ¡®¡­No, wait.¡¯ ¡®Could she even be called a person anymore?¡¯ As a descendant of a distinguished martial family, Talion could tell that the technique Eleanor unleashed did not fit into any known categories of Special Power such as Fortitude or Divine; It was something he had never seen before. The only candidates that could wield such power were beings considered as mere fantasy by the academic circles: Existences of the Astral Realm or Devils, the Rulers of Pandemonium. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Devil¡­¡¯ ¡®Wait, Devil?¡¯ He narrowed his eyes, gazing towards Eleanor. The blood of Devils runs in the veins of the Tristan Duchy. Though a mere whisper, it was a whisper that had always circled around in the Empire¡¯s high society. Although it sounded absurd¡­ What if it did not possess a metaphorical meaning? What if there was actually some connection between the family¡¯s bloodline and Devils? ¡®¡­No, there¡¯s no way.¡¯ It was way too ridiculous to even consider. For a prominent major noble household of the Empire to be entangled with such things? If it were true, the Empire would have already been in an uproar multiple times over. In the first ce, no one even knew where such rumors came from. ¡®¡­Father did say he heard that the Imperial Family may have spread it, though.¡¯ But that was even more absurd than the original rumor. Why would the Imperial Family do that? Especially to the Tristan Duchy household who had been unrivaled in their loyalty to the Imperial Family for generations? Unless it was to ¡®pressure¡¯ them purposely, it made absolutely zero sense. ¡°¡­Um, Student Council President.¡± Of course, regardless of that¡­ Right now, the spectacle before him was undeniably insane. Talion spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°How did you do that?¡± Upon hearing his words, Eleanor simply shrugged her shoulders before responding. ¡°I just experimented a bit.¡± ¡°Experiment?¡± ¡°I was testing how far I can interfere with regards to twisting space, even without touching the time axis at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What kind of nonsense was she spouting?¡¯ The most apt ability of twisting space was the highest order of magic, ¡®Dimensional Distortion¡¯, that only dragons knew how to use the legendary technique, or ¡®Morning sh¡¯ demonstrated by the first Duke Tristan. To replicate that with a mere punch was something only Devils or beings from the Astral Realm could possibly¡ª ¡°¡­¡± ¡®No. No¡­¡¯ ¡®That thought was preposterous.¡¯ If this woman was truly rted to ¡®Devils¡¯, especially one emanating a ¡®grey¡¯ aura¡­ A certain being that belonged in the realm of ancient myths, dating back to the era of the First Hero came to mind. After all, it was a ¡®color¡¯ depicted in the Great War of Gods and Devils, responsible for creating the Void Zone in the center of the Golden Triangle. And ording to those myths¡­ The Grey Devil¡¯s Vessel was an unprecedented entity titled the ¡®Enemy of the Entire Continent¡¯. In other words¡­ This woman could potentially be the worst monster in history, capable of taking on the entire continent alone. ¡®¡­No, that¡¯s preposterous.¡¯ While struck with panic, he looked down at the Ice Tiger, who was on the verge of death and breathing with great difficulty. Seeing that it was breathing feebly, it was certainly not dead. ¡°Let¡¯s see. He told me I just had to extract its ws¡­¡± Talion approached it while muttering as such. Or at least he would have if it wasn¡¯t for the tiny being trying to bite his ankle. ¡°Oh no.¡± It was the Ice Tiger¡¯s cub. Although much smaller in size, its features looked copy and pasted from the Ice Tiger. The cub continued its unthreatening snarling, as if to protect its mother. Honestly, it was more like a kitten than a tiger. It looked pitiful as it swung its paws, which were basically the size of a w, in front of the injured Ice Tiger. ¡°¡­Mm, this kind of makes me feel like I¡¯m the bad guy. It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not going to kill, I just need the ws-¡± Talion tried to finish his sentence with a bitter smile. Until he sensed ¡®something¡¯ behind him. ¡°¡­!¡± At the next moment¡­ He was rolling on the ground, enveloping the Ice Tiger¡¯s cub with his entire body. Despite fresh blood spurting because he was pierced by the Ice Tiger¡¯s ws, he didn¡¯t seem to care as he shielded the cub. The cub inside his embrace was squirming. It must have ¡®mistaken¡¯ Talion¡¯s actions as an attack. Or it would have thought that¡­ If it hadn¡¯t noticed that the spot it was just standing on was now in ruins, shattered by a grey aura. -¡­ The cub rxed, drooping in Talion¡¯s embrace. It had realized that Talion had actually ¡®saved¡¯ it. ¡°¡­Student Council President.¡± He turned his tense gaze towards Eleanor. Her red irises shone ominously; they were filled with relentless and ferocious ¡®hostility¡¯. Just now, as if she did not even want to see the cub¡¯s pitiful squirms¡­ She had tried to crush it like a bug. ¡°Senior Brother didn¡¯t say we needed to harm the cub.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Talion, holding the trembling cub, spoke, Eleanor looked at him nkly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unsightly?¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°The mere existence of such a weak life form, to me, is simply revolt¡ª¡± Eleanor, who was about to continue, stopped abruptly. ¡°¡­¡± Then, she covered her mouth while opening her eyes wide. It was as if she was shocked by her own words. ¡°¡­What¡­did I¡­just¡­¡± Simultaneously, the ¡®hostility¡¯ in her eyes vanished. As if something that was ¡®enveloping¡¯ her had disappeared. ¡°¡­N-No. There is no way. Forget what you have just heard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just collect the ws and go back.¡± With that, she walked away with quick steps, unlike her usual calm and unhurried manner. Talion¡¯s expression crumpled at this sight. ¡®¡­What was that?¡¯ Although just for a brief moment¡­ Something had ¡®pervaded¡¯ Eleanor. It was not the usual expressionless Student Council President, which was a mixture of silliness and cool-headed¡­ But ¡®something¡¯ that was filled with a blind hatred for every existence in sight. ¡®¡­Senior Brother, what kind of woman are you under the mercy of?¡¯ Thinking as such, Talion let out a deep sigh.
[I have finished, Senior Brother.] I nodded at Talion¡¯s report, who seemed to have lost his soul. It seemed like this reaction was due to seeing Eleanor pulling off some aplishment again. ¡°¡­¡± It was understandable. After consuming two Fragments, the range of actions a Vessel could do would start to be simr to or exceed that of named NPCs in the game. I wasn¡¯t too sure about this assumption, but she would probably even start to be stronger than Gideon. ¡®¡­Which means I¡¯ll have a hard timeter.¡¯ This was not a desirable phenomenon, you see. At the very least, for future chapters, it was better to always make sure Gideon¡¯sbat power was above Eleanor¡¯s. ¡®After this chapter ends, it seems like it is necessary to also go check on our Duke¡¯s progress.¡¯ System Message [ Target ¡®Eleanor¡¯ is bing more ustomed to the Devil¡¯s Power. ] [ The fusion of the second Fragment elerates. The Vessel starts to be affected! ] After all, I had to in order to deal with this. As I had mentioned before¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand to see Eleanor bing a murderer, even if I became blinded. While I was frowning at such a window, the pager in my hands emitted a ringtone. It was a call from Iliya. [Ah, Teach. This side¡ª] ¡°Is the Imprint also finished over there?¡± [¡­] Iliya paused for a moment at my question. [¡­No, so like. About that. We did finish, but¡­] On the other side of the screen, Iliya turned to look behind. Behind her, the body of the Ruler of the Jungle Zone, the Horned Demon, was visible. And so was Yuria, who was looking down at it with her sword drawn. [Teach, didn¡¯t you say this thing won¡¯t die?] ¡°¡­? That¡¯s a mana life form, so it won¡¯t die, probably.¡± Just like the Ice Tiger, the me Demon, and the Unicorn. Mana life forms connected to the elements didn¡¯t die easily. This was the most significant trait that allowed them to break through all thepetition from the formidable Demonic Creatures nearby and upy the position of a Ruler. Even the me Demon, didn¡¯t I even after I blew its head apart in one strike. [This thing¡¯s dead, though?] ¡°¡­What?¡± [It¡¯s not resurrecting. Since it¡¯s like that, was the Imprint or whatever properly engraved?] ¡°¡­¡± At her words, I took a closer look at the screen. White aura was rising from Yuria¡¯s sword. Nearby, the Unicorn waspletely bisected from head to toe, lying motionless. It was not even showing signs of returning to its elemental form for resurrection, like the me Demon I killed. ¡®¡­She actually killed it?¡¯ ¡®How did she do that?¡¯ ¡®You can¡¯t even attempt that in game unless you use a glitch¡­¡¯ Fortunately¡­ The answer to ¡®how¡¯ such a thing was possible soon appeared before my eyes. System Message [ Target ¡®Yuria¡¯ is bing more adept at utilizing the Devil¡¯s Power. ] [ A new curse in the ¡®Severer¡¯ is unlocked. ] [ The target¡¯s Stage 1 Fusion Rate has reached 99%. ] [ The second Fragment of the ¡®White Devil¡¯ will soon appear. Rted events are updated! ] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Hey, you fucker.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m busy enough already¡¯ ¡®Please, spare me.¡¯ [¡­She seemed a bit mentally unstable ever since she came here. Is that really okay, Teach¡­?] I scrutinized Yuria, who was reflected on the screen. Her eyes were out of focus. Standing there without moving, she looked down at the corpse with dead eyes. Even at a first nce, her state didn¡¯t seem normal. ¡°¡­¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what she was thinking since thest time I saw her was when she was changing her clothes. She looked very upset, though, simr to how she was after the recent gaslighting I did. [¡­If we leave her like this, she might cause an ident soon.] ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure she will. Just let her be.¡± [¡­] As Iliya looked at me speechlessly, I just scratched my head instead of following up with some sort of exnation. At the very least, based on my experiences so far¡­ Omens of ominous things that seemed would happen to me had never missed their mark. If there was even the slightest hint, bad things would definitely happen. So, what did I need to do in such a situation? Instead of thinking about ¡®fixing¡¯ it, it was better to use it as a ¡®momentum¡¯. First, I had already triggered Riru¡¯s temper to explode¡­ And this was the second. [¡­What?] ¡°Iliya.¡± As Iliya questioned with suspicion, I let out a sigh. ¡°Do you perhaps know the saying ¡®curing poison with poison¡¯?¡± Poison could be managed with poison. If only one poison was released, it was just a deadly poison, but¡­ If two were released¡­ That could be used as ¡®medicine¡¯. ¡®¡­This will be quite interesting.¡¯ Honestly speaking¡­ I was curious about tomorrow. After all, I couldn¡¯t help but look forward to how Tatiana would react to what I was going to do, you know? You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 108: War Chief Assembly (1) Chapter 108: War Chief Assembly (1) ? War Chief Assembly (1) ? Hatan U-Jul struggled to suppress his headache. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve said it several times, but it didn¡¯t just die once and started its resurrection process. It¡¯s been confirmed that it was annihted. Its existence itself can¡¯t be detected.¡± Everyone fell silent. It was a silence that often followed when people heard something utterly ridiculous; A silence born from the inability of their thought processes toprehend the current situation. Even though it was asked repeatedly, someone, unable to hold back, spoke up again. [¡­The Unicorn of the Jungle Zone ispletely dead?] ¡°Yes. With certainty.¡± [And all the other Rulers of the Demonic Zones also suffered harm that is equivalent to annihtion.] ¡°Yeah.¡± [And all of this was done by¡ª] ¡°One man and two hunting parties acting on his orders. If you ask me one more time, I¡¯ll take it as a challenge to duel.¡± As he spoke these words with barely restrained anger, a hush fell over the other War Chiefs. An emergency assembly of all the War Chiefs wasn¡¯t amon urrence, but if his words were true, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand why this meeting was called. [It¡¯s an unprecedented event.] One of the War Chiefs murmured in a low voice. It was extremely rare for anyone to kill the Rulers of the Demonic Zones during the long history of the Tribal Alliance, let alone erase their very existence. Even the achievement of hunting a single Ruler was enough to be recognized as the greatest hunter of their time. But to have hunted the Rulers from all four Demonic Zones? [¡­ording to the traditions of the Tribal Alliance, that person must be given a fitting reward.] ¡°The title of Great Hunter has to obviously be given.¡± [That¡¯s not what I mean, Hatan. You know it as well, don¡¯t you?] The War Chief who spoke sighed before continuing. [¡­Given the nature of the Alliance, someone who aplishes a ¡®great feat¡¯ that has never been recorded in history deserves more than just a title.] Never fail to reward a meritorious service nor to let a fault go unpunished. Reward and punishment. It was the tradition of the tribes. For someone who achieved such an incredible feat, it wouldn¡¯t be right to just throw a title at them. Even if that person was an outsider. As the conversation continued with a heavy undertone, everyone fell silent once again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Though everyone remained quiet, they were likely all thinking the same thing. This was something that none of them present could achieve. Even the Chieftain of the Tribal Alliance wouldn¡¯t be able to. So, what reward would be fitting for someone who aplished such a feat? [Is it really that big of a deal?] But, as always, there was someone who, out of personal dislike, would wish to belittle the achievements of even those who aplished such great feats. ¡°Velua.¡± Hatan sighed as he looked in that direction. Velua Ger-Do. The War Chief of the Blue Boar, the most problematic tribe of the Alliance. He was also the father of Krun Ger-Do, who had recently been beaten up by Riru Garda and Dowd Campbell after provoking them. [Well, anyway. Seeing as how this conversation is going, it seems like all of you want to give that guy something incredible. But doesn¡¯t it require unanimous agreement from all the War Chieffs?] ¡°¡­Are you possibly saying that you would oppose it?¡± [I said it before. Is it really that big of a deal?] The more the conversation continued, the more evident it became. ¡®¡­That bastard must have ratted them out to his father.¡¯ Seeing as he was disying such unreasonable jealousy, it was clear he was being obstinate out of personal grudges. ¡®That idiot. The next time I see him I¡¯ll definitely fold him in half.¡¯ [What¡¯s the Chieftain doing?] Someone brought up such words. Utad Han-Chai. The father of Luca Han-Chai, who was currently studying abroad at Elfante Imperial Academy. [In a situation like this, it¡¯s normal for the Chieftain to have recognized him without even needing our vote.] It was a logical statement. In a case where such an extraordinary monster appeared, it would be normal for the Chieftain to step in and handle the situation before the War Chiefs even gathered. ¡°n has been unresponsive. He has visited the Forge, but hasn¡¯t shown his face anywhere. No one has seen him either.¡± [¡­This is quite a conundrum.] However, n, who had arrived at the Forge of Struggle, was not engaging in any public activities, as Hatan said. Almost as if he was already long-dead. [For now, let¡¯s call forth the person in question and hear from them.] [You¡¯re saying we should bring an outsider to a War Chief Assembly, Utad?] [We have no choice, right? Especially in this kind of situation.] At this point, it was undoubtedly the most logical solution. [¡­] [¡­] In the end, the other War Chiefs, albeit reluctantly, had no choice but to agree.
!!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ ¡®Devil-Rted¡¯ Emergency Event urred! ] [ This is a critical event! ] [ If you do not take the correct actions within the time limit, you will die! ] [ Event rted to target ¡®Riru¡¯! ] [ Find a way to survive immediately! ] ¡°¡­¡± Mm. Yep. I was wondering when this woulde up. ¡®¡­It would be stranger if she wasn¡¯t angry.¡¯ She was probably dropped in the middle of the vast sea due to the effects of Faenol¡¯s teleportation spell. Anyone would agree to call me trash after knowing what I did. Since the entity inside her body was the ¡®Devil of Wrath¡¯ itself, it would be strange if she didn¡¯t go berserk. It probably wouldn¡¯t take long before she found me. Maybe in just a few hours? ¡°¡­¡± Of course, That was just one thing. For now, putting that aside¡­ I needed to focus on the task at hand. ¡°Dowd Campbell. Pleasee inside.¡± I checked the time as one of the faculty said this. Safe. Barely made it. The main reason I destroyed the Rulers of the Demonic Zones in less than 5 minutes was because I was certain that convening this ¡®War Chief Assembly¡¯ would take quite a bit of time. ¡®¡­Wherever it is, gathering high-ranking people together is always the hardest part.¡¯ When I entered the room with such thoughts, the holograms of all the War Chiefs stared at me piercingly. As expected of a country with high technological prowess, emergency gatherings were possible through such methods. An odd silence followed until finally, someone started speaking to me. A huge warrior wearing wolf skin. He looked quite familiar. [¡­Pleased to meet you, Dowd Campbell. I am Utad Han-Chai. Father of Luca Han-Chai.] ¡°Do you know me?¡± [Luca has told me stories about you and Riru Garda. He said you have remarkable capabilities.] ¡®Ah, so it was him, huh?¡¯ After all, that guy mentioned he would give something to Riru with his authority as the next War Chief. It was obvious that he would have told his father. [Do you know why you¡¯ve been called here?] I looked at Utad, who spoke with a calm tone. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call for me in order to discuss the reward that will be given to me? I know that the Alliance has an inclination to especially value hunters.¡± [¡­You seem to know about the Alliance quite well. Yes. You¡¯re right.] Utad responded with an interested smile. [What you have achieved is unprecedented in the history of our Alliance. As you may already know, it is only right to give such a person a reward in turn.] [I have said it before, but I¡¯m against it. I¡¯m fine with giving the title of Great Hunter, but nothing beyond that.] [Velua. Don¡¯t be too spiteful.] [Ha. I¡¯m merely exercising my legitimate right as a War Chief-] I silently watched the holograms of the War Chiefs exchanging these words. ¡®¡­Well, I mean¡­¡¯ Honestly speaking¡­ ¡°This isn¡¯t the issue right now.¡± I would certainly secure that reward. For the future of the Tribal Alliance, there was a position that I had to ¡¯seat¡¯ Riru in. As an opportunity for that. And all my previous efforts to rehabilitate Riru were all for this purpose. However, for now¡­ The situation I needed was just to have ¡®all¡¯ the War Chiefs together like this. After all, there was something I urgently needed their permission for. [¡­] [¡­] Hearing my words, Velua, Utad, and the other War Chiefs all looked at me with questioning gazes. [¡­What do you mean that¡¯s not the issue?] ¡°For now, giving me the title of Great Hunter seems to be unanimously agreed upon by everyone here. Is that correct?¡± [That¡¯s right. It wouldn¡¯t make sense if you couldn¡¯t have that title after achieving such a feat.] At Utad¡¯s response, I paused for a moment. Honestly, the predominant emotion I felt was apologetic. The Tribal Alliance, as mentioned several times before, was a very closed-off group. It was not amon situation to allow an outsider like me into such a gathering of their leaders. And seeing as he spoke to me first, it seemed this person had facilitated this situation in an attempt to care for me. Basically, it meant what I was about to do didn¡¯t justify ¡®harming¡¯ someone like him. I should apologizeter. ¡°¡­Then, I believe I have the right to exercise one legitimate right.¡± The title of Great Hunter was the highest authority when it came to dealing with ¡®Demonic Creatures¡¯, thus even the War Chiefs needed to consult me about such a category. I, for one, had merely hopped on the Devil Bus for a free ride, so I didn¡¯t need such an impressive modifier. Just the authority to have the other War Chiefs listen to me was enough. ¡°¡­Currently, the Tribal Alliance and the Forge of Struggle are in an unprecedented crisis.¡± Before, there was a time when such a crisis was about to happen, but thanks to Eleanor blowing it up massively, it had disappeared. But, now¡­ Perhaps as a bacsh, such a threat had multiplied and was heading this way. ¡°I¡¯m proposing this as someone who received the title of Great Hunter.¡± And to ovee such a situation¡­ ¡°Please temporarily hand over the ¡®entire¡¯ Forge of Struggle to me.¡± This entire ¡®academy¡¯¡­ Had to be a piece on my chessboard. You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 109: War Chief Assembly (2) Chapter 109: War Chief Assembly (2) ? War Chief Assembly (2) ? [You must be out of your mind. Ha!] I turned towards the speaker. Velua Ger-Do. He was definitely someone who harbored ill feelings towards me, probably due to the beatings I had given Krun before. He probably had been talking shit about me. [Hand over the entire academy? What in the world is that even supposed to mean? Are you suggesting we sell it off to you or something? A ce that is no different from the cradle of the Tribal Alliance?] Since the speaker was Velua, it might sound like he was just being argumentative, but even I understood this kind of reaction. Given its small poption, the Tribal Alliance itself was obsessed with nurturing each individual as an elite. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that Hatan, a War Chief, also served as a Dean. As such, well¡­ I didn¡¯t really expect to be given the entire academy either. ¡°Exercising full authority as a proxy would suffice. ess to facilities, authority over personnel deployment, permission to carry out equipment¡­ Anything I wish.¡± An academy of the Golden Triangle of itself was one of the major triggers in the scenario. To optimize its use, I had already decided on the ¡®owner¡¯ of it. And it wasn¡¯t me. ¡°Just for a few hours. That should be enough.¡± After I added such words, the surroundings fell silent. It was surely a ridiculous request from their perspective as well. [¡­Setting aside the absurdity of your demand¡­] The immediate follow-up illustrated this perfectly. One of the War Chiefs spoke in an incredulous voice. [In the first ce, what threats areing our way? Without any exnation, your demand is nothing but bullshit coated with bravado.] ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you. I can just show it to you right away.¡± [¡­What?] ¡°Shall we make a bet?¡± I responded to the War Chief who had just spoken. ¡°Soon, a cmity will ur at such a magnitude that no one here will be able to handle it. As such¡­¡± When saying these kinds of things, confidence was key. I had to continue speaking with an unwavering face of steel, as if even a knife piercing it wouldn¡¯t draw blood. After all, this would make the other party wonder, ¡®What makes this fucker so confident to say such things¡ª¡¯, or something simr to that. ¡°If the crisis I show is ¡®beyond even the ability of the War Chiefs to handle¡¯ and I manage to get rid of it right here¡­ Then you¡¯ll listen to me. How is that?¡± [¡­So, what you¡¯re saying is¡­] Utad, who had been silently listening to me until now, spoke in a voice full of disbelief. [An unprecedented crisis, undetected even by the technology of the Forge of Struggle, is imminent. And only you know of its existence. And you alone can stop it.] ¡°Yes.¡± [¡­And you have the power to get rid of it instantly right here and now?] ¡°Yes.¡± The faces of all the War Chiefs who heard me changed bizarrely. There were those who doubted, those who turned pale in surprise, and those who scoffed. Velua Ger-Do, who had harbored ill feelings towards me from the very start, looked like his anger had reached the very top of his head, as if it was about to pop like a kettle. [¡­This is not even worth listening to.] Velua spat out such words. [It¡¯s nonsense that is not even worth considering. Have you forgotten your ce just because you received the title of Great Hunter? Just because of a mere fluke?] ¡°Come on, let¡¯s be reasonable. How could it be a fluke for someone to get such a title?¡± [¡­] ¡°Have you ever even touched a hair on one of the Rulers of the Demonic Zones? Have you forgotten your ce after dealing drugs andmitting crimes everyday?¡± I threw his words right back at him. Yes, those words were tant provocations towards him. After all, the apple didn¡¯t fall far from the tree; The shallow nature of Krun Ger-Do was almost entirely inherited from his father, Velua. Even if it was just one absurd provocation like this, I was sure he would bite. [¡­] Just like that. Look at him getting all serious and worked up over a single sentence. [¡­You talked about a bet, didn¡¯t you, you bastard?] Velua growled with an extremely low voice. [What do you stake if you fail?] His eyes glinted ominously. He was probably looking to manipte the situation to my disadvantage. However¡­ ¡°Take whatever you want, even if it¡¯s my life.¡± What I wanted was for him to initiate this quarrel. [¡­What?] ¡°I said I¡¯ll do anything you want. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can even go through a vow.¡± At the same time as I responded¡­ Hatan, who had been quietly observing this situation, smirked and Utad, as expected, let out a sigh. By saying this, the bet had been ¡®established¡¯ without giving the other War Chiefs a chance to intervene or stop it. It was definitive enough that he wouldn¡¯t be able to back outter. [¡­You seem quite confident, you bastard.] Indeed, now that I had said this, even Velua, who had brought it up in the first ce, seemed flustered. He was trying his best to not show it, but¡­ It seemed he didn¡¯t expect me to so boldly dere that he could take whatever he wished from me. ¡°I¡¯m confident. But anyway, let¡¯s end the conversation here and get straight to the bet.¡± With that, I approached the console embedded in the center of the table and started operating it. This ce served as both a conference room and a type ofmand control center. As a result, if I used the nearby equipment, I could thoroughly observe the surroundings of the academy. ¡°Now, there isn¡¯t much time left until the thing I¡¯ve been talking about appears.¡± I checked the clock. And then, I inspected all the video cameras avable nearby. [¡­Are you sure about this?] As I did so, I heard Caliban¡¯s voice from within Soul Linker. [That woman, Tatiana, said she would give you just one day, didn¡¯t she? Isn¡¯t there still a long time left until then?] ¡®¡­If you were going to stop me, why didn¡¯t you do it earlier instead of now?¡¯ [Obviously it¡¯s because you wouldn¡¯t do such a thing without thinking it through.] How nice that he at least knew that about me. I sighed inwardly and responded to Caliban. ¡®Her words itself were too vague.¡¯ [What?] ¡®She said she would give a grace period of one day. That means she¡¯s just going to hold back for exactly one day beforeing to kill me. That¡¯s the only thing she will do.¡¯ Considering how submissive and dependent Tatiana was to the Prophet, I would definitely be a thorn on her side because of the attention I got from that being. Even if she was ordered to hold back for a day, there was a high chance she would interpret thatmand broadly in order to kill me no matter what. In that sense¡­ It didn¡¯t take long for me to find what I was looking for by using the console. The ce shown on the screen was right in the middle of the sea near the Forge of Struggle. [¡­Wait. What is that?] And there¡­ A massive ¡®pit¡¯, reminiscent of a giant sinkhole, was forming¡­ Its state was filled with an unfathomable darkness.
Honestly, sinkholesrge and deep enough to swallow several buildings whole were not umon sights onnd. However, one forming in the middle of the sea was another thing entirely¡­ It was an utterly alien sight, as if a ¡®road¡¯ was being created through the sea, connecting one side to the other. -¡­ And from within¡­ Something started to ¡®crawl out¡¯. A molluscpletely covered from head to toe in ck tentacles. However, its size was ridiculouslyrge. No cap, it seemed to be as big as a modern battleship. [¡­Kraken? No, but¡­!] ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary Kraken.¡± At one War Chief¡¯s exmation of horror, Hatan wrapped his head in his hands, groaning in response. ¡°The fact that its body is entirely ck means that it¡¯s a Demonic Creature that harbors a curse. It¡¯s not one of those ordinary creatures that inhabit these waters.¡± A Kraken was just ssified as one of the High-Grade Demonic Creatures. It was incredibly powerful, but Hatan had already hunted one by himself before. A hunting party could even handle it without much trouble. However¡­ ¡°¡­Demonic Creatures carrying such intense ¡®attributes¡¯ usuallye from another dimension and they are monsters that are often several times more powerful than their counterparts.¡± Hatan grinded his teeth. ¡°There¡¯s a high likelihood that even I am not able to hunt that one.¡± [¡­] [¡­] At that statement, all the surrounding War Chiefs fell silent. A Demonic Creature that even Hatan, who was called the greatest hunter of his time, couldn¡¯t defeat. If he couldn¡¯t handle it, then no one here stood a chance against it. And it didn¡¯t stop there. [¡­Damn it. It¡¯s not just one?!] At the same time that such an exmation erupted¡­ A second. A third. Several of them were crawling out of that sinkhole. There were more than a dozen of them. The things inside there were¡­ ¡®¡­This is Phase 1.¡¯ Essentially they were the ¡®vanguard¡¯. The Apostle of the Reversed Sea Boss Battle essentially took the form of ¡®tower defense¡¯. The goal was to fend off Demonic Creatures that continuously assaulted the Forge of Struggle from all sides of the surrounding sea. And these bastards were basically the first wave. [¡­So she really did prepare something.] ¡®I told you. The only thing she¡¯s doing is holding back from killing me for just one day.¡¯ The n was probably to attack the Forge of Struggle in advance, killing all the ¡®people around me¡¯ who would be the source of my strength in battle; that was what was excluded from her promise. After all, she would have kept her word as long as she didn¡¯t kill me. She probably started the summoning ritual for those things right after showing me n¡¯s state. And that was why I knew they would appear around this time. You see, if a person kept experiencing simr things, they would eventually develop a sort of resistance against it. [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Apostle of the Reversed Sea ¡½ [ 15H left until the ¡®Great Duel¡¯ Incident! ] [ The boss battle will follow immediately after the incident in question! ] In the past, I blindly believed what was written here and got thoroughly bamboozled by the Prophet. And the lesson I learned from that was¡­ No matter how much I ¡®scheduled¡¯ a n ording to the information written here, there was always the possibility of unforeseen variables. ¡°¡­¡± However, one thing I wanted to point out was¡­ Creating variables that would hit someone in the back of their head was not exclusive to them, With that thought, I switched the system window. !!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ ¡®Devil-Rted¡¯ Emergency Event urred! ] [ This is a critical event! ] [ If you do not take the correct actions within the time limit, you will die! ] [ Event rted to target ¡®Riru¡¯! ] [ Find a way to survive immediately! ] Yeah. For example, something like this. -¡­! ¡­! ¡­? The Krakens, who had been shrieking continuously while approaching the Forge of Struggle, suddenly paused. They probably felt something approaching from behind. Perhaps¡­ Even these Demonic Creatures that were strong enough for even Hatan to surrender to them¡­ Instinctively felt a ¡®threat¡¯ approaching, powerful enough to make them momentarily stop in their tracks. [Wait a minute.] One of the War Chiefs spoke as if his soul had left his body. [¡­Isn¡¯t that¡­ A person?] Indeed. That was a person ¡®running¡¯ on the sea. [¡­] [¡­] Everyone in the room fell silent at this bizarre scene that was impossible to understand. Well, um, how should I put this? This wasn¡¯t about being athletically gifted or skillfully using Special Powers. This wasn¡¯t a sight that could be exined within such boundaries. It was as if they were twisting thews of the world by themself. They were kicking off the surface of the water, running at a terrifying speed as if it were solid ground. They ran so intensely that each step caused a tsunami to rise behind them. And, as far as I knew¡­ There was only one being capable of creating such a spectacle. The person running on the sea was enveloped in a ¡®blue aura¡¯ that burst so explosively that it covered the entire screen. ¡°¡­¡± Yeah. That was none other than Riru. Pissed off out of her fucking mind. The very person I dropped in the middle of the sea by using a mana stone from Faenol. You see, I precisely calcted where to fling her away in order to deliberately make sure these Demonic Creatures would be in her ¡®path¡¯ when looking for me. ¡°Now then.¡± As everyone looked towards this scene, stunned, my voice descended upon the silence. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll take care of these Demonic Creatures.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Ignoring Hatan¡¯s incredulous voice, I snapped my fingers. ¡°Yap.¡± And at the same time¡­ -!! ¨C!!!!!!!!! The nearby Krakens opened their mouths wide and rushed towards Riru. Several Demonic Creatures, each asrge as a house, charged towards Riru. It was the very definition of a desperate crisis. ¡°¡­¡± Well¡­ For the Demonic Creatures, that was. ¡°Get loooooooost¨C!!!¡± Riru shrieked as she charged directly at them. And then¡­ All the Krakens that collided with her¡­ Were ¡®pulverized¡¯ on the spot. Like eggs smashing against a rock. It was a scene that defiedmon sense, given the disparity in size between them. [¡­!] ¡°¡­!¡± Everyone in the room gaped in horror at this sight. Even I, who knew this would happen, felt cold sweat running down my back at this disy of power. How brutal. That was the Blue Devil¡¯s Authority, [Pulverization]. While wielding the Devil¡¯s Power, anything that touched her body would be shredded to itty bitty pieces, just like that. Regardless of the opponent¡¯s size, defense, or durability. Seriously, fuck all of that. Just a touch would rip them to shreds. ¡°¡­¡± On the bright side¡­ With this, Phase 1 was skippedpletely. There was still another battle ahead, but there was no need to fight those terrifying Demonic Creatures right now. And on the other hand, the negative part that even such gains couldn¡¯t cover was¡­ ¡°Dowd Campbellllllllllll¡ª!!!¡± As I was lost in such thoughts, Riru¡¯s shriek virtually boomed from the screen. As if to respond to her call, the blue aura surrounding her body surged even more explosively. ¡°Come out right this instant-! I¡¯ll kill y¡ª¨C!¡± Before the sentence could finish, I quickly turned off the screen. And then, I turned towards the War Chiefs who were looking at me with pale faces of shock. ¡°¡­I won the bet, right? I kept my word. All of it.¡± I got rid of a crisis that no one here could have handled. Moreover, while standing still in this room. It was a clear fact that couldn¡¯t be argued against. [You did keep it, but¡­] ¡°Yes.¡± [Isn¡¯t that thinging to kill you right now? Can we really consider that your own abili¡ª] ¡°But I got rid of the crisis.¡± [¡­] ¡°I am the cause and the reason, right?¡± If a promise was already made, you shouldn¡¯t change it, okay? So hurry up and fucking hand over the keys to the academy.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 110: Curing Poison With Poison (1) Chapter 110: Curing Poison With Poison (1) ? Curing Poison With Poison (1) ? Tatiana gently caressed the ne hanging around her neck. Before her eyes was the body of n, writhing with tentacles embedded all over. As a turquoise light leaked from the ne, the movements of those tentacles grew increasingly violent. She could hear the soundsing from under the sea. The wicked voice that echoed in her ears. ¡®Just a little¡­longer¡­¡¯ It wouldn¡¯t take long until the entity she served would be summoned. With that in mind, Tatiana elerated the progression of the ¡®ritual¡¯, taking in a deep breath. Considering she promised a one-day grace period, this was no different from hitting him from behind,pletely blindsiding him. However¡­ ¡®¡­If I don¡¯t do this much¡­¡¯ She wasn¡¯t certain she could kill that man definitively. Though she hated to admit it, Dowd Campbell was a human of freakish capabilities. Even if he had not tried to kill Dowd outright, that man had still fought and defeated the Boy King. In terms of strength, he was one of the most powerful ¡®Chosen Ones¡¯, the most capable beings among the Devil Worshippers. Few could face him in a direct confrontation and win. [Yo, Apostle.] ¡°¡­¡± However¡­ How did the saying go? Speak of the devil and he doth appear? Someone who could almost certainly match the Boy King in a direct duel was now contacting her. Tatiana pushed her eyes open with great difficulty, looking at the screen that appeared beside her. The man on the screen was draped in all sorts of ornaments. Although he looked somewhat nouveau riche externally, Tatiana, who knew his true nature, could not help but snort at his shallow disguise. [Are you struggling? Need my help?] His tone was iparably frivolous. She could vividly feel him belittling her desperate efforts in conducting the ritual. As if questioning why she was pouring so much of her energy into such a meaningless chore. ¡°¡­¡± However, instead of responding with anger, Tatiana kept her mouth shut. Even the Prophet acknowledged him as the ¡®worst human in the world¡¯, A viin that even the Prophet, who dreamt of the resurrections of the Devils and the destruction of the world, was amazed at. That was the extent of the ¡®malice¡¯ and ¡®karma¡¯ contained in this man. In other words¡­ He was an existence who had the unbelievable strength to have survived without repercussions, even after gaining all of such titles. The most powerful Cursed Speech User in history. The culprit who made the Boy King wander for ages while burdened by an entire kingdom. ¡°¡­What is it, Talker?¡± [Nah, it¡¯s just a message from the boss.] The man known as Talker responded with a grin. [Boss said you can y your little games if you want, but you shouldn¡¯t forget the original goal.] ¡°¡­¡± [Killing that man is all well and good, but we didn¡¯t give you the ¡®Seal¡¯ just for that. You know that as well, right?¡±] At that, Tatiana turned her head, ncing at n. In case a Devil went berserk, there was a means to ¡®control¡¯ it temporarily. Said means was the artifact that reced this man¡¯s heart. Probably, it would only work once, and even then, it wouldn¡¯tst long, but¡­ It was definitely powerful enough to ¡®hold back¡¯ the Grey Devil inside Lady Tristan, even if she went berserk. And she clearly remembered what the Prophet had told her when handing it over. [You just need to do your part as a water ghost well.] Talk continued with a smirk. [The boss and I will handle the really important stuff. Got it?] Tatiana bit her lip until it bled. The Prophet had instructed her to ¡®just hold that man back¡¯. As if implying that they only expected her desperate efforts to ¡®kill¡¯ that man to result in that trivial oue. And that Tatiana, the Apostle of the Reversed Sea, could never kill that man even if she were to use everything she possessed. It was almost as if they had that much trust in the capabilities of that man. ¡°¡­¡± The Prophet regarded that man as¡­ ¡®Important¡¯ to a suspicious degree. Despite having only recently met face to face¡­ The Prophet¡¯s attitude seemed as if they had known that man for a very long time. ¡®¡­It should have been me¡­¡¯ She should have been the one to receive such attention. She should have been the one to earn such a degree of trust from that being. These thoughts pounded in her head like crazy, but Tatiana¡¯s voice that trickled out was still apathetic, as if those thoughts didn¡¯t affect her at all. ¡°I already know, Talker.¡± [Oi, is that all? We haven¡¯t seen each other in a while, so can¡¯t we at least greet each other¡ª] ¡°If you¡¯re going to talk nonsense, then farewell.¡± With that, Tatiana ended the call. This frivolous man had a weird tendency to hit on women as soon as he saw them. Was he really trying to act just like his appearance? There were much more important things to do than talking to such a man. She formed a Cursed Mark on her hand. It was a spell that showed a predetermined location on a screen. From now on, the cursed Krakens, the vanguard of the Deep Sawn that were about to attack and cause chaos in the academy, should¡ª ¡°¡­?¡± ¡ªappear there. And they did. The problem, though, was that they were ripped into pieces and turned into huge chunks of flesh floating nearby. Tatiana¡¯s expression instantly went nk. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What is going on?¡¯ ¡®What the fuck is going on?¡¯ Those entities should normally be powerful enough toughably breach the academy¡¯s defenses. At the very least, it was safe to assume that there was no one inside this academy who could easily face them at this time. Perhaps if it was Kasa Garda at her prime, she could have stopped them, but she had already been incapacitated ording to the Prophet¡¯smands, having all her limbs cut off. ¡®Who could have possibly done this?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Fortunately, her question was soon answered. Not long after she started to shift the screen around, her eyes caught someone running on the surface of the sea. When she saw the ¡®blue aura¡¯ emitting from that person¡¯s entire body, her eyes widened. She was all too aware of what that meant. Demonic Aura so vile that one could only witness it when a Devil¡¯s Vessel was on the verge of going berserk. ¡®¡­Dowd Campbell.¡¯ ¡®This, this crazy motherfucker¡­!¡¯ Tatiana gritted her teeth. She was, of course, aware that there were more Devil¡¯s Vessels inside this academy besides Lady Tristan. However, she could never have imagined he would go this far. After all, wasn¡¯t his goal was to ¡®survive?¡¯ ¡®How in the world is he nning to clean up that mess¡­?!¡¯ If the ¡®Devil of Wrath¡¯ was this enraged, it was safe to assume that the survival rate of the person who caused it converges to practically 0. Even being desperate had its limit. For him to actually make a Devil go berserk just to fend off her assault¡­ ¡®¡­Damn it.¡¯ Since he went to such crazy lengths, it put her in a difficult spot. After all, she needed that man alive until she could kill him with her own hands. Only then could she fulfill the mission the Prophet had given her. Only then could she properly demonstrate her ¡®capabilities¡¯. ¡®¡­Don¡¯t you dare die, Dowd Campbell.¡± Tatiana clenched her teeth and began adjusting the Array she was forming through the ritual. Originally, she intended to summon the Demonic Creatures in a formation that encircled all sides of the academy, but now, she focused them all in one ce. She had to slow that person down, even if it was just by a little. ¡®Stay alive until I kill you!¡¯ ¡­Though Tatiana felt that something was definitely strange¡­ It was self-evident that she had no choice.
¡ªis what she is most likely thinking. And since that was the case, she¡¯d most likely summon the Demonic Creatures in the direction Riru was currently approaching from. After all, If I died within the time given by her as a grace period, it would mean she had failed the mission the Prophet entrusted to her. [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Apostle of the Reversed Sea ¡½ [ 15H left until the ¡®Great Duel¡¯ Incident! ] [ The boss battle will follow immediately after the incident in question! ] As evidence of that, the countdown timer on this window was not decreasing with the usual bullshit about how it was an emergency or whatever. At the very least, during this time, Tatiana would do her very best to block Riru. This was some all-time stonks. [¡­You¡¯re really cunning.] ¡°¡­¡± [Ah, I see how it is now. It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s an enemy or not. Since she¡¯s a woman, of course you¡¯d try to fiddle around with her to your heart¡¯s¡ª] You. Shut up. I transmitted such words into Soul Linker and finished my sentence. ¡°¡­So this concludes it.¡± I stopped manipting the simtion, ending my lengthy exnation. The War Chiefs nearby were all silent. They seemed unsure how to react to what I had justid out. ¡°You¡¯re one crazy motherfucker, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed they were speechless, not because they didn¡¯t know what to say, but because they were dumbfounded. That assumption of mine seemed to be correct as they showed their agreement to Hatan¡¯s voice that was mixed with a snort of incredulousughter. ¡°The n itself makes sense, though.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s so impressive that I wonder how an outsider knows so much about the functions of our academy, from A to Z. But¡­¡± Hatan continued with a sigh. ¡°You just said those wrecked Krakens were the ¡®First Summoning¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As I mentioned earlier, the Apostle of the Reversed Sea Boss Battle was in the form of tower defense. Following those, other Demonic Creatures would continually be summoned, descending upon the academy. ¡°Yeah. I get that monsters strong enough to call those things ¡®chumps¡¯ will pop out, but¡­¡± Hatan continued with an incredulous voice. ¡°How many people did you say are being deployed on that front?¡± ¡°Five.¡± Me. Iliya. Yuria. Saintess Lucia. And Talion. Eleanor could note. After all, the opponent would surely have ¡®prepared¡¯ for her. It was actually better to leave her alone¡­ Especially considering the ¡®aftermath¡¯ of the boss battle. ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying five students will take that on.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you joking right now? What can you do with just five¡ª¡± ¡°No, no. You¡¯re taking it the wrong way.¡± I cut off Hatan¡¯s doubts instantly and responded. ¡°It¡¯s not just five people. Five people is enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± My confident answer silenced the room once again. [¡­I see why Luca said that about you now.] Utad¡¯s sentence broke the long silence. ¡°Excuse me?¡± [He told me to keep an eye on you. He said that though you¡¯re crazier than a lunatic, if I kept watching, I would definitely realize something.] ¡°¡­¡± Did he really go around saying that? ¡°¡­Have you realized anything then?¡± [Certainly. I¡¯ll tell youter.] With that, Utad smirked and continued. [For now, I second it. We don¡¯t have the right to refuse anyway.] ¡°Utad. Are you being serious?¡± [I am serious, Hatan. I want to bet on this audacious young man.] ¡°¡­Tch.¡± Hatan clicked his tongue while scratching his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do whatever you want.¡± With that¡­ The other War Chiefs also showed various reactions of agreement, be it sighs or something else. The only one who remained silent until the end was Velua, but so what? He already lost the bet to me, so he had no say anyway. ¡°But, while we move ording to your n¡­What will you do?¡± Hatan¡¯s question made me frown reflexively. ¡°¡­I have something to do.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay. I get that. So, what is it?¡± ¡°Finding a way to survive.¡± No matter how much Tatiana slowed Riru¡¯s speed of approach¡­ In the end, it was quite self-exnatory that Riru was rushing at full speed to smash apart my head. In essence, I also had to find a way to stop that. ¡°¡­Uh, how should I put it¡­¡± I continued with a grim tone. ¡°I have someone I need to nag, so that they get extremely infuriated.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Hatan responded incredulously, but¡­ I was serious. I needed someone else to get as angry as Riru, no¡­ I needed someone to get even angrier than her, so that they would rush to kill me. System Log [ Target ¡®Yuria¡¯ is bing more adept at utilizing the Devil¡¯s Power. ] [ The target¡¯s Stage 1 Fusion Rate has reached 99%. ] [ The second Fragment of the ¡®White Devil¡¯ will soon appear. Rted events are updated! ] Alright. It¡¯s your turn, Punk.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 111: Curing Poison With Poison (2) Chapter 111: Curing Poison With Poison (2) ? Curing Poison With Poison (2) ? Iliya Krisanax was someone who had the right to boast about her social skills. The fact that she managed to somehow strike up a conversation in Greyhounder¡¯s current state alone was enough to affirm that no one would dispute such a proposition. ¡°¡­Ah, excuse me, Miss Yuria.¡± Iliya opened her mouth, a drop of cold sweat trickling down her forehead. ¡°I-I think y-you should rx a little. I-If Teach was really angry at Miss Yuria, he wouldn¡¯t have asked for a favor like this¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yuria turned towards her silently. Funnily enough, the first thought that came to Iliya¡¯s mind when looking at her was ¡®white¡¯. It was something that others couldn¡¯t rte to. After all, the impression Yuria gave, from head to toe, was ck. No one in their right mind would even perceive her otherwise. And Iliya would share the same sentiment if she hadn¡¯t been watching a certain something ¡®bloom¡¯ from her body. ¡°¡­I definitely did what Mr. Dowd asked properly¡­ Right¡­?¡± The white aura Yuria exuded only proved to strengthen Iliya¡¯s impression. Iliya moved her gaze, starting from the sword the other girl was holding before sweeping through her entire body. ¡®Yep.¡¯ ¡®White.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s no mistaking it.¡¯ The shape of ¡®White Yuria¡¯ inside her body was emitting a terrifying aura. ¡®¡­I see it, I see it, I said I see it¡­!¡± Iliya barely managed to stabilize her trembling lips as she thought this. Lately, she had been unusually ¡®sensitive¡¯ to things around her. Trisha told her that she had strangely be too ¡®smart¡¯ or something like that. Iliya herself didn¡¯t feel particrly smarter, but there was something she certainly realized. The fact that she could see ¡®freaky things¡¯ very clearly. Like the ¡®something¡¯ inside Lady Tristan and the ¡®something¡¯ inside Yuria right now. Things that used to look so vague that she could barely notice the outlines were now crystal clear! ¡°O-Of course. Teach will be satisfied as well.¡± ¡®No, there¡¯s no way he will be!¡¯ Dowd clearly only asked Yuria to ¡®adequately subdue¡¯ the Unicorn she was sitting on, not to fucking kill it to the point that it couldn¡¯t even resurrect. However, how was she supposed to just say that? Either way, Dowd said ¡®I¡¯m counting on you¡¯ and stuck her next to Yuria. Considering his inclinations, he had most likely ¡®calcted¡¯ that she would somehow be able to calm Yuria down when she was in this state. As such, she felt the need to live up to that expectation. ¡°¡­¡± If one asked why she needed to do that, her face would probably turn red, screaming at the person to stay quiet. In any case, she had to do it. Yep. She had to, mhm. After all, doing it would make it easier for her to ¡®request¡¯ something from himter. ¡®I will get back what I¡¯m owed by severalfold¡­!¡± She couldn¡¯t define exactly what she wanted to get back, but at the very least, this time, she swore to herself that she wouldn¡¯t be used by him for free. At the very least, she¡¯d get him to go out somewhere with her for two days¡ª ¡°Miss Iliya.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°What are you thinking about right now?¡± Iliya stifled a gasp. Yuria was looking at her with dead eyes. The shape of White Yuria inside her practically shot out a piercing re. Almost as if she had read her thoughts about Dowd. Even before this, she used to react sensitively to topics rted to Dowd, but since Iliya started to see the white shape clearly, Yuria had virtually be a ghost when it came to noticing such matters. ¡°It¡¯s-it¡¯s nothing at a-al-allllll¡­!¡± Though her throat was tightened in fear, Iliya barely managed to say that. Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, but she pushed them back with all her might. For now, she needed to change the subject. A conversation. They had to have a conversation. Most problems in the world arose from a breakdown inmunication. This situation could be solved with a conversation as well! ¡°R-Rather than that! You¡¯ve been wearing that all the time!¡± Iliya pointed to the cor that was still around Yuria¡¯s neck, desperately changing the topic. Although it was a bit forced, fortunately, it seemed to be effective. This was evident, as Yuria¡¯s aura softened and she even smiled slightly. As if touching a precious treasure, Yuria gently caressed the cor and the handkerchief tied next to it. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± It was almost as if, when she touched it, the depression and dreariness that were eating her up from the inside just moments ago flew away. ¡°Every time I touch it, I feel Mr. Dowd.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s as if he¡¯s nearby. How to put it¡­ It makes me feel very relieved? Assured? I only have good memories rted to this object.¡± Iliya briefly recalled what Dowd did with that cor. So¡­ He used that to drag Yuria around like a pet, choking her until she coughed for breath, tossed her around like an object, swung her in the air like an iron mace¡ª ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Good memories, huh?¡¯ ¡®Mm.¡¯ ¡°¡­Miss Yuria must really like Teach.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but say that when witnessing her attitude. No like¡­ How much did she have to like him for all those things to remain as a good memory¡­? The question was certainly asked in a light manner with such a thought in mind. ¡°Yes.¡± However, the answer that came back¡­ ¡°¡­I¡­like him.¡± Was in her usual hesitant, unconfident, and quiet voice, but¡­ It was also a voice that was undoubtedly filled with so much ¡®longing¡¯ that it overwhelmed all of such emotions. Iliya flinched without herself knowing, turning to look at Yuria. Even though her eyes were downcast, making it hard to read her expressionpletely¡­ ¡°I like him.¡± She could hear it in that voice, mixed with a hint of tears. ¡°I really like¡­ Mr. Dowd¡­ I really¡­ Really like him. I can give him my everything, anything.¡± The mournful desperation seemed to carve out Iliya¡¯s heart just by hearing it. To Yuria, the sentence she was uttering was an absolute truth. ¡°I want to be with him¡­ Now and forever.¡± She could feel all of that ever so clearly. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, a thought urred to her. If such an answer came back even to a reflexively asked question¡­ Perhaps, for this woman¡­ Dowd Campbell could be her ¡®reason for living¡¯ itself. ¡®¡­Just like with Lady Tristan.¡¯ Did that man have a talent for being loved by such terrifying people? This wasn¡¯t just love; It was obsession, or rather, ¡®dependency,¡¯ as if she¡¯d ept literally anything that man did. The only thing both Lady Tristan and Yuria couldn¡¯t stand was being ¡®abandoned¡¯ or him prioritizing ¡®others¡¯ over themselves. ¡°¡­¡± Uh, wait a minute. Didn¡¯t she pinpoint an incredibly important context just now? Iliya frowned as she retraced her thoughts. Dowd Campbell was a human loved by such terrifying existences, and the one thing theymonly couldn¡¯t bear was not being able to monopolize that man. A recentment from Trisha shed through her mind. -¡­It¡¯s as if he was forcibly suppressing his own feelings. And the man hid his affection from others. ¡°¡­¡± Mm. Hmmmmmmm. She could smell something. It smelled like the man was ¡®walking on a tightrope¡¯ with his life on the line. Her mind began to run at tremendous speeds. ¡®¡­There¡¯s a good chance that¡­¡¯ Maybe¡­ She was the only one who realized this fact. Originally, she wouldn¡¯t have even had a chance to squeeze next to Dowd Campbell, who was surrounded by such terrifying women. But what if she could be the only one who understood the man¡¯s ¡®behavior¡¯ and ¡®feelings?¡¯ What if she could be apanion who he couldfortably approach, unlike the other women? Could this be an opportunity for her to secure a ¡®unique¡¯ position next to Teach? ¡®¡­Huh. Wait. What. Oh myyyy¡­?¡¯ ¡®Wasn¡¯t this¡­¡¯ ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ ¡®A chance to win?¡¯ Whether it was Eleanor or Yuria, she might be able to outstrip them all, like a cheetah that startedte¡­! ¡°¡­So, this is something¡­.¡¯ While she was lost in such thoughts, Yuria quietly threw out such a sentence. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t yield to anyone else. It is a security that ensures that the memories of me and Mr. Dowd belong to only¡ª¡± Right when Yuria was continuing her sentence¡­ The cor was released with a click. The handkerchief tied next to it also slipped down smoothly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy silence fell. With a dazed expression, Iliya looked back and forth between the loosened cor and the handkerchief fallen on the ground. Then, like an unoiled machine, her head turned unnaturally with a creak. And there stood the person who had undone the cor. ¡°¡­Mr. Dowd?¡± As Yuria asked with a trembling voice, Dowd nodded while wearing a mask that even Iliya was familiar with. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s Mr. Dowd.¡± ¡°¡­That¡­ Why, why¡­?¡± Yuria stammered out such words with great difficulty, the light in her eyes dying outpletely. ¡°Oh, this?¡± Dowd, however, responded nonchntly to her question. ¡°I¡¯m going to confiscate it for a while.¡± ¡°¡­Why¡­that¡­why¡­would you¡­?¡± As Yuria spoke with a voice that sounded like her neck was getting choked, Dowd shrugged his shoulders. ¡°You see¡­¡± However¡­ His voicecked any kind of emotion. ¡°It seems to suit someone that isn¡¯t you as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of putting it on Miss Lucia for the time being. What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Something clicked within Iliya¡¯s mind This fucker wasn¡¯t just walking on a tightrope with his life on the line. He was literally courting death! He wasn¡¯t fucking sane! While Iliya was thinking as such in horror¡­ Yuria drew her sword with apletely nk expression. Then¡­ ¡ª-!!!!!!! A white sh erupted.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 112: Curing Poison With Poison (3) Chapter 112: Curing Poison With Poison (3) ? Curing Poison With Poison (3) ? System Message [ Target ¡®Iliya Krisanax¡¯ is on the verge of awakening the ¡®Eye of Truth¡¯. ] [ Upon awakening this ability, the subject will be designated with the role, ¡®Sidekick of Survival¡¯! ] [ Great luck will be given when doing ??? with the target! ] ¡°¡­?¡± What the hell? Eye of Truth? Sidekick of Survival? thatst line wasn¡¯t even properly disyed. ¡®¡­These features weren¡¯t even in the original game, I¡¯m sure¡­¡¯ Come to think of it, when I first entered the Forge of Struggle, a window about some ¡®role¡¯ being designated to that woman had popped up. It didn¡¯t seem like a bad thing since it said luck would be given, though¡­ [I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re looking at, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the time for that.] ¡°¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. Hearing Caliban¡¯s words, I looked at the giant sh that suddenly burst forth far away in the Jungle Zone, where the Unicorn was. That attack was the same one that shredded the Sea Serpent in just a few blows. It was impossible to not notice it at a first nce from this distance. The good news was that it wasn¡¯t my head that was flying off right now. Strictly speaking, that thing was still ¡®me¡¯ though. [ ¡ò Clone Walker ] Item: Special Price: 1,000pt Description: Creates a duplicate that mimics the personality and behavior of the original body. It can also interact with other buffs! [ Remaining Points: 4,000pt ] It had been a while since I used this guy. Though it was immediately obliterated as soon as I used it. ¡®¡­At the very least, it should buy some time.¡¯ Of course, considering the level of her ¡®obsession¡¯, it was obvious that she would realize that was a fake and she¡¯de after me to cut my neck afterwards. With that thought, I switched the window. !!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ ¡®Devil-Rted¡¯ Emergency Event urred! ] [ This is a critical event! ] [ If you do not take the correct actions within the time limit, you will die! ] [ Event rted to target ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] [ Find a way to survive immediately! ] !!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ ¡®Devil-Rted¡¯ Emergency Event urred! ] [ This is a critical event! ] [ If you do not take the correct actions within the time limit, you will die! ] [ Event rted to target ¡®Riru¡¯! ] [ Find a way to survive immediately! ] ¡°¡­¡± Seeing the window filled with red alerts made me sigh. Amazing. A double event. A double whammy of Devil-Rted Emergency Events. At this rate, even if I brought Gideon, Kraut, Atnte¡­ Or anyone else with that level of strength, I would still 100% die, huh? [Despite having those thoughts, you seem pretty rxed.] As Caliban tossed such words at me from within Soul Linker, I responded with a grin. ¡®Well, because I am.¡¯ [¡­Howe?] ¡®Because even if things go wrong, what¡¯s the worst that could happen to me? At most, I¡¯d just die, no?¡¯ [¡­] You know, after experiencing various life-threatening events, despite all my efforts to avoid them, it wasn¡¯t a surprising thing that my sense of danger would be numb. Since my daily life turned to absolute shitfest no matter what I did, simple threats like these felt like a breeze. What? Two Devils went berserk at the same time and both were trying to kill me? Sure. Try me. If I die, so be it. [¡­] ¡®¡­Shut up.¡¯ [I didn¡¯t say anything.] ¡®You were calling me a crazy fucker in your head just now.¡¯ [I won¡¯t deny it.] Even I myself realized that, but¡­ I didn¡¯t do shit for no reason. He really should understand that at the very least. Not to mention that my goal of calling this person here was to solidify said reasons. ¡°¡­What did you say to Yuria to make her do something like this?¡± In front of me, The Saintess asked with a nk expression, gazing at the smoke billowing far away in the Jungle Zone. Her voice carried a certainty that only Yuria could ever create such a scene. ¡°¡­¡± Even at a quick nce, it was clearly not a force that could be generated by just one person. As I expected, this person already knew that something was ¡®abnormal¡¯ about Yuria. With that thought in mind, I replied. ¡°Do you want to know?¡¯ ¡°¡­Did you perhaps say something rted to me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Were there any sphemous orscivious elements in¡ª¡± Right as Lucia was about to continue her question, she stopped and narrowed her eyes at me. She then scanned me up and down. ¡°Nevermind, forget it.¡± ¡°¡­Somehow, I feel offended.¡± ¡°Knowing you, it just feels like I already know the answer to my question.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What kind of person does she think I am?¡¯ ¡°¡­Could you give me your hand?¡± I sighed and made such a request to Lucia. When I added that I wasn¡¯t going to do anything strange, she hesitantly extended her hand and I wrapped an amulet around it. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a container that houses souls. I think the Saintess might also recognize a familiar face in it.¡± The Saintess, blinking in confusion at first, soon widened her eyes in surprise upon seeing the shining amulet. It seemed she had sessfullymunicated with one of the souls inside. ¡°¡­Valkasus? Wait, how could he be inside this¡­?!¡± ¡°I knew you would be happy to see him.¡± I answered with a wry smile. Valkasus and Lucia, well¡­ As briefly seen in the previous boss battle, it was evident that they had a surprisingly close rtionship, even though one of them was a Devil Worshipper and the other one was THE Saintess. In the normal route of Chapter 2, unlike my bizarre approach, there were quite a few sections where these two could be used together, and when teamed up, they even produced a synergy effect. And that was precisely what I wanted from this person right now. To steer the uing boss battle towards the oue I desired¡­ I needed the expertise of both a Master of Divine Power and a Master of Forbidden Sorcery to perform a miracle befitting of their levels. ¡°So, at the moment¡­ We have about two hours left.¡± I spoke while checking my watch. The time frame should be just enough for Tatiana to hold off Riru and for the crazed Yuria to somehow find me. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like you to do within that time span.¡± With that, I exined the n. While I would be dealing with whatever shit Tatina summoned from the sea with her ritual, there was something she needed to do for ¡®her little sister¡¯. ¡°¡­Y-You mean¡­ No, surely, you wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± And the Saintess, having listened to my exnation, spoke with a trembling voice. I cut her off before she could finish that sentence. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°But, you could actually¡ª!¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s okay.¡± At this point, I was already involved in countless life-threatening crises. What she was worrying about wasn¡¯t even anything¡ª- ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, she bonked my head. It felt like a reluctant movement out of sheer frustration from someone who had never resorted to violence in their entire life. ¡°Take care of yourself, you idiot!¡± The Saintess¡¯s voice huffed angrily as she continued. ¡°Please realize how many people worry about your well-being! That includes me!¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for worrying about me. And here I thought you feel ufortable to be around me.¡± Usually, she scolded me for everything I did, so her concern was something quite novel to me. After all, both the System and this person¡­ Well, you know¡­ They kept instilling in me that she was wary of my yboy actions. ¡°It¡¯s not that I find you ufortable, i-it¡¯s, t-that¡­!¡± After trying to say something, Lucia shut her mouth. After mumbling to herself, she bonked me in the head again, her face turning bright red. ¡°Anyway just take care of yourself!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Yes ma¡¯am.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll be careful.¡¯ But I said it was okay because I really was fine with risking my own safety. After all, rather than that, there was something else that required more immediate attention. ¡°I¡¯m sure you already know what exactly is imbued in your little sister¡¯s body, Saintess.¡± As soon as I said this, Lucia¡¯s body stiffened. Yes. Lucia was probably more aware of Yuria¡¯s condition than one might think. In the first ce, she was the one who examined the curse within Yuria¡¯s body on a daily basis. As a Master of Divine Power, It would be strange if she couldn¡¯t detect the nature of the object causing the curse. ¡°The Heretic Inquisition has deployed people because of that as well. I assume it might concern Saintess quite a bit.¡± Last time I saw her, she was just ying a nonsensical game by dressing Yuria up like a doll, but Faenol was fundamentally the final boss of the next chapter. There was absolutely no way that she approached Yuria with such soft intentions. ¡°¡­And this also means that the Imperial Family is keeping a close eye on Yuria.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At that, Lucia¡¯s expression darkened. Strictly speaking, the Heretic Inquisition operated separately from the Holy Land. They consulted with them, but the ones running it were actually the Imperial Family. As such, her reaction was understandable. How could she be happy hearing that another malicious person of authority had taken an interest in them after barely escaping the clutches of the Pope and the Holy Land? ¡°So, this time you will need to¡­ ¡®Root it out¡¯. Focus more on that than worrying about me.¡± If my thoughts were correct¡­ As long as I was able to ¡®calm down¡¯ Yuria, who went berserk¡­ There was a high likelihood that my already skyrocketing value would soar even further in the eyes of the Imperial Family. To the point that their attention couldn¡¯t help but shift from Yuria to me. Lucia bit her lip until it bled. ¡°¡­Once again, you¡¯re saying that you will sacrifice yourself. For us sisters.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Throughout the entire scenario, the Imperial Family held the most powerful authority and was also the most closed off. The fact that I had not even seen a single agent from them, despite having already met the Pope and the Chieftain, proved this. Personally, I would wee any opportunity to get involved with them. There also wasn¡¯t really anything to¡ª System Message [ Target ¡®Lucia¡¯ feels intense guilt towards you! ] [ Marked with Negative Tendency! ] [ 2 Stacks of Negative Marks! The subject is about to fall into a ¡®Negative¡¯ state! ] [ When resolving the ¡®Negative¡¯ state, ¡®Fatal Charm¡¯ is applied, skyrocketing the target¡¯s favorability level! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated! Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] ¡°¡­¡± Wait, what? Was this one of the Gift Skills? The one where I would receive a reward if I made a person with a good disposition fall into a negative state? It had been so long since I had seen this window that I had forgotten I even had this skill. Since I didn¡¯t even use it intentionally, this felt a bit bewildering. ¡°¡­Ah, you really don¡¯t need to feel burdened.¡± As I said this while waving my hands, Lucia nodded with a gloomy expression. Even though she held the title of the Saintess, without the backing of the Holy Land, the title really was just a formality. There was no chance they would help Lucia now either. In the end, she probably reacted this way because she knew she had no other choice. However, the system window that popped up didn¡¯t show any signs of disappearing. That meant she was still feeling guilty. ¡°¡­¡± Ugh. Whatever, let¡¯s deal with thatter. I had much more pressing matters at the moment. ¡°¡­But, Mr. Dowd.¡± As I was thinking as such, Lucia spoke with a worried voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t there one more?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You may be able to handle Yuria with the help of me and Valkasus, but the other one¡­¡± The Saintess trailed off. She was probably talking about the Blue Devil. Wait, but how did she sense that? I couldn¡¯t believe she was able to detect the presence of Riru, who was currently rushing towards us from far out at sea. ¡°Yeah, well, I have a way to deal with that one too.¡± ¡°¡­What kind? Don¡¯t tell me it also involves you throwing your own body in the cross¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, it¡¯s just¡­¡± A bead of cold sweat ran down my face. About that, um. It was not a solution I could really discuss in front of the Saintess. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit difficult to tell you.¡± ¡°Why is that? Does it involve you sacrificing yourself again¡ª¡± ¡°¡­You said earlier that you did not want to hear anythingscivious, right?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Leaving a dumbfounded Lucia, I quickly turned away. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m counting on you to do what I requested please!¡± ¡°No, wait a moment. M-Mr. Dowd! Just now, what did you mean by¡ª!¡± I dashed off, leaving behind Lucia¡¯s voice, who was trying to desperately stop me. Anyway, as mentioned earlier, we were now right before the true highlight of this chapter. There was someone I needed to meet for a ¡®final check¡¯. Someone who would y the role as thest puzzle piece in clearing this chapter.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 113: Transfer Chapter 113: Transfer ? Transfer ? An expected time and an expected ce. The person I was looking for was sitting quietly right where I thought they would be. It was also a ce I had visited once before. The territory of the Garda n, the ce where Riru had previously burned the belongings of the deceased to perform a funeral ritual. ¡°¡­Chieftain. Fist Saint. Kasa Garda.¡± I quietly said such words to Kasa¡¯s back, Who was sitting on the coastal cliff with a pipe in her mouth. ¡°I havee to receive your teachings.¡± As soon as she heard that, Kasa cackled. ¡°Ah, we did have that kind of rtionship, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Indeed, it was a bitughable to bring up such words. Kasa and I never really had any significant interaction as master and disciple. So far, I had just been doing basic physical training with Riru, just as this person told me to. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± Without a word, I sat down beside Kasa. ¡°¡­I always knew you liked this ce.¡± The reason why the Garda n imed ownership of this ce was because of her own personal taste. ¡°Especially if, like now¡­¡± I continued with a sigh. ¡°You found the situation¡­ Interesting enough to ¡®watch¡¯. I figured that you¡¯d be here to do that.¡± As it had already been shown several times, Kasa Garda¡¯s ¡®insight¡¯ was far from ordinary. It was almost as if she could see through the essence of everything, so much so that one might think that it was her actual talent instead of fistfighting. In other words¡­ She came here to chew on some popcorn while watching me getting chased by two Devils who were out to kill me. ¡°You don¡¯t see multiple fuses hanging on one person¡¯s tail everyday.¡± Kasa cackled once again. ¡°I know you did that on purpose, but do you really have to go that far?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As expected from someone of her caliber. Even though we did not have much contact, she understood very precisely what situation I was in right now. ¡°¡­Then you must know why I came to see you.¡± I set down the things I had packed in a bundle on the ground. ¡°There is not much time left, Kasa.¡± Unicorn¡¯s Horn, Sea Serpent¡¯s Scale, me Demon¡¯s Heart, Ice Tiger¡¯s w. These were the things I created after putting all the materials I collected from hunting the Rulers of the Demonic Zones into AI Sephira at the Hall of Fire. I nced at my watch and continued. ¡°¡­There is only about 30 minutes left.¡± ¡°You managed to hold out until there was only that much time left. Didn¡¯t you always say that you needed my Fist Law?¡± ¡°I always believed in you.¡± And that trust was still valid. Although the world had blindsided me and fucked me over at every turn until now, there were some thing that would never change. At the very least, those who bore the title ¡®Saint¡¯ were already considered superhuman and Kasa, the Fist Saint, was one of them. There was definitely a reason why she only made me do basic physical training. As such, there was also a reason why she had merely waited in ce until I came to find her here at the veryst moment. ¡°¡­You must have something you want to show me. Am I correct?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This was how it was in the game as well. During the progression of the scenario, if one met the conditions and managed to be her disciple through a Personal Quest, it was normal for her to make the yer do some weird physical training. Most yers would get tired of the process, since it consumed time and offered little practical reward, thus just skipping the quest altogether. However, if they endured until the very moment before the boss battle, she would ¡®demonstrate¡¯ one critical move. Based on what I had seen so far, it was an event where she would suddenly present an absurd finishing move while saying, ¡®I see this technique suits you best¡ª¡¯. ¡®¡­I don¡¯t know how seeing it once makes me able to replicate it immediately, though.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know how it worked either; When Iliya saw it, she always seemed to have some epiphany in a cutscene and the skill just came soaring in. Maybe the system just let her use it in one way or another. And, since that ¡®game-like¡¯ws had been applied so far, I believed the same would happen to me. Since I knew all of this, I had not said anything until now. ¡°¡­¡± Hearing my words, Kasa grinned and put down her pipe. ¡°You know a lot, Child. I have felt that since our very first meeting. You always seemed to move while ¡®knowing in advance¡¯.¡± Kasa smirked as she puffed smoke from her pipe. ¡°This is the second time I have felt this way.¡± ¡°The second time?¡± ¡°There was another like that before. Someone who seemed to¡­ ¡¯Repeat¡¯ everything they already knew.¡± ¡°¡­Was that person perhaps wearing something like a mask?¡± ¡°Do you know them?¡± ¡®Yeah, I guess you can say that.¡¯ ¡®I only met that bastard once though.¡¯ ¡°¡­We aren¡¯t exactly friendly with each other.¡± That person was someone I ultimately needed to kill. After hearing my words, Kasa tilted her head, but soon changed the subject. ¡°That aside¡ª¡± Kasa¡¯s gaze rested on the bundle I ced beside her. ¡°¡ªSince you¡¯ve believed in me that much, I¡¯ll repay you.¡± Inside was one prosthetic arm and two prosthetic legs. The purpose of these objects was to rece her lost limbs. But, even though they were made from such great materials¡­ If my estimation was correct, Kasa could only use them as a substitute for her limbs for a very brief moment. ¡°How much have you trained your body?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing that question, I looked down at my own body. Compared to before, it was more developed. My shoulders had broadened, my abs be visible, and overall, my body mass had increased. It brought back old memories. After all, before I became Dowd Campbell, I had a body powerful enough to be acknowledged by anyone. Of course, my current state was nothing more than just having a slightly better body. ¡°That should be sufficient.¡¯ With that, Kasa tried moving the ¡®substitute¡¯ body parts fitted to her and stood up. ¡°Child. I know why you are doing such reckless things.¡± Kasa rotated her arms and grinned. ¡°You¡¯re not someone who would do such dangerous things just to save your own life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You ponder, and ponder, and ponder again. Then, you do such things to ensure that no one within your reach woulde to harm.¡± Kasa closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. ¡°You are a child who always chooses the painful path. A path where you yourself gets hurt, instead of someone else.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I see the¡­ Intentions you harbor. The fear that others might get swept up because of your existence.¡± As soon as I heard this¡­ An image shed through my mind. n Ba-Thor. Someone who was transformed into an Incarnation by Tatiana, just to summon an Ancient God. Someone who was forced to be a ¡®sacrifice¡¯. Although he was a human with whom I had no personal acquaintance¡­ He had died ¡®because of me¡¯. If I had acted differently, if I hadn¡¯t provoked Tatiana, if I hadn¡¯t caught the eye of the Prophet¡­ Because of my action, someone who should have been able to live was instead sacrificed by Tatiana. ¡°¡­¡± A butterfly effect caused by my existence. The uncertain variable that would inevitably arise as a result of my actions to survive. As Kasa said¡­ Eventually, they could even affect the people around me. ¡°Of course, I can¡¯t save everyone.¡± I calmly responded to Kasa¡¯s words. That much, I already knew. I pulled off all kinds of crazy shit thanks to the knowledge of a true sweat; A privilege I had received as someone who possessed this body. However, despite that, there would definitely be crises that even I could not handle. And there would be people that I eventually ¡®lose.¡¯ But still¡­ ¡°¡­It wouldn¡¯t be them.¡± At the very least¡­ I could not lose those women, who would do anything and everything for me because they liked me. Of course, that included the two who wereing to tear me apart right now because they were half out of their minds. After all, the reason I made them like that in the first ce was because I couldn¡¯t stand to see something happen to those two. ¡°¡­¡± If my thoughts were correct¡­ Making those two go berserk right here and now was the only way to save them from the ¡®threat¡¯ that was approaching. ¡°Hm. You¡¯re talking about the women who are dangerous enough to cost you your life if you¡¯re not careful, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ordinary people would abandon such a situation and run for their lives. Is there any special reason why?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I closed my eyes and responded. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to go through the same experience twice.¡± In the world, there were memories that were enough to experience just once. Etched into the mind, into the soul. Leaving scars that would not heal even after decades pass. ¡°Getting dumped in three seconds is an experience that I only want to experience once.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kasa definitely didn¡¯t understand what I meant, but she just let out a bitter smile and nodded. ¡°¡­I see your soul is one that bears many scars.¡± Without replying, I just scratched my head with a bitter smile of my own. It certainly was not a memory I was proud of. ¡°So, Child. Because you are who you are, there¡¯s something you can do.¡± At those words, my expression became serious. If I remembered correctly, this was the line that came up in the game right before Kasa ¡®transferred¡¯ a technique. Soon, ¡®Law Technique¡¯ began to circte through Kasa¡¯s body. Law Technique was an incredibly rare talent even within the Tribal Alliance. Right now, the only people around me who could use it were Kasa and Riru. ¡®¡­This is the first time I¡¯m seeing it used properly.¡¯ Law Technique had one of the most peculiar features among all other Special Powers. After all, it was one of the few abilities that could cause ¡®miracles¡¯ through sheer human will. Although it was a vague description, there was no other way to exin it. What was certain was¡­ Among all the Special Powers, it was the most high-risk high-reward. It wasn¡¯t for no reason that I freaked out and stopped Riru from using it once before. ¡°You just need to train your body. You just need to create a basic vessel that can ¡®imitate¡¯ what I¡¯m about to show you. There¡¯s not much else you need to receive from me.¡± Kasa grinned and said. ¡°I can only show it to you once.¡± Then¡­ The Fist Saint pulled back her arm. Under the pulled arm, Law Technique formed. That arm slowly extended outwards. ¡°Don¡¯t miss it.¡± It was a leisurely gesture that extended towards the sky. The movement was far too rxed to be considered a strike. It was unbelievably slow for an attack from someone known as the Fist Saint. However, with just that one move¡­ ¡°¡­Holy shit.¡± The sky¡­ Copsed.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 114: The Curtain Rises Chapter 114: The Curtain Rises ? The Curtain Rises ? In cartoons or manhwas, there was amon trope. Said trope was when someone¡¯s punch caused a dramatic change in the environment. Like cracking the ground in a vast area or shattering dozens of stories buildings. It was a way for the showmaker to depict a certain person¡¯s incredible strength. And right now¡­ Even when taking that trope into consideration, the scene unfolding before my eyes was still ridiculous. If there had been some massive physical blow, then I wouldn¡¯t have been so astonished. However, what I just witnessed at the end of Kasa¡¯s punch thrown towards the sky was¡­ The ¡®night¡¯¡­ Copsing. -.. -¡­ -¡­..!! The sky, which was supposed to darken over time¡­ Seemed to ¡®fracture¡¯ for a brief moment. Like a shattered mirror, its surface twisted, broke, and peeled away; Through the distorted space, bright ¡®sunlight¡¯ which should not exist at this time, seeped in. ¡°¡­Holy¡­fucking¡­shit.¡± I continuously muttered curses under my breath while looking up at this sight. I understood what exactly this implied. ¡®¡­The dimension itself was twisted.¡¯ I groaned when that thought came to my mind. If I were to speak with the game¡¯s term, this was pretty much a one-hit kill AoE. Only powerhouses of this world would survive within that range, anything else would be obliterated by ¡®just a touch.¡¯ The first and strongest Sword Saint in history, the First Duke Tristan, was said to have sliced the sky with his sword, bringing night to rece the day. Although it was only for a moment and in a very localized area¡­ Kasa had recreated that very scene just from a swing of her fist. ¡®¡­Does this even make sense?¡¯ I forced myself to stand despite my wobbling legs. Yes, I knew that she didn¡¯t obtain the title Fist Saint by chance after ying some card games, but still¡­ Once again, I realized how outrageously lucky I was to have blocked her punch once. ¡°Law Technique is¡­¡± While I remainedpletely stunned, Kasa¡¯s voice dropped in front of me. ¡°A Special Power based on ¡®willpower¡¯. The world knows it as something unique to the Tribal Alliance, but that¡¯s only because we are often exposed to extreme situations, the ideal environment for awakening it. In reality, this is something that anyone can use.¡± After saying this, Kasa slowly sat down. It was because the artificial body parts made from materials that came from the Rulers of the Demonic Zones were crumbling to pieces. Despite being made from such high-quality materials, they became like this after being used just once. Honestly though, it was surprising they evensted that long. ¡°And since its activation came from one¡¯s mind, unlike Magic Power or Divine Power, it technically has no ¡®limit.¡¯ It feeds on one¡¯s desperate wishes, desperate desires¡­ The extent of your ¡®will,¡¯ that¡¯s what determined its limit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If your will can reach the sky, then you can even break the sky like this.¡± In other words¡­ It didn¡¯t matter that it wasn¡¯t her original body and she only had a hastily made artificial one. It meant she could do something like this even after attaching something like that to her body. Because she willed it to be. ¡°If it is you, you can surely do it too. It may not produce the same result, but you should be able to follow it in a simr manner.¡± Kasa, who was still acting nonchntly even after doing that grand act, sat back down and picked up the pipe lying next to her. ¡°I would never teach anything to those who couldn¡¯t learn.¡± A familiar line. In the game, after she said this line, Iliya would be granted a skill. ¡®¡­Hm.¡¯ But, what about me? Even when I saw that scene, I just felt impressed. I didn¡¯t feel any enlightenment or something simr to that. At the very least, the way to use¡ª System Message [ You have witnessed an outrageous realm! ] [ A new function is added to ¡®Mastery: Fighting Arts ¨C Stance Á¢Ê½¡¯! ] [ ¡®Stance ¨C Breaking the Sky¡¯ is added to your movements! ] System Message [ You have received valuable teachings! ] [ You have acquired ¡®Mastery: Law Technique Mastery¡¯! ] ¡°¡­¡± Ah, there we go. I mean, it wasn¡¯t like I expected some earth shattering scene of enlightenment, but doing it like this made it feel too underwhelming. Then again, having things handed on a silver tter like this suited me. ¡°Seeing from your expression, it seems like you have gained something.¡± After seeing my face, Kasa chuckled and said as such. Technically, I guess I really gained something. Responding to her words, I let out a sigh. ¡°¡­With such prowess, how did you even get your limbs cut out?¡± Although n Ba-Thor was a formidable powerhouse, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand a chance against Kasa¡¯s technique, even if he attacked with three truckloads of people. Hearing my question, Kasa just shrugged in response. ¡°At that time, he was holding the lives of my n hostage and threatening me. So, I just let him cut them off.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course, n still eventually killed the entire Garda n under Tatiana¡¯s orders. ¡®Moreover, it didn¡¯t even end there.¡¯ I thought back to when I met n recently; The ¡®work¡¯ that Tatiana ¡®had done¡¯ to his body vividly came to mind. The memory made me grimace, to the point that I was about to puke. If Riru, who was on the verge of going berserk, were to see it¡­ I could almost predict how she¡¯d react¡­ ¡°Can you do it?¡± While I was lost in such thoughts, Kasa tossed that question to me. Sheid her gaze beyond the horizon. To be more precise, on the terrifying ¡®riptide¡¯ forming there. Tatiana¡¯s summoning ritual was nearing itspletion. Which meant¡­ System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] It was time. As that window popped up, I felt strength surge into my body. I let out a sigh. ¡°¡­Whatever. Dying is the worst thing that could happen to me anyway.¡± With suchst words¡­ I immediately jumped off the coastal cliff in front of Kasa.
With a thud, I felt myself collide with the rocks Inded on. My body felt light. Although this was the same feeling I always felt whenever Desperation was active, it felt especially so at this moment. ¡®¡­I¡¯ve grown stronger.¡¯ Though I had realized this several times before, I was once again reminded that the vigorous training I had done with Riru was not in vain. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do this. ¡°¡ªHeup!¡± I kicked off the ground beneath me with a shout, propelling my body upwards at a terrifying speed. Just like Eleanor, I could attempt to fly with just my physical abilities. ¡®¡­Maybe my power level is close to Eleanor¡¯s level right before she absorbed two Fragments.¡¯ My current physical specs seemed to have reached a levelparable to hers. Taking advantage of the high altitude, I scanned the surroundings. It didn¡¯t take long to find what I was looking for. Afternding back on the ground, shattering another rock, I leaped towards my target. My body, flying hundreds of meters with each leap,nded on the boat of the Tribal Alliance like a cannonball. ¡°Wh-Whoa!¡± Talion, at the helm, yelped in surprise. He was waiting here with the boat, just as I requested. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m he¡ª¡± Just as I was about to greet him, I noticed a tiny ice cat clinging onto his head. ¡°¡­¡± No, that wasn¡¯t it. A tiger cub? What was wrong with him? Why was he carrying something like that on his head? ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Oh, uh, so apparently it¡¯s a cub of the Ice Tiger. Since its mother disappeared, it¡¯s been clinging to me. I guess it likes me.¡± ¡°It had a cub?¡± I didn¡¯t know that. When the me Demon or the Ice Tiger were beaten the shit out of, it usually took them at least several months to a year to resurrect. I guess, it was possible that a cub without its mother would instinctively cling to someone who seemed willing to protect it. ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I¡¯m nning to take care of it for a while.¡± Talion reached up to stroke the Ice Tiger¡¯s head. Seeing as it purred and rubbed against his hand, they had obviously be quite friendly already. ¡°¡­But isn¡¯t that a Demonic Creature?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fundamentally simr to an animal, so shouldn¡¯t raising it also be simr? Since it¡¯s a motherless cub, I can¡¯t just leave it be, so I¡¯ll take it for walks and feed it properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, it wasn¡¯t like I had any say in this matter. He could do whatever, I guess. Rather than that, there was a more immediate crisis. ¡°¡­Uh, Senior Brother.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± I shortly answered Talion, who spoke in a trembling voice. ¡°You know, I have experienced all sorts of situations while following Senior Brother.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I thought meeting the dragon was the craziest of them all and nothing else could surprise me more.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­But how do you always manage to shock me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I guess that really scared him, huh? Seeing the gigantic ¡®sinkhole¡¯ before me, I let out a sigh. This was a simr phenomenon to when the Krakens were first summoned. However¡­ The ¡®scale¡¯ was iparable to back then. In this vast ocean, the gaping hole was strikingly visible. It was big enough to engulf the entire Forge of Struggle. The water ¡®rising¡¯ from inside the hole was like the sea was creating tides. Reversed Sea. What an apt name. And within that¡­ -¡­ -¡­ -¡­.!!! A ¡®cursed¡¯ existence¡­ An invader from another dimension that should never mix with ¡®this world¡¯ emerged. It felt like filthy sludge from the gutter was creeping into the mind; The mere existence of this being seemed to scatter curses all around. The first thing I noticed were its enormous tentacles. While spewing blood and curses, ancient hieroglyphics engraved there were emitting a strange light. Just one of those tentacles was big enough to engulf and crush the entire Forge of Struggle, but most of the body remained deep into the sinkhole. This was just a ¡®part¡¯ of the whole. The full size of this being was beyondprehension. ¡°Senior Brother.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­There isn¡¯t just one of them.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± As Talion spoke in a despondent voice, I nodded. Originally, we were supposed to deal with just one, but¡­ There were three of them here. This was the result of Tatiana appointing n Ba-Thor as an Incarnation, her surefire strategy to kill me. She had summoned three of such beings that were far beyond my control to ensure that I was killed, regardless of the cost or whatever the fuck happened to anyone else. ¡°Talion.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You practiced maneuvering this boat when we went against the Sea Serpent before, right? It was a rehearsal for what is about toe.¡± ¡°To escape from something like that, even that level of practice is¡­!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important.¡± In reality¡­ There was an even greater threat that even made ¡®such a being¡¯ seem trivial. Well, actually, there were two. ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Along with Talion¡¯s dazed response¡­ The enormous body of that being rising before us was¡­ ¡®Pulverized¡¯ in an instant. ¨C!!!!!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Producing a sound as if heaven and earth were split into two, the Existence of an Ancient Era that was emerging from the ocean let out a painful scream. ¡®¡­It didn¡¯t die instantly.¡¯ As expected of a Chapter Boss, it didn¡¯t disappoint. To think that it would not die instantly even after colliding with ¡®that¡¯. ¡°DOWD CAMPBELLLLLLL¡ª¡ª¨C!!!!!!!¡± Even through the horrifying shriek, a clearly distinct voice could be heard. Far away on the horizon, a single person ¡®running over the sea¡¯ bellowed. Talion muttered an apology without even realizing it, indicating that the voice wasden with that much ominous hostility. ¡°COME OUT BEFORE I KILL YOUUUUUU¡ª¡ª¨C!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yeah, no. I would die if I went out. With a sigh, I gestured to Talion. ¡°Book it.¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± The boat started speeding away. For now¡­ Chapter 3 Boss Battle. The Apostle of the Reversed Sea. The Existence of an Ancient Era beneath the sea. The curtain rose, as the subjugation battlemenced. And at the same time as that¡­ !!!!!!!!!!! Devil Alert !!!!!!!!!!! [ ¡®Devil-Rted¡¯ Emergency Event urred! ] [ This is a critical event! ] [ If you do not take the correct actions within the time limit, you will die! ] [ Event rted to target ¡®Riru¡¯! ] [ Find a way to survive immediately! ] The evasion maneuver to survive against two Devil¡¯s Vessels begins. ¡°¡­¡± It probably wasn¡¯t just my imagination that thetter seemed far more catastrophic than the boss battle itself. ¡°¡­It¡¯s so hard to be this popr, isn¡¯t it? Feels like I could die from all this attention.¡± ¡°I agree with that dying part at least¡ª!¡±
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 115: Blue Devil (1) Chapter 115: Blue Devil (1) ? Blue Devil (1) ? ¡°So, What¡¯s the n?!¡± Talion skillfully turned the helm and threw out such words. I knew it, having him practice was a good decision. He was able to keep the bnce and steer the ship even in the middle of this mess. ¡°n¡­ n, you say¡­¡± Right, I had something you could call a n, but¡­ Could I even call it as such, though? ¡°First, let¡¯s make use of this situation.¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± I looked at Riru, who was rapidly catching up in the distance. Her running speed was even faster than the boat, which was already at full throttle. The distance between us was shrinking at a quite frightening pace. Considering how pissed off she was, I had to offer something pretty valuable to calm her down. For example¡­ Something pretty precious to me. That was why, as an exchange for that, I should at least make use of this situation to the fullest. ¡°¡­You¡¯re still thinking of satisfying your greed in this kind of a situation?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Towards Talion¡¯s words, which almost sounded like a scolding, I kept my mouth shut. So what, you brat? You had a problem with that, huh?! I did feel my sense of crisis turning into something more like a life-risking game in such situations, but it was much better than trembling and getting squashed under pressure. In any case¡­ ¡°With this, one of them will remain subdued for a while¡­¡± As I said this, I looked at the first tentacle wriggling out of the sinkhole in front of me. After getting thrashed by Riru while trying to make a majestic appearance, it was now stuck motionless with its body twisted. This wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar scene to me as I¡¯ve seen it a few times before in the game. Whenever it took heavy damage, it would enter this exact groggy state, unable to regain its senses for a period of time. ¡®¡­With this, the intro is skipped.¡¯ After fighting the first tentacle that popped out, the next phase in the boss battle was to dive into the sinkhole below and face the ¡®main body¡¯. But, I could save a lot of time and resources by ¡®tossing¡¯ Riru inside. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± I ignored Talion¡¯s unpleasant and hesitant gaze. Yeah, yeah, the way I expressed it was a little off, but¡­ You got my point, right? It would make things easier if I were to toss her onto all of the three bosses. ¡®¡­The only problem with that is¡­¡¯ She¡¯d inevitably go berserk during the process. After all, Tatiana must have embedded ¡®that kind of thing¡¯ in n for such use. Considering the mechanism of the Incarnation shown in the game, n was definitely stuck into one of those three giant cephalopods. ¡°¡­¡± I gritted my teeth. Honestly¡­ If possible, I didn¡¯t want to let Riru see that, After all, even I almost threw up when I saw it. It really was such a disgusting sight. However¡­ ¡®¡­It¡¯s something that¡¯s bound to happen whether I like it or not.¡¯ Even if I tried to prevent it from happening, Tatiana would force it on Riru somehow. Especially now, while I was drawing Riru into a berserk state, entirely skipping the first phase. Chances were, she¡¯d make Riru go fully berserk and get her to kill me in the process. That was an effective solution for her to utilize. As seen with Eleanor before, I had to rely on my luck to subdue a Devil who had gone berserk. ¡°¡­¡± Well, except that bitch overlooked one thing. The fact that it would be better for the Blue Devil to go all out in her berserk state. That way, it would give me a much higher chance of survival. I wasn¡¯t kidding. ¡°For now, just take this.¡± With a sigh, I took out Ultima and handed it to Talion. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A holy relic. Even someone who can¡¯t handle Divine Power like you should be able to resist curses somewhat.¡± ¡°I appreciate the thought, Senior Brother. But I can handle this much!¡± Talion replied with a vigorous voice, his face was filled with sweat but he still looked energetic. Around us, ck fog billowed out from the flesh scattered by Riru¡¯s explosive power. Those were the residue of malignant curses that would drive any ordinary person mad upon contact. ¡°Take it. Even if you¡¯re fine, that thing you have with you could still be affected.¡± I pointed at the ice cat suffering above Talion¡¯s head. As I did so, Talion¡¯s expression changed to one of realization. ¡°Wait a moment, then what about Senior Brother¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I actually needed to ¡®reduce¡¯ such resistance. And Desperate enhanced ¡®all stats¡¯. The Devil Conquest state on my status window was also under that effect. That couldn¡¯t happen. ¡°If my resistance is too high¡­ Uh¡­ You see¡­¡± I scratched my head before continuing. ¡°I can¡¯t get ¡®devoured¡¯ by her.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Could you please¡­ Stop looking at me like that¡­
Her head felt hazy. Everything in front of her eyes was painted blue. As if the whole ce was enveloped in a blue mist. ¡®¡­Why am I so angry?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t think of why. All she heard was a proposal of friendship from that bastard. It really wasn¡¯t something one should get mad about. -I like you, Riru Garda. ¡°¡­¡± Oh. Right. On second thought, she had all the right to be angry. ¡®That damn womanizer, yboy, piece of shit!¡¯ Unwittingly, her head went white with rage, obliterating the ¡®obstacle¡¯ rising before her eyes. ¡°I said get lost¡ª!¡± On her way here, she had encountered a bunch of simr beings to this bastard. She didn¡¯t know where they came from, but for some reason, these Demonic Creatures kept rushing at her. Normally, she would be filled with questions about her current situation. Like, how was she running on water? What was the identity of these things? Why were they attacking her? And how was she obliterating them all with just one punch? She would have at least tried to grasp such basic aspects of the situation at hand. However, at the moment¡­ She couldn¡¯t think of anything other than punishing that guy at least once in the jaw. That had been the only thought in her mind since the very beginning! ¡°Stop¡­ Getting¡­ In my way¡ª!¡± Even as she pulverized the third giant tentacle with her fist, she maintained this same momentum. It had als almost be a routine to see pieces of flesh raining down before her eyes. However, this time¡­ In the middle of her rampage, something caught her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Amidst the chunks of exploding flesh¡­ She saw someone ¡®buried¡¯ within them. A giant body. And a lion¡¯s tattoo engraved on the abdomen. It was an unforgettable sight. n Ba-Thor. The person who abruptly challenged her grandmother, whom she respected more than anyone, to a Great Duel. And during that Great Duel, he was the person who attacked her n¡¯s territory, took their lives, and even cut off her grandmother¡¯s limbs. Even with her reason blurred by such engulfing rage, she recalled these facts one after another. A part of her mind, consumed by wrath, awakened. Her thoughts, previously creaking like unoiled metal, started to move. Thanks to that¡­ Riru could fully focus on the ¡®scene¡¯ before her. Something ¡®emerging¡¯ from n Ba-Thor¡¯s body caught her eye. It had the appearance of a ¡®sculpture¡¯ that seemed crafted with twisted imagination. A grotesque chunk of flesh that clearly held some sort of shamanistic significance. ¡°¡­¡± Instinctively, Riru realized that this was rted to the giant tentacles she had been smashing. These things probably had a great contribution in summoning them. She put in all her efforts to make her consciousness even clearer. It looked like y dolls left unfinished were haphazardly tangled together. But instead of y, they were all ¡®human bodies¡¯. These sculptures were made using the remains of the deceased. And on those bodies¡­ ¡®Tattoos¡¯ shared within the n, engraved on the flesh, were clearly visible. All of them¡­ Bore the Garda n¡¯s symbol. ¡°¡­What is this.¡± Such a murmur trickled out unintentionally. The bodies making up this ¡®sculpture¡¯ all bore that pattern. She could never forget it. After all, it was the pattern that her family proudly bore on their bodies, teaching her to never lose pride in it. But¡­ Those who taught her, those who were her family¡­ Were now being desecrated¡­ In such a miserable manner, even after death. ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t need to think deeply to know who did this. After all, she could vividly recall the person who took their remains, even in her current state. The one who imed she would conduct a ¡®funeral, refusing to hand them over to Riru. Tatiana. The Chief Priest. The bitch who, even if she ripped to death, it wouldn¡¯t leave her satisfied; it was that bitch¡¯s doing. ¡°¡­¡± The next moment¡­ A blue aura started to undte explosively around Riru¡¯s body.
¡°¡­That¡¯s the third one.¡± Talion muttered, watching the tentacles being torn apart and flying away. This meant the first phase had been skipped for all three bosses. Which meant we¡¯d be facing all of their main bodies soon. But there seemed to be a problem¡­ ¡°¡­Something¡¯s off.¡± Talion squinted his eyes, observing Riru stopping in her tracks. She had been chasing me at a terrifying speed, but for some reason, she suddenly stopped. System Message [ Target ¡®Riru¡¯ is enraged by an unthinkable sight! ] [ Corruption Value of target ¡®Riru¡¯ has exceeded 300%. ] [ Target is entering a ¡®berserk¡¯ state! ] [ The estimated damage range is a ¡®10km radius¡¯! ] [ The probability of survival is 0.3%! ] ¡°¡­¡± I tightly closed my eyes and apologized to Riru. ¡®Sorry.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m truly sorry.¡¯ ¡®Please, forgive me for making you see such a thing, Riru.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I swear, I¡¯ll make sure¡­¡¯ ¡®That the one who did this will pay the price.¡¯ And I was about to take the first step in that process. ¡°Stop!¡± As soon as I saw Riru¡¯s movements stop, I immediately instructed Talion. Then, as soon as the boat stopped, I used it as a springboard to ¡®fly¡¯ towards her. ¡°Wait, Senior Brother?!¡± Talion¡¯s cry of horror echoed from behind me. Charging at full speed towards a human who had been effortlessly destroying everything in her path seemed crazy, but¡­ System Message [ ¡®Skill: King of Pandemonium¡¯ is activated. ] [ Gained an absolute advantage against Devil-type enemies for the next 5 minutes! ] [ Facing a target with parallel abilities. ] [ Resisting target¡¯s unique ability ¡®Authority: Pulverization¡¯! ] Fortunately, I had the ability to resist such Authorities, even if it could onlyst for a few minutes. I flew swiftly and crashed into Riru, who was standing dazed above the sea. Normally, my body should have beenpletely destroyed upon contact, but thanks to the skill, I remained rtively intact. System Message [ The Aura of the ¡®Blue Devil¡¯ is felt! ] [ ¡®The Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ reacts! ] While noting such messages were popping up, I clung to Riru, supporting my body with hers. It felt simr to when I clung to Eleanor, who was floating in the air. Apparently those on the verge of going berserk wouldn¡¯t react much, even when I stuck to them like glue. ¡°¡­Hello. Nice to meet you.¡± And¡­ Amidst the surging blue aura that was about to explode¡­ I whispered carefully to Riru. ¡°I¡¯m Dowd Campbell.¡± As if I was greeting someone for the first time. ¡°¡­I havee with an offer you can not refuse.¡± I continued while letting out a sigh. ¡°Shall we talk? Blue Devil.¡± -¡­ Silence. Followed by another silence. At that moment, suddenly¡­ The blue aura emanating from Riru¡¯s body swiftly ¡®wrapped¡¯ around me. System Message [ Detecting a ¡®Mental Barrier¡¯ activated against you! ] [ Rolling ¡®Devil Conquest¡¯ stat for resistance¡­ ] [ Rolling ¡®Devil Conquest¡¯ stat for resistance¡­ ] [ Rolling ¡®Devil Conquest¡¯ stat for resistance¡­ ] [ Resistance failed! ] [ Entering the target¡¯s ¡®Image World¡¯! ] Good. That was how it should be. Judging by the number of resistance rolls, it was a close call. If I had Ultima with me, I might have actually resisted this attempt. As my consciousness faded, I chuckled with such thoughts. [Nice to meet you too, Dowd Campbell.] And beyond my waning consciousness¡­ I heard that voice. It was definitely¡­ [I have been waiting to meet you like this.] An extremely calm andposed voice. [My Husband.] So much so that it could make one forget for a moment that this was the voice of a ¡®Devil¡¯.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 116: Blue Devil (2) Chapter 116: Blue Devil (2) ? Blue Devil (2) ? It had been quite a while since Ist entered the Image World. Thest time I did this was when I was engulfed in my own Image World due to the Divine Power of that one Virtue. Considering my Karma, beingpletely neutral, that world was bleak and deste without anything in it. ¡°¡­¡± But, this world I was in had apletely different atmosphere than mine. Maybe because it wasn¡¯t my Image World, but Riru¡¯s. ¡®¡­How brutal.¡¯ Well, just from looking at the surroundings, it was obvious that this world was hers. After all, only her mental space could be so¡­ ¡®Barren¡¯¡­ Thend was withered, the sky was dyed red and there was a harsh and violent blizzard. Beneath me was snow so deep that it drew my feet in every time I took a step forward. It was a cold and painful world. Now, I wasn¡¯t exactly an expert in psychology, but if I ever heard someone¡¯s mind was associated with such an image, I could tell that there was something wrong with them. However¡­ As I looked around a little more, I realized that this wasn¡¯t all there was to it. I dragged my feet and arrived in front of a ¡®flower garden.¡¯ Compared to the snow-covered witherednd that filled this space, it was only the size of a handspan, but¡­ It was still a greennd lush with new foliage. ¡°Warm, isn¡¯t it?¡± Hearing that remark, I turned my head. On that greennd, someone was lying leisurely. Its voice sounded gentle,pletely unfit for the asion. But precisely because of that, I could immediately tell its owner. ¡°As someone who¡¯s practically living here, I can say it really is better to have something like this than having all the space filled with coldness. I don¡¯t think you can imagine howfortable this feels like.¡± It was someone who gave off the ¡®blue¡¯ impression from their head to toe. That impression didn¡¯te from their skin, as it was painted in pale white, but the blue particles that they emitted from all over their body. They were Riru, not wearing a single stitch of clothing. To be more precise, they were the Blue Devil, who was taking on her form. Normally, most Devil¡¯s Fragments would reside in the Mental World of their host, though. ¡°You don¡¯t seem very surprised? Usually, people would be surprised to see Riru like this.¡± The Blue Devil threw such a remark with a light smile. As she said¡­ She carried a rxed andnguid atmosphere. The tone of her voice was warm and cozy. Her eyes were drooping as she was lying on the grass, as if she was on a pic and was about to take a nap. Considering that the real person always showed a stiff or strong impression, following the stereotype of a ¡®Female Warrior,¡¯ this gap in appearance could be described as awkward. ¡°¡­I had formed a hypothesis, you see.¡± Saying that, I sat down in front of the Blue Devil. ¡°All the Devil¡¯s Fragments I¡¯ve met hadpletely different vibe than their ¡®original possessor.¡¯¡± Compared to Eleanor, who always suppressed her emotions, her Fragments felt innocent and soft, like that of a child. As for Yuria, who was always trying to be inconspicuous and suppressing her own violent tendencies, her Fragments were stubborn, selfish and violent. ¡°¡­I was thinking, maybe the Devil fused with the Vessel is continuously expressing the emotions that the host had been suppressing.¡± This meant that these were the parts that Riru had been suppressing, now fused with the Blue Devil¡¯s Fragment. Indolence. Laziness. Peace. ¡°¡­¡± And that¡­ Was apletely different appearance from the ¡®Devils¡¯ I knew in the game. In the game, though there weren¡¯t many chances to face Devils directly, there was no precedence of them ¡®interacting¡¯ with their Vessels in this way. Which meant¡­ In this world I had transmigrated to¡­ The existence known as ¡®Devils¡¯ might be slightly different from the ¡®Final Bosses¡¯ seen in Sera. They might have simr abilities and characteristics, but they were not filled with ¡®evil and malice¡¯ solely for the purpose of destroying the world. Rather, they felt much more¡­ ¡®Human.¡¯ ¡°¡­That¡¯s a fun hypothesis.¡¯ Instead of responding to my words, the Blue Devil just said as such and let out a slight smile. ¡®Well, I can find out about thatter.¡¯ Right now, the fact that the Blue Devil¡¯s Fragment had such a tendency greatly influenced the ¡®negotiation¡¯ I needed to undertake. If it had been like the White Devil¡¯s Fragment, who wouldn¡¯t even listen to me and just attacked me, such a calm ¡®conversation¡¯ wouldn¡¯t have been possible. I knew that and in order to meet this being, I had provoked Riru to such an extent. ¡°You said you have an offer I can¡¯t refuse, right?¡± The Blue Devil slightly lifted her body. ¡°I¡¯m personally curious about what you¡¯ll offer as pensation¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At those words, I took a deep breath to calm my mind. Even though we were talking calmly right now, the other side was still a Devil. A being that had entered the realm of transcendence in this world; Someone that could easily erase someone like me with just a flick of a finger. ¡°I won¡¯t ept anything vague or nomittal.¡± The Blue Devil spoke with a slightly faded smile. ¡°¡­This space¡­ Hasn¡¯t been around for long.¡± She spoke while touching the grass around with her hand. ¡°It means that after all this time, Riru, who had been pushing herself forward as if being chased by something, is sincerely touched by the memory of being with someone. Enough to make her value it as something warm and precious.¡± I looked towards the being before me, who was smiling broadly as she said this. ¡°It is probably because of your influence.¡± Riru Garda. Someone whose entire psyche was stained with struggle and violence. Until not so long ago, she shouldn¡¯t have it this badly. But, after Kasa had her limbs cut off, all her n members died, and she was banished to the Empire¡­ She was stuck in a foreignnd far from home, without a single person to trust¡­ Such experiences must have put her in this state as she pushed herself for a revenge without any certainty of sess. ¡°¡­¡± Even if she was alive, she probably wouldn¡¯t have felt like she was living. She had no one to trust, as she carried the burden of the young children of her n and Kasa, and faced a powerful being that she couldn¡¯t even gauge. It would have been a lie if she said she wasn¡¯t afraid. However¡­ She pushed all those emotions aside and, from morning till evening, she trained and trained and trained again. That was all she could do, after all. Humans were not machines. Living like that would only lead to her breaking down. Riru must have been close to her limits too. And in the midst of that¡­ I came to her life. Someone who understood her, cared for her, helped her achieve her goals, and even told her that he liked her. ¡°But¡­¡± The Blue Devil continued. Her expression remained mild, but her eyes and the corners of her mouth showed no sign of the smile she had before. ¡°I understand that it is for the sake of your goal, but in the end, you still yed with her heart like a fiddle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She was right, I did exactly that. I had no choice but to admit it. ¡°I can¡¯t just overlook this. If it was up to me, I¡¯d actually like to give even more power to Riru, who¡¯s going berserk ¡¯outside¡¯ right now, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This was quite unexpected. Judging from what the Blue Devil said, it seemed as if she was ¡®taking Riru¡¯s side¡¯. This added another piece of evidence to the hypothesis I had earlier. The Devils, unlike those in the ¡®Sera¡¯ that I knew, had a much ¡®closer¡¯ rtionship with their Vessels. And if that was true¡­ There would be one condition she couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡°I shall offer myself.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡¯ ¡°For one day. I¡¯ll offer ¡®myself¡¯ to you. You can monopolize me. During that time, you can do whatever you want with me, as long as you won¡¯t be a serious threat to me and the people around me.¡± The Blue Devil¡¯s expression went nk. She seemed to have not expected such an offer. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit embarrassing for me to say, but I am quite a poprmodity among the Devils.¡± Look no further from the being in front of me; Even she called me ¡®My Husband¡¯ and such. ording to Atnte, it seemed my soul emitted an irresistibly ¡®fragrant¡¯ scent to Devils. So tempting that just looking at it made them want to make it ¡®theirs¡¯ forever. ¡°However, among them, no one has ever seeded in monopolizing me.¡± I continued with a trembling voice. After all, what I would now be touching was the Blue Devil¡¯s reverse scale. The Devils were the Rulers of Pandemonium. Rulers as in plural. Since they were all ced in such positions, whether they liked it or not, a hierarchy was bound to form among them based on their power. And the Blue Devil, whose characteristic was to pop out whenever the Vessel got a bit angry, was easy to see, but her ¡®power¡¯ wasn¡¯t as hopelessly overpowered as the Grey Devil¡¯s. By Devil standards, she would be considered in the lower ranks. In fact, even though I was right in front of her¡­ Even the lowest grade of Desperation wasn¡¯t activated right now. Compare it with the Grey Devil, she could raise it to EX-Grade just by making eye contact with me. ¡®¡­That¡¯s why¡­¡¯ To such a being¡­ ¡°You, who have only been pushed around by other Devils until now, can monopolize something that everyone else covets, before anyone else.¡± This kind of ¡®bait¡¯¡­ Was effective enough to be called critical. The Blue Devil¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡­¡± After listening to my words, she stayed in that state for a while. Then¡­ ¡°Ha.¡± She burst intoughter. ¡°Ah, aha. AhahAHAHAHA-!¡± The sound of her clear and melodiousughter echoed. Afterughing like that for a while, the Blue Devil, who even had a hint of tears in the corner of her eyes, gathered her breath. ¡°¡­It seems you know quite a lot about the affairs of Pandemonium, Dowd Campbell.¡± After taking a moment to catch her breath, the Blue Devil finally spoke such words. ¡°I truly didn¡¯t expect you to propose such a condition.¡± ¡°¡­I thought that would be enough to satisfy both you and Riru.¡± ¡°Ah, of course. I can¡¯t remember thest time Iughed like this. It¡¯s the first time since a few monthster.¡± ¡°¡­A few monthster?¡± Not a few months ago? ¡°It ister, Dowd Campbell.¡± The Blue Devil said as such with a smirk. ¡°You see, the time axis for Devils operate a bit differently from other beings.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You might not understand yet.¡± Yep. I really don¡¯t. What the fuck is she talking about? ¡°Anyway.¡± With that, the Blue Devil got up and hopped towards me with a ¡®Yap¡¯. Then she casually flung open my shirt. ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t really want to say things like, ¡®??a boy and a girl should not sit together after they have reached the age of seven,¡¯ but this was a bit too risky for me. However, before I could even voice these thoughts, the Blue Devil¡¯s hand had already reached my chest. The exact spot where the ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ engraved by the Grey Devil was located. ¡°¡­Heh. As expected of her. She left quite arge stamp.¡± ¡°A stamp?¡± ¡°A deration. This is mine. Do not touch. Something like that. The white one hasn¡¯t seen this yet, right?¡± ¡°Probably¡­ Not¡­¡± At that time, we busily exchanged what we wanted and our ce of business was broken apart without a chance for her to see. ¡°I thought so. If the white one had seen this, she would have gone to pick a fight with ???????????????e????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????? right away.¡± The Blue Devil pouted her lips as she spoke. ¡°Everyone used to be like that. Even though we could have shared it. Always being so stubborn, iming it as their own. Always saying they¡¯ll never let the others have it. Allllll~ of them were like that. Always just filled to the brim with greed¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had something of my own toin about. I¡¯ve always been expected to yield as if it was a matter of course.¡± When she put it like that, it sounded like childrens squabbling over a toy, but¡­ This was a dispute among Devils, who were transcendent beings. ¡°So¡­¡± After pouring out these words, the Blue Devil smirked. ¡°This time, I think I¡¯ll be a bit greedy too. Especially since I even received such an offer.¡± Following that, her hand lingered on the Fallen¡¯s Seal. A blue aura surged around it. System Message [ The Sign of the ¡®Blue Devil¡¯ is added to the ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯! ] [ The change in your attribute from ¡®Human to ¡®¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¯ is elerating. ] [ A transformation is imminent! ] ¡°With this, the ¡®promise¡¯ is done. I¡¯ve even left my stamp too.¡± The Blue Devil giggled. ¡°It¡¯s more like a contract, but for one day, you will be my ¡®subordinate.¡¯ You must do whatever I ask.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m in your care.¡± I answered while dripping cold sweat profusely. ¡°Good. Then, what do you wish for me to do?¡± ¡°¡­I would like you to calm down Riru who¡¯s on the verge of going berserk.¡± ¡°The Vessel¡¯s berserk state is a phenomenon separate from the Fragment. I¡¯m sure you know that too, right?¡± Of course. If it wasn¡¯t, Eleanor wouldn¡¯t have tried to kill me directly before. Given the nature of the Grey Devil, she wouldn¡¯t have just stayed still and watched as that happened. However¡­ ¡°You can do it, can¡¯t you?¡± It might not be possible for other Devils, but this one was an exception. The Devil of Wrath. A Devil who was easy to see in the scenario, but was equally easy to subdue. At the price of her berserk state being incredibly easy to trigger, calming her down was also much easierpared to other Devils. ¡°Just momentarily calming Riru down will suffice for now.¡± It was an ironic request to ask the Devil of Wrath to quell her anger, but¡­ In order to calm Riru, who was on the verge of going berserk, mental intervention at the level of a Devil was the only solution. And this being was the only one I could ask. ¡°After that, I¡¯ll handle everything myself.¡± ¡°¡­Is that all? It seems like there¡¯s not much for me to dopared to what you¡¯re offering.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s one more thing I wish to request of you.¡± It wasn¡¯t about dealing with the Reversed Sea that was currently outside. Instead, it was something I needed ¡®after¡¯ it. As I exined, the Blue Devil nodded with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s not too difficult either. Very well.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After saying that, I silently gazed at her. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Please refrain from doing anything too excessive.¡± Leaving ¡®myself¡¯ in her care for a day, well¡­ I could roughly guess what she might do. At my words, the Blue Devil chuckled. ¡°I am looking forward to it, though.¡± The Blue Devil cackled before speaking. ¡°The white one might be the most obsessive one, but most Devils dislike having their possessions taken away from them. Even among them, ???????????????e????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????? has always been in a different league power-wise, so others have never taken away their possession, but¡­¡± Virulence¡­ ¡°This time, I. I, who have never coveted the belongings of the others¡­¡± Like a serpent¡¯s tongue¡­ Burrowed into the inside of my earps. ¡°Will dye that being¡¯s possessions in ¡®my color¡¯.¡± Then, warmth brushed against my ear. This time, it was the Blue Devil¡¯s tongue that was truly stretched out, slowly licking near my ear. ¡°Please take care of your body, my Husband.¡± It was warm and intense. A voice that seemed to tickle, packed with a shallowugh, pounded right into my head. ¡°Soon enough, I¡¯lle to devour you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alright. I got ya. You had no intention of showing any leniency whatsoever, didn¡¯t you? With a wink, those were thest words she uttered¡­ As my consciousness was rapidly pulled back to the outside.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 117: Reversed Sea (1) Chapter 117: Reversed Sea (1) ? Reversed Sea (1) ? Her mind felt foggy. She had been feeling this way since a while ago, but now, it had be much worse. ¡°¡­¡± Riru looked at her own trembling hands. She felt the desire to kill that fucking bitch and grind her to dust as soon as possible. The overwhelming power boiling inside her convinced her that she was strong enough to do that. ¡®¡­No.¡¯ Then, she realized that the bitch wasn¡¯t the only problem. All the annoying and infuriating things that had happened recently came to her mind, one after another. And she wished nothing but to crush them all with this strength she possessed. ¡°¡­¡± Faintly, she was aware that there was something wrong with her, but even that feeling was overwhelmed by a torrent of emotions that shook her entire consciousness. Irrational anger. An unreasonable urge to destroy. -Hello, Riru. And then, in such a state, a familiar voice echoed in her ears. Familiar was truly the only real way to describe it. After all, it was ¡®her own¡¯ voice. ¡°¡­¡± Riru stared nkly in the direction of that voice, with unfocused eyes, ¡®Who is this?¡¯ ¡®Why is she taking on my form?¡¯ -This method of conversation¡­ How should I put it? Among the Vessels who possess one Fragment, you are the only one who can converse like this. In the others¡¯ case, even if they want to, the gap in their ¡®status¡¯ is too wide, they simply can¡¯t do it. I guess there is a benefit of being a weakling, after all. ¡®¡­Fragments? Vessels?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand anything. As these thoughts floated vaguely in her mind, the other party continued speaking. -If it was up to me, I actually want to help you, but¡­ I already made a contract, so I can¡¯t. We all are bound by contracts, after all. The voice continued as it kept on spouting iprehensible words while giggling. ¡°¡­You. Who are you?¡± -I am your feminine side. It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve talked, hasn¡¯t it? ¡°¡­¡± -Just kidding. Hihi. The voice, whichughedzily, soon spoke again. This time, its tone was far more serious than before. -You¡¯ll find out soon enough, but¡­ I really can¡¯t tell you now. Those Heretic Inquisition bastards are nearby, I can smell them. It¡¯ll be better for both of us to not unnecessarily get involved with them, you know? ¡°¡­If you¡¯re only here to spout nonsense, then you should get lost you fucking ghost¡­ Or whatever you are¡­¡± -Oh my. If you could respond like that, it means quite a bit of your consciousness has returned. The unidentifiable ¡®something¡¯ that took her form now touched Riru¡¯s forehead. Then¡­ Suddenly, her consciousness became clear. The wrath clouding her mind dissipated in an instant. -Well, I can tell you this much, at least¡­ As Riru stood there, dumbfounded, the other party spoke again. -I¡¯ll see you in a few days, Riru. ¡°¡­What?¡± -By then, there¡¯s something fun we can do ¡®together¡¯. Understand what I mean? Though she couldn¡¯t understand a single word the being uttered¡­ She felt drawn in. Riru didn¡¯t know why she felt that way, but the sensation that she felt was clear. At the same time, the blue aura emanating from her body disappeared all at once. ¡°Huh? Woah!¡± As soon as the blue aura vanished, she lost the ability to stand on the sea and plunged into the water. Fortunately for her, she was able to swim, so she was able to easily float to the surface. But¡­ ¡°What the. What am I doing¡ª¡± Before she could finish her words. She saw Dowd Campbell clinging tightly to her body. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What the hell is this?¡¯ ¡®Since when had he been there?¡¯ His eyes were closed, it seemed like he was unconscious. Looking around, she saw pieces of flesh and blood scattered everywhere. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®How did I get in this situation?¡¯ As she tried to follow up such thoughts¡­ Dowd, who had been lying motionless, moved and hugged her tightly. ¡°¡­!¡± Startled, she turned to look at him. ¡°If you regained consciousness, then, get off¡ª!¡± In response, she immediately spoke in an irate voice. The blue aura that had disappeared earlier started to seep from her body once again. She refused to be yed like a fiddle by this man ever again. Though she didn¡¯t know what he would say, if she heard him making another weird excuse, she might actually¡ª ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± But, the low tone that came out of his mouth made her freeze. She immediately realized that he was different from usual. Normally, he never showed his true feelings. Anyone with a sense of awareness would know that he always had ulterior motives hidden away deep inside. However, right now¡­ He desperately tried to convey his sincerity to her, So, Riru gave up on retorting, awkwardly wiped her nose and responded to him, as she had no other choice but to do that, ¡°¡­What¡¯s with you all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The apology came out of nowhere, but¡­ It dug into her heart deeply. ¡°¡­¡± Although Riru was someone who had always preferred a direct manner of speech, strangely, the first thought that came to her mind was, ¡®Do you even know why I¡¯m angry?¡¯. Even though she spent countless times thinking she couldn¡¯t understand women who talked like that while in a rtionship¡­ Just because of a desire for this man to ¡®take care of her¡¯ a bit more, she became one of those very women. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± However¡­ Before she could utter such words, another sincere apology came her way. ¡°I never imagined I would be so important to you.¡± Again, something dug into her heart. Her face turned even redder than before. Normally, she¡¯d send a retort, saying that she hated a bastard like him, but the conviction in his voice made her tongue freeze. It was as if he had ¡®seen¡¯ something and ¡®came back¡¯ from somewhere, carrying a new resolve from such information. And even Riru herself¡­ If asked to deny it now, she wasn¡¯t sure she could strongly refute it either. ¡°I apologize.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In a sense, he was just ying innocent again. She had already been yed like a fiddle quite a few times by this man. Sure, there were things that made her feel thankful for him, but there were more things she wanted to confront him for. That was why¡­ She had to get angry at him. But¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry for ignoring those feelings. I¡¯m sorry for using you like this. I¡¯m really, really sorry for making you go through such a hard time.¡± Watching him hug her and apologize about all the guilt and wrongdoings he hadmitted, as if he was confessing his sin¡­ She just couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her heart felt itchy. She hadn¡¯t realized how embarrassing it would be for this man to confide in her so sincerely. ¡°¡­You know.¡± After a long silence, she finally murmured. ¡°Are we really just going to be friends?¡± Looking back, maybe that was why she got so mad at him. Over that one sentence. ¡°¡­¡± It really was strange. She couldn¡¯t quite understand her own feelings. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course she didn¡¯t want that. Rather, she wanted something a bit more. A bit closer¡­ ¡°¡­Forget it. Just shut up.¡± However, she didn¡¯t have the courage to say such things at the moment. But¡­ ¡°Hug me tighter.¡± She could at least ask for that much. ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said if you¡¯re sorry, hug me tighter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd, looking perplexed, tightened his arms around her. His body pressed even more closely against her. ¡°¡­More.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Just a little more.¡± Riru closed her eyes and buried her forehead in Dowd¡¯s chest, wrapping her arms around his back. In that state¡­ She could feel this man. She could hear his heartbeat, his breath¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Her entire body rxed. She didn¡¯t know how to describe the feeling. But, it felt incredibly reassuring. ¡°Thanks.¡± Riru stuttered the word out. ¡°¡­I saw something really shitty. So I needed some reassurance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Riru¡¯s words, Dowd¡¯s gaze shifted slightly. n¡¯s body was floating on the sea. And the ¡®body¡¯ of the Garda n was attached to it. Riru¡¯s body trembled slightly. As if she was scared, having seen something she never wanted to see. ¡°¡­¡± Dowd closed his eyes for a moment and let out a sigh. ¡°Riru.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°The bastards who did that will pay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will make that happen.¡± And Dowd¡¯s eyes while speaking as such¡­ ¡°And I, from this moment onwards¡­¡± Were fixed on the giant sinkhole being recreated in the nearby sea. Phase two. The true form of the Reversed Sea. The ¡®God Kings¡¯ worshiped by Tatiana. The most powerful beings that woman could summon. ¡°Will prove that I have the ¡®ability¡¯ to face that bastard.¡± With those words¡­ A ¡®marine creature¡¯, so gigantic it seemed it would tear apart heaven and earth, finally revealed its enormous form from beneath the sea.
¡°ElkiaaaaAAAK-!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sitting on the cliff, Kasa, with narrowed eyes, tapped her pipe on the ground. Yes. While she did expect someone to arrive around this time¡­ She didn¡¯t realize they would appear with such a fuss. The old woman turned to look at the person who emerged from behind her, still with her eyes narrowed. ¡®¡­I see that this child has unbelievable talent.¡¯ Kasa thought so as she watched the orange-haired girl with tearful eyes charged towards her. Behind her, she was followed by a stumpy girl leaking white aura behind her like a ghost. ¡°I keep telling you the one who caused trouble is Teach, but why are you doing this to me-!¡± ¡°However, Miss Iliya. You definitely seem to know where Mr. Dowd is. You seem to be hiding it from me. Maybe if I torment you a bit, you¡¯ll tell me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anything, even if you interrogate me in that weird tone¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°KYAAAAAAK-!¡± After Iliya narrowly dodged a white sh flying at her with terrifying speed, Yuria kicked off the ground and leaped to the space beside her. It was a movement that was close to teleportation, but¡­ Iliya ¡®reacted¡¯ to that speed too. She twisted her entire body to avoid the sh and used the centrifugal force to knock away the ck-haired girl who was charging at her with a scabbard. ¡°Ooooh.¡± While spectating, Kasa involuntarily let out a sigh of admiration at her efficient movements. Her instantaneous adaptability and sense were already way beyond a student¡¯s level. Just seeing how the ck-haired girl, who charged so fiercely, was effortlessly thrown off more than proved this fact. The distance she was being thrown was considerable;The girl flew over Kasa¡¯s position and even over the coastal cliff. ¡°¡­¡± She probably wouldn¡¯t die. That girl didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary girl, so she should be fine even after falling off that cliff. In the first ce, when considering what that guy Dowd said, her flying off the cliff was probably the¡­ What was it again¡­ ¡®n¡¯. Right. Rather than the one who fell off the cliff, the girl in front of her seemed far closer to dying. ¡°Huff! Heuak! Ahaaaahk¡­! Teach¡­I won¡¯t¡­listen¡­to you¡­ever aga¡­ahhhh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°B-By the way, who are you?¡± ¡°¡­Have you caught your breath?¡± Kasa chuckled at Iliya, who spoke as if she was a foot away from death. ¡°You can say that I¡¯m the master of the person you call ¡®Teach.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iliya looked at Kasa with an unpleasant gaze. Was that really something she would show such a reaction to? Kasa thought as such, cocking her head. ¡°¡­Can that person even cover such an age difference? Exactly how broad is his striking range¡­¡± ¡°¡­Stop talking nonsense. Come and sit next to me.¡± Kasa grabbed her aching head with her remaining arm. ¡°You¡¯re the Hero Candidate, aren¡¯t you? Then you can¡¯t miss what¡¯s about to happen.¡± Iliya¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Somewhat.¡± Kasa put the pipe back in her mouth. Tobo was always her goodpanion. And if there was such an interesting spectacle, it was even more so. Her gaze rested on the coast, where a gigantic monster was emerging from beneath the sea. It was near where Dowd and Riru were located. Not just one, but three in total. It seemed like an impossible battle. ¡°¡­Ancient Gods from another dimension are monsters that require the power of an entire nation to even consider fighting.¡± He was definitely covered in all kinds of wondrous abilities, but¡­ No single human could face them. However¡­ Her gaze wasn¡¯t on the ancient monsters emerging from the sea. No, instead¡­ ¡°Watch carefully, Future Hero. This will surely help you reach that realm.¡± Her focus remained¡­ ¡°From now on, you shall witness a human fighting and defeating the impossible.¡± On a single man, who was charging alone towards such an insurmountable foe.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 118: Reversed Sea (2) Chapter 118: Reversed Sea (2) ? Reversed Sea (2) ? ¡°Activating the Demonic Essence Tracking System. Scanning for all signs within range.¡± ¡°Relocating all to the target area near the academy¡¯s coast.¡± ¡°Initiating eleration sequence. Entering artificial manifestation.¡± Hatan nodded upon hearing these consecutive reports. This was the operation to gather the Demonic Essences of all the Rulers of the Demonic Zones, excluding the still-living Sea Serpent and the confirmed to be annihted Unicorn, in one ce. ording to Dowd Campbell¡¯s request, this process, which normally would take several months to a year, could be done in a ¡®much faster¡¯ pace and they had to do it at a ¡®designated location¡¯. ¡®¡­They would all think I¡¯m crazy for doing this.¡¯ Now it became apparent why that guy demanded ¡®full authority¡¯ over the academy. Even for the Forge of Struggle, the most technologically advanced of the three academies, it was a tall order to undergo an operation that would forcibly ¡®resurrect¡¯ two Special-Grade Demonic Creatures. To exaggerate a bit, it was almost a miracle akin to reviving the dead. Apart from the Magic Tower, only the Tribal Alliance could pull off such a feat. -Are you really going to fulfill that request, Hatan? Hatan turned his head to look at the hologram of the only War Chief who had followed him to themand room. Utad Han-Chai. Unlike the other War Chiefs, who expressed various concerns, he was the only one who agreed with Dowd Campbell¡¯s n. ¡°You agreed to it too, so why are you spouting something different now?¡± -I understand that there must be some reason behind it, but I can¡¯t fathom his intentions. Utad let out a sigh and continued. -I don¡¯t doubt that man¡¯s capability, but I can¡¯t understand why he would want to resurrect the already subdued Rulers of the Demonic Zones. And it¡¯s not just that¡­ His gaze then shifted to the screen in the situation room. As he did so, the existence that was causing this ¡®incident¡¯ was emerging right then. -¡­He¡¯s doing so in a situation where such a monster is making its appearance. When one sent their gaze toward that overwhelming presence, they could understand Utad¡¯s concernspletely. Hatan and Utad simultaneously groaned at the sight of the gigantic, human-shaped cephalopod emerging from beneath the sea. Even from a nce, it was clear that it was a ¡®long-lived¡¯ Demonic Creature. Due to their nature of growing by consuming other Demonic Creatures, the age of a Demonic Creature often symbolized strength. To exemplify this, the Four Cardinal Gods and the Dragon race, considered to be the strongest Demonic Creatures in the Material Realm, were thousands of years old. ¡°Presence of a new Demonic Creature is detected!¡± One of the reporting faculty members made this announcement. ¡°¡­It is an interdimensional entity! Identifiable Grade is¡­!¡± The following sentence was no different from a scream. ¡°A-A Demonic Creature a-aged at least a thousand years old! An Ancient God ss-!¡± ¡°¡­¡± -¡­ Hatan and Utad simultaneously turned speechless. Its age was more than a thousand years old? Hunters could only joke about hunting Rulers of the Demonic Zones because it was absurd to think that anyone could subdue them. Yet, what had appeared was a monster that made even those Rulers look like children. Moreover, there were three of them. ¡°When was thest time a Demonic Creature beyond the Special-Grade was discovered?¡± -It¡¯s been over a hundred years. After all, no Demonic Creatures even came close after the Four Cardinal Gods. ¡°Am I supposed to say that it¡¯s a relief? At least it¡¯s not several thousand years old like them.¡± They exchanged these words in a dazed voice before falling into silence. Perhaps, they were thinking about the same thing. ¡°¡­He¡¯ll die, right?¡± -¡­He probably will. That man was skilled, but even he couldn¡¯t possibly win against such adversaries, at least they thought so. Even if he were to run away, there was no way that he could guarantee his survival. ¡°¡­He probably didn¡¯t expect such monsters to appear, right? Otherwise¡­¡± He wouldn¡¯t have made the crazy suggestion to face them with just a few people. Utad remained silent at Hatan¡¯s words. ¡°Let¡¯s just pray that he¡¯s not all bark and no bite.¡± They hoped he could, at the very least, take down one of them. After all, that would allow some room for strategy against the remaining two. While everyone was thinking as such¡­. The following scene unfolded in an entirely unexpected direction.
¡°To deal with Demonic Creatures of that level, we only have historical records of it, so there are many uncertainties involved. But there¡¯s one thing inmon in those records.¡± Kasa said as gazed at the emerging giants with tentacles all over their bodies. Ancient God ss. Among the Demonic Creatures appearing from interdimensional rifts in the Material Realm, excluding those from Pandemonium and the Astral Realm, they were among the most powerful. And there was a reason why they were treated as such. ¡°Each one of them possesses at least one inconceivable ¡®Authority¡¯.¡± Though they did not reach the level of near reality maniption like some Devils, if it was a Demonic Creature as long-lived as that, they still surely possessed some unimaginable ability. ¡°And that bastard seems to have the Curse of Invulnerability.¡± Kasa concluded this upon seeing the Demonic Aura enveloping its entire body. Iliya, standing beside her with wide eyes, asked in a daze. ¡°¡­The Curse of Invulnerability?¡± ¡°To put it simply, it can¡¯t be damaged with man-made ¡®weapons,¡¯ no matter what the material they were made of.¡±. ¡°¡­¡± Iliya fell silent for a moment. Her face indicated that she failed to understand what the hell she was talking about. ¡°¡­Is that even possible?¡± ¡°Of course, it is. This world is vast and there are countless things that could defymon sense.¡± ¡°Then how would someone even subdue something like that¡­?¡± Indeed. That was the main concern that any normal person would have. How could someone possibly defeat a millennia old Demonic Creature that couldn¡¯t be harmed with any weapons, constantly damaging its surroundings with its curse, and inherently held immense power? ¡°I said it previously, didn¡¯t I? The world is vast and there are countless things that could defymon sense.¡± What she was trying to imply was¡­ There was at least one person out there who had batshit crazy ideas, took those ideas into actions, and actually achieved them. For instance¡­ If said monster couldn¡¯t be harmed by any ¡®weapons¡¯¡­ Then, it could be beaten to death with ¡®bare fists¡¯. While it sounded like something that came out of a nutcase¡¯s mouth, it was still a clear solution than someone coulde up with. Kasa grinned, watching Dowd Campbell approach the giant emerging from the sea ¡®bare-handed¡¯. ¡°Eh? W-Wait, that¡¯s Teach¡­! What is he doing there? That unhinged motherfucker¡ª!¡± Iliya was looking at the sight in horror, but Kasa merely chuckled at it. ¡°Well, he¡¯s notpletely bare-handed. Look, he¡¯s wearing something on his arms.¡± ¡°What can he possibly do with just that gauntlet! The opponent is that huge! W-Wait a moment. I have to go save him immediat¡ª¡± Kasa leisurely smoked her pipe and stopped Iliya, who was spitting such words in a panic. ¡°Now, why don¡¯t we wait and see what happens first?¡¯ There was a glint in her eyes and it was¡­ ¡°If I thought he couldn¡¯t do it, I wouldn¡¯t even have taught him in the first ce.¡± Filled with trust in her ¡®disciple¡¯. Meanwhile, the giant¡¯s eyes fixed on Dowd Campbell as he drew closer. Then¡­ -¡­ -¡­ -¡­!!!! A curse, iparably more intense than anything it had emanated before, struck down towards where Dowd Campbell was. It was a curse so terrible that it seemed to blind you just by looking at it. The strike it unleashed was powerful enough to effortlessly boil the sea, shake the earth and rmed the heavens. However¡­ ¡°Law Technique relies on human willpower to activate. The purpose behind it doesn¡¯t matter. As long as one possesses a strong enough will for it, the Law Technique bes that much more powerful.¡± At the same time Kasa recited this¡­ Special Power began to manifest in Dowd¡¯s arm. This was a technique she had shown him before. The peak of Law Technique Mastery and the Fighting Arts she made using such techniques. Breaking the Sky. Of course, its power wouldn¡¯t even reach half of what she had demonstrated. It was impossible for him to do it at his current level. And it was highly likely that Dowd Campbell, who was about to use the technique, himself knew that. However¡­ Even if he couldn¡¯t replicate it exactly¡­ If he could just imitate it¡­ ¡°If there¡¯s just a will¡­¡± As Kasa murmured, the Special Power in Dowd¡¯s arm started to grow stronger. And the next moment¡­ ¡°Anyone is capable of creating miracles.¡± Along with such words¡­ Dowd pushed the air with his arm. It was a light swing from a distance where he wouldn¡¯t make any contact with that monster, but¡­ -¡­ -¡­ -¡­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It ¡®shattered¡¯ the curse, ¡®twisted¡¯ space, and ¡®ripped apart¡¯ the giant lying beyond the impact point. A single human¡­ Tore apart a millenia old Demonic Creature in one strike. A single human¡­ Created such a miracle. ¡°¡­¡± And Iliya, witnessing this, immediately fell into silence, at an utter loss for words. ¡®¡­What was that just now?¡¯ It was far, far away. It was refined and high. It was beyondprehension and interpretation, or even ¡®admiration¡¯. Dowd¡¯s strike just now had reached such a realm. ¡°¡­H-How did he¡­?¡± She had never heard of him training in such things or having an extraordinary talent in that field. What in the world was that just now? ¡°¡­Did Teach have that much talent in Fighting Arts?¡± ¡°No.¡± Kasa smiled wryly, responding to her. ¡°His talent in that area is utter trash.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In fact, most of hisbat-rted talents are trash. He can¡¯t evene close to your brilliant talent.¡± She bluntly belittled Dowd, leaving Iliya speechless. ¡°But, he was good at handling ¡®Law Technique¡¯. Because he¡¯s that kind of person.¡± Kasa continued, exhaling a long puff of smoke. ¡°He¡¯s the kind of person who would do anything for a goal he set. It sounds abstract, but his ¡®willpower¡¯ is top-notch, after all.¡± ¡°¡­Willpower?¡± Most people would have given up. Since it was that man they were talking about, there was a high likelihood that he already knew that three such monsters would appear. If it was an ordinary person, they would have given up, sat down, cursed their fate, and got crushed to death. However, in that situation¡­ That man¡­ Found a way to prevail, using any means necessary. He approached Kasa, a stranger, and prepared for this moment long ago. Of course, that man most likely possessed something unique in him. It wasn¡¯t certain what method he used, the fact that he knew something like this would happen in advance was a significant part of his sess. Still¡­ At the foundation of such a feat, where a single human ¡®obliterated¡¯ a monster of that level¡­ Laid one key truth. Willpower. The unwavering belief that he would never retreat from a goal that he had set. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what you need to learn, Future Hero.¡± Kasa continued with a grin. ¡°Indomitability.¡± The best oue was to survive and ensure that no one around got hurt. He never gave up on that. No matter who the opponent was or how dire the situation¡­ He never stopped struggling to achieve the best oue. Even if it seemed insane to others, even if he became a mess, even if it was ridiculous, even if his dignity hit rock bottom, even if he was scorned and ridiculed¡­ He neverpromised with himself. With his beliefs. ¡°¡­¡± Iliya watched in silence¡­ As if mesmerized. With the expression of someone who had discovered their ¡®utopia¡¯¡­ She never took her eyes off the scene. -¡­ -¡­!!! But then, startled by a resounding roar, Iliya turned to look at the giant. Despite being utterly battered, it was still alive. ¡°It survived even after being hit by that¡­?¡± ¡°It hadn¡¯t been given the title Ancient God for no reason. Of course it wouldn¡¯t die from just one measly hit like that.¡± While listening to Kasa¡¯s words, Iliya suddenly noticed Dowd doing something odd. He was vacantly staring at his arm. To be more precise, at the magically engineered watch on his wrist. ¡°And considering his nature, he obviously must have ¡®prepared¡¯ something else.¡± As if something was about to ¡®happen¡¯ right around this time. ¡°¡­Right on time.¡± And at the same time Dowd murmured those words¡­ ¡°Hey, it¡¯s good to see you here.¡± A ¡®pure-white¡¯ aura surged nearby.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 119: Reversed Sea (3) Chapter 119: Reversed Sea (3) Reversed Sea (3) As I wore the flipped mask, the body of the Reversed Sea, taking the form of a giant, crumbled away. Just like what happened to the Sea Serpent before, its enormous figure was finely chopped and dismantled by a white sh. As if rendering his previous life force, which had barely survived my earlier strike, meaningless, it was neutralized in one hit and disintegrated into the sea. Too bad I didnt have the leniency to react to that sight. I was too exhausted to do so. No, really, it felt like I could die at any moment now. Sweat poured down my body as I gasped for breath. Just by throwing a single punch, I felt like I had expended all my energy. I just imitated it, though! This is bullshit! I thought to myself while panting for breath. No, seriously It was great and all that even a rough imitation produced this level of power, but If the rebound was this severe, I couldnt even imagine the strain on my body if I were to fully perfect this technique. System Message [ A fantastical use of Law Technique! ] [ Proficiency in Mastery: Law Technique Mastery greatly increases. ] System Message [ You have imitated a technique of a far away realm, even if only crudely! ] [ Perfection Progress of Mastery: Fighting Arts Stance greatly increases! ] At least there was a silver lining. All this effort wasnt for nothing. I scanned the system window that appeared before my eyes. [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Law Technique Mastery Grade: Proficient Proficiency: 0% Description: You can manipte the Special Power Law Technique based on your willpower. [ The output is determined based on the Willpower the caster harbors. The extent of the subjects hopes or desires for a particr objectives calctes the Willpower. ] [ It is possible to fuse Law Technique with other Special Powers. ] Huh? This was the first time Ive heard that you could fuse Law Technique with other Special Powers. The game didnt have something like this because Iliya didnt have a branching path that allowed her to handle Law Technique. And as I pondered about this [What are you looking at, Mr. Dowd?] A text that sent shivers down my spine appeared in my field of vision. As she always did when she was on the verge of going berserk, Yuriamunicated through text instead of voice. When I nced over, I saw her standing on a massive rock that came from God knows where while emitting white aura in streams. No, wait. I knew where it came from. She sliced off coastal rock the size of a house and dragged it here. Seeing how the surface was so cleanly cut, as if it was paper, made the sight even more absurd. Yo, thanks for saving me. [I didnt save you. I just cut it because it was in the way. I have a lot of exnations I want to hear from] Before she could continue that sentence - -!!!! The Reversed Sea, now in the form of a hideous mass of flesh which couldnt even be called a body anymore, started to move again. What an enormous vitality. Its life force made even Yuria, the same person who drove it into such a state, looked at it with an incredulous look. [Unbelievable. Its still alive?] As for me, this oue wasnt surprising. After all, I knew that it was afflicted with the Curse of Invulnerability. There was a reason why I chose to beat it with my bare fists. No matter how powerful the strike of a Severer imbued with Devil Fragments was, as long as it was a weapon, it wouldnt be able to kill it. Thanks to that !!!!!!!!!! Another curse poured forth from that body. It was a malicious ck wave that felt several times more vicious, even whenpared to what I shattered earlier. Its viciousness made me feel that any life that was caught by it would die instantly. System Message [ Detected a Curse Wave targeting you! ] [ Rolling Devil Conquest Stat for resistance ] [ Resistance sessful! ] While I managed to dodge it using Guardian Shield with ease, the fact that the resistance check urred from this distance just showed how vicious that attack was. I was familiar with this sight as it appeared in the game. The final stage that triggered when you dropped its health to a near-death state. In this phase, I couldnt juste close to it and try to obliterate it like what I did earlier. Not only was it a toil to approach it when it was spamming instant-death attacks everywhere, but also, considering the rebound from using Breaking the Sky just now, my limit was to hit each of the remaining two bastards with it once. Which meant I had to rely on Yuria to finish this one off. That was why I purposely induced her berserk state and brought her here. And so, I also prepared one more thing for this. I carefully casted my gaze below the sea. There was a tumultuous energy stirring there. Its about time it came out. The remaining two needed to be summoned using all of the Forge of Struggles technological might, but this one should naturally emerge, seeing as so much havoc was caused here. -!!!! As soon as I thought that The Sea Serpent emerged, creating a massive tidal wave. It looked enraged, as if it came out to confront the bastards who dared to cause a shitstorm in its territory. However It used to look so majestic Its size was enormous, butpared to the overwhelming size of the Reversed Sea, it felt rtively small. Moreover, the action I was about to take was one that would smash its dignity and majesty into the ground. I maneuvered one more time using Guardian Shield, leaping close to the Sea Serpent. Its eyes immediately captured me in its gaze and held a growling roar in its mouth. The problem was, after this It also spotted Yuria, who had been following behind me. - System Message [ Fear Imprint effect activated! ] [ The Sea Serpent freezes stiff in fear upon seeing target Yuria! ] Its eyes were asrge as its body was big, making it easy to read the emotions within. The fear deeply imprinted in its consciousness from being shed by Yuria causing it to freeze. It was like a debuff, rendering it unable to do anything for a few seconds. And that few seconds were enough for me. Heup! Reaching near its jaw, I immediately punched it. Well, rather than punch, I whacked it And sent it flying. Seeing this scene was like watching an ant punching an elephant and sending it flying. That was the urate size difference between the two of us. Man I long surpassed human standards, huh? Even after considering that I was unarmed, which meant there was a stat correction for Fighting Art, and EX-Grade Desperation was active, this was still an unbelievable feat. [Insane.] It was to the extent that even Yuria, who witnessed this, involuntarily let out such a groan. - -!! After being hit by my fist, The Sea Serpent collided with the body of the Reversed Sea. And, though only for a brief moment of contact Its Curse of Invulnerability was peeled off. Thats what Im talking about. I watched this sight with a smirk. It was a scene that wasmonly seen in the game. Although the antithesis of Curses was Divine Power, there was no way here to remove the Curses of a Demonic Creature at the level of an Ancient God. Even the Saintess couldnt do that. However Though not on the level of an Ancient God, if it was at least a Special-Grade Elemental Lifeform It was possible to momentarily neutralize that curse. Just like what I did right now. Of course, without the Fear Imprint, I wouldnt have been able to so easily throw the Sea Serpent in there like some pinball. Which meant I needed to quickly make use of this precious opportunity I had earned. Yuria. [What is it?] To Yuria, who startled at my sudden words I grinned before tossing a sentence. Ill be honest. I continued calmly to the expressionless Yuria ring at me. Earlier, you said that I have a lot of exining to do, right? [It seems you at least know that] But now, its not just once or twice that Ive faced such enemies, so Im tired of exining myself every time as well. I wont make excuses, so Ill say it to you straight. To Yuria, whose mouth was agape in incredulity, I threw a light-hearted remark with a bright smile. Catch me if you can~ [] After hearing my words, Yuria remained silent for a while before giving a bright smile of her own. [Youll die if I catch you, okay?] Of course, she was only smiling with her mouth, not her eyes. Guess Id really die if she were to catch me. -! And then The next move happened in an instant. System Message [ Skill: Guardian Shield activated. ] [ Creating 2 simultaneously due to the influence of Mastery: Divine Power Mastery! ] Generating Guardian Shields in the air, I immediately stepped on them and rushed towards the torn and tattered Reversed Sea. Seeing this, Yuria also kicked off the sliced coastal rock she was standing on, chasing after me. ! And as I acrobatically leapt over the two The Sea Serpent and the Reversed Sea, who were in our path, were split in half with a single blow. The two were split on both sides without even a chance to let out a scream. The Sea Serpent, being an Elemental Lifeform, could be resurrectedter, but seeing how the Reversed Sea turned into ashes, its death was pretty much confirmed. How incredible. Since it was an impromptu strategy pieced together for the situation, I didnt expect it to work this well. On the verge of going berserk Yuria? Absolutely cracked. [Mr. Dowd.] While thinking this, I gazed at Yuria. She was smiling brightly, covered in the bodily fluids of the Reversed sea and the blood of the Sea Serpent. Though she was smiling Her eyes were lifeless. [Youll actually die if I catch you, okay?] I already knew that, you brat. However And then, there were two. I looked at the remaining two giants. And I also spotted the me Demon and Ice Tiger taking shape nearby, just as requested from the Forge of Struggle. To me, they both looked like disposable grenades now. Ones that were able to very briefly lift the Reversed Seas Curse. Since they were all engraved with the Fear Imprint, it should be convenient to use them like that. I smirked and organized the pattern Id need to execute. First, Id have to strip their outeryer with Fighting Arts, then shove those Rulers of the Demonic Zones inside. After that, Yurias sword would finish them off. It was a simple job. I just needed to repeat it like aborer on a conveyor belt. Lets finish this quickly. Until now, Ive been making so many preparations. Suffered through so many hardships. So At least for right now, I wanted to go for a morefortable and simple route. That way I could quickly wrap things up and prepare for the aftermath. By the way, I cant find that bitch anywhere. Come to think of it, it was quite strange. She had summoned the beings she served and even deployed a major piece like n. But she was nowhere to be seen. What exactly was she doing? Well, I had a rough guess of where she might have gone. That was why I should quickly chase after her. With such thoughts, I immediately leapt towards the second giant.
Eleanor Elinalise Tristan preferred full-body pajamas with polka dots. They werefortable since she had been wearing them since she was young, and by now, she had grown so ustomed to them that changing to something else was difficult. Of course, she knew that it was a somewhat embarrassing outfit for a grown woman, so she tended to avoid showing it to others. That was the reason why she was beyond annoyed when she heard knocking on the door just before falling asleep. But She was toozy to change her clothes. The knocking sounded again. Eleanor sighed, annoyed to the brink. Looking at the clock, it was now deep into the night. She wondered, who could have visited her during this hour? It was already so noisy outside as well, but now this happens too Dowd was nowhere to be seen. The whole academy seemed busy for some reason. Then there were those unwee guests who kept visiting, which irritated her. And, to emphasize once again, Dowd was nowhere to be seen. She was already easily irritable since it felt like she wascking that mans constituents in her body. As such, it would be troublesome if they kept annoying her like this. Ah, She couldnt stand it. Next time she saw Dowd, she should at least demand a hug and a kiss before Lady Tristan. Are you there? The voice from outside the door interrupted Eleanors daydream. It was true she had been receiving many uninvited gueststely. However, even considering that This was a voice she never imagined she would hear at this ce and at this time. Chief Priest Tatiana? Its been a while. Have you been well? What brings you here at this hour? Nothing much. Its just Tatiana continued with a grin on her face. Theres someone I would like to introduce to you. Immediately following those words A massive explosion urred in the room where Eleanor was staying.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 120: Bisection Chapter 120: Bisection Bisection The situation room was enveloped with silence. It was so quiet that even a slightly louder breath would be clearly heard. Eventually, the ongoing silence was broken by a sentence that trickled out from Utads hologram. -Hatan, tell me. What? -Am I dreaming? Who knows. Hatan forced out a chuckle as he responded to Utads words. I mean, wouldnt it be disgusting if both of us are dreaming the same dream? - Actually Thats more believable than the current situation Utad thought as he red at the screen in front of him. Not long ago, they could only hope that Dowd would at least handle one of the Ancient Gods that appeared. However, those creatures had all turned into dead bodies sprawled around the sea. And this all happened in less than three minutes. - But, that wasnt all. To use the Rulers of Demonic Zones like some kind of grenades to peel off the curses was an unheard method to begin with. And even considering the curse had been rendered powerless, there was still a woman who could slice through an Ancient God in a single blow. But the biggest question of all. -Was Law Technique originally that easy of a Special Power to handle? Utads words were met with Hatans silence. Using Law Technique was easy in theory. The Special Powers output was determined by someones intense desire for something, and that was all there was to it. To put it in a little more perspective, it sounded like something that once could activate when they were suffering from hunger for a few days. However, if that were true, then the power wouldnt be so limited to the Tribal Alliance only. Truth of the matter was, simple desire wasnt enough to trigger it. One also needed a mental fortitude which reached almost the same level of a venerable monk who had attained Nirvana. They didnt know what it was, but there was something that man strongly wished for. That something was noble and idealistic. Is that evaluation even fitting for him? -What? I mean, he seems like a yboy who gets swept up in trouble whenever theres even the slightest possibility of it happening. Am I wrong? - I didnt get to observe him closely, but it feels like hes exactly that kind of a person. -Lets at least acknowledge that he has great talent. Hatan chuckled when he realized that Utad implicitly agreed to his words. Now, I wonder what his demands will beter? Hatan let out a sigh. This matter was briefly mentioned at the War Chief Assembly; The most fundamental value of the Tribal Alliance was never failing to reward merits and never letting faults go unpunished.. So, it was impossible for them not to give anything to someone who had done this much. -Lets think about thatter. Utad continued with a sigh. -It doesnt seem like hes in any state to make such demands to us at the moment anyway.. His words were true. On the screen, Dowds reflected face when staring at the person in front of him, showed more worry and anxiety than when he was dealing with the three Ancient Gods. [Have you given up now, Mr. Dowd? Youve only been standing there.] It seemed like he couldnt dy facing this white thing any longer.
System Message [ Confirming Special Power Law Power is depleted. ] [ Overloading is causing strain on your body! ] [ Further output may cause organ rupture leading to death! ] System Message [ Sessfully continued the battle despite serious injuries! ] [ Proficiency of Mastery: Iron Man increased. ] [ Proficiency of Mastery: Iron Man has advanced to Common! ] [ New effects added! ] Along with such messages, something welled up in my throat. As I wiped it off my mouth, I noticed that it was blood. No matter howpatible I was with Law Power, using Breaking the Sky three times in a row was simply too much, who woulda thought. Fucking hell, Im never gonna do this shit again. Even now, I felt nauseous and my vision was shaky. I had faced death countless times, but this was the first time I had received a warning about the possibility of my organs getting ruptured. It seemed like the saying great poweres great responsibility was true, after all. [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Iron Man Grade: Common Proficiency: 0% Description: Warriors of the Tribal Alliance repeatedly put themselves in extreme situations in order to constantly train their ability to react to such situations. It is very risky, but effective. [ Endurance to various injuries and pain is increased. Reduces the intensity of pain and allows for easier movement even when severely injured. ] [ Recovery bes much better than when in a normal state. ] [ In cases of fatal injuries, sensation of pain are blocked, increasing survival chances. ] [ Effects are proportional to the Endurance stat. ] Of course, I didnt do that just for no reason. Also System Message [ Annihtion of three Ancient God entities confirmed. ] They really did die pretty quickly, huh? Felt kinda bad for them. They were supposed to be a chapters final boss, but they were sent off like this without receiving the honorable treatment they deserved. Like,pared to Purifier or Valkasus, they literally got nothing. Of course, considering who they were up against, it wasnt like I couldnt understand why they underperformed so badly. [Why arent you running away now, Mr. Dowd?] When I saw Yuria approached with her head tilted slightly, speaking as she took one step at a time, my mouthpletely dried up. It wasnt like I had never fantasized a beautiful girl throwing everything aside and chasing after me and only me, but I felt like grabbing that past self by the cor and yelling at him right now. Fuck, try experience it yourself before even imagining about that kind of bullshit. Did you think it actually felt great to have your life threatened with every breath you take? [Why arent you saying anything?] Inwardly, I let out a deep sigh. In my mind, I was rapidly calcting, flicking my abacus. Honestly, regardless of everything, it was practically impossible to keep running away from this brat. ying hide-and-seek with a Devil as my opponent, especially the White Devils Vessel, was an act that drastically lowered my survival chances. If I yed my cards wrongly, shed chase me to the depths of hell if she had to. Which meant, I had to settle this whether I liked it or not. Sure, this might be painfully tough for me. But still This was nothing for Dowd Campbell. Youre a specialist in getting hurt, right? Youve been smashed and fucked up countless times. Youre special. Youre built fucking different. I did feel a tiny bit of shame after hyping myself up like this, though. Anyway, the fact of the matter was that there was only one way out. I nced down at my feet. This was the ce where Lucia and Valkasus prepared the Array in advance. It was a coboration between the Saintess and the greatest Forbidden Sorcerer in this world, all served as a countermeasure for Yuria. Even if it was her, it would surely work. While I wasnt sure if I could calm a Devil on the verge of going berserk, but it should be enough to calm that Demonic Aura for a while. [I said it before, didnt I?] As I thought that, Yurias letters came close. [Youll die if I catch you, okay?] ! At the sight of Yuria, who had suddenly approached right in front of me, swinging her sword, my eyes widened. It was a speed that even I, who was buffed with EX-Grade Desperation, couldnt react to. Even if I had employed Swordsmans Focus, I surely couldnt have kept up. However Parts of her movements gave me a lot of hints. A lot of them to the point that they looked so clear and in in my eyes. It was evidence that she had been going easy on me until now. Honestly, I could definitely see her doing that. Even the Blue Devil, who was on the weaker side among the Devils, had been doing insane things on her own. The fact that I had been able to avoid the White Devil, who was obviously stronger than her, spoke volume on how much she held herself back against me. She wasnt filled with enough murderous intent to bite the bullet and kill me. Which meant It would be okay for me to tank one hit from her. The n is! While she was still holding onto her sanity, allowing me to have some leniency Even if I had to take a harsh beating as a price, I had to drag Yuria into Lucia and Valkasus Array. Since it was impossible to parry or block her attack, I might as well create the needed opening by tanking one strike. You can do it, Dowd Campbell. All you have to do is not die from one blow! Thinking that, I looked at the tip of Yurias sword that was approaching me menacingly. I took a deep breath. ! And I rushed into Yurias strike, which was about to pierce my body. My movement, which she surely didnt anticipate, caused Yurias eyes to widen, and in that moment, I grabbed her and dragged her onto the Array. Seeing the sword pierce my body, I closed my eyes tightly. Please, just dont die in one hit! Even if she was currently the strongest in terms of power behind a single attack, I had confidence in my survival ability. This much is worth a try! Thinking that, I pushed her body onto the Array, and a bright white sh burst nearby once again. It was bright enough to cover my entire field of vision. [!] The white light emitted from the Array definitely had an effect. After all, the white aura surrounding Yurias body visibly weakened upon contact. It was evidence that the Demonic Aura was temporarily weakened by the Saintesss Divine Power. Which meant Uh. I could hear Yurias dazed voice. Her hair, which was chillingly white, had turned ck at some point. Light returned to her pupils. She had regained her sanity, if only for a moment. Nice. As expected of the Saintess. It was a truly fitting result of the person who had been grappling with Yurias body every day, suppressing the curse. Have you regained your senses? I spoke while sighing towards her. What a relief. Hearing my voice, she slowly turned to me Then, she examined me with a sluggish gaze. Her eyes slowly moved down below my face. Perhaps She was looking at the part where her sword hit me. And then, her eyes widened greatly. Ah. Immediately after A moan akin to death throes trickled out of her mouth. Ah, Ah, Ah Ah, Ah Ah, Ah She covered her face with both hands, as if tearing at it. Tears streamed down from her eyes. Almost as if She had seen a horrific scene she couldnt bear to look at. Hey. Why are you acting like this? Your reaction is a little scary At that moment I realized something strange. Why Doesnt it hurt at all? Surely, after tanking that hit, part of my body should feel pain at least. System Message [ Fatal injury detected. ] [ Mastery: Iron Man blocks the sensation of pain. ] As I looked at such a message with cold sweat breaking out I looked down. Due to Yurias attack My entire body was almost split in half. Ah, right. Even monkeys fell from trees sometimes. Sure, I had always been good at surviving things, but I wouldnt always seed in surviving. W-Wait a minute. M-Mr. D-D-Dowd? Why, uh, why? Is, is this, what I, what I did? Along with Yurias voice, who sounded like she hadpletely lost her mind System Message [ HP Below 1%! ] [ You are on the verge of death! ] Blood poured out from my mouth with terrifying force.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 121: Seal (1) Chapter 121: Seal (1) Seal (1) Being suddenly caught up in a battle was not amon urrence for Eleanor. In the first ce, it was the first time her room exploded out of nowhere while she was just in her pajamas and also the first time she was suddenly attacked by a person wielding a sword in such a situation. To think that it was an indiscriminate assassination attempt without any signs or reasons. As the Lady of the Tristan Duchy, she had faced many tough situations, but this was the first time she encountered such a sudden battle. Of course, even considering that, the disadvantage she was currently experiencing was definitely far from the norm. After bing an adult Had there ever been a time when she was pushed back inbat to this extent? You said there was someone you wanted to introduce to me, Chief Priest Tatiana. Eleanor breathed heavily, ring at the people in front of her. They definitely are not ordinary people. They indeed have the capability to so confidently confront me. Two people were standing far back with their arms crossed. One was Tatiana and the other was a frivolous-looking man, bedecked with ornaments all over his body. And, standing right in front Was a masked woman who spoke in a nonchnt tone. She was the person who had appeared out of nowhere and attacked Eleanor with a sword after the massive explosion. How about you end it here and give up? You know you cant win, right? Eleanor frowned deeply at the rxed voice that flowed out. The tone was half-mocking her, just listening to it made her feel irritated. Well, I dont know. Im not the type to run from a fight that was picked on me first. The masked woman let out a light chuckle. You really havent changed. As stubborn as always. I have seen you so many times, yet youve never shown a different response. Not even once. I have never met a suspicious person like you, though. She was telling the truth. There was no way that Eleanor wouldnt remember such an unpleasant person as this masked woman, even if she only ever met her once. No. However The masked woman retorted in a low voice. We have met many times. An excruciatingly tiresome number of times. She couldnt understand what in the world she was saying at all. Eleanor sighed and got up. Rather than paying attention to such an iprehensible talk, she thought it better to focus on trying to escape. Her eyes narrowed, fixing onto her opponent. The face of Eleanor, watching the masked woman casually swing her sword around, hardened. At a nce, it was obvious that there was a vast difference between their capabilities. Forget being trained to her own level of extreme refinement; The masked woman barely possessed a body that had reached an average level. Originally, such a person should have fallen helplessly under her barrage of attacks. -! Eleanor lunged forward, kicking off the ground. A sh-like strike, just as always. With a body exuding superhuman physical power and swordsmanship honed to the extreme, normally, someone with such a frail body would be overwhelmed and crushed on the spot. However -! She was bounced off. Eleanor barely regained her faltering bnce, gritting her teeth slightly. At that moment, the opponents sword grazed her shoulder. A shallow, yet definite scar was etched on her body. Its strange. There was a problem. Just now, once again This woman suddenly became stronger. The overwhelming difference in power between them was clsoed in an instant. As if she had a trait that made her suddenly stronger when her life was in danger. The stronger Eleanor attacked, the stronger the trait seemed to be. She had seen a simr type of person once before. Not just simr, but a person who seemed to have the exact same kind of trait. You. Eleanor opened her mouth with a chilling voice akin to frost. Are you rted to Dowd in some way? The masked woman just shrugged her shoulders. Even if I am, do I need to tell you? Instead of asking that, it would be better if you just die here. Eleanor sighed once again. I cant do that. You talk quite confidently for someone who hasntnded a single effective hit so far. On what basis are you I have to give birth to a child. I made a promise with Dowd. The masked woman fell silent for a while at Eleanors words, spoken with utmost sincerity, and then sighed heavily. Well, whatever. Try your best then. That would only be possible if you survive, anyway. Then they faced each other again, swords in hand. It was a scene that had been repeated a few times until now. The oue of the current sh would be likely simr as well. It was unbelievable, but in closebat against this woman, Eleanor was actually being pushed back. Is there no other choice? Do I have to use it? Eleanor thought as such, adjusting the aura wriggling inside her. She had been reluctant to use this strength ever since the Ice Tiger hunt with Talion. After all, it felt like her very essence waspletely changing because of it. However Apart from just that There was an indescribable sense of foreboding that prevented her from using that ability. Eleanors gaze lingered on the man standing in the far back. The man, mboyantly adorned with ornaments all over his body. Despite his questionable appearance She felt an ominous and terrifying premonitioning from the man. As if she must never use this aura in front of that man. Do you have some hidden power youre not using? In the meantime, a teasing voice came from the masked woman. If you have such a thing, why dont you use it? At this rate, youre going to die, you know? It was as if She knew Eleanor was hiding something. And unexpectedly, she was actually waiting for her to use it. No. Since that was the case, she decided to not y into their hands. Eleanor let out a sigh and readied her sword again. Just a sword is more than enough to handle you. Well, do as you please then. Once again, their swords shed. Or to be more precise They were about to. Suddenly, an Array appeared in front of them, who were about to sh. ? ? Confusion spread across everyones face at the unexpected phenomenon. Since it wasnt caused by anyone present, it was naturally surprising. And then, during that slight hesitation Something dropped with a thud from that Array.
Come to think of it, my ns had rarely gone smoothly. I always thought I had considered all variables when nning, but something ridiculous happened all the fucking time. But despite knowing that, this situation still left me a bit dumbfounded. Though the sensation of pain was blocked, a feeling of something seriously wrong was intensely conveyed. Any sensationsing from below my chest werepletely severed, as if there was almost nothing there. In other words, I received a fatal wound on my entire lower body. Something flowed out from inside my body and squelched under my feet. Dont think about it. It would be too hard for me to take it if I were to seriously think about it. Besides, I wouldnt be able to do anything about it. System Message [ HP Below 0.5%! ] [ You are on the verge of death! ] [ Emergency treatment rmended! ] The fuck did you mean? How could this kind of shit be solved with just emergency treatment? In the corner of my visions, someone capable of at least something simr was spotted. The Saintess, who had been sitting quietly in a nearby bush before emerging with a pale face. Dont move! And stay calm! Before I could even say yes or no, the Saintess clung close to me and started pouring out Divine Power. A torrent of High-Grade Miracles, iparable to the Basic Graces I handled, cascaded onto me. Things that could immediately revive even a dying person back to a perfectly healthy state continued to fall upon me. However, they didnt seem to be that effective. System Message [ The Demonic Aura of the White Devil interferes with regeneration! ] I had just been hit by Yuria, who was being influenced by a Devil, so my body was covered with Demonic Aura. Seeing that my wound didnt get any better, color drained off the Saintess face. J-Just wa-wait. N-No matter what I have to do, Ill save you! Saying that, the Saintess body began to emanate white light once again. I could roughly guess what she was trying to do. She was trying to burn her own lifespan. It was a type of taboo ck arts, treated as the most insidious among Miracles. Though I appreciated her willingness to save me, even at such a cost When delving into why a person bearing the title of Saintess knew such a thing, it became an incredibly deep andplicated story. There were eyes watching here. I couldnt let her expose such things. Stop. It was hard to form sentences due to the blood filling my throat, but I could at least manage to convey that much with some difficulty. Dont do it. I struggled to continue. Youllget hurt. Stop. The Saintess eyes widened immensely. A myriad ofplex emotions filled her eyes, then she bit her lips hard enough to make it bleed. System Message [ Target Lucia is greatly shocked by your statement! ] [ Guilt is engraved even in her in-depth awareness! ] [ Marked with Negative Tendency! ] [ 3 Stacks of Negative Marks! ] [ Significant changes in personality urs. ] [ Changes in behavior patterns ur! ] [ Increased dominance over the target! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] Skills were still being faithfully applied even in this situation, huh? But now was not the time to focus on that. Is that really the issue right now?! Even in this situation, why are you still! I shook my head at the Saintesss angry voice. No, that wasnt the problem. If my thoughts were correct Beyond it being simply ineffective and harmful, there was no need or it at all. My consciousness started to sink deeply. I checked my original purpose thoroughly. I barely maintained consciousness, considering what was the best decision I could make to survive in this situation. Even with a body bolstered by all sorts of cheat-like skills, I only had a few tens of seconds left. Panicking felt like a waste of time. Saintess. After saying that I conveyed my words to the Saintess as clearly as possible with hand gestures. Telling her to hand over the amulet she was wearing to me. I received Soul Linker that the Saintess was offering with trembling hands, before barely sping it onto my wrist. [You fuc- Damn it! Stay awake! Keep your mind focused! One wrong move here and its all over!] [Can you hear me?! Im about to set up the Array right now, so just stay still!] As soon as Soul Linker was connected, the voices of Caliban and Valkasus screaming simultaneously echoed in my mind. Be quiet. Speak softly. I lost too much blood. It was bing increasingly difficult to maintain consciousness. Valkasus. My request was for Valkasus. At this moment, my life depended on whether this person could fulfill this request. Is a teleportation spell possible? Teleportation was a high-level spell for any system of Special Powers. It was incredibly difficult to implement. Frankly, Faenol being able to send Riru flying off that far away just from one mana stone was a bizarre case. However, if this person couldnt do it, I was as good as dead. [The number of Tattoos engraved on your body is too few to send you far. The limit is only about one-tenth of the mana stone you used on thatdy called Riru.] Thats enough. Fortunately, it seemed that such a situation would not ur. As expected of the greatest Forbidden Sorcerer in the world. He readily agreed to such an absurd request. I passed these coordinates to Valkasus. And then Mr. Dowd, t-the b-blood, the blood N-No, i-its m-my fault. Its my fault- P-Please, pleasee- I also left some words for this girl, who was sobbing her eyes out. Its okay, Yuria. I mustered thest of my strength to leave those words. Its not your fault. It truly wasnt. I had caused her a lot of heartache, so wasnt it only fair to take a hit like this at least once? Besides I had no ns of dying yet. Caliban. I muttered in my fading consciousness. Just make one promise with me. [If its some tacky clich like ast wish or will, Im not listening. Dont even think about dying.] I chuckled at the slightly tearful voice. Its not like that, so dont worry. I cant with this Ahjussi. He was always so sarcastic, but in reality, he was actually quite caring. When I make excusester, please listen. Dont get angry. [What?] Though Caliban responded as if baffled I was beingpletely serious. After all, it would be troublesome if he tried to kill meter because of what this person would see from now on. That was not a low probability at all, considering that he was a former Guardian. Following that, the Forbidden Sorcery conjured by Valkasus wrapped around my body. The scene before my eyes changed instantaneously. This ce was the student dormitory provided by the Forge of Struggle. To be more particr, it was where Eleanor was located. It was half destroyed, broken, and crumbling here and there. Clearly, a battle had taken ce. And if it was about now, then surely Dowd? Eleanors voice knocked on my ears. Good. It seemed like I hade to the right ce. And considering this persons usual disposition The reaction she would show at the sight of my fucked up state was already determined. System Message [ The aura of is felt! ] Nice. Just what I wanted. System Message [ The Fallens Seal reacts! ] [ You have had sufficient interactions with Devils! ] [ Your attribute changes from human to ! ] Then As such a window appeared before my eyes My consciousness faded away.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 122: Seal (2) Chapter 122: Seal (2) Seal (2) Dowd Campbell getting hurt wasnt an umon sight for Eleanor. It was only natural, considering that she had faced several life-threatening situations not long after meeting this man. But, even if that was the case His current state was Dowd? It took some time for her to take in and ept the situation. Her sound mind couldnt quite discern the exact identity of the lump of flesh in front of her. Dowd? A voice of disbelief trickled out of her lips. Her mind turned nk as her heart raced wildly. Apostle. Is this your doing? Across from her, such words reached her faint consciousness. A voice filled with such chilling killing intent that made her skin crawl emanated from the masked woman. It was as if she was angry about this man being in such a state. No. I did leave three Ancient God entities behind, but the likelihood of them inflicting such injuries is Nonexistent. Yes. I know that, but how could he end up like this? Tatiana. I entrusted one single thing to you. Why cant you handle it properly? I apologize. Hearing this conversation made Eleanor realize. The reason why this man ended up like this was because he was entangled in the incident those bastards had caused. - - !!!! An insidious aura churned in her heart. Everything around her slowed down. No, this wasnt merely her personal perception; Time actually slowed down. This was a familiar sensation to her. The entire world slowed with her at the center, and she felt like she had control over all of space. She inhaled heavily, spinning that aura fiercely. Without a doubt, she vividly remembered using this energy before to turn back time. Of course There was a risk that everything nearby could be swept away if she did that. She might even cause enormous damage to some important facilities in the foreign nation. With her status as one of the major nobles from the Empire, as a consideration, she might end up being publicly denounced by the entire continent. But She didnt give a shit about any of that. Even if other people died, and everyone around them got swept away As long as she could save this man Even if she had to bear all the consequences herself! -Therefore, I implore. At that moment, she heard a voice. Holding onto her fleeting rationality, she turned her head and saw the man she had been watching intently since earlier; He was holding a ritual tool in his hand speaking such words. She saw him grasping one of the ornaments attached to his body. A small bell, obviously a strange item filled with spiritual power. However, the strength emanating from the bell at the moment Was far from that mere level. -Therefore, I implore. And then Those words resonated and a gentle wave spread out from the bell. Merely maintain purity All the Demonic Aura emanating from Eleanor vanished in an instant. But it didnt end there. The aura that was always emitting from her heart disappeared. As if it never existed in the first ce. ! Her eyes widened in astonishment. While she might not know exactly what resided within her, she knew that it wasnt something that could easily be influenced by others. And yet Because of the words spoken by this man, all the aura she was about to invoke vanished. No. What she experienced wasnt exactly something like that. The aura didnt disappear due to interference or some kind of suppression. Instead, it was deleted. You cant use it, can you Miss? As her body froze in shock, Eleanor heard those words. How could you bring out such dangerous things? I understand you want to save that guy, but if you unleash something you cant even control, everyone here will just die, you know? Her trembling eyes turned towards the provokingly ear-grating voice. Cursed Speech . A technique where speech itself possessed Special Power that could stir certain phenomena. Beyond the frozen soil of the far east, in the easternnds, there were those who wielded all kinds of mysterious powers, different from Magic Power or Divine Powermonly used on the continent. Sorcery, Daoism, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, and the Onmyjis who handled them. This man must be part of one such faction. A sorcerer who could cause all kinds of miraculous phenomena with just hisnguage. The so-called Cursed Speech Users. She knew of such things, but the ability she was witnessing now was True Speech? Eleanor muttered something that could be called a groan. She had heard stories about it before. It was one of the most powerful Sorceries mentioned in the Kojiki of the Empire, which had fought countless battles with Longmen beyond the frozennds of the east. Those who had reached the realm ofmunicating with thews of the world through their words. Simply put. They were those who could manipte reality within limits. If the conditions for uttering the phrase were met, they could control the entire world around them ording to their will. And if that was really true Then this man was one of the most powerful humans on the continent. A monster among monsters that should only be mentioned in legends. His casual whistle in response to her muttering did not seem to match such an image at all, though. You know quite a lot. Is that because youre a noblewoman? Then I just dont understand even more. Youre not even aplete Vessel. You just have two Fragments, yet youre trying to freely control it? Isnt that too greedy? Despite everything, that is still a King of Hell, Miss. A snickering response followed. Fragment. Vessel. King of Hell. These iprehensible terms continued to flow out. Even then, the Tristan Duchy should be quite the illustrious Vessel Household, so its a bit absurd that you cant resist them at all. Did your mother not teach you how to use it? His following words though, were far too significant to ignore. You bastard, what in the world did you just! Eleanors face contorted as she lunged forward, but -! Immediately after, blood spurted from her mouth. The cause was the green light emitted from the wand Tatiana was holding; It had sessfully pierced her stomach. It was a slow and weak attack, an easy attack for her to dodge normally, but At that moment, she had be weaker. Her body was sluggish. Horrifyingly frail. Let alone holding a sword, she felt like she was a child who had never properly trained with one. A sealed Fragment in a Vessel is no different than an ordinary person. Tatiana kicked her in the abdomen while saying those words. Oxygen forcefully entered her lungs. She tumbled to the ground while choking. Green rays struck her body several more times; In the arms, legs, and even in the chest. Curses fired like projectiles pierced her body. In an instant, she was thoroughly mutted. Hasnt the Prophet continued to tell you? Resistance is futile. Did they deliberately force her to draw out this strength for this purpose? It seemed they were targeting just that. To be more precise, it felt like a ploy to erase this power the moment she used it. Keep your babbling to a minimum, Talker. Oh please. Wasnt it Boss who callled in such a busy person to join such a childish game? I was looking forward to it because it was the Grey ones Vessel, but its so different fromst time. Beyond the excruciating pain, she heard their casual conversation. Thats why Whatever. Forget it. What did I even expect from a bastard like you who cant keep their mouth shut? Thats so harsh. Isnt she a woman whos going to be killed soon anyway? Be quiet. The Prophet sighed and turned her head towards Tatiana, who had subdued Eleanor and was bowing her head. Kill her and retrieve the Fragments properly. We need tobine it with thest Fragment in the Holy Land. As youmand. With that response Chief Priest Tatiana stood in front of her eyes. Nothing personal, Lady Tristan. The wand, which had been emitting curses, was now precisely aimed at her head. Consider it a sin to be born into a cursed lineage. You became our target because of the karma of your ancestors. What Are you nning to do with Dowd? Youre still worried about that man even at this very moment? Tatiana spoke with an incredulous voice. I cant tolerate it. You see, I dont really like watching such unsightly struggles. Another curse formed on the wand. It was a death sentence; an intent to take her life on the spot. And she could do nothing about it. Through her fading vision, she saw the Prophet carrying Dowd over her shoulders. What do you need that living corpse for? Isnt he already dead? We just need to find a way to resurrect him. What a morbid habit. Are you nning to bring back the dead and embed a Ban on him? Trying to make a ve? Im considering it. Such a conversation was heard. They were nning to do something to Dowd. They were about to take away her most precious thing Right before her eyes. Dowd. Just before her breath ceased, Eleanor faintly uttered as she saw Dowd hanging over the Prophets shoulder. Dowd. She couldnt let that happen. The future where that man would be controlled by the likes of them could never happen. However, her body wouldnt obey. Pinned to the wall, she couldnt even twitch a finger. As despair engulfed her Wait a minute. Boss. What. There is something strange about that guy. The thing that was engraved on Dowds chest Began to pulse While containing something that harbored a ckness.
Prophet! Tatiana was the first to sense the danger. She, who was aiming her wand at Eleanor, hastily sent a curse towards the Prophet. At the same time as a turquoise wall appeared between the Prophet and Dowd, their bodies were flung in opposite directions. Meanwhile The ck aura that had started to spew from his chest quickly spread around in billows. Prophet, are you alright?! Though Tatiana cried out such words The Prophets gaze was nkly fixed on Dowd. As if She couldnt believe what she was seeing. The Fallens Seal? The Prophet muttered those words in a daze. As if She was witnessing something that should never happen. No, why, why did you do such a thing? From her voice Why did you go so far for those cursed bitches-! Despair could be felt. Fuck. Damn it. Get away from him! Following that Talker, who had maintained a light-hearted tone until now, shouted at the Prophet with a voice filled with anxiety and simultaneously Removed several ornaments that wrapped around his entire body. It was a contrasting sight to when he had only used one against Eleanor. -Therefore, I implore. -Therefore, I implore. Merely maintain pu- But before he couldplete the phrase A massive wind struck in Talkers direction. It was a phenomenon caused by Dowd, who had been kneeling and sitting on the ground, with just a punch he threw from his position. Without any Special Power nor aura included. Purely physical power had caused the phenomenon. What the fu What is this! While Talker had to backpedal a few steps, unable toplete the sentence due to this The ck aura that he couldnt eliminatepletely gathered around Dowds body. Hey, youre kidding me. Talker let out a sudden uncontrobleughter as he looked on. In his mind, he recalled a truth he had known. Aw that had not changed throughout the long years he had lived. There were a total of six entities for Devils. White, Blue, Red, Brown, Purple, and finally Grey. If that was the case, then What in the world was he looking at right now? A bizarre sight, that was the only way he could put it. His entire body was surrounded by ck aura, as if he was wearing full ck armor. This feeling of grotesqueness, eeriness, and difort, all mashed and mixed together. Was undoubtedly Ive never heard or seen anything like a ck Devil, damn it. A Devil.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 123: Seal (3) Chapter 123: Seal (3) Seal (3) What did you say? ck Devil? Narrowing her eyes, Tatiana spat out those words. What a load of nonsense. How could beings like the Devils be created so easily? Anyone with a certain level of knowledge about Material Realm and other dimensions could easily understand how ridiculous of a notion that was. Even the Ancient Gods, beings who possessed the power to blow up the entire Forge of Struggle, were only as powerful as a mouse in front of a catpared to those beasts of the Astral Realm or the Pandemonium. And said beasts could be reduced to dust with a thought by the Devils. The Angels of the Astral Realm. And the Devils of Pandemonium. They were the most powerful beings in the entire multidimensional universe. Godly existences whose mere manifestation could turn the entire Material Realm upside down. Yet this guy was trying to imply that such a being was artificially created. Strictly speaking, he is not really a Devil. Talker said while sweeping off all the ornaments hanging on one of his arms. Rosaries, Crosses, Charms, Relics of Saints, Bracelets engraved with Ouroboros A variety of ornaments, each containing sorcerous and religious symbols, filled both his hands in an instant. Each and every one could be treated as a national treasure in any country. But he treated them as if they were disposable items, easily worn and discarded. True Devils will invoke a greater impact than this. The moment their true bodies manifested, both of us would be sent straight to the underworld. In other words, its an express ticket to our demise. But, that isnt happening right now, as you can see. It was a bit shameful to say this, as even among the true Devils, the most powerful one resided within Lady Tristan and he had leisurely subdued it with a single ornament just a moment ago. But that was only because Lady Tristan herself had a remarkably low proficiency in handling that strength. However, this bastard Was a little different. He couldnt really say that he possessed the inherent overpowering presence of a True Devil. However The intimidation that he gave off sent shivers down Talkers spine, before spreading through his whole body. It was enough to tell him that he was something far beyond an immature Devils Vessel. And both Talker and Tatiana realized that If they couldnt subdue him here and now, a great disaster would befall themter on. Its toote to purify him. Talkers brain whirred as he observed the ck aura enveloping Dowds body. There was a stark difference between his aura and Ladys Tristans immature one. From that, Talker could tell that the man was on the level where it was possible for him to facetank his abilities without even giving them a single nce beforehand. Then again, Dowd immediately severed his ability with a st of wind the moment he sensed Talker was about to use it. In other words, trying to do the same thing again would be futile. Besides Even if he were to use his True Speech, Devils were in a hierarchy iparable to anything else in the multidimensional universe. Mere sorcery of the Material Realm could never control their power. In other words, if Talker couldnt even suppress the Devils Aura that had fully bloomed and materialized to that extent Then, we just need to fight and beat it to submission! After all, the fact that it didnt feel like a True Devil meant there was a high chance that itsbat power was lower. With that in mind Talker started the first exchange. Several ornaments that he pulled out all shone at once. They aided a Cursed Speech User, who could converse with thews of the world, inmunicating more smoothly. And the Cursed Speech User could now deliver a much stronger wish than before. As a result -Song of Songs1The Song of Songs, also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon, is an erotic poem, one of the five megillot in the Ketuvim, thest section of the Tanakh., I wish. -Song of Songs, I wish. -O me, that lights a loveless life. Light up the world. He could now perform such acts. As the flowing sentences ended, Tatiana let out a shallow moan at the sight of the me materializing in the air. The Primordial me. Something that was known to be able to melt even the scales of a Juvenile Dragon. A technique known to be used by the Angels of the Astral Realm. In the Material Realm, it was practically a technique from legends. And this bastard Just recreated it right on the spot in a matter of seconds. His understanding of sorcery, knowledge of the multidimensional universe,bat experience, all of it is Completely overwhelming. Tatiana never enjoyed being involved with this man, but she had to acknowledge his skill. Indeed, he was a monster even among the Chosen Ones; The Executives of the Devil Worshippers. It was to the extent that his reputation for being able to subdue even the Boy King in an one-on-one didnt seem exaggerated at all. Shall we see how you handle this extremely ipatible match-up! With such a spirited shout, fireballs immediately flew towards Dowd. The powers wielded by the Angels of the Astral Realm were, naturally, abilities that formed a supreme prity with the creatures of Pandemonium. At least, as far as Talker knew, it boasted the power topletely burn a Vessel with a single Fragment without there even being a chance to resist. That bastard would have to brace for significant loss if he wished to use the Devils Aura to suppress this. Beneath the dark aura wrapped around Dowds body, something shed. It was an amulet shining on his wrist, even while he was in such a state. Simultaneously, several Arrays floated above his arm. Though they were Arrays made of merely five Tattoos, insufficient to block the Primordial me, they were still capable of slightly diverting their trajectory. Originally, the attack should have struck its target instantly uponunch, but Dowd moved through the gap created by these minor disruptions. He avoided all attacks with acrobatic movements, traversing the ceiling and wall as if gravity applied differently to him. Forbidden Sorcery? Are you kidding me?! Talkers voice erupted in disbelief upon seeing the ability used to dodge the Celestial mes. A Devil who drew out enough Demonic Aura to cover their entire body was usually in a berserk stake, and even if they werent, maintaining rationality and sanity with such aura surrounding a human body was extremely unlikely. Yet, Dowd chose the most efficient within his own arsenal, instead of just blindly believing in his own power and running amok. It was as if this ability to make such choices were ingrained in his very instinct! Apostle! I need backup! With that one exchange, Talker already understood something. There was a high probability that hed end up failing to kill Dowd by himself. And so, he needed one more card in his hand! In that state, hell only be focused on me! Get closer and unleash anything, Weakening Curse or whatever, just throw anything you can at him! Dont order me around. Despite her grumbling, Tatiana leaped forward, following Talkermand. After all, she knew it was futile to hit such a mobile opponent directly with her curses. To increase the hit rate, even by just a little, she had to get close while that mans attention was wholly on Talker. And at that moment Dowd moved. He closed the distance in an instant, appearing right in front of Tatianas nose. It happened before Tatiana could even fully register his movement in her consciousness. As if he had already anticipated her actions. ! She raised her wand in horror. His move was something she had never imagined at all. Dont underestimate me! Though not in the level of Talker, Tatiana was also one of the most educated people in the continent when it came to knowledge rted to curses. She knew countless ways to block such a simple charge. From generating Dark Matter to reduce any damage from attacks of the demonic attribute. Or a Curse that could reflect all physical damage. Even a Phase Shift to absorb all damage this body received and created a whole new body at a designated coordinate. However, all those numerous abilities she possessed [ Forbidden Sorcery: Seal ] [ The targets skills are sealed for 0.03 seconds. ] Were sealed by the Array that appeared again on Dowds arm. It forcibly made it impossible for her to use any abilities. For a brief moment, shepletely forgot how to use her abilities. And that alone was enough to stop her from putting up any kind of countermeasures. There was no doubt that, until now She had never seen him using such an ability. Despite him being involved in so many hardships in the Forge of Struggle. Despite him fighting against three Ancient Gods. Despite even being almost bisected by a Devil just moments ago He never used the ability even once. As if Showing it even once to her might lead to him leaking his countermeasures. Almost as if, until this very moment He had kept it hidden. As if he had anticipated such a situation from the very beginning! ! In that short time, nothing could stop his assault. No, it wasnt a mere assault anymore, this attack was enough to be ssified as a killing blow. Seeing the fist flying at her face, she hurriedly clutched her wand in horror. It was a spiritual object passed down through generations as a devotee that served as the Apostle of the Reversed Sea. She herself couldnt use any of its abilities, but the features built into this wand remained intact even if she couldnt exert power. It was a perfect decision for a judgment made in less than a fraction o a second. Or at least it would have been If only Dowd hadnt bloomed a grey aura right in front of her eyes. Huh? Tatianas eyes widened as she felt her body slowing down. Time was slowing down. Her consciousness stretched out before she could even do anything with the wand in her grasp. It was akin to The Grey Devils Authority, Corruption. How in the world is he controlling This kind of ability Its a different Devils Authority What! While such astonishment and horror was voiced by Tatiana Dowds arm was then enveloped in blue aura Simr to The Blue Devils Authority, Pulverization. !! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Struck by that, Tatianas head Burst into pieces, like an exploding balloon
Silence settled in the surroundings. As Tatianas headless body copsed Dowd caught that corpse with one arm. The other arm reached near the neck where the head had once been. Immediately after Something was pulled out from inside there. It was the Spiritual Aura that constituted a human soul. As if even the souls of the deceased were not free from that man. As if he was filled with malice that demanded such actions. This feels like utter shit. Talker spoke in a low, sunken voice while looking at this scene. It wasnt necessarily a feeling of sadness for a fallenrade. You. Are you fucking around with me right now? The bastards actions made it clear. Ill be a fool not to realize this. From the very beginning, his goal was not to fight Talker, but to kill Tatiana. The way he acted as soon as the opportunity arose proved it. Not attacking immediately, despite being capable of doing so, was to make Talker misunderstand that he had lost his reason. This guy, from start to finish, had Talker dancing on his palm. He had predicted his actions, reactions, and how the situation would unfold, even in that state. In the end, Talker was manipted into cornering Tatiana with his own hands. To be honest, I meant to just deal with you adequately, without trying too hard. And it wasnt just that. Right now, this bastard Used the Authorities of two different Devils simultaneously. It makes no sense. Setting aside how that was even possible If Just if If it was possible to simultaneously handle the powers of two different Devils Did that mean controlling more than that was also possible? Then what in the world was the final point? This was a stretch, but Could he wield the powers of all the Devils? Then Exactly how much of a monster did that make him? I really need to kill you right Stop, Talker. Talker turned around incredulously at the voice that restrained him. There stood the Prophet, still looking dazedly at Dowd. What? I said stop. The Prophet continued with a sigh. We cant kill that. At least not in that state. If he can use multiple Authorities, it means his very attribute has changed from a human. How do you know that? Wait, what does that even mean in the first ce? The Prophet shut her mouth tightly. Her actions seemed filled with an emotion like a deep wound was being gouged. As if Dowd, in that form, evoked some terrible memories in her. Well retreat for now. We can always get another chance. The sentence that followed, thought, carried none of that emotion. But next time Her gaze lingered on Eleanor, embedded in the wall. Well make them pay. Her voice was undoubtedly filled with firm hatred. Talker looked back and forth between Dowd and the Prophet with an incredulous look. Though his face was tantly expressing the question, Have you lost your mind? The Prophets demeanor remained unwaveringly obstinate. Ugh fine. Have it your way. In the end, Talker raised his hands in resignation. The Prophets gaze lingered on Dowd, who was crossing his arms while watching them. Having achieved his goal by killing Tatiana, he seemed to indicate he had no intention of fighting them further. It was as if Just like how she couldnt kill him He also couldnt kill her. It was an attitude that both sides knew each other very well. See you next time, Mr. Dowd. Upon seeing his intention, the Prophet continued with a sigh. I had no idea you would make such a contract using yourself as coteral, but A portal tearing through space opened. It was the effect of one of the artifacts the Prophet possessed. A hyper-spatial transporter that teleported her anywhere regardless of distance. I hope you attain the future you desire Unbefitting of her Thest sentence the Prophet left was This time. Spoken in a voice tinged with something akin to sorrow.
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  • 1 The Song of Songs, also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon, is an erotic poem, one of the five megillot in the Ketuvim, thest section of the Tanakh.
Chapter 124: Promises Should Be Kept (1) Chapter 124: Promises Should Be Kept (1) Promises Should Be Kept (1) System Message [ status deactivated! ] The ck aura dissipated from my body. Gasping for breath, I copsed on the spot. In that state, I patted myself, feeling for the body that Yuria had broken. Every part of it was still attached. Nothing was loss. As expected, after undoing the mutation once, it seemed like my body returned to a state where, using the Systems terms, it was restored to full HP. Almost no sensation of it remains, though. I flexed my fingers, barely recalling the recent memories. Only a vague outline of them remained, blurry like an afterimage. It felt like I was acting ording to some sort of a n, but At that moment, even as I moved my body, everything felt Numb. I instantly understood why Eleanor, when she was influenced by the Devils Fragments in the game and her personality waspletely altered,mitted such dreadful acts without blinking an eye. How should I put it? It was like watching myself from a third persons perspective. A chilling sensation, as if I was controlling a game character. If possible, I didnt want to experience it again. I let out a bitter smile. Well, that wouldnt happen. Id definitely end up using it often in the future. Considering what I had been through so far, I couldnt even keep track of the near-death experiences I had gone through. And those numbers would only going to increase from now on. As I stood up, sighing, with that thought Tatianas corpse caught on my foot. The corpse created by my very hands. Though I wasnt fully conscious due to the mutation whilemitting the act, I could still feel the sensation clearly in my hands. I held my trembling left hand and took deep breaths. A natural reaction to extreme stress. In the case of Marquis Riverback, it didnt feel like killing a person. I just detonated a divine power bomb and watched him turn to ash. This was the first time I had killed someone in such a way that made me truly feel like a murderer. At least that was the case As Dowd Campbell. How fucking ridiculous of me. I sighed and calmed my hands. It wasughable to be mentally shaken by something like this now. In the first ce, this person deserved death anyway. As I was thinking about this System Log [ Due to the acquistiion of status, Skill: Soul Devouring is acquired! ] Such a window appeared before my eyes. I blinked in a daze and looked at it. The fuck was this? [ Skill Info ] Skill: Soul Devouring Grade: A Description: Collects the souls of those whose lives you have directly ended. Can be processed in various ways. System Message [ Skill: Soul Devouring is used! ] [ The soul of Tatiana Grachel has been absorbed! ] [ Soul Linker allows you to check the status of the target! ] What? I looked at the amulet on my wrist incredulously. As I did so, a small window popped up above the amulet. [ Current Collected Souls List ] [ Tatiana Grachel ] [ Specialty: Curse ] [ Form: Soul ] [ Processing Options ] Subordinate as a familiar Use as an enhancement material for an item Resummon in full form (Bes annihted after one use) This Wasnt too bad. First, the options were broad. I had to start carefully weighing which options were the most effective, but fortunately, none of them seemed useless. And more importantly What I needed to check right now was Caliban. This person. Honestly, I couldnt predict how he would react after seeing the shit that I just turned into. Id rather not have a falling out with someone who could see right into my head. [] Inside Soul Linker, only deep silence returned. As I swallowed dryly, waiting for a response [Wow, you survived this time too.] A nonchnt voice returned. [How did you even survive all that? Youre too much. Its so admirable that its annoying.] How should I put it His response was more tame than I expected. [Well, I mean. Wasnt that the only thing you could use in that situation? I have no intention of criticizing your means.] No, but There was no way a Guardian, who died fighting a Devil, would show a good reaction to a human that transformed into something Devil-like, right? That was what I thought. [But youre a bit Different, arent you?] Excuse me? [I roughly get what youre trying to justify. Just like you said, I understand immediately since I have actually fought a Devil myself.] Caliban answered with a slight chuckle. [Thats not a Devil, but something else, isnt it?] [Its just simr in form and optimized to ept a Devils aura, right? The feeling is a bit different.] I could only blink, dumbfounded. An incredibly urate observation. In the first ce, A Devil was a being that could not be artificially created, no matter how much one tried. And if I had really transformed into such a thing System Log [ All the Demonic Aura stored in the Fallens Seal is consumed. ] [ You must interact sufficiently with a Devil and umte enough Demonic Aura for Mutation to be possible! ] [ The third evolution of the Fallens Seal urs once enough Mutations have umted! ] [ Number of Mutations Used: 1/4 ] There was no way something like this would pop up. If I was a Vessel harboring a Devils Fragment, there would be no need for the aura of a different Devil to mutate into such a form. [Thats right. So, forget about the excuses and justifications. After all, I think I roughly understand what you want to do with it.] Calibans voice continued. [You. Youre scheming something for thosedies possessed by Devils, arent you?] I just scratched my head without saying a word. He wasnt wrong. After all, Devils were beings assigned as the Final Bosses in the game. So For humans harboring such entities to reach a Happy Ending I, too, needed to prescribe some deadly poison as medicine. To be more specific Even if it was just because of that ominous bitch wearing a mask, it was even more needed. Because of her, the entire scenario was heading in an unpredictable direction, like a train derailed from its tracks. [Thats what worries me.] This answer trickled out. Contrary to before, it was a bit more serious. [Such a convenient story cant exist without any sacrifice, right?] [Whats the price youre paying? Theres no way there isnt one.] Of course, there was. But, that was a problem forter. It wasnt like there were no solutions at all. And more importantly Eleanor. I needed to take care of this person first. As the Cursed Spear embedded in the wall disappeared, I cautiously approached Eleanor, who was lying on the ground. It seemed like the effects of the sealed Fragment were gradually reappearing due to the influence of the Cursed Speech, as wounds on her body were rapidly regenerating. Eleanor, are you okay? As I spoke, Eleanor slowly lifted her head to look at me. Unlike her usual emotionless demeanor, her current mood seemed to be filled with gloominess. System Message [ Target Eleanor is feeling an extreme sense of powerlessness. ] [ Target Eleanor makes an important decision. ] [ A Special Event between target Eleanor and target Gideon urs! ] Eh? What? Gideon? ? No like, the fuck was up with powerlessness? What the hell was the important decision? And what in the ever living fuck was this Special Event? It was a message I would never have imagined seeing in this situation. I am fine. Eleanor answered weakly and struggled to get up. As I reached out my hand to help her Eleanor cautiously pushed my hand away. Eleanor? As I spoke in a questioning manner, Eleanor bit her lip briefly. Then, a low, subdued voice trickled out. I dont deserve to receive something like this. What? What is that supposed to- Could you let me be alone, just for a moment? Please, Dowd. Just for a little while. I just need some time to sort out my thoughts. With that, she walked down the hallway with slumped shoulders as I watched her back in bewilderment. [Leave her be.] Such a voice came from within Soul Linker. What? [No matter what you say now, it probably wont change her reaction, so you dont need to reassure her. I understand how she feels, you see. One things for sure though; It wont harm you or affect you negativelyter on.] Caliban chuckled and continued. [Dowd. I mean this with all my heart when I say this, but] Yes. [Go to hell.] What is with you all of a sudden? [Just because. Im sickened by how you have such a devoteddy clinging onto you.] What is bro yapping about? Youre spouting shit that only you can understand. Hey! Are you alright?! As I looked at Soul Linker incredulously, I heard a voice from behind me. It was Hatan, who detected the shitfest that was happening and came running alone. Whatisall this? And then As he scanned the scene, he immediately swallowed his words at the disaster. It was to the point where, upon seeing Tatianas body, he lost his ability to speak and just stared at me nkly. There seems to be a lot to hear from you. Hatan spoke while looking like a headache was creeping up on him. Of course, I agreed with him. Although it seemed a bit off-topic Strictly speaking I did save the Forge of Struggle at least two or three times. Excuse me, War Chief Hatan. What is it? Uh, you see, its just a reminder, but As such, it was not simply about hearing my situation. Get ready to be absolutely stripped of all your money. Hand over my reward. Every single bit of the good stuff.
When Riru Garda regained consciousness, the sun had already almost finished setting. ! As she abruptly sat up and looked around, she found herself in the infirmary of the Forge of Struggle. It seemed like someone had brought her here after she lost consciousness on top of the sea. Herst memory was of being held in the arms of Dowd Campbell, her strength fading until her eyes closed. He had held her tightly until then. Almost like a lover. Recalling this, Rirus face turned bright red. But soon after, she quickly shook her head, realizing now as not the time for such thoughts. Theres a lot I need to find out. First, she needed to check what happened after she fell unconscious. With that thought, Riru, who tried to get off the bed, suddenly groaned from the pain engulfing her entire body. Her head hurts. The pain was sharp and piercing throughout her body, but the headache almost felt as if it was splitting her head apart. [Are you awake?] Moreover, bizarrely, she was even hearing a voice in her head. It was as if it wasnting from someone next to her but echoing from inside her ears. [That isnt because of the headache, though.] Riru blinked, feeling like the voice was reading her mind. [We talked once before, Riru. Didnt I say wed meet again soon?] With those words A translucent figure, identical to Riru herself, appeared before her eyes. There was no other way to describe it. After all, it was unmistakably Rirus own figure. Though for some reason, she was not wearing a single thread of clothing. [Mmm Indeed, it really does work. This is quite shocking.] [Even considering that Im the weakest among my sisters, to think thatmunication is possible even without gathering two Fragments.] As she stood agape at this sight, the naked, translucent Riru floated in the air, giggling. [Well, so the reason Ive revealed myself like this is because theres something we need to Receive from Dowd Campbell, you see] And to the speechless Riru, she continued talking. With a voice dripping with arousal and seductive allure. [Riru. Shall we go do something nice together?] Riru had no idea what that nice thing could be, but Without a doubt It was definitely not about doing something healthy and progressive together.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 125: Promises Should Be Kept (2) Chapter 125: Promises Should Be Kept (2) Promises Should Be Kept (2) Kasa Garda let out a burst ofughter as she looked at the namete resting on her hand. It was an item Dowd Campbell, who had appeared out of nowhere, tossed to her. And it was definitely something that shouldnt be handled so lightly. After all, it was the equivalent of the Imperial Seal of the Empire. The symbol of the Chieftain. Up until now, it had always been in ns possession. How did you even obtain this? Kasa asked in a dazed voice, addressing Dowd, who nonchntly handed it to her without any exnation. Well, the situations chaotic right now. The Chieftain is dead, the entire alliance is in disarray, and Im the one who cleaned up the whole mess. With a little negotiation with the War Chiefs, it wasnt hard to take this little thing away from them. His words did make sense. For the Tribal Alliance, having their Chieftain manipted to such an extent by someone was definitely a shameful event. In fact, the War Chief Assembly was currently in a state of unprecedented chaos. But still This thing wasnt such an easy thing to obtain. To rify, it was true that the position of a Chieftain didnt hold the same dignity and power as the Empress of the Empire or the Pope of the Holy Land. After all, it was a position that could be challenged anytime; Kasas downfall against n was proof of this. It was determined by who was the strongest among the War Chiefs rather than someone who fundamentally ruled over the Tribal Alliance. However, even so It was still a role representing one of the three Superpowers. It was not a position where the decision-making power could be casually handed over to an outsider. So, as Kasa posed her query filled with such doubts She was met with another ridiculous response. Nah, its just Casually blurted out by the man in front of her. I told them to fight me if they have a problem with it. I said, since the position is determined by that kind of outdated method, why do they even make such a fuss? Im still asking nicely, why cant you just hand it over? Yeah, something along those lines. And that answer made Kasa burst out inughter. Well, that makes sense. After all, Kasa had heard about how Dowd had broadcasted his fight against the Ancient Gods live to the War Chiefs and also repelled unidentified who attacked the ce where Lady Tristan was staying. In the first ce, they also knew who taught me the Law Technique I used to defeat the Ancient Gods. So, they didnt treat me as an outsider, but a direct disciple of yours. This response was also another one worthy of her chuckle. While his skills wereden with all sorts of tricks, deceit, and swindling, he had proven himself sufficiently. As for authority, it seemed he had leveraged her name to settle matters. Then, at this point, there was something she absolutely had to ask. What are you scheming? Excuse me? With achievements and authority that could potentially secure the highest power in a Superpower, you could have obtained anything you wanted. But this man Acquired such a position and handed it over to her, not even bothering to im it for himself. Which means, you have an entirely different desire. There are various answers to that, but if youre looking for the most rtable one to you, its because it will make Riru happy. That child? Honestly, its too early to use such a reason just for the mere position of Chieftain. This is just the beginning, after all. Dowd awkwardly scratched his head as he spoke. Youve seen what your granddaughter is harboring, havent you? Kasa slowly nodded. She had clearly seen with her own two eyes the aura emitted by Riru. And it was hard to deny what it was. Devils are themon enemy of the entire continent. While some covet their power, fundamentally, they are considered beings that must be exterminated for the sake of humanity. Dowd spoke in a serene voice. Then With a sigh, he dropped a bomb. To fundamentally rip apart and fix that perception, I have no choice but to spread my influence starting from the top echelons of the continent. Kasas eyes widened. In other words What this man was saying was that Are you saying that Devils are not enemies of humanity? Yes. However Dowd answered as curtly as he always did. They are not enemies. And I will prove that. It was a statement filled with omissions. Why were they not enemies? How did he n to prove it? The position of Chieftain is just the start. The Imperial Court of the Empire, the Church Headquarters of the Holy Land I have to make all of them owe me a debt. At least to the point where they willply with my requests without question. It was an absurd im with unbelievable motives; A n only a lunatic coulde up with. However When he spoke about why he was doing it His voice was filled with conviction and certainty. Including Riru, to make all the people who harbor such things happy, that is the only way. Kasa let out augh of disbelief. In other words You might end up turning all of humanity against you, Child. Deep-seated hatred isnt something that could be changed easily. Youre saying youre willing to fight against all of humanity for the sake of your women. Do you understand that? Im just trying to reveal the truth. Kasa burst intoughter once again. This bastard He was a fool. He was an idiot. He was a stubborn, headstrong, and self-righteous maverick who had lost his mind. What a crazy idea, Child. However Kasa had a fondness for such people. No matter what, push through to the end. Include me in it too. And Since her granddaughter was also involved There was no reason to refuse. This is why I like you, Kasa. At Dowds words, Kasa grinned mischievously. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she asked another question. But why did those bastards attack Lady Tristan? Excuse me? Its strange. Kasa began filling her pipe with fresh tobo. Its almost as if summoning three Ancient Gods was just a deception. And you are aware of that too, arent you? It was something she could say, having directly witnessed the fight against the Ancient Gods and what Dowd did afterward. This man never seemed to be sincerely invested in them from the start. As if He already knew that something else wasing after. Such a demeanor that indicated he was obviously aware gave her no choice but to ask this question. Do you know them? Dowd gave a bitter smile. I dont know them. Really? Not yet at least. It was a strange answer. As if, though he did not know now, he would eventually know who it was in the future. Kasa pondered the meaning of his words for a moment. So you have a clear idea of who to suspect, huh? It was probably an answer that he could not give unless he had a clear list of suspects in mind. To her question, Dowd remained silent for a long time. As if recalling such a fact was a wound in itself. Well, anyway. Then he forcibly steered the conversation elsewhere. Anyone could see that he was intentionally changing the subject, but Kasa did not press further. After all, everyone had things they wanted to keep hidden. The matter is all settled, Kasa. Would you stay at the Forge of Struggle for the time being? Ill contact you when needed. Ah, thats fine, but As Dowd turned to leave the room, Kasa called out to him. That child, Iliya. Could you send her to me before she leaves the Forge of Struggle? ? I can do that, but why do you ask? Theres something I want to teach her. To Kasa, Iliya seemed like a raw gem right at her turning point. She was on the brink of discovering a very special ability. Speaking of Devils Kasa continued with a sly smile. That girl can y a very special role for you, whos suffering in the middle of that mess. You can trust me on that. A special role? Indeed. Kasas voice was filled with such confidence that even Dowd seemed taken aback. If Im right, that girl will have a very strongpetitive edge even among the women who are trying to devour you. Youll have a really tough time deciding who to wee firs Im leaving. Dowd quickly left Kasas room. As if it was a topic he desperately wanted to escape from.
System Message [ Main Quest Completed! ] [ Rewards are being distributed! ] [ Special Interaction with the Tribal Alliance has been added! ] [ You can request Special Support from the target once! ] [ Special Support allows near unlimited requests in any field and subject. Use it wisely as it can have enormous repercussions! ] Sure. That was nice and all. I scanned the window that appeared before my eyes with a sigh. But somehow, it felt a bitckluster. Usually,pleting Main Quests brought substantial rewards, but despite the all-time suffering I went through this time, the reward seemed the most unremarkable. It would be disappointing if this was all. System Message [ wless Clear! ] [ The Forge of Struggle has suffered no damage and there are no unnecessary casualties! ] [ Additional rewards that will be helpful in the next chapter will be provided! ] Oooh. There it was! A smile involuntarily appeared on my face as I saw the window. Yes, yes. Being too stingy isnt the way to live. When its time to cook and give, you should give generousl- System Message [ Target Seras Evatrice begins to take interest in you earlier than expected! ] [ The target will soon arrive at Elfante Imperial Academy! ] What the fuck? What were you cooking?! I knew of Seras. She was the master of the Oath of the Crescent Moon, a covert organization under the Holy Lands Pope. And Was highly likely, a Devils Vessel. Unlike other Devils whose roles were randomly assigned in each chapter, Seras was a predetermined entity, akin to Faenol and Eleanor. She was the one who harbored the Purple Devils Fragment. Though I may not have met her in person, there had been a few interactions before. In the first ce System Log [ Checking the current conditions of the target Seras. ] [ Your overall demeanor matches Serass ideal type perfectly! ] [ If she meets you in person, the probability of her falling in love at first sight is extremely high! ] [ Skill: Fatal Charm preemptively activated! ] Wasnt she someone that had something like this show up way in advance? If she joined in this situation, it was like adding a bomb when I was already walking a tightrope among Devils. And the timing wasnt even good either. You see, I somehow cleared this chapter while walking on a tightrope through disgusting shitfest around me. And this was the result. System Log [ Target Yuria feels severe despair! ] [ Target Lucia feels severe guilt! ] [ Target Eleanor feels severe powerlessness! ] [ Target Faenol seems to want to ask you a favor! ] [ Find a way tofort them! ] I felt cold sweat breaking out because of this sense of crisis. This was strange. I thought I did a pretty good job when it came to walking on the tightrope, so why was everyone in this state? And what the fuck was up with thest one? How the fuck was I supposed to fix this? Someone please save me You are here. I was at a loss for what to do in the face of the system window that made me dizzy just at the sight of it. But then The voice I least wanted to hear right now came from behind. Turning around stiffly like an unoiled machine, I faced the person who uttered those words. Riru? Are you healthy now? Im healthy. An awkward silence followed. At a nce, she seemed no different than usual But when I observed her closely Something was a bit Off. She was someone who usually dressed neatly, albeit inly, but now her clothes were a mess. Due to it being disheveled here and there, more of her firm bare skin was shown than usual. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but her face also seemed flushed. For some unknown reason, she was sweating all over. She definitely didnt look normal. It felt like she had been forced into this state by something. [Oooh damn, shes here. You agreed to be under her mercy for a day, right?] [Thats why you shouldnt make promises so lightly.] Why do you sound so happy? [Promises should be kept. Good luck. You got this, Dowd Campbell.] Shut up. You! You, just shut the fuck up! You dont look so good. Maybe you should rest mo When I blurted out in haste Hey. Riru cut off my words. She trudged towards me. As she got closer, the strangeness became more apparent, Her breath carried a mix of heated sighs and sweetness. The corner of her eyes were slightly drooped. Her gaze dripped with honey, as she firmly grabbed my cor. There was a great sense of urgency in her actions. Inwardly, I was sweating bullets as I watched her. Im free today. And no ones in the room Im staying at. Chills ran down my spine. Do you want toe over and eat something? Uh, Riru. Come and eat. No, like Were you really going to invite me to eat? You sure you werent going to eat me instead?
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 126: Promises Should Be Kept (3) Chapter 126: Promises Should Be Kept (3) Promises Should Be Kept (3) You saidif I bring himto the roomyoull release this state. Riru murmured such words. She was clearly aware that her current state was not normal. Her breaths were irregr. Not only that, her body felt like it was on fire, burning through her veins. And, above all If she was in a normal state, she wouldnt be doing such things. Butwhat is thisall about?! To others, it might look like she was yelling into thin air, but the reality was that she was stuck in a precarious situation. Yes. Right after she dragged Dowd into her room, following the instructions of someone who put her in this state Her body, out of her own control, immediately struck Dowd Campbell hard on the back of his head. And there was only one being present that could do such a thing. [Oh my, but I couldnt have moved your body to hit him, could I?] Rirus floating Spirit or something simr giggled as she spoke. [Although this man usually seems weak, he bes incredibly strong in moments of danger. I had no choice but to hit him in a surprise attack.] It was as if she knew Dowd Campbell very well. Even in her abnormal state of body and mind, anger surged through her vividly. Who the fuck did she think she was? A ghost or spirit or whatever, dared to act as if she knew this man better than she did? At the very least, to this man, she Um H-He said hed take me as a c-concubine! Although even she herself found it slightly pathetic to think about, that was the highest level of affection this man showed her. Thinking about it made her feel dejected, prompting the floating spirit to giggle. [Of course. Its already a given that you will enter into such a rtionship with Dear Husband.] Followed by those giggles, such outrageous words came out of her mouth. Dear Husband? As Riru blinked in shock, another sentence mixed withughter followed. [Dear Husband, Riru. Mine and yours. Our Dear Husband.] All Riru could do was gape. W-What are you saying all of a sudden? [Even though that fact is already decided, if you wish to take a more advantageous position, you have to do things like this.] Completely ignoring her question, the spirit approached the fallen Dowd. And then, cing her hand on his chest, the Seal engraved there began to resonate with a blue light through the clothes. [Hoit.] Following that Dowd abruptly sprang up. He seemed to be controlled by the spirit through that Seal. And as he got up, he immediately rushed towards Riru. KYAKKK! She involuntarily let out a scream the moment she felt his body touch hers. To think that she, who had trained relentlessly every day in the Tribal Alliance to be just a bit stronger, would let out such a silly scream. Even after considering she wasnt in her normal state, it was undoubtedly humiliating. As she looked up while feeling a sense of self-loathing She saw that Dowd Campbell had pinned her down on the bed. Both his hands were holding each of hers down firmly. His hands wererge and warm. And she could feel his pulse. Maybe this could actually feel quite goo W-What am I thinking! Riru bit her lips hard to regain her senses. Wake up! Get your shit together! Right now, both she and this man were being manipted by the strange spirit floating around. They needed to regain their senses and act properly! She should first start by giving a sharp warning to this man. Thinking so, Riru opened her mouth to speak to Dowd. Or at least that was her n If her vision wasnt filled with Dowds entire face, robbing her of the chance to speak. The man was. Quietly looking down at her. Yet Just that alone put her at a loss for what to do. Riru opened her eyes wide and pursed her lips as she looked up at Dowd, who was on top of her. She couldnt even meet his gaze. Her heart was pounding. Her breathing was shallow. Her lips were dry. Her body, already hot from before, heated up even further as she became fully aware of this mans appearance. H-Hey W-Wake up Her voice was frail. It didnt even sound like it was her own. And it turned much more frail due to his next action. Hic! Riru let out such a moan. A reflexive sound that trickled out as soon as she felt Dowds lips on her neck. It felt like her brain was going to explode from the overload. The stimulus was far too strong. She felt as if stars were twinkling in front of her eyes. [You seem to be enjoying it, Riru?] And in that situation, a light-hearted voice filled withughter spoke again. [How is it, being so close to Dear Husband? Is it like what you imagined?] W-Whoimagined something like th- [You did.] The voice sounded so confident that it stunned her. [Ever since you started being aware of him, youve been fantasizing almost every day. On the outside, you maintain a stern and fierce expression, but inside, youre filled with fantasies of a teenage girl going through puberty.] [It really is fascinating. Who would think that someone who tries so hard to appear like a warrior on the outside is actually a virgin with no experience with men, having such pitiful daydreams?] N-NoW-Whoare you saying did such a thin [Sometimes you even fantasize about holding hands and giggling on a date with Dear Husband.] [And in other times, if Dear Husband gets something in his mouth while eating, you imagine yourself saying, Really, what would you do without me? and wiping it off for him.] Ah, n-no. [And if your bodies touched by chance, you fiddled with the ce of contact before falling asleep, giggling and recalling that sensatio-] AH, AHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHHHH-! She couldnt help but scream. Not only was it partly because of Dowd holding her waist tightly after tracing her neck with his tongue, but also because the mental damage she was currently receiving was too overwhelming. [Am I wrong?] The floating spirit chuckled at her reaction. [Since Im not, shouldnt you be thanking me? Im making what you only dreamed or imaginede true.] Riru chewed on her lips for a while before barely uttering her words. This guywould never do this kind of thing. Despite being incredibly sharp in some aspects and disgustingly oblivious in others Despite being seemingly smart but also clumsy in strange ways She vividly remembered his tight hug, and the repeated apologiesing out of his mouth not long ago. This man Would never do this without her consent. At the very least, such trust was firmly rooted in her heart. [Yes, of course. Mr. Dowd would never do such a thing to people around him. He would rather die.] The spirit responded in the same even tone after hearing her words. [But] The voice was stillced withughter. [Do you hate the fact that hes doing all this to you right now?] Feeling Dowds hand on her thigh, Rirus entire body flinched, but she still managed to utter some words. I dont like it. [Really?] At that moment, Dowd whispered something in her ear. I love you. ! Stars appeared before her eyes once again. Her head was spinning. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst. She clenched her teeth and let out a deep breath. Just hearing that one sentence was almost enough to make her lose consciousness because of the happiness flooding her mind. Ridiculous. Am I such an easy woman? [If you really dislike it, you can just throw this man off. I dont know, hit him or something.] Riru closed her eyes tightly. If she continued to meet Dowds eyes like this, she wouldnt be able to refute that statement. Y-Youmade my bodystrange. [Even so, you have the ability to at least break free. And you know that already too.] [Ive been in your head for quite a while now, Riru. Do you think I dont know what kind of thoughts youre usually having?] And then Something forcibly made her open her eyes. Following that, Dowds face, which hade right in front of her very nose, caught her gaze. At the same time His eyes, the very gaze she had been trying so hard to avoid, met hers. Her heart dropped with a thud. For a moment, Riru stopped breathing. A warm sensation spread in her lower belly. Huh? Was this man always, uh So cool? She wasnt sure if he seemed particrly more striking due to her current state, but She felt drawn in, as if getting lost in his eyes. It felt like she was being conquered just by looking at him. In the meantime, Dowd had loosened the front of the clothes she was wearing. Although it was a very deliberate act, Riru couldnt even think of resisting and just watched him doing his thing. Ah This Yeah She wanted to be conquered by this man. So much so that it didnt matter how it came to be. She felt like she wanted him too. It felt like she was falling into a trance. Yep. Ah. Yeah? Eh? Were these actually my thoughts? What am I even thinking right now? As such thoughts spun in her head Dowd, holding her nearly undone clothes, spoke. Riru. Ill take it off, Riru. No. As she groaned out those words, another provoking remark came from the side. [Isnt it a little too much to act so stubbornly after going this far? Dont you think its time for you to be honest with your] I said. I absolutely dont want it in this way-! With those words Riru threw a punch with all her might,nding it squarely on Dowds jaw. His body flew away, almost breaking the sound barrier, before crashing spectacrly and getting embedded into the wall. [Heh?] It was quite a sight to behold when the spirit, which had only been speaking in a rxed voice until now, sounded utterly dumbfounded.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 127: IF Side Story - A Midsummer Nights Dream Chapter 127: IF Side Story - A Midsummer Night''s Dream IF Side Story A Midsummer Nights Dream The chapter in question is an IF Side Story! It has nothing to do with the main story, dealing with content that asks, What if this happened?.
Sometimes, before falling asleep, ones mind could be flooded with all sorts of thoughts. The night Riru Garda went to bed was a prime example of this phenomenon. Hey. [What is it, Riru?] Riru stared silently at the look-alike spirit floating above her in the air. The way her lips twitched, it was clear she was hesitant to voice her thoughts. [Judging by your expression, are you thinking about Mr. Dowd?] [Seeing that youre too embarrassed to speak, I assume youre having an erotic fantasy.] This was how it always went when she talked to the spirit. She knew her way too well. Both in a good way and a bad way. Then again, that was why she could bring up such a topic in the first ce. Besides, the spirit probably already knew what she was thinking anyway. You know, back then, when I was with him A scene from a few days ago reyed in Rirus mind. The beautiful memories of being with him were- [Ah, the day Mr. Dowd was controlled by me and pinned you onto the bed?] Why do you have to put it that way? While she was ring at the spirit, it giggled and continued. [Why? Do you regret punching him in the jaw that day?] I dont regret it. She was sure that shed do the same thing if it happened again. It was just What if, back then Riru took a deep breath. If I hadnt fought back [Are you asking what would have happened?] Riru frowned silently. She turned her body, facing away from the spirit. Unfortunately, the spirit could move freely in the air and quickly floated in front of her. [Are you curious about that?] No. Riru turned her head away again. [Then why are you hesitating to talk after calling for me?] Shut up. Im going to sleep. [] Watching Riru close her eyes, the spirit let out a wicked smirk. [Fine.] Of course, Riru didnt notice it because her eyes were closed. [Goodnight, Riru.] And because of that Riru missed the spirit cing a hand on her head as it said those words.
It was a dream. She could tell that much. Otherwise, the sensation couldnt have been so perfectly recreated from that time. Riru. Ill take it off, Riru. Riru looked up nkly at the person in front of her. Ah, its Dowd. The man she liked. With a murky consciousness as if sunk deep in water, she barely managed to acknowledge this fact. Riru? Whats wrong? She stared dazedly at the man. This Is a dream. Considering his condition at that time, it was impossible for him to be speaking so naturally. Now, it almost felt like The real Dowd was holding her in his embrace. If its a dream It should be okay So Without even being aware of what she was saying Yeah. That was the reply that trickled out her mouth. Ill be gentle. Then Dowds hand slid inside her clothes. This is that, isnt it? Forey. Honestly, I dont really understand. She knew what it was because she was not entirely uneducated about sex. But she didnt know exactly what this action entails. Would it really make me feel good when someone else fondled my body? Riru was very certain of such doubts. Ah, heung, euhhh, S-Stoppp- At least she was certain Until thirty minutes ago, that was. W-Why are y-you so good at th- Hiic-! Her mortified voice could not finish that sentence as it was interrupted by a shrill moan. On the battlefield, especially for a vanguard bearing the greatest risk, body was the greatest asset. Therefore, if ones upation involved such risks, controlling ones body was as natural as breathing. To put it differently In the current situation, Riru was no different from aplete amateur. Ah Eung. Though she buried her face in the pillow she was clutching with both hands, her muffled moans continued to trickle out. Her shallow breaths were filled with pleasure, letting out tone that she had never let out in her lifetime. It was simr to the breaths she let out during intense exercise, but this was a state that had never been evoked by someone else. Her mouth was filled with the linen of the pillow she was biting. She vaguely aware that she was pointlessly breaking the pillow, but the sensation of Dowd slowly withdrawing his fingers after thrusting them at his leisure overwhelmed her brain. Some kind of liquid dripped down her entire legs, and that same fluid covered his fingers. Ah.Ahhh. Drool slightly trickled from her tightly closed mouth. She had never shown such a dazed appearance, but the pain she felt from suppressing her moans for so long overrode her embarrassment. Her eyes started to moisten, threatening to spill into tears. If there was a mirror in front of her, she would definitely be mortified to death. To think she was panting and letting out animal-like moans while entrusting her body to a man. But this was just a dream. She was only like this because it was just a dream. But the sensation flooding her body felt terrifyingly real. And as she writhed in pleasure Something caught her eye. For a moment, her brain seemed to short circuit. After all, it was an object that boasted such presence. Is this your first time seeing one? Dowd spoke with a wry smile, but Her gaze was solely fixed on his erect penis. Yeah. Without realizing it, Riru found her nodding without moving her gaze away. You seem ready enough, so Ill put it in. Dowd let out a chuckle before pressing his lower half tightly against her. W-Wait, hold on. I-Im not mentally prepared y- Riru. Y-Yeah? I love you. ! At the same time he uttered such words Ah- Haaah-! Rirus waist jerked violently. Dowd too, trembled as if his entire body received some shock. Not a surprising reaction since even Riru herself could feel her soft and sticky walls quivering beneath her folds. Her body temperature was higher than usual, but the heat radiating from her lower parts, and spread throughout her body felt especially distinct. Every thrust from Dowd made Rirus vaginal walls wriggle, as they softly enveloped his cock. It was a signal that she intensely felt every movement. Once again, he thrusted, forcing his hips forward, prompting a frail moan to escape her clenched mouth. She was A warrior of the Tribal Alliance. She was someone who always wanted to seem stern, rigid, and brutal, whether towards herself or others. But such a person Was now lying under Dowds body, her entire body twitching; Her face a mess with saliva and tears, as she bit her lips down, trying to suppress her moans. Euuhh, eugh Unable to hold back her moans any longer, Riru reached out to grab a pillow. She then put the pillow over her face and hugged it tightly with both arms. At this sight, Dowd almost let out all the air in his lungs. Riru, show me your face. No I want to see it. Upon hearing this, Riru hesitantly loosened her arms around the pillow. Then, Dowd gently lowered it, revealing only her eyes. Meeting her downcast, feverishly melted gaze, Dowd felt his climax, already at its limits, intensify. I Cant hold back Anymore, so He gasped as he continued. Show me Your face. I want to see it As Ie Saying this, he slightly lifted the pillow. This time, she did not resist. Hazy air was expelled from below and a boiling liquid rose up the urethra. Rirus legs tightly wrapped around his waist while her arms also pulled his neck towards her. It seemed like she was epting Dowd with her whole body. His upper body leaned over hers and as Rirus lips met Dowds, semen vigorously poured out from the tip of his manhood, which was touching her cervix. Ah, euh Euh. Even as their tongues intertwined stickily, Riru continued to let out shallow moans in a frail voice. Every time his cock pulsed and ejacted against her cervix, she could feel her womb contract. This man loved her. He wanted her. Such thoughts flitted through her blurred consciousness. That thought instantly became feedback and the satisfaction, happiness, bond, and ecstasy of all these feelingsbined surged through her entire body. Her womb, which had already been lowered as much as it could, gently enveloped his tip again. As if throwing a tantrum because it was still not enough, it further urged his ejaction. Dowd Dowd She called his name in an exhausted voice, continuing to kiss him. They exchanged saliva frantically, entwining, sucking, and licking each others tongues. She was so sensitive that it felt as if her entire body had be an erogenous zone. When he slightly slid down her waist, a tingling sensation like an electric shock flowed through her nerves. Did it feel good, Riru? Yeah, y-yeah, it was good, so goooood She spoke in anguid voice, practically dripping with sweetness. M-More. Do it a bit more. Just pour a little more into me- As she begged like this, she looked at Dowds penis as it emerged from her pussy. She wanted to bury her head into it and smell it. To taste it by frantically running her tongue all over it. She wished to please him by serving it. It felt like it would be satisfying to gently caress it, making him twitch with pleasure. She wanted him to cum on her. It was fine even if he treated her like an object, shoving his dick down her throat and letting semen pour inside. Having it sprayed on her face was appealing too since she would feel marked as his possession. Anything and everything was fine, so please, please, just give it to me She pleaded in a yearning voice, but That might be difficult. He answered with a wryugh. W-Whyyy-? I-I feel this good, though. And I-Im waiting like this- So hurry- Riru. Dowd spoke while stroking her head. Its morning now. And the dream Ended there.
It was morning. She could hear the birds chirping. But for some reason, her body felt heavy and sluggish. How to put it? It felt like she had a really pleasurable, ufortable, and strange dream. As she thought so, Riru tried to get up. At least she would have if it hadnt been for the squelching sound from her lower body. Riru looked down at the bed with a stiff expression. A bad premonition crept up. What. And then Her face turnedpletely red as she slightly lifted the nket. It was wet. Everything. Even the sheets. It was all too clear what the fluid that drenched it was. Following that W-What is this-?! A scream that could practically break dawn itself to cause daybreak burst out in her room. [] And The Blue Devil attached to the ceiling watched her appearance, giggling. [Did you enjoy it, Riru? Well, you know. Since you were so curiousst night.] [How did you like the version of Mr. Dowd I created to be your ideal type? It seemed like you liked it.] You, youUUU- [Lets see. Surely, the fact that you said, M-More. Do it a bit more. Just pour a little more into me is-] SHUT UPPPP!
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 128: Promises Should Be Kept (4) Chapter 128: Promises Should Be Kept (4) Promises Should Be Kept (4) As dust rose from the wall where Dowd was hurled at, Riru gasped for breath and lifted herself up. [Its my first time seeing someone throw away a meal given on a silver tter so spectacrly.] Such words trickled out from nearby, but Riru just red in that direction with tearful eyes. No matter how I think about it, this isnt right! At the very least Neither I nor that man should have our first experience in such a manner. This is no different than crime! [This is what I was talking about. You cant keep acting this soft.] The spirit uttered such words. Until just now, she had been speaking in a disinterested tone, regardless of the words that came out of her mouth, but this time There was an unusual chill imbued in her voice. [Its because youre this soft that things always get taken from you.] What? [Can I be frank with you?] The spirit turned smoothly towards her. Her expression still seemednguid, with her drooping eyes unchanging, but The carefree smile that was there before was now gone. [Tell me. Do you think you can surpass all the other women around him?] A few images came to Rirus mind. There were definitely women who knew this man earlier and better than she did. Some of them acted even more aggressively than her so that they could monopolize him to themselves. [Those women wouldnt be the end of it. More of them will crowd around Dear Husband in the future too. Do you understand now?] [Not only that you have zero experience with men, you also dont know how to socialize or dress up. You dont even know what kind of thing this man likes. Now, do you really think someone like you canpete with those women?] However So? Riru, her eyes wide open with pride, began to speak in a resolute voice. What of it? [] Taken aback by her bold words, the spirit widened its eyes. I dont care about those women. Indeed, as this spirit said It didnt seem like she could squeeze next to this man andpete on equal terms with the women around him. She might fall behind. She might have to painfully watch other women advance ahead of her after a crushing defeat. But still At the very least, he had never backstabbed me or betrayed my trust. Thats why, I shouldnt do so either. She didnt want to do something against his will in such an unfair manner. Even if she did, she wanted it to be done in her way; fair and square. To obtain his true feelings She would not resort to such trickery! [] Hearing those words. The spirit chuckled and casted its gaze down at her. [Uh-huh. As expected, its no use. I only wanted to see if things would proceed differently in this branching route, but youre always so stubborn whether its now orter] ? What are you talking about? When Riru posed such a question to the spirit, thetter smiled at her before replying. [Well, most of us are like that But my time axis in particr, is twisted I know youll be this stubborn until the day you die] Can you see the future or something? [Rather than see, its more like Ive already experienced it Or something like that Even among the many branches, there are certain things that will never change. One of them is that youll never get intimate with Dear Husband until a certain point.] For Riru, the answer that came out of the spirits mouth was something beyond herprehension. Though, she managed to catch one thing. Get intimate? [Yes.] What does that [Youll sleep with him. In the future, youll even bear his child No, children. Lots of them.] Hearing that answer, Rirus face immediately turned red as if she was about to explode. Y-Youre telling me I-Ill D-Do such things L-Later? [In fact, youll do it a lot.] [Even when Dear Husband asks if he has to do it today because hes physically exhausted, you beg him for one more child and forcibly drag him to the bathroom. It happens frequently.] D-D-Dont m-make m-meD-Dont m-make meugh. Y-You.Y-Youre just making things up, arent you?! [Hm. Look at you suspecting the validity of my ims before anything else. Typical responseing from a virgin who has never even held a mans hand.] Riru froze, as the spirit hit her where it hurt. S-Shut up! As she retorted, Rirus eyes began to swirl. She was embarrassed. Her face was burning, to the point that tears starteding out of her eyes. [This is also the case during the first time you two sleep together. Youll bluff about having a wealth of experience out of pride, but once you are stuck with him, you cant even resist when Dear Husband pinned you down.] E-Eee- [Even though he only calls you cute, your heart will start to race and youll begin endlessly beg him to hold you tight] S-Shut UP! SHUT UPPPPP-! Because of the relentless, unfiltered mental assault, Riru let out a scream. At this, the spirit chuckled and floated around her. [Still, Im being sincere when I said that Im doing this for your sake. I genuinely hope you wont regret anything.] Riru looked at the spirit with incredulous eyes. In what way was it for her sake to do something like this? What regret could possibly arise for her to receive this kind of help? [That regret wille.] However The voice that followed carried a conviction simr to Rirus earlier resolve. [You wille to regret it. Incredibly so. Over the fact that you failed to create deeper and happier memories with Dear Husband.] Regret. When the spirit said that word It was coated with pain. Like freshly healed wounds being torn apart, before getting sprinkled with salt. Overwhelmed by the depth of emotion in the voice, Riru unknowingly fell silent. [But still, theres another opportunity.] As it said so, the spirits face lit up with another grin. While speaking, the spirit floated up to Rirus face. It didnt have a physical form, but it still yfully tapped her nose. [In three months, Riru. Thats when your time to shine wille.] Shine? [Yes. A chance to shine so brightly that youll deeply embed yourself in his heart.] Why cant you tell me about it in more detail? [Because thats against the rules. Scary guys wille after me if I do that.] ? [I can fend off most of them, but I still need to abide by some rules.] The spirit said this with a bitter smile before letting out another chuckle. [I can at least give you one piece of advice, though.] What is it. [Do you know someone named Iliya Krisanax?] Well, yeah I know her. Ive seen her a few times before. Isnt she the Hero Candidate? Why did her namee up so suddenly, though? [Get along with her. As much as possible.] What? Why? [Becauseter, youll need each others help. Thats the only way to lessen the pain when the white one tantly causes trouble.] Cant you make it a bit more understandable? [I can only tell you that for now. Its getting harder to maintain this form. You know, its the same feeling as when you use up your weekly allowance] True to its words, the spirits form was bing blurrier. It was as if maintaining her appearance any further was a burden of itself. [Ill check up on you soon. Until then, try to follow what Ive said.] Tch. Do you think Id just believe everything you say? I dont even know what exactly you are [You said all that, but youll still follow my words faithfully. Thats just the kind of person you are.] Youve been teasing me since earlier Riru said, pouting her lips. Seeing this, the spirit let out a grin and nodded. It seemed like it had no intention of denying her words. [Anyway, remember, itll happen in three months. For everyone, itll be a big crisis, but it could turn into a big opportunity for you.] But still, at the very least, in the moment when she said such words [Dont fail, okay?] Her voice was warm, as ifing from an older sister.
Fuck, my jaw hurts The back of my head too I nced sideways before opening my mouth. Excuse me, Riru. What? Yesterday What happened? Riru, who had been walking irritably beside me, red at me with a red face. Dont ask me. No, but still Cant I at least ask why I suddenly lost consciousness and when I came to, my jaw was almost split in Shut up. Yes maam. Judging by her reaction, further questioning would only damage my jaw even further, so I stayed silent. Anyway,e back after you finish taking care of everything. I sighed as I spoke such words to Riru. Despite the shitfest that happened, the Exchange Student Program to the Forge of Struggle would end as of today. After all, today would be the end of the term. Next time,e to Elfante proudly, not through illegal entry. The return of Kasa as the Chieftain caused a huge aftermath and administrative turmoil. I heard this person had to stay by her side to help with the cleanup. It wouldnt take long, until then, we wouldnt see each other again. Wait for me. Riru awkwardly scratched her head as she responded. Since Ill bring you a gift Or something Oooh. Can I look forward to it? At that, Riru closed her mouth and silently red at me. Her face turned red again. Riru? What kind of gift is it that makes you act like that? No, seriously, why are you like this? Youre making me anxious. Its nothing. After saying that, Riru turned around and ran towards the Forge of Struggle. Acting as if she couldnt handle it if she were to speak any further. ? What was wrong with her? I had my suspicions, but there was no point in asking her since it didnt seem like shed answer it. With that in mind, I boarded the train. Though the ce was noisy, the atmosphere was so peaceful that it was hard to believe that just a few days ago, the whole academy was under attack by terrifying Demonic Creatures. [You can be proud, you brat. They can live so peacefully because of your hard work.] Whats with the sudden lip service? I chuckled at Calibans words and went to my assignedpartments. Sitting alone in the peaceful trainpartment, I stared nkly out the window. Hm. How long has it been since I had a moment to myself like this? System Log [ Target Yuria feels severe despair! ] [ Target Lucia feels severe guilt! ] [ Target Eleanor feels severe powerlessness! ] [ Target Faenol seems to want to ask you a favor! ] [ Find a way tofort them! ] Of course, it was probably only because the ones that would have swarmed me if I was alone were all in this state. But still, I needed tofort all of them. Recently, I tried reaching out to them, but they would all just run away at the sight of me, so I couldnt even seed a single time. Apparently, the feeling of guilt they had just by facing me was far too strong. Seeing as how these people, who would normally cling onto me, were now avoiding me, it meant they were beyond disheartened. Where should I even start? I pondered as such, scratching my head. Still, I should slowly talk to them one by one. With that thought, I let out a sigh. I could still talk to them, after all. I only needed to find the right timing to approach them. Ah, there you are. Well, except for this one. As she barged in without invitation, I met her gaze with narrowed eyes. Hello. Faenol. Faenol Lipek. A mage with ming red hair from the Heretic Inquisition. Hello, Dowd Campbell. I have a favor to ask. A simple greeting, followed by her mentioning the purpose of her being here. Then, she let out a grin. Do you remember what I said before? About how I wanted you to seduce me. I do recall that. Yes. Its about that. Then She suddenly dropped a bombshell out of nowhere. Actually, I didnt mention it before, butTheres a time limit on that. What? You need to seduce me within a month. System Message [ New Quest rted to Chapter 4 Crimson Night is updated! ] [ Increase the favorability level of target Faenol to Love Level 1 within a month! ] [ Failure will result in a Game Over! ] A month? Because of the sudden time constraint, I had no choice but to blink in disbelief. No, wait a minute. Wasnt there System Log [ Skill: Fatal Charm cannot be applied to target Faenol! ] Something like this for her? This meant I had to do it Without any assistance from my skills To seduce this woman to the point where she was as smitten to me as Eleanor was. You need to make my heart race uncontrobly just at the sight of you. Or else Or else? Faenol replied with a smile. Who knows? Yet the following words were anything but fitting to such an expression. Maybe something terrible will happen? She said. A Vessel, holding three Red Devils Fragments, spoke as such. This was someone who had a 100% Devil Fusion Rate, someone who was capable of bringing out the true form of the Red Devil if she were to go berserk. Though I wasnt sure what her words entailed, if she herself put it as such, there was no way the situation would be manageable even for me. You promised, no? Then you should keep your promise. Yeah. Promises should be kept. I wrapped my hands around my head at the impending headache. What else did I expect from my circumstances? So far, my path has been a series of uphills battles. How could I, of all people, expect some peaceful times after just one incident?
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 129: Nice To Meet You (1) Chapter 129: Nice To Meet You (1) Nice To Meet You (1) Seras Evatrice was an adjutant working directly under the pope, the leader of one of the most famous covert organizations in the continent, Oath of the Crescent Moon, and an assassin so ruthless that some of the people in the underworld would piss in their pants the moment they heard her name. Normally, someone with such a lengthy list of upation would take the position of an overseer instead of going to the field themselves. However, even that kind of personage had to confront someone by herself, asionally. This usually happened when the other operatives couldnt handle the target by themselves. For example. When the target was escorted by several former Imperial Guards. One of them was as strong as a regr Knight Order, two of them would make up a toon, while three would be a wholepany by themselves. This was a saying that was considered as the truth about the Imperial Guards. After all, they were one of the Empires strongest forces, second only to the now-extinct Guardians. Deploying them to escort a single person could be considered aplete waste of manpower since they could be sent to raid some impregnable dungeons instead. Nevertheless, no matter how specialized a group of assassins were in ambush and one-on-onebat, they still couldnt afford to confront such highly skilled individuals. That was why In such a situation, her involvement was greatly needed. M-Monster! All too familiar with such responses, she didnt even bat an eye towards it. With an expressionless gaze, Seras looked at her opponent. Bloodied corpsesid strewn on the ground nearby. Until moments ago, these were the bodyguards this fat man believed would protect his life even if the sky were to fall. Among them were knights who were once members of the Imperial Guard, people who were considered impossible to best by normal people. .Compared to their active days, their skills are disappointingly inadequate. Muttering to herself, Seras casually threw aside the tool she used to create this scene. A dining knife and fork. With just these, she massacred everyone around her. Seras Evatrice. One of only two [Grand Assassins] on the continent. After reaching such a level, such feats were just as easy as breathing for her. Smuggling within the Holy Land, multiple attempted murders, drug trafficking. Wiping blood off her face, Seras spoke. There are plenty of reasons for you to die.. Y-You! W-Who sent you here?! I-Ill double your pay! To that, she replied with an annoyed sigh. Well, I dont know about that. This is a direct order from His Holiness. No matter how much money you offer me, I will not let you get away from here. H-His Holiness? T-The Pope? That bastard! Hes doing all this bullshist because hes just trying to take over thend near the sanctuary I boug Before he could finish his sentence, the fat mans voice abruptly stopped. It was because Seras had kicked him in the abdomen. Though it was a seemingly light touch, the effect of such an act was horrifying to see. ! His insides were instantly in turmoil, as if put through a blender. He vomited, his eyes rolled back, and blood gushed out from his entire body. This had happened because she precisely targeted a vital area and pressed on a pressure-point. Dont you dare casually mention His Holiness with your filthy mouth. He is not someone you can so easily address. Seras icy voice fell upon the man writhing in pain. I-Im sor! Sor! Before the man could even finish his words, he rolled around on the ground, screaming. W-Wait! A-At least, let me speak! I will at least let you speak out yourst words. Go ahead. I-Ill give up all thend! I-I wont even ask you to forgive me! Ill receive the public trial! His actions made it clear that he indeed was someone who had the qualifications to buy thend coveted by even the Pope. Even at such a moment, he quickly understood what the other wanted and was ready to give up what was necessary. Suggesting a public trial implied he was willing to let the Holy Land seize everything else he owned. Logically, taking up on this offer was far more beneficial than killing him. Even Seras was aware of this, as she slightly tilted her head and stroked her chin after hearing those words. Hm. Not long after, she scoffed and then approached the man gasping on the floor. You are right. Even though you are a criminal who deserves death, it is far more profitable to keep you alive and take everything that you own instead. When he heard Seras apathetic words, hope flickered in the mans pain-stricken face. Maybe, my sincere plea worked, he thought. However. Saying those words, a smile appeared on Seras face. However, that smile didnt reach both of her eyes. Its none of my concern. Fitting of this, she was about to deliver another devastating line that would fill the mans expression with despair. Because I just want to kill you. W-Why! Did you not insult His Holiness? That reason is enough to spell your death. Before he could speak, his throat had already been cut. To achieve this, Seras only needed a rather nonchnt gesture; Moving her hand horizontally across his neck. She looked down at her suit that was sttered with blood. Her beautiful brows furrowed. After all, this suit was something that His Holinessplimented her on. It wasnt fitting for it to be stained during such a trivial mission. His Holiness probably will not mind just that much. Viz? As she was drowning in her displeasure, she suddenly felt a presence and turned her body around. Viz. The head of the Exorcists, a sub-organization under the Oath of the Crescent Moon. Hes supposed to be monitoring that man at the Academy. What is he doing here? At that moment When such a thought came to her mind, her face distorted, changing her expression from a grim one to a full frown. Dowd Campbell. Among those who harmed the Pope, he was the only one she had yet to kill. Because His Holiness himself told her that he still possessed utility value, and ordered her to leave him be. This is a special mission directly ordered by the Pope. After hearing his title being mentioned, Seras sullen look immediately turned into a radiant smile. His Holiness gave me the order directly? Her voice was filled with the excitement of a girl in love. Of course Seeing her make such a face whilepletely covered in blood, Viz felt chills running down his spine. Yes. And, perhaps by coincidence Judging by your expression It seems you are already thinking about the individual in question. Viz, too, was about to mention the man she had just thought of. Following that, he took out a mana orb from his pocket. The object that recorded the Pope;s order while he was sitting at his desk. [It is almost time, Seras.] As Viz activated the orb, the Popes calm voice came from it. At the same time, Seras prostrated herself on that very spot. Although the person in question was not here, she still didnt want to neglect her etiquette. [It wont be long until Paradise will be brought forth into the world. As such, from this moment onward, we will be making our move toy the groundwork.] Your wish is mymand. [The first thing we need to do is to get rid of anyone who might interfere with our n.] His voice continued smoothly. [Specifically, those who freely wield powers rted to Devils. We must deal with them quickly. Are you able to infiltrate Elfante and inflict a fatal wound on that man? Take caution to not kill him. It is not time for us to take his life yet.] I am able, Your Holiness. [Make him incapacitated for a few months should suffice. Around Three months, perhaps?] Three months. Understood. Viz looked at Seras silently with a stiff expression. Her eyes sparkled, responding to every word of the Pope, as if in an actual conversation. It was an eerie scene, as if she couldnt possibly just stay still and listen, even if it was just a recorded message. As if just listening to his voice was a great honor to her. This level of devotion was close enough to that of a fanatic. As for Viz, he actually didnt like the Pope. Not only was he a ck-hearted person, he didnt even seem to view humans as humans. However, he couldnt express his feelings outwardly. After all, the leader of his organization followed him so devoutly. Also, there was a possibility that the rest of the organization felt the same way as him. Viz. Yes, Maam. Can you arrange the route and timing for infiltrating Elfante? You must know it well since you lived there. However It was clear that Seras didnt care about such public opinion even though she was aware of it. She must have her reasons. Within the organization, she had overwhelming skills that no one in the organization could dare to defy. To be one of the only two Grand Assassins in the entire continent, such a reputation naturally came with it. If you wish to infiltrate, you can do it as soon as tomorrow. If the intelligence Ive gathered is correct, that man will be returning by then. Then there is no reason to wait. Prepare the means of transportation. I shall go right away. After saying that, Seras added after a moment of silence. Im looking forward to it. Excuse me? Finally, I can plunge a knife into that man. So thats what she meant Shes thrilled because she could finally cause harm to the Popes enemy. Still If the fact that a Grand Assassin was deployed just to deal with a single student was known, the whole world would be shaken You cant evenpare it to killing a chicken with a guillotine, this case is literally like trying to use a tactical weapon to kill a single flea Well, not my business. Viz secretly sighed inwardly. He hadnt been watching Dowd Campbell for long, but There was one thing that he was certain of. That guy is a lump of variables. There wasnt a single doubt in his mind. The situation would not go as easily as the Pope and Sera thought it would.
[Is that really that difficult?] Caliban tossed such words my way as I sat in thepartment, deep in thought with a grave expression, [For someone like you, isnt beguiling a girl in less than a month easy? No, fuck that. A month? Youll do it in a week.] What kind of man does he take me for? I red at Caliban in incredulity. Cut your bullshit. A week my ass. [How unexpected. I thought if it was you, then surely] One day is enough for me. [] After leaving a speechless Caliban to his lonesome, I fell back into thought. Honestly, it wasnt that strange for Faenol to ask me to seduce her. The reason I could seduce her in a day wasnt because I was some master at understanding womens hearts, but because this development existed in the original game. After all, there was a branch in the story where, while being friends with Iliya, she asked to be awakened to her emotions. Though, thats only possible if the woman in question is a normal living being. The problem was The reason she was asking for this was because she wished to die. In the first ce, resurrection from death wasnt something that could happen so easily. A Devil wasnt a creature that gave away anything for free. Structurally, that was impossible. If she was brought back to life, it meant she lost something in exchange. [What is that supposed to mean?] And what Faenol lost was She cant feel anything. [What?] Touch, smell, sight, pain, hearing She lost all of it. Even her emotions. A living corpse. There was no better way to describe her. Originally, she would have been like a zombie, barely breathing and unable to do anything. But the reason she seemed alive despite such a state was just because she was disguising it to seem that way with her Mana Mastery that had reached the realms of perfection. She was using the tremendous amount of mana, that she could use as easily as breathing, to rece her five senses. However, even if that was possible Recing emotions with mana was impossible. That was probably why my Fatal Charm didnt work on her. She probably thinks that if she regains everything she lost when she was resurrected, she can break the Devils Ban that revived her. There was a possibility that she thought it would be better to die than to continue living in such a state. Yes, she could rece her five senses with her own magic and she could awaken them with her own power. But, when it came to emotions No matter what she did, she couldnt get them back. That must have been devastating for her. Considering this My disposition of seducing anyone rted to Devils would be her only hope. In the original game, she would have approached Iliya, who often got entangled with them, but now, at least in terms of interaction rted to Devils, I was way ahead of her. [So the reason she is asking you to seduce her is for that.] Thats right. [Alright. So, do you have a n to make that woman feel emotions again?] Well, of course. It was a littleplicated, but I had a n for it. But, before anything else, I need to calm some people down. The Homunculi sisters. Yuria and Lucia. The first step to awakening Faenols emotions started with them. In order to make them feel better, ordinary methods probably wouldnt work. What I needed was to set off an explosive, fiery event. [In other words, youre going to do something crazy.] Why do you naturally assume Im going to do something big? [Have you ever done otherwise?] He got a point. But still, considering the sisters personalities, it would definitely work. Its just that Itll be fine just as long as some strange and crazy woman doesnt get involved during the progress of the n. [It kinda feels like you shittalk every woman around you behind their backs, you know?] No, I could never. But, how ironic you say that, since it took one to know one. But such people arentmon and it doesnt make sense to run into them so easily. How high could the odds be? Originally, the Devils Vessels that would rush toward me were now, conversely, all avoiding me. Unless some other people popped up, the chances of such interference were extremely low. Saying that, I yawned and looked towards the gigantic academy far away from the station. Were home. I muttered nkly as I gazed at Elfante. Strictly speaking, it wasnt really home, but after spending a whole day traveling by train, it really did feel like it was. Spending a day on the train was more of a struggle than I thought. Lets get inside quickly, wash up, and rest a bit. Even if there was a lot to do, nothing would work without rest. As I looked around while thinking that, students began to pour out of the train. Whoa, whoa, whoah In the terrifying crowd that reminded me of the subway during rush hours, I involuntarily got swept up. No joke, even if I was just standing still, the bodies of the people around me would move me along. And It was around then that I felt killing intent in the midst of this packed crowd. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as tremendously, greatly, absolutely life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] My eyes widened at the sudden appearance of such a window. ? The fuck? Why would something like this turn on at a time like this? ! I gritted my teeth and looked around. The killing intent was still palpable. Without a doubt, someone was targeting and releasing it at me. I was not as sensitive to energy as other martial arts masters, so there was no way to tell how close it was, but I instinctively knew it was only a few meters away. However, due to the density of the crowd, I couldnt tell who it was or even in which direction they were approaching. The killing intent drew closer and closer. More and more. Just a handspan away. Just a few steps. It was a distance where I should be able to see their face. At this rate, theyll get me! Thinking this, I prepared to force my way out of the spot by kicking off the ground when System Message [ Skill: Desperation is deactivated! ] [ Target Seras Evatrice sees you and experiences a shock that jolts her mind! ] [ Skill: Fatal Charm activated! ] [ The hostility of the target disappears! ] [ The Favorability Level of target Seras is unlocked! ] ? Then, such a window Appeared out of nowhere.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 130: Nice To Meet You (2) Chapter 130: Nice To Meet You (2) Nice To Meet You (2) Seras didnt need to do much to infiltrate Elfante. All she needed to do was join the group of transfer students who enrolled outside the regr semester. Unlike typical educational institutions, the Imperial Academy epted students all year round due to its immense scale. This was the vulnerability that she utilized. Of course, she still had to go through strict security procedures, but since she could even infiltrate the Imperial Pce using a forged identity, it wasnt a problem for her. A mere childs y. Its ridiculously easy. In the trainpartment heading into Elfante, Seras let out a deep sigh as she thought as such. She deemed forging a fake identity as a student unneeded. After all, she only needed to finish the task in a day then returned to the Holy Land immediately. -Trust me, Maam, youll still need one. Dont worry, Ill have it ready within a day. If Viz hadnt insisted so strongly, she would have done it much earlier. She remembered their conversation yesterday. -Do I really need a fake identity? Are you doubting my abilities? -No, Maam. I am well aware of your capabilities. I know it better than anyone. -Then, is there a need for such a cumbersome process? Ill be done with this task in a day. After hearing that, she could recall Viz shutting his mouth for a while before eventually giving off a bitter smile. -Just in case. Think of it as me being overcautious. Though he said this It was evident that he anticipated a situation where shed be needing such a thing. As if, he knew that she, too, would never be able to handle that man in one go. He was certain that she would need to stay longer at the academy because she couldnt do it as quickly as she imed. Just wait, Viz. I swear Ill make you suffer when I return. She swore to herself that shed make him pay for distrusting her abilities. To her, getting this far meant that the mission was as good as done. Just by looking at a nce, it was obvious that she deemed those Empire fools ipetent. And it was even more so when it involved the Imperial Pce. She sneered coldly, eying the imperial crest emzoned on the fluttering gs at the entrance to Elfante. Scum. That was the only evaluation she would give them. How deeply had she suffered because of them before she met the Pope and started a new life? The night where heaven and earth were all dyed red. All the atrocities the Imperial Familymitted against her on that day were still clear in her mind. Soon, Seras. She calmed her heart, raging with hatred, and repeated to herself. Soon. After all, the annihtion of those scum and the descent of the savior who would bring peace to the entire continent was imminent. It was indeed the true faith. No one but the Pope could bring equality and happiness to this rotten world. Paradise will soon arrive on this earth. The Popes n was about to enter its final phase. So, what she should do now was to remove all the obstacles in ordance with the Popes order. And as always, it all started with preparations. Phew. Closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh, she slowly rotated the mana from her dantian. Her consciousness subsided. Fundamentally, an assassinsbat method prioritized a one-hit kill without any thoughts of retreat or follow-up. And the basis of such a method started with erasing emotions so that theyd be unshaken in any situation. The meditation method she did built a mental barrier to prevent any sympathy or mercy towards the target. After going through even this process, her already lethal attacks would possess a machine-like precision and a frightening level of concentration. How long had she been in that state? [The train is stopping. The train is stopping. All students, please remain seated.] With that, the train slowly pulled into the station. Inside the train that wasing to a halt, Seras rechecked the weapon hidden in her embrace. [Wee to Elfante.] Along with that announcement, she blended into the crowd pouring into the station. As expected of thergest educational facility on the continent, what sprawled in front of her was a sea of people. However, even among such a crowd Thanks to her sharply honed senses, she quickly found her target. A man with a vacant expression who had just gotten off the train. Dowd Campbell. He perfectly matched the description she had been informed of beforehand. After letting out a deep sigh, Seras began moving through the densely packed crowd. Shadow Step. While precise steps even through this number of people, her movement was so clean that it was akin to water being sliced straight through. Though this footwork, where she moved unnoticed among people, was basic for an assassin, the level of her execution could almost be called a miracle at work. She moved in a different direction from the crowd, but not a single person recognized her presence. As if she was a ghost, floating through that space. The reason why she chose a ce that a normal assassin would never pick was because she was that confident. Someone who could kill without being noticed, even in broadlight and in the middle of a square. That was what being a Grand Assassin entailed. That was why Seeing that man looking around in bewilderment surprised her. It was as if he knew that someone was targeting him. ! At that moment Dowd Campbell, seemingly sensing something, looked around with a tense expression. His ability to detect danger was astonishing. However It was toote, as she was already within range. Seras reached into her clothes. She readied her de. A single strike was all she needed. And just as she was about to unleash it The targets face caught her eyes. And at that moment Her de stopped. It had happened before she could even fully process what happened consciously. ? She stared dumbfoundedly at her own hand. Why? It didnt make any sense. There was no reason for her to stop. But it was as if Before her mind could process it, her body had instinctively rejected the action. It was telling her that she should never, ever harm this man. As she would definitelye to regret it. Afterwards ! Her eyes widened. Because something surged from beneath her consciousness. Since she had eradicated all other emotions, she felt this one far more intensely. In her consciousness, calm like a still pond, an emotion spread like a single drop of dye. Even in a state where she poured out immense amounts of mana to leave nothing but rationality A Grand Assassin The consciousness of someone who prided herself on being able to maintain a sharp mind far better than anyone on the continent Was suddenly dyed white. Just from seeing the face of the man in front of her. An unsuppressable pulse could be felt pounding in her heart. Huh? Her voice trickled out. It had slipped out unintentionally as she was stuck in her bewilderment. And perhaps because of that Dowd Campbell quickly turned his head towards her. Uh, uh And as soon as their eyes met Seras, with her face entirely flushed red, stumbled backward without realizing it. Her whole body trembled. Heat rushed to her face as her heart raced wildly. All she did was make eye contact with that man. Only from that, she suddenly had the urge to escape right then and there. She couldnt bear to keep facing him. The pounding in her heart was now so loud it felt unbearable. ! And then, failing to notice a protruding stone, Seras stepped on it and stumbled Dropping the dagger she had been holding. Something even an amateur wouldnt do. Such a novice mistake was unthinkable for someone of her caliber, one of only two in the world. Following the sound of the dagger hitting the ground, all the nearby people turned their heads towards her. Is that a weapon? What the? Isnt bringing personal weapons forbidden? It looks like she dropped it while holding it Why is she holding something like that? Was she trying to stab someone? Is it that person over there? Eh, what in the world? Really? Was she actually trying to kill him? Such murmurs were heard. It didnt end with just that; The attention of everyone around who realized something was happening was now concentrated on her. Being noticed in this kind of ce was almost akin to a death sentence for an assassin. It was a crisis. The standard response in such a situation would be to quickly escape, but doing so could leave evidence of an assassination attempt on Dowd Campbell. And leaving such a trail was something she absolutely couldnt allow. Caught in a dilemma, Seras bit her lip until it bled. But then Help came from apletely unexpected ce. Are you okay? Dowd Campbell, who had approached her, extended his hand and asked. As she looked up with wide, round eyes, Dowd bent down, took her hand, and helped her up. Due to the height difference, it was as if she was drawn into his embrace. E-Eeek-! Seras, having her cheek against his chest, let out a shrill shriek with a voice that she had never made before in her entire life. His chest was firm and solid. It filled her with a desire to bury her nose in it and enjoy the sensation for a long while. Though she had tasted uncountable numbers of well-trained bodies by mutting and chopping them With this man, just a slight bump made her entire body twitch. Are you hurt anywhere? Dowd, brushing the dust off her restlessly fidgeting body, asked with an indifferent voice. I-I d-donnnnnnnnnnnnt Her voice sounded like she was crawling into a mouse hole. It was a voice that even Seras herself could not control. Im sorry for bumping into you. You even dropped your belongings. After saying that, Dowd picked up the dagger from the ground, offering it to her. Still, personal weapons are prohibited, so youll have to hand it in when you enter the academy. I know that children from martial households often carry weapons, but it is still against the rules. At that moment, she realized this mans intention. He was trying to downy the situation by iming that she dropped her personal item after bumping into him. In fact, as soon as those words were spoken, the crowds interest dissipated rapidly. Everyone began losing their focus, dismissing the incident as something trivial. Ill be going then. See you inside the academy. Then, Dowd turned around with a slight smile. It was nice to meet you. See youter. Seras stood still, overwhelmed by the sheer destructive power of his smile. She was frozen in ce, her whole body started to tremble. Her heart almost felt like bursting from the smile he had just given her. Her entire body felt like a forge, a terrifying amount of heat exuding from every pore. She was unable to control the shaking. However, even in such a state, what she couldnt understand was He covered for me. But why? Just Why? That man knew someone was targeting him. After all, he had, in fact, red at her sharply as soon as Seras lost her concentration and revealed her presence. If he wasnt an idiot, he would have obviously realized she was trying to harm him. Seras watched the man moving away from her with aplex gaze. For now, one thing was certain. It was good that she had listened to Viz. Even with her facepletely red, all she could do was fiddle with the student ID in her embrace. He was right Perhaps her stay at this academy would be longer than expected. Because of a multitude of reasons. He said it was nice to meet me. Seras muttered such words to herself. The words that he uttered towards her. That it was nice to meet her. And that he would see herter. Strangely Those words struck deep into her heart.
Shit. Fuck. Shit. As soon as Seras disappeared from my sight, I cursed under my breath as I gasped for air. Damn it, why on earth did she suddenly pop out here? At this time, she should be sticking closely to the Pope and obediently doing whatever he ordered. In the first ce, it was absurd to deploy such a high-value personnel just to fuck someone like me up! If I didnt cover for her, who knows what would have happened! Cold sweat broke out when I thought about this. As I said before Because of the scenario, she was definitely a Vessel harboring a Fragment of the Purple Devil. Who knows what could happen if she gets cornered. Please. I was someone who prayed every night before bed, pleading that nothing unexpected would interfere with my ns. Then wasnt it about time to have my prayers answered at least once? Despite everything, I was still a human. Id rather take the easy path System Message [ Skill: Fatal Charm Activated! ] [ Favorability Level of target Seras skyrockets to Interest Level 5! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ The Fragment of the Purple Devil dormant in the target begins to awaken under your influence! ] [ An event rted to target Seras will soon be generated! ] That was why Stop doing this kind of shit! Please, anyone! End my suffering!
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 131: A Students Duty Chapter 131: A Student''s Duty A Students Duty People who were drowning in their suffering could recognize each other by just looking at each others faces. That was always the thought that came to mind whenever I met Atnte. Lets make a bet. Atnte, showing the most haggard appearance yet, spoke such a sentence in a subdued voice. A bet? Between the two of us, who brought the worse news. What an apt bet. Considering I was summoned by this person as soon as I returned to Elfante, it was highly likely that she had brought some seriously bad news too. A Grand Assassin is currently in Elfante. I was the one to start it off. Just by seeing her eyes widen in shock, it was clear that the news I brought was anything but good. Wont you need a nation-level budget to employ that person? Well There were only two Grand Assassins in the entire continent. Seras, and [Hessed], the head of the Vagabond, so her thought went in the right direction in a way. After all, unlike Seras, who was exclusively under the Pope, Hessed was a frencer who could be employed or contracted by anyone. Judging from what youre saying, it seems like they infiltrated the academy because of something rted to you. I can take some measures to No, just leave her be. Excuse me? Its more dangerous to carelessly mess around with her. It would be a different story if we had not met at all. But if the Purple Devils Fragment began to awaken due to my influence, interacting with her carelessly would be dangerous. Purple Devil. Or, Devil of Obedience. Out of the Rulers of Pandemonium, she was the most How should I put it? Unique I guess Ill handle it somehow. As long as I was well aware of how to handle her, it wasnt an exaggeration to say that she was the least dangerous one among the Devils, but Currently, the Devils were fighting over my shares. Her inclusion would only furtherplicate my situation. So, there was no need to interact with her unnecessarily. The better course of action was to keep her close and moderately manage my interaction with her. In other words The things that I needed to do were
  1. Make Eleanor, Yuria, and Lucia feel better
  1. Awakening Faenols emotions
  1. Carry a bomb that was a Grand Assassin on my back at all times.
Simple and easy, am I right? Hell no. Chapter 4 hadnt even started yet, but I had to do all this? Haaa But still, it wasnt like I could run away from it. Besides, everything that I had done so far was pretty much something unmanageable. As I was racking my brain and let out a sigh, Atnte looked at me with a gaze full of pity. You look tired. Do I? Yes. Honestly, I am a bit worried. If you keep pushing yourself like this, Im afraid something really bad might happen at some point. Well, who knows? Even so, I dont think I can rest for the time being. The Prophet definitely tried to kill Eleanor. They threw the Reversed Sea, a bait at the level of a chapter boss, and tried to do so while tying up my hands. This kind of progression didnt exist in the original game. Hell, the Prophet wasnt even a woman in the game. He was a mere fanatic who blindly believed in anything rted to Devils. But now, that bastards actions almost seemed Not like that of a Devil Worshipper, but someone who wanted to erase all of them. I could not let that happen. There was a reason why I switched my race using the Fallens Seal. At the very least people around me shouldnt get hurt because of that bitch. That was why I couldnt afford to dawdle for a while if I wanted to stop her. Then for now, lets hear the interim progress report. While I was thinking that, Atnte threw out such words along with a sigh. How have you been getting along with the Vesselstely? Everything is going smoothly. I am making steady progress. [Smoothly?] [You literally got split into half a while ago.] Caliban sarcasticallymented inside Soul Linker, but the fact of the matter was, as long as I was breathing, it meant everything was going on smoothly. Considering that the ones involved here were Devils, I could say that I was doing pretty well even. And, more importantly Caliban. [Ye?] You might see even worse things in the future. [] He questioned me, What could be worse than being split in half? in silence. Well, I only told him the truth. I mean, just look at what was written here. System Message [ Event rted to the Second Fragment of target Yuria will soon be unlocked! ] The Second Fragment of the White Devil Lets just hope that it wont ovep with the main quest. Thinking so, I fidgeted with the mask I was always carrying in my pocket. This was my lifeline. The moment I showed my bare face in front of her, it would be the end of me. [Which means shell see your face soon enough.] [What? Am I wrong? So far, all your worries somehow ended up happen] I removed the amulet from my wrist. No way Id keep on listening to his ominous predictions. If thats the case, then thats good to hear. Atnte sighed as she spoke. After all, if your bad news ovepped with mine, it would have been too much for you to handle. Ah, right. We were in the middle of a bet. Apart from the three tasks I mentioned earlier, there was at least another piece of bad news. First of all You made quite a mess in the Forge of Struggle. I never expected your name to be involved in something like the change of the Chieftain. How disastrous was it? That was what I said for now. Since Atnte almost entirely handled the aftermath of the messes I created, this time too, she must have acted as a seawall to prevent me from getting entangled inplicated, bothersome political machinations and administrative storms. Of course, I did all the work, but this time there was the international shield named Kasa, so it shouldnt have been too difficult to sort out. The work itself wasnt too difficult. Youid out the n quite cleverly. See, there you have it. But because of this incident, the Imperial Household has started to take a serious interest in you, Dowd. As soon as I heard what came out of Atntes mouth, my expression hardened. The Imperial Household. Those bastards who held the leash of the Tristan Duchy. Among the three superpowers, they had an exceptionally closed-off nature. If it wasnt a separate branch route in the scenario, there was hardly any chance to even see their faces. That was how particrly sinister and sly they were; Some yers even thought that they had more power and influence than the Pope. To be more precise though, the problem was not the entire Imperial Household, but just one person. Has the Chancellor taken an interest in me? No. Thats a relief. If it had been that person instead of His Imperial Majesty, I might as well just kill myself right now. Atnte looked at me with intrigued eyes. You even know the power structure inside the Imperial Pce? At the very least, I knew what kind of human trash the Chancellor was. It was unbelievable that a human could be so vile. The reason behind Gideons death and Eleanors Corruption Value maxing out were all because of that bastard. Roughly. Then itll be easier to exin. Atnte rubbed her eyes and sighed. You know about the Comprehensive Competency Evaluationing up soon, right? Ah, that It was an indispensable event at the academy. Basically, it was like a periodic exam. If the midterms were just about being thrown into one ce for a battle royale, the Comprehensive Competency Evaluation was like a final exam at the end of the year. It covered everything from written, practical, realbat. This time, Her Majesty the Empress herself ising. Given the circumstances, hell being to contact you directly. What? My expression instantly turned nk at those words. No, like Sure, in the Forge of Struggle, the Chieftain, a head of state, visited the academy himself, but The Chieftain and the Empress had different weights in their position. One was pretty much a figurehead that could be reced within a month, while the other was someone who wielded absolute power until their death. To put it simply If the Chieftain were to prepare for a continental conquest, he would be beaten the fuck up and kicked out by the other War Chiefs in an instant. But if the Empress did the same, the entire Empire would shift into a state of war with just her one word. That was the extent of their difference. But now, such a person Wasing just to see little old me? I racked my brain silently. Considering the importance of the Empress, especially within the Imperial Household, this was likely to be highly relevant to the main scenario. I could not afford to take this lightly. The problem is Atne continued with a sigh. To gain an audience with Her Majesty, usually, one must demonstrate the qualification worthy of meeting her. Failing to meet that qualification itself amounts to a crime of lse-majest1offence or defamation against the dignity of a ruling head of state or of the state itself. The English name for this crime is a modernised borrowing from the medieval French, where the phrase meant a crime against The Crown.. If it was lse-majest, especially when it was against the Empress I could end up getting jailed. It was absurd but that was how much the Empire venerated the Empresss authority. They practically treated her like a living demigod. Of course, it would have to be interpreted quite maliciously for it to go that far, though. The problem was If Her Majesty personally selects you for an audience and you fail to meet the required qualifications, it would give those around you a reason to tear into you and bring you down. Atnte continued with a gloomy tone. And if such a reason arises, you might end up facing the Chancellor, who is a vehement opponent of the Empress. Such a person might harbor animosity towards you simply because Her Majesty showed interest in you. Yeah, that sounded about right. That was the problem with someone who was filled with the possibility of maliciously exploiting such uses of thew. At the very least, youll need to prove that youre a person of such caliber without any weaknesses, only then youd be able to meet Her Majesty. Then do I have anything to worry about? It was a bit weird for me to say this myself, but I was someone who had achieved incredibly unbelievable results so far when I was just at the level of a student. Submitting just a few of them should suffice in proving my qualifications. However, Atnte looked at me with a gloomy expression. Im not worried about that part. However, you should make sure there is no blemish that can be picked on, shouldnt you? So theres some other part to worry about? How are your grades? Ah. I dont think I even took the subjects needed toplete the required number of sses. Okay, look I had no choice in this matter, okay? Ive been running around non-stop, barely holding onto my life. Where the fuck would I found the time to study? I know youve been busy, Dowd. Thats why Ive been covering for you as much as I can. But with the Empress involved, I cant just turn a blind eye. You Have to study Atnte spoke in an earnest voice. At the very least, you need to get a perfect score in all subjects in the uing Competency Evaluation to even have a chance of making up for it. Hmm. A perfect score in all subjects in Elfantes exam, where prodigies from across the Empire gathered. And that was what I had to do; me, who had barely attended any sses. How long until the exam, Headmistress? There is about a week left. Hm. Hmmmmmmm.
Ultimately, the entire situation pointed to just one thing. I needed a teacher. A teacher who could teach me reaaaaaaaally fucking well. And, being a student of the Theology School, the first person I should immediately convince was the Saintess. After all, shouldnt I start with the subject that carried the greatest distribution of marks? I already had business with her due to the Faenol-rted event anyway, so she had just soared up my priority list. As such I quickly came here to create a means to appease her. So, youre that guy, huh? Professor Vulkan of the Crafting School was a man whose muscr build made it hard to believe he was of such an age. Watching him move heartily among the anvil, hammer, and the mes of the forge, it was easy to forget that he was an old man. Nice to meet you, Professor Vulkan. Forget it. Theres no need for formalities between you and me. And true to his appearance, a hearty voice immediately followed. Just like how a person who didnt care much for formalities sho If youre too polite, I cant swear into your face. Spill it, you piece of shit. What kind of item do you want me to make this time? Isnt that why youre here? Im already curious about how many nights Ill have to pull an all-nighter. What an Intense person. I like him. Thinking as such, I looked at Professor Vulkan; Although his lips were smiling, his eyes were practically shooting daggers, as if just waiting to kill me. It was clear his attitude wasnt cooperative, but I came to him for a reason. He was the one who made the bomb used by Percy, the Dean of the Magic School, to blow up the Purifier. He was also the one who had modified my Ultima. Even if he was not as skilled as the all-around manufacturing tool Sephira from the Forge of Struggle, he was still undoubtedly a top-ss craftsman. The only shoring in his craftsmanship wasnt the quality of the items but rather, just the fact that he was a bit slower in speed. I had heard he had been pulling all-nighters every time I had given him a crafting request, after all. In that respect There was no one else but him who could make an item of a quality that didnt fall short of Sephiras, especially for the maniacal request I was about to make. Ivee with a rather fascinating request. Was it ever not? What is it? Just tell me without any reservations. Professor Vulkan put his hammer aside. Well, I dont know about that. If I actually spoke without reservations, I was pretty sure he would get mad at me. But it felt like he would rage even if I spoke with reservations, so I just proceeded. Iid our various materials. These were what I obtained while fighting the Reversed Sea in the Forge of Struggle. They were the bodyponents of the Rulers of the Demonic Zones used in reconstructing Kasas limbs. It was basically aprehensive gift set. I also pulled out the starsteel used in making Yurias circlet. Indeed, Vulkans eyes lit up as he examined the materials. You have quite the luck. Where did you get all this? I felt like my image had improved a bit in his eyes, but Considering what was toe, it was questionable how long that wouldst. Using these I firmly resolved myself and handed over a blueprint to Vulkan. Id like you to make this for me. Vulkan examined the blueprint thoroughly. Then, he looked at me with a cold gaze. To be fair, it was an expected reaction. So, Dowd Campbell. Professor Vulkan spoke in a rigid tone. You said it was a fascinating request, didnt you? Yes. What part of asking for a really fucking strong leash is fascinating? I need two of them. Did anyone ask, you punk? Youre asking the senior professor of the Crafting School to make pet essories? With these materials? I forced a smile in response to his half-contemptuous gaze. Its not for pets. What? Its for people. Two people. Isnt that fascinating? It really was fascinating. After all, looking at Vulkans gaze It was the first time I realized that you could verbally abuse someone with a mere gaze
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  • 1 offence or defamation against the dignity of a ruling head of state or of the state itself. The English name for this crime is a modernised borrowing from the medieval French, where the phrase meant a crime against The Crown.
Chapter 132: Physical Punishment (1) Chapter 132: Physical Punishment (1) Physical Punishment (1) [When I think about it a little, youre a freak, you know that?] Excuse me? [Who else in human history, apart from you, would think of calming down a Saintess and a Devils Vessel just because they need someone to teach them?] Stop talking about things that will make me feel depressed. I sighed at Calibans words while looking at the room in front of me. Yurias room felt more decadent than expected for an adult. The biggest reason was probably the smell that hit me when I approached the entrance. Alcohol? I could smell the scent of alcohol before I even opened the door. Well, she was an adult, so it wasnt like she couldnt drink or anything like that. It was just It really didnt suit her image. Both her appearance and usual behavior just didnt suit shit like alcohol or earthly entertainment. Rather, she should be someone whod avoid such things, no? No, I wasnt trying to say that she had a model student-like personality, but you know In any case, because of that, she didnt have anyone to enjoy such things with. It was a sad thing. I felt bad for saying it, but it was the truth. Putting it in a different perspective, though This could also mean that she was in a dangerous state. Think about it, she was someone who had endured loneliness in a corner of the academy for so long. And that kind of person had resorted to alcohol despite not being alone anymore, as she was with her little sister now. This meant that she was close to her limit. That conjecture of mine was immediately confirmed as I opened the door and entered her room. Huh Its Mr. Dowd With slurred words like that, it was clear that she was drunk. T-This is a dream, right? Mr. Dowing tosee mesomething like me No way it actually happens, right? She giggled as she said this. Though she wasughing, I could feel the deep aura of despair, something that would onlye out from someone who had lost hope, emanating from her. Seems like I drank Drank less than I should have. Ehehe I sighed at the sight of her smiling foolishly with dead-looking eyes as she brought a bottle to her mouth. She really was in a bad state. Normally, Lucia would have prevented her from bing like this, but she wasnt in a good state either.. ording to Dame Ophelia, it seemed like they had been holing up in their rooms for days. Get a grip of yourself. After saying this, I grabbed the bottle she was about to plug into her mouth. And stop drinking something like this. Yuria blinked her eyes, looking back and forth between her hand where the bottle had been, and my hand that took it away. A few secondster, her face turned pale. It seemed she finally realized that I wasnt part of her schizo dream. M-Mr. D-Dowd, Dowd?! Yeah. Its Mr. Dowd. I came because I have something to say to you. She backed away quickly as if she had seen a ghost, stering herself onto the wall. In that situation, she desperately clutched a worn out cor around her neck; Along with my handkerchief hanging next to it. Who knew how much she fiddled with it. That thing looked so frayed that I couldnt even see the family crest printed on it. It hadnt even been a long time since I had given her that. She clearly made a habit to touch it every time she could. Scary. What was so great about it that she treated it to such an extent? Now I became even more scared to say what I was about to say next. That. Take that off. As I pointed to the cor while saying that, Yurias face wentpletely white. Her entire body was trembling. Tears started to form in her eyes. It was like she was finally facing an inevitable, inescapable disaster. I-Im sorry. The first thing that came out of her mouth was a faint voice, akin to a sob. Im sorry, please dont abandon me, Ill do anything, anything, so please, please I was, I was wrong. Im sorry. I was wrong, Mr. Dowd. P-Please dont throw me away, please She muttered like someone who had lost her mind. Her eyes were wandering aimlessly. As she reached the end of her words, her voice boiled over in a low, sobbing plea. Compared to her drunken state earlier, she seemed like she hadpletely lost her mind. System Message [ Corruption Value of target Yuria is rapidly increasing! ] [ It surpasses 90%! ] Seeing her like that, I sighed inwardly. I checked over the n onest time. This wasnt something I was good at, since I had never tried it before. Hell, I was dogshit at this. But considering the characteristics of Devils, this was just right. When it came to things rted to me, all the Devils rushed in, seeing red as they tried to possess something that other Devils could never have. They were obsessed with forming rtionships in ways that other Devils could not. It was obvious just from seeing how the Blue Devil used me as coteralst time. However, even among them Only the White Devil did not discriminate and epted whatever I wanted, as long as it was extreme, aggressive, or radical. After all, the Devil of Obsession, to put it differently, was someone who would do anything so that it wouldnt lose something. As such In this situation where she had wronged me, it was possible to appease her temporarily. System Message [ Effect of Title: yboy is disyed! ] [ Revisions are attached to your actions! ] Yeah. I knew it would turn on at this timing. Alright I wrapped the new cor I got from Vulkan around her neck, and locked it with a click. Yurias eyes widened in an instant. She was fumbling her hands around her neck, as if this situation was an unbelievable shock to her. I know that no matter what I say, your heart wont be appeased. So My chilly voice sank low in the room. Ill punish you. After all, dont you deserve to be punished? The atmosphere I was trying to create was A Viinous Duke from a Romance Novel Obsessed with the Heroine. Uhh, you know Like, a bad boy oozing with charm? Something like that. Suddenly, I heard Calibans hystericalughing from inside the Soul Linker. [Y-YOU, PLAYING, A VILLAINOUS DUKE, THIS F, FUC, FUCKI, FUCKING, WOW, WOWWWW, WOWWWWW, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!] Shut the fuck up. In any case, I managed to continue to act skillfully despite his interruption, thanks to my trait. Punishment? I continued in the same tone to Yuria, who was questioning me in a daze. Tomorrow evening. Come out to the outside of the Elfante residential area. I will hand you your physical punishment there. But my tone wasnt just filled with coldness and aloofness. Within it, I mixed in a subtle possessiveness toplete a sophisticated emotional act. Its not that I just dislike you, its that I have caught your weakness, so Ill use this as an excuse to do various things to you that was the vibe I was going for. When I think about it, I realized how amazing the yboy trait was. It gave me the ability to talk like an actual yboy. In the meantime, Ill be confiscating this. With that, I waved the cor I just took off in front of her. I continued with a mocking tone. A naughty child like you doesnt need this. Right? N-No, p-please give it ba Yuria tried to speak desperately, twining her fingers around the leash connected to her cor. She let out a shallow scream as she was yanked towards me. I grabbed both of Yurias cheeks with one hand, speaking again in a sinister tone. Ill decide that based on your attitude tomorrow. Yuria faced me with wide eyes. T-Then She gulped nervously before speaking. If I show a good side to Mr. Dowd Does that mean I can get that back? Its possible. I answered smoothly, brushing my hair back stylishly. From inside the Soul Linker, I could hear the voice of someone choking, but I maintained my elegant atmosphere. It will be difficult, though. Hearing my words, Yurias face immediately filled with determination. I-Ill do it! W-Whatever you ask, Ill do it! System Message [ Target Yuria gains hope from your words! ] [ Targets Corruption Value decreases rapidly! ] There you go. With that, I achieved my goal for now. I made her think that this was finally her chance to be forgiven. After all, it was obvious that no matter how much I said I forgave her, she would be worried about something like Has he really forgiven me?. For now, this much was enough to set the groundwork for the event I had prepared for tomorrow. If I was lucky, I could aim for two birds with one stone. I could also take care of the Grand Assassin that followed me relentlessly. Lets see if you can keep your word. With that, I left Yurias room. System Message [ Title yboy has been deactivated! ] [ Such adroit gaslighting! Proficiency increases! ] [ The Title is deemed extremely suitable for your nature! The Title will soon be enhanced! ] At the same time as that window popped up [] [] There was a stinging silence from two people inside Soul Linker. Seeing that it was two, it seemed that Valkasus was also awake for the first time in a while. [I must say] Valkasus. Quiet. [No, normally I would. But seeing this right after I woke up for the first time in a while, it made me want to say something.] [Thatdy was certainly angry because of you. And then you nearly died because of your own mistake, but now youre pushing the me onto her anding out like this?] [I believe you know what Im trying to say.] As I stayed silent, Caliban spoke withughter mixed in his voice. [Excuse me, Boy King.] [What is it?] [Do you perhaps know what a standing ovation is?] [I have not heard of it, but I understand its a culture to express admiration. Is the target receiving it this mans ruined and utter failure of a morality right now?] [Look at this gentleman being on the same wavelength as me. Now were talking.] p p p p. p p p p. I removed Soul Linker when I heard the continuous apuse. This person had just woken up, but Caliban had already influenced his brain. Haaa. I sighed, fiddling with the spare cor in my pocket. Somehow, I managed to deal with Yuria well, but there was still another person who needed to wear this. Just like Yuria, she was just as troubled, and she was also necessary for the event I had nned for tomorrow, as a kind of safety mechanism. And the ce she was in Was right next to this ce
For Lucia Greyhounder, the cathedral represented a space of two emotions. First, it brought her a sense offort. It was the ce she had spent most of her life since childhood, so this was a natural sentiment for her. The hard stone floor of the chapel, the cozy darkness of the confessional, the quiet atmosphere, and the sanctified scent spreading from the censer. All these elements constituted the majority of Lucias memories. It was something she could note to hate even if she wanted to. However, the second emotion it brought was theplete opposite of the first one. After all, most of the terrible experiences she had in the Holy Land had urred here. Like a bird trapped in a cage, she was destined to be bred for use in the Popes ns. The Paradise n. In a corner of the Holy Land was a ce called the Sanctuary. It appeared as nothing but ruins, yet it was famous among merchants and hedonists. After all, there often were high-quality holy artifacts found nearby. Additionally, its relevance in the religious sense was significant. Though not as well-known as the Void Zone where the Devils slept, it was still a ce where legends whisper of the Legion of Angels slumbering. And the Pope was a man dreaming of resurrecting something from that ce. In addition, Yuria and Lucia were to be sacrificed as keys to that n. But A certain man had saved both of them from such a fate. Lucias concentration, as she offered prayers and poured water on the holy relics, was shattered in an instant. The image of a past incident shed through her mind. The man, receiving a mortal wound from a blow unleashed by her little sisters sword, had his body split in half. Even as he was dying, he was still concerned about her, urging her not to get hurt. And she could not stop thinking about that moment. Her concentration broke. She bit her lip until it bled. Never before had she struggled to focus on prayers, but these days, it was impossible to maintain even the most simple concentration. After all, every time, a guilt, heavy on her heart, rose up as if trying to consume her mind. She was Powerless. Even though she bore the title of the Saintess, she couldnt protect the one man who showed her such kindness. Just as I thought, you were here. At the sound of that voice, her body jolted, as if an electric current ran through her body. It was the voice of the man she had just been thinking about. W-Whatbrings you he Before she could continue WIth a click A cor was fastened around her neck. ? Lucia stared at the other person with a bewildered expression. It was because she was unable to immediatelyprehend what in the world had just happened. Then, she stroked her neck, as if finding it strange. Indeed. It was a cor. The kind usually put on animals. At the very least It was not something to be causally put on a Saintess, the person who was standing at the very pinnacle of the continents believers. A heavy silence fell between her and him. Lucia took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She tried her best to not lose her temper. If it werent for the recent guilt she felt towards this man, she would have likely swung at his jaw, pping his face around with all the Divine Power she could muster. Exin. She omitted the usual honorific she attached to her words, but Dowd did not seem to mind this. After all, it was a highly rational and reasonable response from her given that she didnt p him right away. Saintess. As such, he better have a good exnation for this. Dowd took several deep breaths before speaking. Now, it was not the first time he had messed up by speaking incorrectly at these kinds of times. But this time, he absolutely had to get her proper cooperation through a logical and rational exnation. There is a reason for this. Shut up and get to the point. No, wait, so like, I need to at least tell the reason why I put this o Just tell me why you fastened this onto me. You piece of shit. Summarize it in one sentence. Dowd shut his mouth at the sharp, biting words, as cold and unforgiving as frost. The situation wasnt the kind where he could get by with a simple exnation. Which meant, he should try to create a pleasant atmosphere. He smiled refreshingly. While radiating positive energy, Dowd spoke with vigor. In one hand, he held the handle connected to the cor he put on Lucias neck. As if he was handling a pet. Do you perhaps like going on walks? Shortly after, a p that seemed able to break his neck came toward him, but he managed to dodge it after using all his might.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 133: Physical Punishment (2) Chapter 133: Physical Punishment (2) Physical Punishment (2) [You failed, you say?] I apologize. On the other side of the screen, the Pope looked extremely perplexed. After all, this was the first time she had made such a report in the years she had served him. A Grand Assassin had failed in her mission to harm a mere human. Despite it being a rtively easy missionpared to killing him directly. [May I ask for the reason, Seras?] He was Far more well-guarded than I expected, Your Holiness. Fortunately, my identity wasntpromised, but I believe I need some time to strategize. Seras replied to the Pope on the video call, feeling as if her mouth was dry. It was the first time she had lied to him. On top of that, she told him many lies at once. Back then, she clearly had the opportunity to cause him some serious harm on that man. After all, she had gotten close enough to him. Her words about how her identity wasntpromised, and how she needed some time to strategize, wereplete and utter lies. Also When she saw that man, she felt a certain feeling enveloping her body. It was the first time in her life she had ever felt such a feeling. Seras fiddled with her fingers subconsciously before pulling her hood down deeper. The reason why she did that was because she was aware that the expression she was making wasnt the kind of expression she should show to the Pope. She didnt know what caused this, but what she knew was that an assassin shouldnt have such an expression when they were thinking about their target. [Indeed, he truly is an unpredictable man.] Fortunately, the Pope epted her words without much suspicion. It seemed like the trust they had built so far was enough for him to believe her lies. Though she felt a little guilty over this, in the end, everything would be resolved as long as she could deal with that man. Despite what happened, her loyalty to the Pope had not waned in the slightest. [Let me know if you need anything, Seras.] The Pope said with apassionate smile. [May the Celestials blessings be upon you.] She could not help but agree with his every word. Seras bowed her head reverently. He was the legitimate sessor who inherited the will of the Celestials, the Proxy of the Angels. The person who stood at the pinnacle of the religion that saved her from the discrimination she had to suffer through due to the Empire. This was the person she had to devote all her life to. That was why Considering what kind of existence he was to her, it was uneptable for her if she wasnt able to carry out his orders. And so, she decided that she should start a more detailed investigation on the man who managed to ensnare him, even though that meant overriding the Popesmand. The reason why she took her precious time to infiltrate Elfante was exactly because of this. At the very least, she had to find out why she felt this way when they met back then. And She wanted to know why was it that every time she thought of that man, her heart raced to the point that it irritated her? In any case, it was the time for her to gather more detailed information about him. To start, she had to find out what he was up to.
System Message [ Target Seras is tracking you! ] [ Determined to be a minor threat to your safety. ] [ Skill: Desperation adjusted to B-Grade. ] With a sigh, I looked at the window in front of me. Yeah. That sounded about right. I had expected for her toe out around this time. That was why I nned my actions to coincide with this. After all, what I was about to do was a sight I wanted to show to that person. Perhaps, it would bring a slight change to that persons mental state. [Are you saying you wanted to show her this kind of appearance?] What about it? [If I may be honest At first, I genuinely thought that as a Saintess Lucia iscking quite a bit.] Such words flew from inside Soul Linker. Valkasus continued to adhere to his attitude of incredulity. [But now, Ive changed my mind.] Why? [Obviously because of the fact that she willingly follows along with your antics.] There was no doubt that he was talking about Lucias current state, as she was being dragged along by the cor tethered to me. I could only hear the sound of the grass rustling as we stepped on them, but I could feel a piercing gaze from my back. Scary. Excuse me. And after walking like that for a while The Saintess called out to me, as she pounded against the back of my neck.. It seemed like she couldnt bear it any longer. Wouldnt it be better if you just confess now that you have perverted desires? Yes, I had grown immune to such nder due to Calibans constant roasts, but this. This, I couldnt stand for. I turned my head with an incredulous expression. What? How can you make such an aggrieved face so shamelessly.. No, wait. Why do I need to listen to such words in this situation? The Saintess lips twitched, as her expression turned into one of utter disbelief; it seemed she was so dumbfounded that it was difficult to even keep her thoughts straight. After all, the following sentence took quite a while to be spat out. What part of this situation doesnt seem perverted to you?! With that, she pointed to Yuria, who was dragged along with her head bowed low. I could exin everything This situation seemed to imply I was walking two sisters by the leash on the outskirts of the academy at ate hour, but No, Im telling you. Im seriously doing this because its necessary, okay? I have no ulterior motive whatsoever. Without context, it might seem a bit weird. But this was all necessary. It was a task so important it could affect the status of my life itself. Thats why you have to exin everything! Why is this necessary in the first ce?! Tell me before I start destroying! Im fine, Unni. Yuria?! I wronged Mr. Dowd, so As Yuria spoke this, she touched the cor with a gloomy expression. Im fine to be treated like this In fact, I expected a worse treatment from him The Saintess, who had been angrily barking, immediately stiffened upon hearing this. Then, she alternately looked between Yuria and my abdomen. That was the spot where Yuria had once plunged a sword into me, before splitting me in two. Okay, okay, I get it! I get it, alright? Seriously! The Saintess huffed with tears welling up in her eyes. Cant you be more gentle at least? It hurts Hey, uh, excuse me, Saintess? If you were to say something like that while sobbing That would make me look like a despicable piece of shit, wouldnt it? Like, it was as if I was forcing you two to cooperate with me to do something terrible because I ckmailed you or something like that [That description is rather urate, dont you think?] [I mean, hm Thats literally what you are.] Valkasus sighed and began to speak. Why? Did you want to call me trash again? [Of course not. Youre overestimating yourself way too much.] [At this point, calling you trash is being way too kind.] Caliban was actually sleeping for once, so I thought I finally had some peace and quiet. But this person decided to roast the shit out of me in his stead. I sighed and responded to Valkasus. I have to do this to make them feel better. [How does this act relieve their guilt?] Both of them are way too kind. And thats exactly the problem. If they had been bad people, they wouldnt have cared whether something happened to me or not. But both of them would continue living with their guilt even though I kept telling them that I was okay. And no, I wasnt talking about Yuria almost splitting me in half. Because this had been going on for a while now, even before that event happened. From my perspective, I was just being nice to these two because they were crucial to the main scenario, but they couldnt ept it without giving something in return. It could be seen as being oppressed by kindness. They were such inherently good people that they couldnt live only receiving. Im just giving them a task is all. And the thing aboutying down physical punishment upon Yuria and such was all in a simr context. To be more precise, it was just about showing these two how they could be of help to me. I was confident that once they saw it, they would regain their spirits and work hard for me. The task I was about to assign to these two now was so crucial that it couldnt be done at any other time. So, once this was over, it wouldnt be strange if they immediately cut ties with me, saying why in the world I did such a thing. How should I put it? Since I had dragged up their guilt to the fullest, it would be fairly manageable now? [So what does dragging them around on leashes have to do with it? Couldnt you just let them walk on their own?] I said Im doing this because its necessary. How many times do I have to say it? Well, I also need to get used to my grip on the leash. [What?] Uh, so like I need to do this quite often in the future, you see? [] Valkasus closed his mouth in a resigned manner. He stayed silent, without a clue on how to respond, before forcibly changing the topic with a chuckle. [Well, training their mental strength this way might be good for Lucia. She has beencking in that area for a while now.] Huh? [She has been nonchntly smoking and drinking, neglecting her training despite being blessed with a lot of Divine Power, and she still hasnt fully memorized the Prayers] No, wait. Couldnt you let her off with at least that much? She couldnt always be perfect. [The profession of a Saintess is a very old one. And in my time, those were the basic qualities that a Saintess must have.] Though Valkasus, surprisingly, oozed out this boomer energy form his entire body, I also roughly knew the setting of this world. While it was not as ancient as the age-old Hero-Devil rtionship, which was practically on the level of archaeology at this point, the Saintess was also quite an old profession. If it was Valkasuss era Its probably the era of the Great War of Gods and Devils, huh? The time when the First Hero, receiving all the Celestials blessings, wielded the Holy Sword and tore apart the Devils true bodies. Thatbination of the First Hero and the Holy Sword alone sealed, not just one, but all the true bodies of the Devils capable of destroying the world; Truly the strongest monster in human history. Of course, he received all the backup he could get from the angels in the Astral Realm, but that feat was still undeniably incredible. The reason why the Holy Land, which back then was just a small kingdom barely making ends meet and without notable resources or strengths, grew into a tremendous superpower was because of that fact. After all, its size expanded to such a degree, based solely on being the nation that produced the First Hero. Considering how the one who closely assisted such a person, always aiding him, was the Saintess of that time, it made sense why Valkasus had such high standards for Saintesses. And if my memory served me right In the game, that was about the maximum growth potential for Iliya. If she could properly find the Holy Sword, that was. The uing Chapter 4, [Crimson Night], revolved around that very theme. Who would fill the position of Hero that had been vacant since the previous Hero passed away? It was the chapter where Hero Candidates from all over the continent gathered in the Golden Triangle to determine the true owner of the Holy Sword. Bringing Yuria and Lucia here served to prepare for such an event. If I could properlyplete the strengthening of these two here, it would undoubtedly be a great help when progressing through that part. Alright, were here. At my words, Lucia and Yuria slowly looked around. This ce Lucia, having looked around, widened her eyes in surprise. If it was her, there was no way she wouldnt recognize it. The barrier of the Seraphims, its outermost boundary at that. It was a space at the very edge of the academy, touching the Void Zone and just a few feet ofnd. It was a memorable ce. After all, this was where I first came tomunicate with the Angels right after obtaining Ultima. What I hade to do now was, in a broad sense, simr to that. The problem was that, this time, it would be much more intense anddangerous. I moved a bit closer to set Ultima in its ce. Previously, I would have needed various preparations, but this item had been strengthened several times by now. I even used Echo of Sanctification on it. Now, it couldplete its original purpose, the summoning ritual, in an instant. Eh? Eung? As the mist rising from Ultima spread out, the Angels residing here revealed themselves instantly. ! And upon seeing them Yuria clutched her head and copsed on the spot. Ah, AHHHHH! She writhed in agony, spitting out painful groans. Severer emitted a threatening light around it. The white curse eating away at her body convulsed as if in a fit. I knew why she was acting like that. The White Devil inside her must be screaming to the point that her mind was tearing apart. Telling her to kill those beings right now, that they were enemies with whom she could not breathe the same air with Y-Yuria?! Lucia tried to approach her in horror, but I held the leash. At the same time as I flung Lucia outside the safe range as if juggling her Yuria suddenly grasped her sword and charged towards the Angels. However Wait. I held her back with the leash. It stretched taut. If I hadnt had Vulkan reinforce it with rare materials, it would have snapped instantly. My physical stats had risen decently recently, so I could manage this much even with just the B=Grade Desperation activated due to Seras. You crazy fucker, what have you brought here?! One of the more memorable Angels screamed at me. He was the Angel who had helped me imbue several abilities into Ultima before. Recognizing me instantly, he approached with a horrified expression. It seemed like he had realized what exactly was inside Yuria. Misters, long time no see. I continued, smiling warmly at their appearance. Could you do me just one favor? What is the meaning of this all of a sudden! Dont worry, it wouldnt be anything much. I just wanted your help to strengthen these two, just as I had mentioned earlier. Alright. Shall we discuss a method to domesticate a Devil together?
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 134: Decision Chapter 134: Decision Decision Yurias Starsteel Circlet, which she always wore, scattered light around her. Normally, when such a phenomenon urred, the Devil or Severer should be calmed, but now, there was not even a hint of that urring, as a fierce white aura violently surged. Due to having to deal with both the Curse of the Severer and the White Devils Demonic Aura at the same time, the Starsteel Circlet had turnedpletely useless. Well, it seems like that thing is hitting its expiration date soon. In the first pce, if it had been working as it should, I wouldnt have been split in half by herst time. However. System Log [The event rted to Yurias Second Fragment will be released soon! ] Given that this had popped up, it was obvious that the power of the Devil was getting stronger and stronger. To the point where even Starsteel could not suppress it. The reason I brought her here was that there was something that could only be tested in such a situation. And the test was a sess.. The Homunculi Sisters would be strengthened, giving me advantage on the Main Scenario that would ur in Chapter 4. Not only that, it would also cheer these two up. And most importantly There would be a clue to unlocking the Happy Ending. I could obtain everything all at once. Domesticating a Devil, huh. I reflected on the phrase I thought of earlier with a bitter smile. Though I spoke out in such a grandiose manner, it was actually impossible to do that. And that was the reason why I came here. To gain the crumbs of the clue I needed to achieve that. Before you ask, yes this was obviously a dangerous matter. System Message [ White Devil detects the presence of beings rted to Seraphim. ] [ The target is enraged to the point of losing rationality. ] [ Corruption Value of target Yuria surpasses 150%! ] [ The target will definitely go berserk soon. Take immediate action! ] As I read the windows popping up in front of me, I let out a sigh. I knew this would happen if I were to bring her here. Unlike when I encountered the Virtue in my Image Space before, the angel misters here were directly working under the orders of Seraphim. From the standpoint of a Devil, who was entangled in a massive grudge with them, or at least that was how the story went, just sensing their presence was enough to drive them insane. Normally, if her Corruption Value had reached this point, I would be sweating bullets, but Its still too low. In this current situation, it was actually way too low. Which meant, I had to raise it a bit more. Saintess. Y-Yes YES?! Lucia, still dumbstruck, turned to look at me as I calmly issued her an order. Please perform the usual Sanctification work on Yuria. Right here and now. Me alone?! With Yuria in that state?! Lucia eximed with a horrified look as she nced at Yuria. She was continuously writhing, trying to lunge towards the angels as if she was actually a shackled beast that had lost its reason. It seemed Lucia had realized by now that if I hadnt grabbed her cor and flung her away, shed have been split in half because she was in her sisters way. Itll be fine. After saying that, I began my own preparations. In one of my hands was Lucias cor, and in the other one was Yurias. I set them up so I could freely change their positions before continuing my words. Because this is not something youd have to do alone, Saintess. You dragged a bomb here so suddenly The nerve of this bastard! Ill remember this, you fucking piece of shit! Then, the Dominion, who previously had transferred a Divine Blessing to me, spread his wings while screaming such words. This was a kind of battle mode for angels. S-Sir Dominion, what in the world is that thing? Its a Devils Fragment, you dumbass! Stop yapping and move out quickly! If it explodes here, well all be dead! What in the world is this?! Damn it, I thought our work for today is over?! In an instant, the surroundings turned into a huge fuss. Well, I could understand their feelings. For them, this was the equivalent of encountering a Major Boss Battle after finishing their shifts. This was supposed to be the time for them to rest, not to deal with something like this. Hey, Miss! You seem pretty capable, so let it loose for now! Just fucking send it! If that explodes here, were all dead, so try to appease it skillfully! U-Um? I dont understand Theres no time to exin! Lets start right away! With that, Divine Power from the angels started pouring into Lucias body. They couldnt cause a huge impact on our realm because they were in the Astral Realm, but at the very least, they could assist the Saintess. The efficiency would be terribly lowpared to the original amount, since it was indirectly transmitted across dimensions, but If the sender in question were angels and in such a number, such inefficiency would cease to be a problem. She received a level of Divine Power that wouldnt have been strange to rupture her body immediately if she wasnt a Homunculus. However, she was able to take it as someone whose stats were all-in on Divine Power, at the cost of various side effects. Just looking at Lucias entire body emitting a holy light confirmed this. E-EEEK! I dont really understand whats happening right now, b-but! And with that energy, Lucia began the Sanctification process, her eyes shut tight. You told us toe because you were just going to cheer us up, but what even is this?! Didnt the scale turn way too big?!! I had nothing to say to that outcry of hers. Well, yes, that was the original purpose. But, you know There were other things that needed to be done while we were at it That was why we were here, so please let it slide Contrary to her cries,plex and advanced Divine Blessings worthy of the title Saintess unfolded one after another. Like usual, they started to remove the curses umted on Yurias body one by one. Thebination of curses and Demonic Aura that even Starsteel couldnt suppress would normally render such an attempt ineffective, but now, receiving the Divine Power of the angels, it seemed to be working somewhat. Auras that had been emanating from Yurias body had started to weaken. Eh? Is it working, is it working?! Stay strong! Just a little more! The surrounding angels cheers echoed. Meanwhile, Yuria wrapped her head and let out a scream. At the same time, the Divine Power enveloping Yuria was shaken off, and the Demonic Aura and curses emanating from her body intensified even further than before. As if it was actually rebelling against the Divine Power. S-See, its not work! No. You did well. Saying so, I adjusted the leash. I quickly sent Lucias body far into the distance while pulling Yurias body towards me. As Lucia screamed while flying away, the distance between me and Yuria closed instantly. Wai- Mr. Dowd-! Stop, stop-! Lucia screamed with a pale face. It was probably because she remembered what happened when I did thisst time. Of course, I was split in half once before, but this time was different. After all, now there were angels around and Lucia had received all of their power. The situation waspletely unalike from before. That was why I brought her here as a safety measure. And most importantly The state of the girl trying to cut me was the difference between heaven and earth. Though Yuria, who had already lost her rationality, noticed me and gripped her sword hilt For a moment, her eyes wavered. After all, she must have remembered the time she almost split me in half in a simr situation before. Even though her Corruption Value had exceeded the critical threshold, the bitter memory embedded in her mind instinctively stopped her movement. And that created enough of a gap for me to make my move. Heup! I grabbed her neck, mmed her to the ground, and forcibly turned her gaze. The Fallens Seal was on my chest, and I couldnt let her see it. Showing her the presence of the Grey Devil and the Blue Devil would cause her Corruption Value to skyrocket. That could not be allowed to happen. Because I was aiming for the right level. System Message [ Corruption Value of Yuria surpasses 300%! ] [ The target is on the verge of going berserk! ] This. If the Value had gone over 500% and she went berserk just like Eleanor, this would have turned into a lost cause. Honestly, whether it was 300% or 500%, it would normally be a death sentence for me because their Corruption had been confirmed. But at this moment, there was an extremely meaningful difference between the two values. System Message [ Fallens Seal reacts to the Aura of the White Devil! ] The usual message appeared before my eyes when facing a Devils Aura. Originally, that would have been the end, but since I got resurrected recently, I opened its Stage 2. So, assuming I was right I could do something more. System Message [ Checking the Stage of the Seal. ] [ Stage 2 Confirmed. ] [ You gain the right to control the target with the Privilege ! ] [ Would you like to suppress the target? ] [ Y/N ] There we go. Seeing such messages cascading down, I smirked inwardly. Without an ounce of hesitation, I touched the Y. And at the same time System Message [ The Demonic Aura of the target is being suppressed! ] [ Corruption Value of the target is rapidly decreasing! ] [ Fallens Seal is being charged with the Demonic Aura of the White Devil! ] [ Energy required for Mutation is 33% charged! ] Along with such a message, the White Demonic Aura that was surging in the surroundings was absorbed into my chest. And the message that would follow was the most crucial. After all, the reason I was doing all this bullshit was entirely for this. Please, appear. Please prove that what I was doing at the moment Was meaningful System Message [ The White Devil momentarily submits to you. ] [ 1 Worship Stack is umted. ] [ Once all Stacks are charged, the target will function as a part of ! ] What a relief. It worked. [You seem to have gained quite an important clue.] Valkasus voice echoed from within Soul Linker. [Your reaction doesnt seem like the usual jubtion that emerges just because things worked out well. Was suppressing thatdy that important?] Of course. Of fucking course it was important. This meant I was bing a being that could exert control over Devils. A being that was not mentioned anywhere in the settings of the original game. You see, Ive been thinking about this for a while. Where did the origin of that soule from? I mean, the soul who has the disposition of being loved by viins. And how far could I develop it? This interaction with Yuria now was a kind of crucial support for the theory I had in mind. The theory that I could give these beings a Happy Ending. As I inhaled deeply while having such thoughts You, right now. The voice of the Dominion could be heard from beside me. Did you just forcibly seal a Devils Fragment that was about to berserk? His voice was unusually soft, unlike the usual noisy atmosphere of these people, but I could quickly guess why. After all, each and every other angel around were silent with expressions of astonishment and horror. As if they had seen something impossible. Its not that grand. This was only possible now because I came fully prepared. I replied with a bitter smile. It was only feasible because I anticipated the situation, meticulously crafted a n, arranged various means of regtions, and then precisely intervened at the moment the exact value was reached. If the Fragment were to spontaneously go berserk, even having the Fallens Seal would have been futile; I would have been decapitated on the spot. It was like putting a bell on a wild beast with a safety team and medic team all prepared. A risky endeavor, but not impossible. Without any preparation, I would just be torn apart by the wild beast. Honestly, Im kind of confused as to why youre so shocked. Suppressing a Devil on the brink of going berserk is something you could all do if you were in the Material Realm, right? No, thats not the point. What baffles me is the way in which you did it. Of course, its possible for us. If we were in the Material Realm, we would have used Divine Power to forcibly beat the shit out of that Devil, before stuffing it back into its Vessel. However His voice continued with a sound akin to a groan. Just now, the Devils Aura seemed to respect your will and retreated. Didnt it? It looked as if it recognized you as a superior being. In the first ce, the very fact that you came prepared suggests you knew this was possible and came to test it. There was nothing I could really say besides scratch my head in response. Huh, as expected, his insight is really keen. The title of Dominion is definitely not given to just any old angel. I had a feeling you were destined to be something greater since the very first time we met, but His voice lowered once again as he followed up his sentence. What exactly are you trying to be? Well, who knows? The Fallens Seal had only reached Stage 2, so I couldnt say for certain. But at the very least I was able to say that I had taken the first step in an aplishment no one in history had ever achieved. Im dreaming of bing someone who has a huge heart. What? Big enough to embrace all six Devils. Embrace? I cant do it now, but shouldnt it be possibleter? So what in the world is that supposed to mean? MmmWell, to put it precisely I would probably continue to sweat bullets and get chased around whenever someone, somewhere went berserk, but At the very least, I needed to firmly grasp where the final destination that the Vessels and I eventually reached after all these hardships. I n to live with all six of them. Anyway, does Pandemonium havews? Like, is polygamy allowed there? The Dominions mouth dropped open in silence.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 135: Can You Do That Again? Chapter 135: Can You Do That Again? Can You Do That Again? Seras Evatrice felt like her soul was leaving her body.. At first, she was just tailing him, thinking that itd be lucky if she could learn a few simple habits or something about him. Well, that was the case until she witnessed him putting leashes on two women before dragging them off somewhere. The Saintess? The Talisman who resists evil influences? She, too, knew of their existence. The Homunculi Sisters; Artificially created by the Holy Land. In the first ce, the reason why this man confronted the Pope was to tell him not to interfere with these sisters But, what in the world is going on right now? Is he making the two women he saved indulge in his vile hobby? Uwegh. His insidiousness knows no bounds Those were the thoughts that came to her mind, but she still continued to follow him around. Though she couldnt understand what exactly was the reason behind his actions, if he really was as depraved as he looked That meant the palpitations she felt before were undoubtedly a mistaken emotion. She should be able toe to a conclusion that everything was just a misunderstanding as long as she was able to confirm that he was indeed a vile person. Thinking as such, she continued to tail him and She witnessed him calling forth the descent of angels. ? At first, she thought that her eyes were ying tricks on her. But that wasnt the case at all. Each and every one of those beings radiated a huge amount of Divine Power that made her stifle for breath. Which meant that they were real angels. No, no, wait. Hold on. Thest time angels had shown themselves was during the appointment of the First Hero and the election ceremonies of the Popes. There were no other records in history that stated their appearance other than that. After all, one of the greatest authorities of the Pope was the only human who had directly encountered an angel. But, this Whatis this? No, seriously. What is going on?! She continued to watch in shock, as if her soul had left her body, but An even more unbelievable and ridiculous situation unfolded before her. The Talisman, upon seeing the angels, started to scatter white aura around, before going berserk. However That man subdued the Talisman emitting such aura in an instant. Subduing a Devils Vessel? That easily? With what principle? Anyone with even the slightest bit of knowledge about Devils Fragments and their Vessels would understand how ridiculous the scene she was witnessing was. Seras, of course, was affiliated with the Church and was well aware of the danger. It was impossible to make a Devils Vessel to submit unterally. But this man managed to do such a feat, and not only that, he even nonchntly interacted with the angels afterwards. She had maintained a safe distance, so she couldnt hear what they were saying, but it was clear they were conversing naturally and informally. Even the Pope couldnt treat them like that It was as if they were friends. As if he knew every little thing about their nature. Strange. It was so strange. Seras wrapped her hands around her head, filled with confusion. After she started her career as an assassin, to her, every word of the Pope was the very definition of truth, as well as a choice that was the closest thing to the correct answer that would bring light to this world. Those hemanded her to harm were wicked and disruptive, their existence would only hinder the light that woulde upon this world. That was what she had believed. But then Why could that man interact with the angels so nonchntly? How was he able to subdue a devil with such ease? If he was a disruptive being that hindered the creation of Paradise on this earth, then he shouldnt be able to do at least one of those things. If such abilities were not a deception but real Then the one possessing them should be the Savior she believed in. Only His Holiness should be able to wield such powers. But then, why that man? Why? Seras held her head, lost in her chaotic bewilderment.
System Message [ Target Seras is deeply shocked by you. ] [ The target falls into a state of Confusion! ] [ The target will reduce activities to harm you for a while! ] Reading the messages that continued to pop up, I stroked my chin. Certainly, what I just did warranted such a reaction. Her loyalty to the Pope held a significant religious aspect. While she might feel favor towards the Pope on a more personal level, seeing me mingle with a revered angel and easily subdue a despised Devil in one shot must feel strange to her. In her religion, such a feat could only be performed by the Savior. Of course, as the fanatical follower of the Pope, this wasnt enough to make her stop thinking of killing me. But it would at least tie up her actions a bit, which of itself, was quite the gai System Message [ Target Seras bes more proactive in learning about you! ] [ The frequency of contact with you increases significantly! ] Wait, but that wasnt what I expected? It would reduce the possibility of her killing me, which was a good thing, but still I wont report this to the higher-ups. Right as I was thinking that The Dominion in front of me, holding his head, muttered as if letting out a groan. Is it because if the Seraphims find out that Ive made contact with a Devil, chaos would unfold? He looked at me strangely, as if trying to say that I knew too much. I chuckled and continued. Well, that makes sense. Theres probably a factional strife going on above right now, so theres no need to do anything that would get you in trouble. Ill keep quiet about it as well. Its nice and all that we came to an agreement so quickly, but how in the world do you know such thi Well, itll still cost you something to keep me quiet, though. So this was your n from the start, you fucker. As I nonchntly tossed such words to the Dominion, who had been about to confront me, a fierce response came back, forehead wrinkling in frustration. You see, I n to repeat this kind of thing Regrly. Just a few more times. I said this, looking down at the unconscious Yuria. I hope youll cooperate a few more times when that happens, just as you have now. Youre going to do this bullshit a few more times? What are you even nning to do? Well, just something I need to do. I had to build up Worship Stacks. Not only for a happy ending in the long term but also as a contingency n in case my bare face was ever revealed to this girl. That was a insanely fucking dangerous death g. If I mess up, I would be one-shotted to oblivion. Ah, and please give me one holy relic. I need to enhance Ultima. What Grade? Do you perhaps have anything aged in increments of millennium? Im not expecting anything used during the Great War of Gods and Devils. Youre just a fucking robber at this point. Shameless motherfucker. Now, even angels were cursing me out, huh. With those words, I watched the Dominion leave with the other whispering angels in tow. Well, they might say all that, but they were probably going to do as I asked. After all, it didnt really seem like they had any particrints or issues with it. Uh, excuse me, Mr. Dowd. In the meantime, Lucias muffled voice came from beside me. Yes? I have something I want to say. Lucia, who had been looking down at the quietly sleeping Yuria, steadied her voice and began to speak. I knew what she was gonna say. The curse that had been eroding Yurias body had significantly subsided due to my subjugation of the Devil just now. She definitely was going to thank me. Well, you can skip theplement If you were going to use this as a means to change our positions however you like, why did you make it as a cor? You could have tied it around our waist or something. That wouldnt have been a problem when ites to changing positions. Why did it have to be a cor? Uh, you know Because I was more used to it? You know, since shed get angry anyway even if I were to tie it to the other parts of her body, I figured that itd be better if I were to go with something I was already familiar with. There wasnt any other reason besides that. Really. But still, it seems youre feeling a bit better now. Yes. As I awkwardly changed the subject with great difficulty, the Saintess gave me a scornful look but still responded in kind. You see, Im starting to think its funny that I should feel guilty towards you. Do I really need to feel such an emotion towards someone who treats me and Yuria this way?. Youre telling me, if Im sorry, then I shoulde help out every time you need to do something like this in the future. Isnt that why you brought me here? Mhm. Precisely. I thought if she felt guilty, helping me out would be enough to relieve it, you know? If you really think that way, all I can say is that youre very insensitive. Excuse me? I would have done all this if you just asked me honestly. I owe you a mountain of debt, after all. You really did seem like such a kind person. But it appears as if the difference between you handling someones heart well as opposed to not is really night and day, isnt it? Its like youve intentionally cut out certain parts. Youve had countless experiences others couldnt even dream of in a lifetime, but it feels like youve hardly had any normal human rtionships. Saintess. Why were you verbally abusing me all of a sudden? But. Its not working, though? She herself said that she felt better, but This somehow felt like She was just saying it to appease me. Not because she truly felt relieved or soothed. In the first ce, the System Window still disyed the Guilt status on her status. Hmm, what should I do? I didnt expect that this problem wasnt resolved immediately. Ah, it seems she hase to. Right as I was having such thoughts, I pointed to Yuria, who started squirming before suddenly opening her eyes. After blinking a few times, she quickly got up and looked around. Mr. Dowd? Yeah, its me. Do you feel any difort? Yuria, hearing my question, fidgeted with her hands and checked her body. I feel unusually refreshed. Good. What a relief. As expected of a Devils Vessel. Her durability was extraordinary. To think she was unharmed after all that fuckery. So, you still remember, right? Sorry? While she was blinking at me, confused, I smiled at her. You didnt cut me this time. You stopped by your own will. I gently stroked Yurias head, as her eyes started trembling. Well done. I knew you could do it. Your progress is remarkable. Thepliment actually came from deep in my heart. The fact that she stopped an action enforced by a Devil, through her own will Meant that she really, really, REALLY, didnt want to cut me. So, I believe in you. With that, I clicked the previous cor back around her neck. It was an item I had given to her as a Token of Promise. You are more than qualified to have this. Yuria hastily fiddled with it a few times. Then Ah, ugh Tears started to form in her eyes. It was a look of genuine relief at having it returned. She nearly copsed to the ground, clutching it in her hand and sobbing. It was a reaction that was bewildering even to me. I mean, like Wearing a cor while doing that is a bit You know It kinda felt like Uh. [At least youre self-aware] [Youre ying with the heart of such an innocent and puredy here.] There was no need to keep reminding me that I was a piece of shit. After all, I knew it as well. System Notification [ The Lethargy and Guilt of target Yuria improves. ] Yes. Right. Lucia was one thing, but at least this girl was getting better. Thinking this, I wiped the dust off myself and stood up. Feeling better? Yesssss Then lets go back. And sorry for being so rough earlier. Back then, I had to roughly grab the leash and push her to the ground because I needed to keep the Fallens Seal out of her sight. So, at the very least, I had to apologize to her. Upon hearing my words, Yuria suddenly started fidgeting. Um, Mr. Dowd. What. Um, could you maybe Her face turned unusually red as she spoke. C-Continue Her voice was trembling. It looked as if she knew what she was saying was odd, but she couldnt help herself. D-Doing t-that t-to me in the future t-too? The silence that followed for a long while was so very awful. What? J-Just now. Yuria stammered as she spoke. I-It f-felt s-strangely g-good. W-When Mr. Dowd treated me r-roughly, i-it felt like y-you d-did something to m-me that y-you d-dont do to o-others, so I l-liked it Her face was so red as if it might burst and her voice was filled with extreme embarrassment, yet Those words came out of her mouth so clearly. Both Lucia and my faces disyed absolute horror at the same time. Hey, wait. Just wait a fucking minute. I knew that as the White Devils Vessel, as long as she could monopolize me, she would be willing to get into any kind of rtionship, but Wasnt this a bit too extreme? Y-You, you, what, kind of, education, have you, been giving her! Lucia pointed at me with trembling fingers while saying such usations, but This was unfair. I really hadnt done anything.! As I thought this, a System Window suddenly appeared in front of my eyes. System Message [ A Unique Meter is added to target Yuria! ] [ Apart from Favorability, a separate state called Masochism is created! ] [ When conditions are met, the Meter in question will fill up and the target will intensely demand a corresponding action from you. ] [ Failure to satisfy her desire will result in a Penalty! ] What? I had just managed to resolve her guilt, so why was some sort of Penalty thing showing up? As I stared incredulously at the window, more text scrolled down. System Message [ Masochism reacts to your aggressive contact with the target! ] [ Current level of Masochism is Level 1! ] [ Various functions are added to target Yuria! ] [ Now, just by making any Rted Contact with you, her Corruption Value will significantly decrease! ] ! Holy shit, this was huge! Considering the amount of shit I had to go through to resolve her Corruption Value when it spiked, being able to decrease it just through contact was a significant merit. Of course, I needed to check what kind of contact it was, but from the wording, it didnt seem all that threatening. Surely, it wouldnt be so bad that it was a danger to my life. System Notification [ Calcting the detailed range of Rted Contact! ] At least I would have thought so. If the following window hadnt cascaded down. System Message [ Activity Walk on Leash is added! ] [ Activity Fulfilling Delusions is added! ] [ Activity Light Choking is added! ] [ Activity Forcing Service is added! ] [ Activity ] . . . I broke out in a cold sweat while staring at the System Window listing down one activity after another. You fucking said it was contact. But what youre fucking adding are Things that a depraved and perverted piece of shit motherfucker would do! System Message [ As the Level of Masochism increases, increasingly more aggressive activities will be added! ] Stop it. STOP IT!
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 136: Killing Two Birds With One Stone Chapter 136: Killing Two Birds With One Stone Killing Two Birds With One Stone I wont ask for the reason, so Beatrix sighed, throwing such words into the dimly lit training ground. Just stop it already. Its bing way too difficult to cover for you now. Then, she looked at her friend of ten years with a worried expression. Eleanor, her body covered in sweat, sprawled out in the middle of the training ground. This was, obviously, a familiar sight. Whenever this womans mind was filled with somethingplicated, she always came here to train until she was drenched in sweat. However What is the meaning of all this? Adjusting the budget will be a mess after all this Rumors that Lady Tristan had recently rented both the gym and training room to subject herself to an almost abusive training had spread throughout the academy. Beatrix sighed, looking around at the training ground that seemed like it had been hit by a storm. Shortly after, Eleanor silently wiped her sweat and tossed aside the magic dumbbell she had been using for strength training. It was an item with mana stones embedded on both sides, allowing the user to adjust the weight as desired. When she looked in that direction without much thought, Beatrix read the number 750kg written there before turning her gaze to Eleanor in utter horror. She lifted one of these with each of her arms and exercised with them?! How many sets did you do with that? Only 300. The rumor was urate. Way, waaay too urate. It was unbelievable that someone even thought about exercising with this thing, but to go this far? That wasnt even training anymore. That was just pure self-harm, nothing more, nothing less. Why in the world are you doing this? Youve been holing up here without meeting anyone! I know you always dedicate yourself to training, but this is the first time youve ever gone this far! Eleanor just wiped her sweat without a word. The expression on her face made Beatrix furrow her brows. This was an expression often shown by her. Normally, she hid her inner thoughts obstinately, to the extent that one could see it as petty. It was possible that she was taught from a young age that showing emotions was a sign of weakness. Since that was the case, her behavior was easy to understand. She had decided to erase such weakness to the best she could. As for why, she exined it with her own words. I realized that my dream is far too big. What? Our households cursed bloodline has always brought forth tragedy. Eleanors gloomy voice spread throughout the dim training grounds. That man has been doing so well until now, and it made me momentarily forget. What are you even talking about? Next time If I were to fail to protect him again If he were to get hurt because of something rted to me And if By any chance, he Were to die Several images shed through her mind. On their first meeting, he had turned into a total wreck right in front of her. Their second meeting, he was practically half-dead because he was solving some problem somewhere. And recently. She almost lost him Right before her very eyes She was too powerless to do anything but stood there in ce, watching helplessly. The pain and helplessness that seemed to tear her soul apart still vividly lingered in her very nerves. The Prophet. Remembering the woman in the mask, Eleanor clenched her fists. No. I cant let that woman take him away from me. That was why she deemed that this level of training was nothingpared to the consequences that couldeter. She resolved herself to be even stronger, stronger than I understand how you feel, Eleanor. Beatrix barely suppressed another sigh as she looked towards Eleanor. But still, we have to deal with the urgent matters first. The Imperial Household has summoned you. Hearing that, Eleanors eyes widened as she abruptly stood up. From the way she acted, it seemed like that was the first good news she had heard in a while. Her Imperial Majesty summoned me? Unfortunately, the Princess No, she isnt the Princess anymore now Unfortunately, Her Imperial Majesty doesnt seem to be in attendance. Eleanors expression crumpled once again. Seeing this, Beatrix let out a bitter smile before continuing. It has been a while since youst saw her, hasnt it? Because she has always been busy. Well, she always checks on you regrly. It wont be her if she doesnt pay attention to her childhood best friend. I am aware. Despite saying that, she seemed a little sulky. Well, it was understandable. If one had to name two people in the world she could open up to, other than Beatrix, the other person would be the Princess No, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress herself. Nevertheless, since she hadnt seen her for several years, such a grumpy reaction from her wasnt anything strange. Beatrix chuckled before handing her a document. However, it seems like she will soon be staying in Elfante. Because of that, both you and Duke Tristan have to report to her. Beatrix wasnt able to keep holding back her sigh as she continued speaking. That wasnt an easy topic to bring up, especially considering Eleanors attitude these days. But, the response that she received was quite an unexpected one. Good. What? Did she really just say that? Hearing the question that her friend asked in bewilderment, Eleanor continued in a calm voice. Theres something I have to find out from that old man. Something you have to find out? What is it? Beatrix asked again, but Eleanor just shut her mouth tightly instead of answering. Her mind was racing through the words she had heard before. Devils Fragment, Devils Vessel; She had heard such words from the Cursed Speech User she confronted before. And -Even then, the Tristan Duchy should be quite the illustrious Vessel Household, so its a bit absurd that you cant resist them at all. Did your mother not teach you how to use it? At the very least, she had to ask the rted party about what that man meant. Eleanors red eyes shone brightly in the darkness.
Youre thinking so deeply. What is it about? After ss. When I was sitting on my desk, leaning my chin against my hands, Talion looked at me and asked. About the ss we just had. The Empress visit to the Academy was imminent. Since I didnt want to be put in her bad books, I had to attend sses diligently. Ah,e to think of it, youve been attending sses diligentlytely. Are you studying well? Talion spoke, looking down at my book that was filled with notes. As expected of you, Senior Brother. You organize all this in such a short time? With this, Im sure youre going to get high grades in the written No, I gave up on my grades already. Talion looked back and forth between me and the notebook with an incredulous look. Then what is all this? Notes that the Saintess organized for me. After hearing that I made someone who stood at the very pinnacle of the believers write my notes for me, and my deration of giving up on my studies all together, Talion fell silent. After going through the trouble of getting such a personage to do that for you? You still decided to give up? There are just some things that cant be done. He looked as if he was about to lose his mind as he wrapped his head in his hands. I was serious though. To make up for all the credits I had missed so far, Id have to get the perfect score on the written exam. Look, lets be real here. I had never thought of myself as stupid, but the thing was, the amount of studying I had to do thanks to the standards Elfante set for its students was no joke. There was no way I could score a perfect 100, even if I started to work my ass off. Hell, I even received private tutoring from the Saintess, literally the most knowledgeable person on the continent, but even after that I could only barely keep up with the sses. So it was already pretty much decided that I wouldnt be able to meet the qualifications to meet the Empress. The Empress, huh? Putting aside her title as the Ruler of the Empire, she was crucial for unlocking Eleanors Exclusive Quest The Madness of the Householdter on. No matter how busy I was, I couldnt afford to take her lightly. Then, how do you n to handle the Comprehensive Competency Evaluation? There is not much time left. That ones easy. Saying so, I pped a copy of the document posted on the central bulletin board onto the desk. Fundamentally, Elfante was an institution for nurturing talents rted tobat. Achievements in such an area were rated the most highly. It was evident in the scoring of this Comprehensive Competency Evaluation. The highest portion of the scores was not theoretical knowledge butbat, evaluated through Practical Exams. For second-year students especially, scoring high in this section could significantly boost their overall grades. I should be able to score at least average in the written exam, thanks to the tutoring from the Saintess. Which meant, if I were to do well here, there was a chance for me to turn the tables. Ill beat the shit out of everyone there. Senior Brother, are you not technically a Battle Priest in name? Usually, Battle Priests are students who are devoted to volunteer work or theological studies. So why are you thinking like students from the Knight or Magic Schools? So what? Beggars cant be choosers, duh. Besides, have I been doing things that resembled your typical Battle Priest to solve my problems? No. But isnt the format of the Practical Exam always randomly determined? As I asked this to Talion, he stroked his chin and nodded. Though that is true, you can still somewhat predict it depending on who the professor in charge is. This time, Sir Conrad, the Dean of the Knight School, is in charge, so a mock siege is the most likely exam format. If it was a mock siege, then It would be a battle where a few seniors would hinder arge number of underssmen from entering a specific area. Ive gone through the same thing a few times in the game. I saw it once during my freshman year. Iliya scored the highest then. If she were here, she would have been helpful. By the way, what is she doing these days? Kasa told me to leave her in her care before leaving, but she had yet to return to Elfante even though more than a few days had passed. As for Riru, she had some work rted to the nation, but it should be the time for her toe back yet, right? So, why wasnt she here? Im not sure From what I heard, she applied for an extension of her stay. It seems it will take some time for her to return to Elfante. I frowned slightly upon hearing Talions words. It would be nice if she returned soon. I could sort out various things rted to the next chapter. Chapter 4, Crimson Night, revolved around three key characters. Iliya, the Master of the Holy Sword, Faenol, the Chapter Boss And I silently looked at the amulet on my arm. [What?] Forget it. Theres just something like that. I chuckled inwardly at Calibans voice and responded. This person. The hidden card who would y a significant role in this chapter. Despite him always acting like a slightly older neighbor who constantly teased me, this person was someone who had died by the hand of a Vessel who possessed all of her Fragments. Well, anyway. A mock siege, huh? Then what I had to do became clear. I needed to find teammates. Now that I was a second-year student, there was a high chance I would be assigned on the side of defense. The maximum team size is three, right? Yes. Im afraid I cannot help you this time, though. Im grouped with my peers and assigned to offense for the siege Nah, its fine. I cant always rely on you. It was still a shame, though. If it was Talion, I would have been able to rely on him to do his job. Besides, finding teammates was a headache. To think I actually needed to do work in order to find some. Yuria, due to her nature, was too risky for such a test and Eleanor was likely to vite school regtions if teamed up with me, so I couldnt go with either of them. Moreover System Log [ Target Eleanor is experiencing extreme powerlessness! ] Her condition was not normal. Unlike Yuria and the Saintess, she seemed to bepletely avoiding any contact with me, making it hard for me to reach out to her, and It felt like it would take quite some time for her to get back to normal. And Im already so busy as it is. I had too many things on my te. My top priority was Faenols request to woo her within a month. Because if I failed that Lets say that this was the most dangerous thing of them all. Of course, considering her nature, just aimlessly throwing myself at her would not work, so I had left her alone for now. But if I missed even one ss, it was over for me. Right now, I had no choice but to focus on that. On top of that, there was a Grand Assassin continuously stalking me as well. She didnt seem to have any intentions to attack me right now, but I still felt her watchful eyes on me. Hm. Hmmmmm. I closed my eyes and pondered for a moment. Oh well, it couldnt be helped. Since she kept on bothering me, Id just make a rather radical decision. I needed to appease Faenol, deal with the assassin on my tail, and perform well on the Practical Exam? Talion. I have a favor to ask. Yes? What favor? Go to the clearing in the mountain at the back. There should be a student from the Magic School with red hair. Her name is Faenol. I continued to speak as I stood up. Can you tell her that I want to see her? Yes, thats not too difficult but Where are you going right now? Finding myst teammate. I sighed and continued. You see, I know someone whose skills are unquestionably exceptional. So exceptional, in fact, that she was one of two kinds in the whole continent. Since I had prepped her enough that she was not nning to kill me right away, what I was about to do should somewhat work. I have to cuff both of them at the same time. This was what a real man should do. Deal with everything all at once when something annoyinges up. [Bastard, have you turned into an actual lunatic now?] [Youre toozy to two-time, so you decided to just deal with them both at the same time?] Fuck you I never said that. Stop making shit up.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 137: Trouble (1) Chapter 137: Trouble (1) Trouble (1) [Anyway, I know it isnt really a surprise that youre thinking of doing something dangerous again, but] A voice resounded from inside the amulet. [Please try to have a little awareness of what kind of bullshit youre trying to pull.] Excuse me? [Just think about it. Youre trying to put two Devils Vessels together, and expecting nothing bad would happen. Thats just borderline delusional thinking.] I responded, sighing at Calibans words. Theyd only be together for the duration of the exam. Surely nothing bad will happen from that. [Those guys are still Devils Vessels. Did you not remember what happened to you thest time you did this?] Yeah, I got split in half. Honestly, I kinda agreed with his concerns. Not for any other reason, but because of this. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > Faenol Lipek [ No Favorability Level ] [ Rted Event urs in D-5 ] Five dayster, that was the exact day of the Practical Exam. This meant that something rted to this woman would be shoved right up my ass, but Even so, I doubt itll be anything big. [You kept on saying that, but] No, really. Since the person in question is Faenol, something like that wont happen. I decisively cut off Calibans doubt. [What makes you so sure? I thought you said that shes the most dangerous one out of them all if she were to go berserk.] Well, shes a little special. Considering that a Devil going berserk depended greatly on the mental state of the Vessel, this was even more true. In the first ce, she couldnt feel any emotion. Which meant, she had lost the trigger to go berserk. [Then why are you running around trying to fulfill her requests? Cant you just leave her be?] Because if I do that, that thing inside her will start acting up on its own. I responded with a sigh. Possessing all three Fragments meant that there was already aplete Devil inside her body. In short, she was different from ordinary Vessels. Knowing the Red Devil, it was a certainty that she was trying her best to descend into the Material Realm by using Faenol as a medium. Devil of Hatred. As her alias came to my mind, I furrowed my brows. Just like what her name entailed, she possessed a blind hatred towards all sentient and intellectual living beings. Compared to other Devils who possessed variousplex elements To put it simply, she was just evil. If she were to go berserk, shed go around to burn and kill everything within her sight. The bigger problem here was the fact that she, along with the Grey Devil, were both unique Devils that could forcibly go berserk. Suppressing such an existence with the Holy Sword that Iliya wielded was the main content of Chapter 4. That was why The one month time limit Faenol had given me It was kinda like a notification, a time limit until the scheduled berserk happened. Basically, she was saying that if I didnt kill her within this period of time, something horribly wrong would happen. Such a tragic heroine, wasnt she? She had to end up bearing such a fate; Having to die so that she wouldnt be able to kill others. And it wasnt like she chose to be a Devils Vessel or anything. [] You seem a bit displeased. [Obviously.] Caliban answered with a slightly low voice. [Are you actually feeling sorry for her?] [Did you forget that she is the main culprit of the Crimson Night Incident? Have I not made myself clear enough?] Well, it was understandable for him to act like this. It looked like I was taking the side of the person who killed him, so there was no way he would feel happy about it. And aside from that, as Caliban said, Faenol was someone who caused a cataclysm that affected tens of thousands lives. However I wont deny that. [What?] Its the fact that shes pitiful. But remember that the bad guy here is the one dwelling inside her, not she herself. I could definitely guarantee that much. Faenol was actually the most pitiable one of all the Vessels in the game. In fact, she getting resurrected after dying once wasnt because of her own will. The Devil in her body forcibly did it to her. Although she didnt feel that way at all from the attitude she showed outwardly, knowing her background as I did, I had no choice but to admit it. So, yeah. Scratching my cheek, I continued. I feel bad for saying this to you, but I do wish to help her You can say that I pity her. [] After hearing my words, Caliban went silent for a long while. [Im sure you have your reasons for saying that.] Sorry. [Forget it. Make sure to exin properly to meter.] I chuckled at Calibans voice that sounded a bit disgruntled. This person really was quite open minded. To think that he would try to understand me after hearing such things. Even if we had been together for quite a while now, that was no easy thing to do. Anyway This event was likely to be the official starting point of awakening Faenols Favorability Level. After all, based on my experience, a Rted Event was highly likely to be something that would involve the targets Favorability Level. I knew everything about her settings, from A to Z. It wouldnt be difficult to act appropriately ording to the situation. If there is any obstacle It would be this woman. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > Seras Evatrice [ Curiosity Level 5 ] [ Rewards Avable. ] The Purple Devil inside her was, how should I put it A bit unusual. To put it simply Despite her seemingly not as dangerous as the Red Devil at a nce, she was actually an extremely troublesome existence for me. [Come to think of it, you mentioned about Devil of Obedience or something, didnt you?] Caliban asked, as if finding something strange. [So, why does a Devil have such an Out of ce alias?] Ah, that? It did seem a bit strange to have the word Obedience when the rest of her fellow Devils possessed ominous aliases like the Devil of Wrath, Devil of Obsession, or Devil of Hatred. However It means exactly as said. [What?] You see, its in her nature to be ones confidant To put it simply, shes a Devil that seeks a worthy master to serve It might sound harmless, even helpful, but There was a reason why Seras was ranked as the No. 1 Landmine by Savior Rising yers. Blind loyalty to her master was something good and all, but Shes prone to causing a lot of trouble. That same loyalty was a little Dreadful. [What?] In the game, she would voluntarily do various things for the one she served. The problem was that, from the perspective of the receiver, it was almost akin to pressing a self-destruct button. [I dont quite understand.] Ill give you an example. Scratching my head, I continued. To sum up my situation right now, Im trying my best so that I wont get caught ying the field with a bunch of Devils at once, right? [Kinda, yeah.] Now, if she knows of my situation, what shed do is shell go to the other Devils, saying something like, Know your ce! Dont try to monopolize Master and just join the harem! and stir shit up. [] Shell do this to everyone without exception, shell actually walk up to every Vessel and try to put them in their ce Or something simr to that After a long silence, Caliban spoke. [I understand. One wrong step means death.] Exactly. To think that the perils were so extreme that even this person could understand it at once. What a truly terrifying existence you were, Purple Devil. [So why are you going out of your way to meet her now? Shouldnt you be avoiding her as much as possible?] Caliban then asked in a puzzled tone. After all, during the time I sent Talion to call for Faenol, I was moving towards the building where Seras was attending a lecture. My reasons? There were a lot of them, but System Log [ Target Seras bes more proactive in learning about you! ] [ The frequency of contact with you increases significantly! ] Since this kind of thing had popped up, avoiding her was out of the question from the start. Contact was basically guaranteed and given my disposition, it was all but confirmed that I would get deeply involved with her. That was why I needed to find a solution corresponding to such conditions. Just like the other Devils, if she were to be left alone, things will actually get much worse. [Isnt she the Devil of Obedience? Cant you justmand her to stay quiet?] If I dont give her any tasks whatsoever, she would go berserk on the spot. While saying she has no reason to be of service. [What a hassle.] I didnt feel like it was right to speak so lightly of a Devil, but I agreed with his sentiment. Thats why its better for me to keep some distance with her. Keeping an ever so delicate bnce, as if on the very precipice of falling. Maintaining just the right distance was key, like we were friends, but at the same time, not. Because of my disposition, it was inevitable that she would cling onto me to be obedient, but it was vital to keep a proper distance to prevent my sensitive information from flowing into her. If I kept her too far, she would go berserk, and if I kept her too close, she would cause all sorts of trouble, thinking that she was doing it for my sake. Forming a team and taking the exam together was also to properly inject this sense of distance into her. To take control of the rtionship, it was easier to actively steer the situation than to have idental contact. Now then. Standing in front of the ssroom where Seras was attending her lecture, I took a deep breath. For now, the base of our interaction was to have a somewhat intimate, but clearly defined business rtionship. Just as I was thinking this Suddenly, a scream erupted from outside the ssroom. KYAAAAAAAAK! Someone go call for help quickly! But It felt like something went terribly wrong from the very start. When I hurriedly opened the door of the lecture room and entered My head started spinning upon witnessing the scene unfolding before my eyes. Seras stood in the center of the ssroom, holding a blood-stained dagger. In front of hery a man, covered in blood. I wasnt sure what happened, but the situation clearly indicated that Seras had stabbed this man. And a system window appeared before my eyes. System Message [ The mental state of Seras is highly unstable! ] [ Rted Event is urgently created! ] ! Emergency Quest ! [ Target Seras is in trouble! ] [ Aiding the target will greatly increase her Favorability Level! ] [ Aiding the target will start the Exclusive Quest Treachery! ] [ Upon failing to aid her, the Purple Devil will go berserk! ] Yeah. Just my luck. No way in hell everything would ever go smoothly.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 138: Trouble (2) Chapter 138: Trouble (2) Trouble (2) So boring. Seras barely suppressed a yawn that threatened to escape her lips. As a student infiltrating Elfante, she couldnt just skip all the sses, so she ended up having to pick a few lectures to attend. That was part of the reason why she was sitting in this ssroom listening to the professors useless exnations. Is this truly the best educational institution in the Empire? She had joined this advanced lecture, hoping that it would be at least interesting, but the professor in front of her was just droning on and on about the basics of Divine Power Mastery. Of course,paring his lecture to the Holy Land was too harsh, but she couldnt help but find that the level of the lecture was disappointingly low. For someone like her, this level was a mere waste of time. But, she still had to stick around in this academy. Because of a certain man. -Thus, Divine Power is subdivided into various grades, starting from Basic Graces to Miracles, with the highest grade being the Angels Grace- The Angels Grace, huh? Seras thought expressionlessly, slightly bowing her head as she pondered the wordsing from the professors mouth. It was something she had encountered not long ago. A deep sigh escaped her. Initially, she was nning to deal with him quickly before returning to the Pope, but things had turnedplicated. Starting from the mysterious throbbing that she felt, to the sight of him interacting nonchntly with the angels, the beings who were considered as Apostles of God by the Church. And if that interaction was genuine, without any trickery or deceit Then, she absolutely could not harm that man. Because, ording to the doctrine, only those with true faith could make contact with angels. But that would imply that the Pope, the person who had ordered her to bring harm to that man, possessed a w. What in the world is going on? She felt a headacheing as she rubbed her temple. He was always a thorn in the Popes side. But, the more she observed him, the more bizarre he ! Suddenly, she widened her eyes. She felt a strange sensation near her chest. Something that had been happening far too oftentely. Every time she thought about him, this throbbing sensation would appear. Especially when she tried to belittle him in her mind. What exactly did this mean, she didnt know. Though, what she did know was there was something inside her that forcibly warned her to Not do that. To not belittle that man. Because shed definitelye to regret it if she did. The feelings felt eerily simr to the sensation that stopped her when she tried to stab him before. Dont make meugh. With a deep frown, she twisted her body slightly. This was an involuntary reaction to the strong aversion she felt towards this sensation. To her, the fact that this feeling was trying to forcibly control her will was something disgraceful. The doctrine of the Holy Land is infallible, and so is His Holiness the Pope. That man is not even in the same league. Its not even worthparing. Ever since she first met the Pope and embraced his ideology, she was fascinated by his vision. The world the Pope dreamt of was the very definition of a true and genuine Paradise for her. An ideal world where no one was discriminated against. Where everyone, regardless of their origin or race, could enjoy equal happiness without being idiotically bound by such innate barriers. Compared to the Pope, who had surpassed even her ideals, that man was nothing more than an animal who shamelessly put a leash on women while dragging them Again, she twisted her body. The pounding in her heart gave her a sharp pain, as if she was being stabbed repeatedly with a knife. As if her heart was showing its fury the moment she thought of such words. It was so painful that if her profession wasnt one so ustomed to enduring pain, she would have cried out in agony. Am I possessed by an Evil Spirit or something? What is going on? Initially, she thought she just wasnt feeling well, but her condition was just way too strange to be dismissed as such. I should visit Viz for an exorcism after this ss ends. While she held her chest with such thoughts, the professor continued his lecture. -Thus, some schrs interpret the birth of the first human as the deeds of existences from the Astral Realm. At that, she let out a slight smile. Yop. Thats correct. And the Holy Land, which had the closest interactions with beings of the Astral Realm, undoubtedly stood at the top among the continental superpowers. For once, an imperial says something that makes sense. Thinking this, Seras looked at the professor. However, it is difficult to see it that way as it seems quite unlike them to make so many mistakes. The words that followed from that mouth made her expression stiffen, but I am talking about the crude, disgusting, and embarrassing race of Cardinal Humans, who dare to be treated as the same human beings as us. If someone ever meets an angel, please do me a favor and ask why such beings were created. During the span of the lightughter that spread among the students Seras desperately suppressed the killing intent that threatened to burst through her expression. Memories buried long ago in the back of her mind began to resurface. The discrimination, humiliation, persecution, and oppression that she, someone who was born in the Empire, endured before moving to the Holy Land. And the most precious thing she had lost. Despicable bastards. With a look of disdain, she stared at theughing humans around her. The Cardinals. Those simr to humans, but also bearing the traits of another race. This term was used for Beastkin who were typically referred to as Biped. The Empirepletely ostracized and discriminated against them, who, despite having slight physical differences, were almost indistinguishable from humans. Unlike the Holy Land, they were narrow-minded and repulsive humans who only treated pure-blooded humans as their equal. ss is dismissed for today. Submit your assignments through the teaching assistant by the next ss. With that, the students began to noisily rise from their seats. And Seras, mixed in with them, expressionlessly organized her writing tools and textbooks. Unlike others, she had no friends in this school, but she didnt feel anything in particr about it. After all, her student identity was just a disguise. Once she finished dealing with her work regarding Dowd Campbell, shed immediately discard this identity. So, all she needed to do was pack up her things, and she could proceed to continue to gather information about that man. Or at least that was supposed to be the case. Hey. But today, to her surprise, there was a group of students that approached her. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at them. A seasoned assassin could gather a lot of information from just the first impression. And this was even more so when it came to an assassin bearing the title of Grand. In front of her was a male student, proudly wearing a pendant with his households crest around his neck. Perhaps due to his well-trained body and movements suggesting diligentbat training, there was not a single gap in his conduct. After thoroughly scanning him, Seras internally nodded in a serious manner. I can ignore him. Though well-trained, that was the extent of it. At her level, even official knights couldnt touch a hair on her. She could easily kill this kind of weakling with just a single finger. I have something to Not interested. Because she cut him off before he could even finish, the man frowned. In another ce, he might have scolded her for her rudeness, asking who she was to dare to treat him this way. However, this was Elfante. Even the Imperial Family must tread carefully in this institution of equal education. Swallowing his anger, the man tried to speak again. He had even managed to force a fairly friendly smile. I am Brix Chester, the eldest son of the Chester County. I came to make a proposal. If you hear the name of our household, you cant help but listen, can you? was what his demeanor was clearly saying. She unfurled a mental directory of names in her mind. As an assassin, one of the skills at her disposal was to have detailed personal information about key figures from various countries. If its the Chester County, then They stood somewhere between the Major Nobles and mid-level nobility of the Empire. Good enough to be so confident against nobodies, but So what? To a Grand Assassin like her, they were still fodder. She could annihte their entire household in a day by herself. So when she spoke, tantly showing her annoyance, the mans expression crumpled again. Normally, one would back off or get angry in such a situation, but he cleared his throat and continued speaking. Arent you hiding your true skills? What? Im asking if you have trained professionally in fighting techniques. No. Even if you hide your presence, you cant hide the contours of your body. The state of your muscles, their development. Its clear that they have been trained to an extreme level. A level where bone was crushed and flesh was split. He isnt going to let me go easily. As Seras sighed inwardly while thinking this Ive only learned some self-defense techniques. Look here. Are you trying to mock me? I, as the eldest son of a County, have been wielding a sword since I was seven. Lets stop ying around. Just tell me what you want. Brix, who heard Serass tone change sharply, gave a shallow smile. Theres someone in the uing Competency Evaluation that I want to deal with. Lets work on this together. Ill make sure topensate you well. She was not pleased. Only the Pope had the right to employ her. Normally, she didnt even want to talk to fodder like this. Wait, if its a County However Suddenly, she had a thought. Do you perhaps know someone named Dowd Campbell? She was considering getting useful information about that man if this person happened to know something about him. After all, this fodder belonged to a noble line with some standing and had been in the academy longer than her. Maybe he had ess to valuable information she did not know. However As soon as he heard the name, Brixs face twisted horribly. What a coincidence. His voice was dripped with contempt and disgust. That bastard is the very person I wanted to deal with. Really? Suddenly A pang could be felt from her chest again. The sensation momentarily startled her, but she didnt show it on her face. Again. Its that sensation again. Why does this keep on happening every time his name is mentioned? He is a wretch who insulted my father. A filthy bug-like piece of shit. Again. Her heart throbbed. Pit-a-pat. The same painful sensation as if she was being stabbed with a knife. The palpitations grew more intense with every derogatory word about that man. Its fortunate you know him as well. Any student in the academy would have at least heard vaguely about how much of a scumbag he is. And due to the following urge, Seras was shocked to find herself clutching her chest. It felt like her whole body was screaming. To pull out the dagger she had on her right away and stab this man. To shut his mouth. Her breathing quickened. Her head spun. Her consciousness blurred, as if engulfed in mist. He didnt seem like such a bad person, though. Moreover, she even uttered such words. What in the world are you doing right now, Seras? Why was she defending that man? What reason was there to? Amidst her fading rationality, such thoughts brushed past her mind. However, even while having such thoughts, the anger that was practically boiling her brain surged, regardless of her being conscious of it or not. It was almost like How should she put it? It was simr to the emotion she felt when the Pope was insulted. When someone she served was ndered. What? Then you are being deceived. He is cunning, like a snake. You can think of it as enacting justice. Enacting justice? At one point The tone of her voice was lowered to a chilling level. But Briz, engrossed in his nders, didnt notice it. Thats right. I want to teach him that he shouldnt have messed with the Chester County. What do you mean by that? It is just as I said. idents happen all the time in the Practical Exam, so it is easy to cover up. And then I am going to kill that bastard. Upon hearing this Her field of vision was dyed in purple. And then -! Blood sttered. And a scream echoed in all directions.
KYAAAAAAAAAK-! S-Someone go call for help quickly! At these screams, her consciousness, which had briefly been lost, returned. Seras widened her eyes and took a harsh breath. What did I just do! This was a situation she had never experienced before after bing a Grand Assassin and forming the Oath of the Crescent Moon, a secret assassin organization. It was eerily simr to the time she tried to harm Dowd Campbell. Her body moved independently from her will. As if someone else was controlling it. However The gravity of the situation was far more serious than at that time. Seras looked at her hands in horror. The blood-stained dagger. Brixs copsed body in front of her. And most importantly All the gazes focused on her. It was a disaster. There couldnt have been a more troubling incident than this. To think that she would suddenly stab someone with a weapon in a situation with so many witnesses. She broke out in a cold sweat. Her back felt icy cold, and her head started to spin. Thanks to her skill in killing her emotions, she did not panic, but no matter how calm her mind was, it was nearly impossible to think of a suitable solution to this situation. No. There was one. A terrible but effective method came to her mind. It was a thought she would never have entertained under normal circumstances. But in her current strange state of mind, the idea seemed terribly enticing. Cant I just get rid of all of them? She just needed to ughter all the people here. After all, if all the witnesses were gone, no one would know who did it. And as if to support this thought Purple flickered in her vision once again. They are all people who are of no help to that man anyway. What does that even mean? Why was she even thinking that? Although this thought vaguely brushed past her mind Once again, a powerful pulse spread in her mind, as if smoke was rising, burying such thoughts. These fodder here, all these morons Are meaninglessworthless. There is no harm in getting rid of them. It shouldnt matter at all. In the world, only those who are useful to Master should remain. Thesethings are just a nuisance. And right at that moment The door to the lecture room opened abruptly. Seras swiftly turned her eyes towards it. Ah. Its that man. Dowd Campbell. Seras heart began pounding. Ah, thats right. Master. She had to do something that would help that man. Please wait, just for a moment. Since she would get rid of all these useless people. That must be what that man desires too. Right as she thought this and raised her dagger again Dowd showed a bewildered expression, quickly grasping the situation, and then Ah, seriously. He let out a sigh. Following that, his face showed a resigned expression, as if he had no other choice. And then The Seal on his chest began to shine. White? With an enthralling white that captivated the attention of every human in the vicinity.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 139: Trouble (3) Chapter 139: Trouble (3) Trouble (3) System Message [ Mutation has no umted enough Demonic Aura. ] [ s ability cannot be fully exerted! ] [ Ipletely replicates the Authority of the target! ] The first thing that came to mind was that I could take away Yurias Demonic Aura after I made her feel better. Though, I wasnt nning on using it here. Its way too early to use this. Originally, I was saving it to use on Faenol, but this was an emergency, there was no other choice. Revealing my hand like this was better than letting the Purple Devil go berserk at least Like, I could always get the Demonic Aura back by leashing Yuria and dragging her to Mister Angels. [You have no more conscience left at this point, huh?] Okay, look, even if I sugarcoated my words, it wouldnt change the action itself! Besides, it should be fine, as long as I didnt enjoy the process! [Its over for you. Youre way too gone at this point.] [I dont think this is because of some kind of influence by your race change. Your personality is just bing shittier.] Okay, cool, now shut up. Ignoring Calibans words, I strode into the ssroom. [But, a Devils still a Devil, I guess. Are you trying to tell me this aura is iplete?] From inside the amulet, such a sentence flowed out. He probably said such a thing after witnessing the scene unfolding in my surroundings. White aura flowed out of my chest, filling the entire space. Influenced by it, the students had dazed looks. Dozens of them stood still and upright, as if they had fainted while standing. Due to the characteristics of this School, those students must be aiming to be Battle Priests. In other words, some of them should have stronger resistance towards this kind of mental interferencepared to students of other Schools.. Yet, even they had lost control of their minds. The White Devils Authority, Enthrallment, gave its user the ability to exercise control over the mind of the target. If they were at the level of a Venerable Monk, or a high-ranking Battle Priest, whose very nature were to discipline ones mind, they might not sumb to this level of Aura. But because they were merely students, even this iplete Aura was enough to captivate them. I could ask these guys to do anything right now and they wouldply. Alright. Attention. I pped my hands to shift their focus to me. Their dazed eyes simultaneously concentrated towards my face. Forget everything youve seen here. Got it? With those words A white aura briefly red in everyones eyes. This meant they recognized mymand. Good. Now, disperse quietly. Shortly after I said this, everyone left the ssroom in an orderly fashion. Almost as if nothing had happened. [Is that all? Are you sure itll be okay?] What? Was there something that wasnt okay about this? [This kind of memory erasure can be reversedter if someone tries hard enough. Since theyre Battle Priests, they should be familiar with purification rituals. This kind of thing is very risky and] What? [Huh?] We each exchanged such puzzled noises. It felt like we were not quite on the same page. What are you on about? Let me remind you, this is a Devils Authority, okay? [Okay, look, Ive seen others use simr abilities to this before. All of them could easily be broken through, you know?] Ah. I get it. This guy thought that what I did was ordinary brainwashing or hypnosis. Well, it did seem simr to those, I guess. And he was right, those kinds of things were easy to break and using it carried a high risk. However, despite it being iplete, this was still a Devils Authority. This isnt brainwashing or hypnosis, theyre just following my orders because they like me. In the first ce, the abilitys name was Enthrallment. They retained their memories of everything, they just followed everything I said because they liked me so much. This ability wasnt as simple as me making them forget something because I told them so. It was that they chose to listen to my request because I wanted them to forget. And they werent even aware of this happening. [What is that even supposed to mean?] It means, you dont need to worry about the aftermath. By the way, they wouldnt just forget everything that happened here, theyd also actively cover up the evidence to prevent rumors from spreading, silence anyone who knew about this, and even if they were tortured, they wouldnt speak of it until they die. They werent merely following orders; Theyd do their best to achieve the result I desire. In short, theyll do anything I say here except for one thing. Amand to harm me. They would never obey that. [Why wouldnt they?] You cant possibly hurt someone that you love, can you? I replied with a bitter smile. If I were to tell them to harm me, theyd say something along the lines of theyd rather take their own lives instead. [] After a long silence, Caliban finally spoke. [And this ability is iplete?] Yes. Theplete version could assert the Authority over an entire continent. If it was the White Devil, shed be able to enthrall every sentient being in this world. [What kind of batshit crazy power is that?] Caliban spoke in a despondent tone. I smiled bitterly in agreement. Well, that was just how Devils were. Trying to understand them was essentially a losing game. Anyway, I had eliminated the conditions for Seras to go psycho mode again. More importantly, I needed to treat this guy quickly before he died. With that in mind, I looked at the male student writing on the floor. Sigh. Exhaling a sigh, I took out a case from my pocket. It was a potion set for emergencies. I always carried it just in case I got hurt. [] What? [I felt sorry for you.] [How often must you feel threatened that you need to carry around a set like this?] To think that even you would empathize with me I guess that just showed how dire and miserable my circumstances always were. My life So tragic [Ah, but I have one more question.] What is it? [This ability to control is impressive and all, but it seems like youre going to use it against the Red Devil? Does it even work on other Devils?] Ah, that. Well, this power was rather simple. So, obviously, it wouldnt work on Devils. However Originally, it was impossible to even make contact with certain entities, but with this power, I could make theme out. Even the Red Devil, who was immune to my Fatal Charm, could be summoned at least once by using this. [Aha. So to her, you, who already look tasty, will seem even more appetizing?] That was a weird way to put it, but he wasnt wrong. With that thought, I looked at Seras, who, like the others, was standing dazedly. Since a while ago, purple aura had been fluctuating in her eyes. Ah. I should start my preparation. It was about time for the effects to kick in. [Prepare for what?] Well Like I said, this was an ability that could even summon the Red Devil, who showed the least interest in me, once. Now, with that in mind What kind of effect would it have on someone whod willingly meddle in my business like a lunatic, even when I tried not to give them any attention? System Message [ The Aura of the Purple Devil is felt! ] [ Fallens Seal reacts! ] Following that message, Seras eyes werepletely filled with the color purple. Then MASTERRRRR!!! Seras, in a high-pitched voice that didnt suit her at all, threw herself into my arms.
It felt like my body was being folded in half. She was a Grand Assassin alright. Her physical abilities were crazy. Just her embrace felt like I was being hit by a truck. As I gasped because the air was knocked out of my lungs, Seras kept rubbing her face against my chest. Master, Master! I missed you! She excitedly threw those words with a joyful voice. Her pupils sparkled as if stardust were falling from them. It was an unimaginable expression considering her usual demeanor. She was like arge loyal dog meeting its owner after years of separation. Hey, hey, stop! Of course, no matter how dog-like she was, it was still way too excessive for her to actually lick my face. Seriously, put your tongue away! As I backed away, startled, Seras, undeterred, spread her legs wide while embracing me like an industrial vise. It was as if she was a small child clinging to a grown adult. As if she never wanted to let go. As if she wanted to be even closer to me. Of course, my physical strength wasnt great enough to properly withstand a full-grown woman charging at me with all her weight. As soon as I staggered and fell, Seras covered me as if she had been waiting for this moment. With no room to retreat, I had no choice but to be at her mercy as she relentlessly licked my face. Seeing one of the continents top assassins doing this kind of thing would certainly be a horrifying sight, but it was probably not of her own will. To exin, uh Her behavior was heavily influenced by the personal tastes of the Purple Devil. [What? If this is all she does when she goes berserk, then she doesnt look dangerous at all.] While my face was getting smeared with saliva, Caliban said such words. This isnt her going berserk. As I replied to him, I activated a skill. System Notification [ Using Scan. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] [ Seras Evatrice ] Characteristic: Vessel Purple Devil Status: I like Master, I like Master, I like Master, I like Master, I like Master, I like- Lets skip this creepy ass window for now. [ Status Info ] [ General ] Strength: A+ Agility: SSS Endurance: B Luck: B Power: A- [ Special ] Magic Power: A Law Power: F Divine Power: A [ Misc. ] Current Fused Devil Fragment Amount: 1 Stage 1 Fusion Progress: 3% Corruption Progress: 1% Look at this. The Fragment Fusion Progress was at its lowest. Even the Corruption Progress was lingering at 1% This was a phenomenon that could only be seen with the Purple Devil. Even if she didnt go berserk, she was able to express her will through the Vessel. This shit was scary as fuck. Even the White Devil, THE Devil of Obsession herself didnt rush out, suppress Yurias personality and do whatever she wanted. Sure, they were Vessels and all, but once they got seriously entangled with a Devil, a mental breakdown would definitely ur, it was just a matter of time. If the Vessels personality was forcibly suppressed like this by the Devils will, the Vessel could actually be a vegetable, unable to act nor think. And if the Vessel ended up like that, it would be a huge loss for the Devil, as they could only exert their influence in the Material Realm through them as a medium. However This crazy Devil disregarded any of that and just rushed in. When thinking about such a reckless tendency, where she consistently meddled for me, there couldnt be anything more terrifying than that. Seras. As such What I had to do here was quite clear. I needed toy some groundwork to control that tendency. Yes, Master! Just tell me to do anything! Anything! Command me! Boss me around however you want! Anything I can do, Ill do, so! This is amand. Donte within a 5 meter radius from me. Seras words were cut off abruptly.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 140: Nursing (1) Chapter 140: Nursing (1) Nursing (1) As soon as my voice trickled away, a system window popped up in front of me. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] And the moment she took in my words, she didnt move a single inch. As if she had forgotten how to breathe, the atmosphere around her was so eerie that it was almost scary. Master? Doesnt need me? Huh? The look in her face made it as if her entire world had crumbled. Colors gradually drained from her eyes. System Message [ Corruption Value of target Seras skyrockets! ] [ She will soon definitively enter a Berserk state! ] Master, isnt my Master? Seriously, I just told her to stay away, but her mental state had shattered to this extent. So annoying. Still You heard me. Donte within five meters of me. I wouldnt back down. If I didnt draw this line between us, she would actually stick to me all day long and cause all kinds of trouble. Instead Of course, I couldnt just push her away and do nothing, or else her Corruption Value would explode instantly. And so, I added more to my words. Dont stray beyond ten meters either. The expression of Seras, or more precisely, the Purple Devil, was filled with confusion. System Message [ Corruption Value of the target drops sharply! ] Since it was clear that mymand didnt have the intention to push her away, her expression was brightened slightly. Not only that, her Corruption Value dropped as well. But, I wasnt done yet. And dont even think about meeting me every day. System Message [ Corruption Value of target Seras skyrockets! ] Instead, Ill y with you one day a week. I promise. System Message [ Corruption Value of the target drops sharply! ] But, when we meet that day Every time I continued to speak, her Corruption Value repeatedly soared and dropped. It soared every time I tried to push her away and dropped whenever I dered I would keep her close. [What are you even trying to make her do then? You tell her to note near you, but you dont want her to stay away either] Im just trying to adjust the distance between us. As I said before I came here When dealing with the Purple Devil, my survival depended on us managing our distance. Actually, I was the only one who decided on the distance between us, but it should be fine as long as Iid out all these terms clearly to her. Instead, if you follow mymands well Besides, I didnt want her to mindlessly follow my order. What I wanted was to tame her so that she could fulfill my needs. So, I had to treat her like a dangerous pet that was able to end my life in an instant if a single thing went wrong. This kind of approach was impossible to do with other Devils, but it should work with this one specifically. Ill give you a reward. A reward? Ill gradually allow you toe closer to me. Ill let you sleep a little less, and Ill gradually increase our ytime as well. As I said this, I stroked her head, who was still on top of me. The confused expression she had after hearing the series of words I spoke, melted into a beaming smile when I patted her head. It was as if just receiving some attention from me was the greatest happiness in the world for her. I guess its true that Devils are inextricably linked to Vessels. That was the theory I had established before. The rtionship between the Blue Devil and Riru already half-convinced me that Devils were more influenced by Vessels than I thought. That was why And most importantly. If you listen to me well The words I was conveying to her now were A message to both the Purple Devil and Seras. Ill never abandon you. Her face, which had been beaming with a smile, suddenly turned stiff. The smile gradually disappeared, and she soon blinked her eyes while gazing down at me. Silence fell for a while, as if time had stopped. The words I just threw out Was something that touched upon the very reason why she was striving to find a person to be obedient to. Additionally, it also touched upon Seras past. Is that a promise, Master? After a long silence, she opened her mouth with hesitation. It was hard to believe that this was the same person who kept reacting frantically to my words just now. Yeah. Will you stay with me and the Vessel, always? Yeah. Even to the very end, no matter what happens? No matter what happens. I literally dered that Id make the Six Devils happy. If I couldnt handle her, someone who was simr to arge dog that was prone to cause troubles, how could I even begin to dream of achieving that? Well, the scale of the troubles I was talking about was rather enormous, but you know At any rate, I was a man of my word. I meant it when I said Id cover for those Devils, that included the one in front of me. If so When I firmly returned an answer filled with such thoughts Seras, or more precisely, the Purple Devil controlling her, nodded. Ill obediently listen to you. With those words, she extended her pinky finger towards me while smiling brightly. Pinky promise. Okay? It was an unusually docile request for a Devil. However, when seeing her childlike demeanor, it wasnt too difficult to understand why she did this. Essentially, a Devils Fragment symbolized the deficiency that was suppressed and rejected by the Vessel. To put it simply, this lively child symbolized something that Seras could never have. As I thought that and made a pinky promise with her, she smiled brilliantly once again. Then, Master. With those words See you next time. Seras body flopped onto me like a marite that had its strings cut. It was clear that the Devil controlling her body had retreated back into the depth of her Image World. Haaah I let out a deep sigh. One piece of good news. Today, once again, Dowd Campbell had lived to see another day.
Anyway I could say that it was a rather sessful endeavor since I didnt get split in half again. [Will you be okay, though?] Huh? [You know, the promises you made earlier Will you be okay?] Ah, that. To summarize all the promises I made with the Purple Devil into one sentence I would be stalked by the continents top assassin, who would maintain a certain distance from me for most of the day. Well, obviously there were other things, but that was the biggest one of them all, at least for me at the moment. Alright. So thats how itll be, huh? Its manageable. [How?!] I mean, even if the Devil doesnt do it, the Vessels would anyway. [] Seeing that he shut his mouth, it seemed like he agreed with my words. [Somehow, even though theres a separate Devil of Obsession, the real chaos is happening here.] With that one, shes just a little more obsessive than normal, she wont do anythingpletely unreasonable. That said, the White Devil wasnt any less dangerous either. After all, the moment all the Fragments gathered and I showed my bare face, an uncontroble major incident would ur. Still,pared to that, the Purple Devil managed to torment me to this extent despite only possessing a single Fragment. And as I walked down the corridor with such thoughts My head spun. I staggered and barely managed to regain my bnce by grabbing the wall. Cold sweat dripped in abundance. My vision blurred slightly. [Hey, you good?] Yes, well. In fact, I was also startled by this situation. I checked my condition on the status window, but there was nothing wrong with the Fallens Seal, nor was there any malfunction in any part of my body. But then, what was this? What was the reason behind these sudden symptoms? [Have you been restingtely?] Ah. Right. Because I had to run around everywhere to handle various tasks, I could barely sleep. Including the time I spent in the Forge of Struggle, I hardly had a moments rest for a long time. I have to study, manage the Devils, awaken Faenols emotions, and prepare for the events derived when the Empress visits the academy Just listing it out already overwhelmed me. It was a problem that unavoidably urred because there werent just one or two events to prepare for. They all had to be dealt with simultaneously and to achieve the best results, I couldnt neglect a single thing. Not to mention that I always had to consider the variable known as the Prophet [Thinking like that wont solve anything, you punk.] Caliban clicked his tongue as he threw such words at me. [You have to deal with what you can, one by one. Trying to handle it like youre doing now will just make things worse. And youll just wear yourself out.] Thats strange. Youre actually giving me constructive advice? [Your state is more awful than usual these days. Especially after you fell off that precipitous tightrope youve been walking on. Following that one mistake, you seem to be more cautious than ever too.] He was right It was already proven that I couldnt always perfectly handle everything, especially after I got bisected in two. The problem was If I make a mistake, other people might die. The main scenario continued to derail like an uncontroble runaway engine; Something I had already experienced several times. And it was clear that I was the cause of all this. That was why If I made a mistake, I wouldnt be the only one whod suffer. Those absurd events that urred because of me would also sweep other people into it. And even among those, the most important thing was Eleanor is the most important. I let out a sigh as I said that. The Prophet had been targeting her the most, this was the undeniable truth. As such, I had various ns prepared for that, but I do want to see her at least once. The problem was that she wasnt even thinking of meeting me right now. I tried to talk to her through various means. Just a single exchange of words would be fine for me. But, she always firmly rejected me, so I hadnt been able to see her face. Since we parted ways in the Forge of Struggle, I had not encountered her even a single time. Theres something I have to tell her directly, but Ive been so tiredtely I muttered weakly before pushing myself off the wall. The severe dizziness and vertigo that hit me had disappeared, that was why I did this, but As soon as I made such an action, I realized. Ah. It wasnt that I had recovered, rather, my strength just returned for a second before my body copsed. I guess this was simr to how your life shes before your eyes when youre about to die, huh? [Huh? Hey, Hey! You punk?!] I heard Calibans voice, but I could not control my body. My head fell straight to the ground. Dowd? Dowd! Dowd, look at me! Right then A familiar voice faintly reached my ears. At the same time, beyond my blurry vision, I could see a rather familiar hair color. Huh? Eleanor? The timing of her appearance was a bit too coincidental. It was as if she popped out as soon as I copsed. Did she happen to overhear our conversation? Wait, wouldnt I have looked like a madman since she couldnt hear Caliban? No, more importantly, I didnt say anything that I shouldnt say, right? Such fleeting thoughts crossed my foggy mind. System Message [ The Guilt of target Eleanor intensi-] Before I could even finish reading the message that abruptly appeared My vision went dark.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 141: Nursing (2) Chapter 141: Nursing (2) Nursing (2) Uh, Student Council President? Talions words naturally trickled out as soon as he saw Eleanor walking down the hallway from the opposite side. He had heard rumors about hertely, like how she holed herself up in the physical training room, refusing to take a single step outside. So this was a rather rare asion where one could actually catch her outside that room. Its been a while since I have seen you. Have you been well? Thest time we talked was during the Exchange Student Program, wasnt it? Following his gentle smile was a warm and friendly greeting, befitted of his character as someone with a high social skill. Indeed. It has been a while. Talion tilted his head at her reply. While to others, she might have sounded no different from normal, to him, he could feel that there was something off with her. President, are you okay? What is it that you mean? Did something bad happen? Eleanor tilted her head. Does it look like something bad has happened to me? No, you look the same on the outside, but Talion scratched his head as he continued. You touch your ears often while you speak, this means youre bothered by something. Well, thats what I heard at least. Eleanors eyes widened as she looked at her hand. I did not realize I had such a habit Senior Brother told me. He said Student Council President has many habits and Eleanors expression stiffened for a moment. It was noticeable enough that Talion was briefly taken aback. Did I say something wrong? He was so bewildered that he quietly bit his lip as he watched Eleanor. What should I say to her now? He noticed that she wasnt in the mood to talk about Dowd. Previously, even the slightest mention of Dowd would make her eyes sparkle as shed rush in, attentively listening to everything . Did they have a fight or something? It was obvious to Talion that the rtionship between those two had be awkward. Although he didnt really know the reason, he did remember Dowdining that Eleanor refused to meet him despite him trying to look for her. While he was lost in such thoughts, Eleanor suddenly asked. Speaking of which, where are you headed? Ah, Senior Brother asked me to look for someone named Faenol so He stopped talking mid-sentence, horrified by the realization of what he just said. This person in front of him was someone who knew every name of those close to Dowd by heart. Now, imagine if she were to hear that he was looking for a girl on Dowds behalf Is that so? But Contrary to his expectations, Eleanors response was surprisingly lukewarm. Even Talion was startled; So much so that he had to take a moment to properly look at her. And when he did that, he realized that he was wrong. She didnt give out a lukewarm reaction. Instead, what he said deepened her depression. Almost as if she was saying, Its obvious that it would turn out that way And her next words confirmed this. That might be for the better. She muttered to herself in self-deprecation. It is probably better for him to be with other female students than with someone like me. Huh? From that mans perspective, I must seem quite pathetic. Perhaps, he already starts disliking Um, Student Council President. It may be presumptuous of me to say this, but After hearing that, Talion just couldnt let it go. There was, of course, the difort of seeing a person, who was always so confident, bing self-deprecating like this, but more than that Yes? If you continue to be like this, youll only make Senior Brother suffer even more. You should know it already. Theres now way that hed start to dislike you, or find you pathetic. Did he himself say those words to you? I dont think he did, right? I genuinely dont know why you suddenly feel so uneasy around him, but I think you should try talking to him directly. Im sure you wont regret doing it. Even Talion knew that there were numerous people around Dowd Campbell, especially the number of thedies, it was noticeably high. But even among them, there was no doubt that he cared the most about the state of this woman right here. Hearing that, Eleanor blinked her eyes and then, with a sigh, nodded her head. Even if they were mere empty words, I appreciate it. They are not empty words at all. I see. I understand. Indeed, you do have quite the talent in the art of socializing, Eldest Son of Armand Viscounty. No, Im being serious. You see, Im rooting for Iliya. Of course, I like you too, President, but if I had to choose, Id naturally support my friend a little mo Well, at least she knew that such a response certainly wasnt from someone whod say empty words to her.
Hmph. Eleanor sighed and dusted off her palms. She had just knocked out Talion, who was spouting nonsense, by striking him between the brows. To be honest, the only reason she restrained herself a little was because he said something somewhat helpful. -You should know it already. Theres now way that hed start to dislike you, or find you pathetic. Did he himself say those words to you? I dont think he did, right? She knew that. Better than anyone, in fact. Yes, she was training, but the reason she didnt try to see Dowd to this extent was because there wasnt any reason to. All this effort was purely for her personal reasons. What if. Just what if, when I run into him What if she confirmed that he saw her in a negative light? If she noticed that his feelings towards her had shifted towards dislike? She wouldnt be able to endure it. Rather, she wasnt even sure of how shed ept that. However, ording to what Talion just said, her actions would only make him suffer even more .If thats the case It should be fine. She could stay by his side like before, as if nothing ever happened. Just as before, she could see his warm smile again. Those selfish desire began to quietly rise in her mind. What an unsightly woman I am. It had not been that long since she swore not to get involved with him more than necessary, until she gained the strength to protect him. Not a long time had passed since she realized that she couldnt see him getting hurt because of her. But now She was loitering around because she couldnt endure even that short span of time. Because she wanted to see that man again. Even if it was just for a moment, even if it was just for a little while, she wanted to feel his kindness. She shook her head and stepped back. Even so, she couldnt. She shouldnt. Once she made up her mind, she had to stick to it. For both her and his sake. As such, the alternative she came up with was to watch the man from a distance, as if she had always done so. It was simr to how people who were quitting smoking forcefully chewed on something. She desperately wanted to talk to this man, but she endured it by just watching from a distance. Besides, she hadnt seen the man for too long, so something akin to withdrawal symptoms were starting to appear. And This was the result of that. Eleanor bit her lip until it bled when she saw Dowd lying unconscious on the bed. He had just copsed in the hallway and she had hurriedly picked him up and moved him to the infirmary. -Eleanor is the most important. -I do want to see her at least once. -Theres something I have to tell her directly, but Ive been so tiredtely The words she had just heard brushed past her mind. Did this man really want to meet her that badly? The doctor said that he fainted due to overworking himself. With that, she could tell that he must have been running around trying to solve another problem again. In a situation where he was struggling so hard for something, it was clear that he was hoping she would meet him, even if it was just for a moment. However This time, too, she couldnt be of any help to him. Im sorry. She closed her eyes, took his hand that was lying on the bed, and murmured such words. Im sorry, Dowd. There was really, truly nothing else she could say besides that. After all, there was no other word to describe the heavy emotion that was sinking itself deeper into her heart. To what extent was she harming this man? As she stroked that hand while thinking so Mmm Perhaps he was talking in his sleep? Dowd turned his head. And then, his peaceful face, innocent to the world, came into Eleanors vision. As soon as it did Ah. With a Thump, her heart sank. Her heartbeat quickened, and heat rushed to her face. All this man did was sleep without a clue in the world, but She Without realizing it, found himself stroking his face gently. What in the world do you think you are doing, Eleanor? That thought sharply rose through the gaps of her shallow consciousness. She knew that she didnt have the right to do this. Who exactly had the right to was a big question in itself, but she knew that whoever the answer was, it definitely wasnt her. What she had done was the worst thing a human being could do. Even while being sorry Even as she apologized that much Giving in to this momentary desire was something only a lowly human who deserved contempt would do. She was aware of that in her head. But Her heart. This aura that was surging inside her heart Wanted this man. She couldnt control it. Just the touch of their skin made all the desires she had been suppressing burst out. After all, she had missed him. She wanted to see him and touch him and feel him and hear his voice. How long had it been since she had done that? She looked down at him, who was sound asleep, with slightly rough pants. It might be strange to express it this way But looking at this man now She couldnt help but drool. Just a little. Wouldnt it be okay if its just a little? Ever so slightly, so it doesnt show. She swallowed dryly. Im sorry. Her voice echoed quietly. I am really, truly sorry. I am truly a bad person. The words were the same apology, but .I am truly sorry. The meaning contained was entirely different from before.
[Hey.] [I know that youre already awake, but why arent you opening your eyes? Are you actually enjoying this situation?] Oh, shut the fuck up. I threw such words out while desperately keeping my eyes closed. Dumbass, are you kidding me? How am I supposed to open my eyes in this kind of situation? What should I do if I open my eyes anyway? Tell her, Actually, Ive been awake this whole time! I wanted to see what you were up to? Yeah, Id be lucky if she only fucked up my jaw after that.. But seriously, what the fuck was going on? Why was she suddenly groping around my entire body? I regained consciousness and found myself in this state! Where the fuck am I? Who the fuck am I? Why the fuck am I? I dont even know whats what anymore! Anyway Considering her tendencies, everything should end after she gave me a tender kiss or something. There was no way shed do anything more than [Ooooh, her hand is gradually going lower.] The fuck? [Shes literally trying to take off your clothes. A kiss on the lips? What are you on about? You two have already done it before, do you think shed be satisfied with just that. Naive.] No, Im not even worried about my lips being used at this point. But going beyond that is, well, sort of, you know! [She looks nervous. Look, she cant find the buttons, shes fumbling around.] [Anyway, will you be okay? If things were to continue like this, shell eat you whole, you know?] Stop yourmentaries! Please, for the love of all that is holy, Im also trying to figure out how to get out of this situation right now. I have to do something! Right as I was thinking this The situation was resolved suddenly. But In a direction I absolutely did not wish for. Mr. Dowd, I heard you copse from overworking! Are you okay! Mr. Dowd, a-are you okay?! Along with those voices, the door of the infirmary burst open. At this, Eleanor abruptly stood up, startled, and as a result, the entire bed flipped over, throwing my body onto the floor. There was that. It was a bit of a relief, honestly. After all, one of the voices belonged to Yuria. And I managed to avoid getting my bare face exposed. However Ah. Uh. Lucia and Yuria looked around the infirmary with dazed eyes. So, to be more precise They saw my figure, rolling on the floor with all my clothes loosened And Eleanor, with her face oddly red, panting, and having been touching me until just a moment ago. Silence stretched as their gazes met each others Uh, Lady Tristan. Then Finally, the Saintess spoke in a chilly voice. What exactly were you doing here? Oh my poor stomach. It hurts Why the fuck did it always turn into this kind of situation even when I faint from overwork? Cut me some ck. Please.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 142: Nursing (3) Chapter 142: Nursing (3) Nursing (3) If Lucia Greyhounder were to describe her feelings about Eleanor, shed say that she didnt have any particr emotions toward her. She was just someone shed asionally encounter. Though theyd meet sometimes in social gatherings among the upper echelons of nobles, ultimately, they were merely acquaintances, nothing more, nothing less. However, if they were to encounter each other like this, then the story would change. What on earth is she doing? She alternated her sharp re between Dowd, who was miserably rolling on the floor, and Eleanor herself, who was letting out startled coughs. Ah, no, so this, uh- Seeing the other woman stuttered, struggling to speak, her eyes narrowed even further. This wasnt the kind of reaction she expected from someone like her. Which meant Even to Eleanor herself believed what she was about to do was an improper action. What were you trying to do? When Lucia asked that question with narrowed eyes, the other woman could only answer in silence, confirming her suspicions. I didnt have any particr expectations for you, Lady Tristan. Lucia sighed before continuing. But your current appearance is extremely unsightly. Honestly, Lucia didnt need to treat her this harshly. Of course, Lucia knew what Eleanor was doing was a little too much, but being the observant woman she was, and how knowledgeable she was toward those kinds of things, it wasnt hard for her to realize that thetter harbored certain feelings for that man. In the first ce That man had previously spouted some insane ims about living with all 6 Devils Vessels as if it were a walk in the park. Considering his crazy, yboy-like nature, she could pass Eleanor as one of his victims. However Lucias gaze subtly shifted to Yuria. Her younger sister was fidgeting with her scabbard in her hands. Considering her usual demeanor, the first thing she would do when Lucia talked like this was to anxiously tell her not to fight. But her current reaction was How to put it? She wore the look of someone who was seeing a stray cat sneaking onto the kitchen table. It wouldnt be strange if she were to draw her sword at any moment. In truth The reason why Lucia had hurled such sharp words to Eleanor was to deal with her younger sisters outburst. She wanted to conclude the issue on her own terms before it escted any further. Because her intuition was practically screaming with rms. If Yuria and this woman were left alone in this ce, there was no doubt that some kind of trouble would explode. I cannot overlook such inappropriate actions. Please leave the infirmary, Lady. However, as soon as she said those words Eleanors movement, which had been clouded by her flustered state, abruptly froze. What do you mean by those words, Saintess? As soon as she heard the chilly reply, Lucia internally pped her forehead. Right. There was no way that this youngdy was going to step away easily. But, Lady Tristan, if rumors about you doing this were to spread, it will not lead to anything good. Upon hearing that Eleanors pupils darkened as she sighed and brushed her hair. Are you threatening me? Eleanors usation was correct. However, Lucia currently had the moral high ground. From what I heard, this man had copsed due to overwork. Therefore, its important that he gets some rest. And what you just did would only make his situation worse. Lucia carefully observed her reaction as she continued speaking. Considering Dowds usual conduct, it was more than likely that the woman in front of her was rted to a Devil. If, on the off chance, Eleanor made any sudden moves, he would have to immediately make countermeasures. We will ensure that he gets the environment he needs for recovery, so do not worry about that and As Lucia was about to continue speaking, she suddenly screamed in shock. W-W-W-What do you think you are doing?! While she spat out such a sentence, her voice cracked unintentionally, Eleanor, who had grabbed Dowd in her arms, gently lifted him up. It was what peoplemonly referred to as a princess carry. Due to the disheveled front of his shirt and partially removed pants, his attire exposed much more skin than usual. His face was turned away, making it impossible to see from this angle, but his body was practically half-naked, so scantily d that it could be considered bare. And then As soon as she saw that Lucia felt a terrible rush of heat to her head and, without realizing it herself, swallowed dryly. Recently, thanks to his dedication to exercising, the mans shoulders had broadened and a passable set of abs had begun to showand when her gaze shifted to the lower half of his body What on earth am I thinking right now?! With that thought, Lucia smacked her own cheeks. Although she had moved away from the Holy Land to some extent, she still represented the followers and believers of the entire continent. Abstinence was fundamental! She couldnt indulge in the vulgar act of leering over a mans body, examining it piece by pie Woah. When she heard her sisters gasp beside her, Lucia turned around in horror. His bodyitsI want to touch it once YURIA?! Hearing her sisters words, Lucia once again let out a scream. Meanwhile, Yuria came back to her sense and replied, N-No, its just, uh, t-that, M-Mr. D-Dowd, l-looks so c-cool! He looks cool! Thats all I wanted to say!! Both Lucia and Eleanor narrowed their eyes. Saying those words was one thing, but Saying it while drooling and wiping it off? No one in their right minds would believe her. A-Anyway! Lucia protested with a finger pointed upright and her face zing red. W-What do you think you are doing?! How dare you use a patient to blind us-! All I did was pick him up from the floor. Hed catch a cold if he kept lying there. She made a good point. Eleanor only did that one action, but both sisters deluded themselves into thinking that she used his body as some sort of mental attack towards them. When the sisters realized this fact, they simultaneously mped their mouths shut as their faces turned bright red. Meanwhile, Eleanor observed them closely with narrowed eyes. She was aware that these two women had some ongoing contact with Dowd. Up until now, she had just vaguely known about this fact, as she didnt know any details about their rtionship. However, since they had visited him immediately after hearing he had copsed, she thought that perhaps, this was an issue that required a further verification. But It seems Both were currently showing signs of misbehavior. To the point that, if she were to just leave Dowd here, who knew what would happen to him. Both of you are less conscientious than you im to be. They couldnt even rebuke her words. With such thoughts, Yuria and Lucia struggled to say a word. S-Still, we are m-much b-better than Lady Tristan, who was c-caught red-handed, a-arent we? That may be the case. Hearing that, Eleanor nodded. So what? Excuse me? Yes, my actions might be disgraceful. Enough for me to feel guilty about it. Following that She continued on without blinking an eye. But so what? What can you do about it? Can you do anything else other than ask me to leave this ce? I will not leave. I will never entrust Dowd to you. Lucia looked at Eleanor with a dumbfounded expression. What? Is she always like this? Maybe shes only this shameless when ites to matters involving this man? It seemed closer to thetter, but Its okay, Big Sis. Eh? Ill handle it.. No, wait. She said such words But she didnt look okay at all. Yuria was holding the hilt of her sword with a menacing look that was unlike her usual self. And Eleanor, confirming such an appearance, subtly reached for her sword as well. W-Wait! Even so, drawing weapons on each other is! In that tense situation, on the verge of explosion, Lucia tried to intervene between the two. But at that moment, a person who would further escte the situation barged into the infirmary. MASTERRRRRR-! I HEARD YOU WERE SICKKKKKK-! A person enveloped in a purple aura burst through the door. Anyone who heard the voice woulde to one conclusion; It was rambunctiously noisy. What? Who in the world is this person? Such thoughts crossed the minds of every single person in the room. Then Master? Eleanors menacing murmur spread throughout the infirmary.
I am Seras Evatrice. I just enrolled in the Theology School. My name is Lucia Greyhounder. This is my younger sister, Yuria. We are guests staying in Elfante. Such awkward greetings were being exchanged inside the infirmary. At any rate, since they were meeting for the first time anyway, they figured that they should at least know who was who. However This ensuing silence could literally give me an ulcer. Thanks to the stress since before this, I had been feeling a dull pain in my stomach, but now that the situation had escted to such an extent, even closing my eyes while pretending it was a dream wouldnt help me at all. So. And finally, after the prolonged silence, Eleanor let out a sigh and opened up the conversation. Her slightly maddened gaze was fixed on Seras. Compared to when she was screaming and emitting a purple aura, now, she was slumped in a chair, rubbing her temples with a tired look. What did you mean by Master? Ah, about that. Seras replied with a look that seemed to say even she herself was confused. Lately, I dont know why, but whenever I see that man, I end up saying that unconsciously. No, I really dont know why. Its like I cant help it. As if I must do it. My head says no, but my instincts tell me to Even though she herself kept saying she didnt know why I did know the answer. Because the Purple Devil was manipting her personality from time to time. Knowing her personality, there was no doubt that was the case. I told her to refrain from directly suppressing Serass personality, so instead, she sent a signal directly to her brain that she has to do it. But, when she heard that I had copsed earlier, shepletely ignored that, seized Seras body and ran all the way here. Among all the Devils, putting aside the Red Devil, she was the most coercive when dealing with her Vessels. How absolutely absurd. Ill introduce you to a good psychiatrist. That should solve it. Eleanor rubbed her forehead with a look that seemed to say, Hes getting involved with all sorts of crazy bitches now. We are in the middle of an important discussion rted to this man. Since you arent even involved with him that deeply, can you please leave this room? However, despite hearing that Seras, too, responded with a gruff attitude. No, you see, its just Seras scratched her head, visibly expressing that she, too, was annoyed about why she was acting like this. I dont particrly want to care for that man either, but if I dont, it feels like Ill be in big trouble. Anyway, arent you guys deciding on whod nurse him? Why dont you include me in that too? As soon as she dropped her words The already awkward atmosphere in the infirmary turned several times more hostile. Eleanor was practically emanating something akin to killing intent. [At this point, its practically an art. Damn.] [Three Devils Vessels are gathered to debate on how to divide and devour you. Aint that something? Youre incredible.] The fuck do you mean divide and devour? Dont talk as if its someone elses problem. If I die, you die too, you know? [The thing is, you wont die from this.] It was great and all that you trust me that much, but Wouldnt it be better to give some advice on how to get out of this situation? [Well I do have a piece of advice.] What is it? [If I were you, I would have just brushed myself off and tried to stand up way, way before this happened.] What? To stand up when Eleanor was about to eat me? Why the hell would I stand up then? Do you even realize what would have happened to me? [No, but still.] Caliban chuckled as he continued. [Normally, in such situations, its obvious who the ultimate decision-maker will be, right? Right as Caliban said that Eleanor brushed her hair back, before speaking. Then, let us do this. Following that A sentence that felt like hell itself dropped right onto me. Once Dowd regains consciousness, lets ask this man. About who is the most suitable to be his nurse. [HOOOOOOOOOLYYYYYYYY!] Shut the fuck up. As Caliban cheered, I squinted my eyes and checked the system window that appeared in front of me. System Message [ Sub Quest: Nurse of Love has started! ] [ You can significantly increase the Favorability Level of the person you choose. The decision is irreversible, so please choose carefully! ] This was a fucking Sub Quest? Then why the fuck did it feel like my life was at stake here?
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 143: Nursing (4) Chapter 143: Nursing (4) Nursing (4) Fortunately, things didnt escte into some hellish situation where everyone stayed in the infirmary all day, nning some shit together until I regained consciousness. Dame Indra, who oversaw the medical corps, was a middle-ageddy with an ardent personality. She was a kind-hearted person who always prioritized the students health. One could tell just how steadfast her resolve was by the fact that she rushed to my infirmary the moment it became too noisy and chaotic. What do you think youre doing in a patients room? He needs rest. Get out! It would be an understatement to call her bold, considering that she was dealing with a group consisting of both the Lady Tristan and THE Saintess herself. However, Dame Indra. We are making an important decision right Despite that, even Eleanor didnt dare to tantly object or disobey her, but rather did it with a polite tone. Unlike normal professors, people in charge of specific facilities often had achievements and authorityparable to Deans. Evends of high status like her couldnt speak carelessly towards them in the academy. That was why the Dame dared to utter her next words. Ive been lenient enough, Lady Tristan. One more word and Ill ban everyone here from entering, understood? If you want to visit him,e back tomorrow. Visiting hours are over, so get out right this instant! Faced with such a stern warning, everyone reluctantly left the infirmary with dissatisfied expressions. Goddess. She was a true Goddess. No objections, Ill have none of it. I survived. As I saw those people leaving the infirmary with disgruntled faces, I couldnt help but utter such words. [How about you taking this opportunity to get discharged early? That way you wont need to choose.] That wont work. Because Dame Indra wouldnt allow it. She had already sternly advised me to rest for at least two days. Even Lady Tristan was chased away by her. There was no way she would listen to my requests or pleads. [So, whats your n then? Theyre definitely going to make a fuss.] True. Judging from the current situation, it wouldnt be strange for their jealousy to twist in strange ways, influencing their Corruption Value. Nursing itself involved me spending a long time in close contact with one of them. So You see, the fact that I need to choose a nurse is the problem. [Huh?] No matter who bes the nurse, thats a path of no return that Id need to take. Just looking at what Eleanor tried to do proved it. If the Saintess hadnte I would have been eaten on the spot. It feels like things have be even more dangerous after the Seal was developed Sure, the limit of the Fallens Seal was lifted and now it could contain the Aura of all Devils, that was good and all. But at the same time, it felt like I had unintentionally gained other attributes I didnt wish for. Like, it felt like Devils and their Vessels lost their self-control easier than before when they were around me [What does that even mean?] So, previously, they just wanted to monopolize menowadays, the fact that Im in front of them would make them more aggressive [] Just look at Eleanor. Her obsession towards me was always there, but now, even though she was filled with guilt or whatever, she still acted this way towards me. Strange, wasnt it? Whenever I was hanging around those Vessels, the probability of something dangerous happening had increased significantlypared to before. [Is that why that Yuria woman did what she did?] Caliban asked after hearing my words. What was he even talking about? [Well Normally, she wouldnt say such things herself. Things like how she enjoys being hit or asking to be walked on a leash.] Thats probably why? [Well, youre fucked.] Agreed. I thought nothing could be worse than what had already happened But the tant masochism that Yuria showed might just be the beginning. Basically, it suggested a terrifying future where all sorts of fetishes that the Devils held could be unleashed one by one. In that regard Among them, is there even a single one of them who wouldnt cause trouble if they stayed with me all day? I would rather entrust a fish to a cat, you know? Caliban seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding in agreement. [Yeah youre right. Theres not a single one you can trust.] Sadly, it was true. I couldnt trust Yuria, nor Eleanor, nor Seras, nor anyone. But on the bright side, I still have an option. [What option?] Theres one rtively safe person. There was just one. The sole person free from the problems gued the others.
The next day. A tense silence filled the infirmary, as if the air itself was walking on thin ice. To be more precise, everyone was extremely displeased with the nurse I chose. Is this how its done? Eleanor asked in a cold voice, offering cleaned utensils for patient use. Seeing that, Faenol Lipek replied with a bright smile. No, Lady Tristan. It might be better if I just do it myself. I would like for you to tell me which part I did wrong This part here, here, and here arent properly cleaned. You cant give such unsanitary utensils to a patient. Mhm, since this is the case, I cant fulfill your request for nurse substitution. Your skills are far toocking. The first one to get knocked out was Eleanor. Considering her status, it was natural that she wouldnt have the chance to do or even learn how to do such a trivial task. Ah, its time to clean. When Faenol stood up, Yuria and Lucia stopped her. We have already done that. Lucia, with her strict and ascetic religious lifestyle, and Yuria, who lived in the wilderness for a long time, were more ustomed to this kind of task than Eleanor. However Its a mess, though. Saying this, Faenol picked up the nearby cleaning equipment and swiftly tidied up the area. She did it so quickly that it was almost as if she was using magic. When she was done with it, the area shone much more brightly than what the Sisters had done. This should be the minimum standard to say it was clean, shouldnt it? Yuria and Lucia stared nkly at the result of her work. Their looks bore the question, Is this truly the work of a human being? In the blink of an eye, Faenol knocked three people out, before leisurely turning her head. Seras, who was watching the scene with a dazed expression, was the next one in the chopping block. Do you also wish to request a nurse substitution? If you do, then you should have something youre better than me at. What exactly is nursing? Just leave. Why the hell were you even here? Even in the game it was shown a few times that this girl was a girl failure in everything except assassinations. Alright, everyone, listen to me. Since it seems like Im the only one capable of nursing him properly, Id have to ask you all to leave. No, but! Were the ones who can take care of Mr. Dowd best! Following her words, she then promptly chased the others, who were yelping in discontent, out of the infirmary. Although the others wanted to voice theirints, the stark difference in performance that was just demonstrated made it impossible for them to even voice their objections properly. Thank you for your hard work. What hard work? This is nothing. In response to mypliment, the person who swiftly defeated the other Vessels grinned broadly. This girl has no choice but to be good at something like this. Faenols original profession involved taking care of the weak in nursing homes and orphanages. Basically, it wouldnt be strange to call her a professional nurse. And most importantly She was immune to my Fatal Charm skill. Unlike the other Vessels, the likelihood of her causing some kind of trouble was very low. As I was recalling her backstory, a system window popped up before me. System Notification [ You have chosen Faenol as the Nurse. ] [ Assessing the targets status ] [ Favorability Level has not been unlocked yet. ] [ An event to unlock the targets Favorability Level will ur soon! ] System Message [ Emotional changes in the targets who had failed to be chosen can be intensely observed! ] [ There is a high likelihood that these may be variables in the uing Main Quest! ] Seeing such messages made me break out in a cold sweat. Whatever, Ill worry about thatter. Choosing anyone else would get my limbs torn apart. It would be better to leave this shit to the future me rather than facing certain death now! But this is a bit unexpected. In the quiet infirmary, Faenol spoke as she pulled a chair in front of me and sat down. It is rare for someone to know about my human days. How are you aware of it? [This certainly is absurd.] Caliban murmured in a low voice. [To think that someone who is both a Devils Vessel and affiliated with the Heretic Inquisition used to volunteer in her past life. It sounds more ridiculous than a serial killer making donations.] I couldnt help but give a bitter smile at Calibans sharp words. Though it was definitely not a strange judgment for him to make just based on what she had done I already told you, Caliban. As I already mentioned Shes a pitiful woman. She was somewhat simr to Valkasus, a victim in her own right. While she appeared as a Final Boss of a chapter, she wasnt someone who deserved such an end. Rather She deserved better. Since you could know even that, I believe you remember what I had said before. She propped her chin on her hands and spoke. Time keeps flowing, Dowd Campbell. When she spoke, her expression was so devoid of any liveliness that it seemed like she didnt have any emotions. It was like looking at a mannequin or a doll. You havent forgotten the one-month deadline I gave you, have you? If I cant die within that time Who knows what will happen? I am aware. Yeah, of course I remembered. It was part of the reason why I copsed from overwork in the first ce. I sighed and responded to her. But theres one thing Id like to correct. Excuse me? When she tilted her head in confusion, I let out another sigh. Faenol Lipek. Her request was good and all. But at the very least I needed to make it extremely clear to her about the part that I was displeased with. I do not want you to die. The fuck she meant she was going to die? I hated to hear that. Excuse me? Her eyes widened. Of course, I knew the reason why she said those words. Theres the Red Devil inside your body, which has forcibly received you, and that being is just waiting to leap into the Material Realm soon by using you as the host. You feel you have a month left, so you want me to kill you within that time frame, right? She opened her mouth but no words came out. After all, she probably did not expect me to know about any of this, much less list it right out to her. But then, she slowly closed her eyes before looking up at me again. If you know that, then doesnt the situation be so much simpler? If I do not die, a disaster will soon fall upon the Material Realm. Then A self-deprecating voice followed. But It could be sad that youre removing the very seed of disaster, Dowd Campbell. You do not need to feel any No. That was why I needed to make it crystal clear to her. Awakening your emotions is one thing, but that is not my goal, nor is it my purpose. The reason why I was fulfilling her request was I am going to make you happy, Faenol. To give her a happy ending. And you do not have the right to refuse. After hearing my words, her pupils shook.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 144: Practical Exam (1) Chapter 144: Practical Exam (1) Practical Exam (1) Silence lingered in the infirmary for a while. This was all thanks to Faenol, who only opened her eyes wide without making a single sound upon hearing my words. Woman, youre making me anxious. Say something. As I thought about that, from within the amulet, Caliban let out a chuckle. [Spouting out this kind of thing is as natural as breathing to you now, huh?] I wasnt saying it with that kind of intention though. Like, I was genuinely thinking of saving this pitiful person, I really didnt want to seduce her. [Sure, sure, but think about it. Have you ever seduced someone intentionally?] Putting it that way, there was no way I could have anything to retort his words with. Anyway, at the very least I wouldnt lose out even if this woman took my words that way. Rather, if she could feel any emotions because of it, that meant her situation was easier to resolve than I thought. Youre quite good at this. While I was lost in my thoughts, Faenol suddenly murmured such words. You almost made my heart flutter for a moment there. I can definitely see why such women go raving mad at you before chasing you. Saying that, the corners of her mouth tilted up. But, like usual, her smile felt artificial. That was the most intense stimtion Ive felt recently, Dowd Campbell. As expected, it was good that I asked this of you. From what she said, it sounded like it didnt affect her that much. But it still affected her albeit slightly. System Message [ Minor stimtion inflicted on target Faenol is measured. ] [ If the process repeats, the targets emotions will awaken! ] [ Current Progress: 4% ] System Message [ The content of the uing Faenol Rted Event will slightly change! ] [ The probability of the targets Favorability Level opening in that event is extremely high! ] Just the fact that such windows even popped up spoke volumes. The first window was self-exnatory, so there was no need to dwell on it for too long, however, the second one < Gift-Rted Character Alert > Faenol Lipek [ No Favorability Level ] [ Rted Event urs in D-4 ] Most likely it was talking about this. Which meant something would happen during the Practical Exam period of the Comprehensive Competency Evaluation in 4 days This also meant that what I had to ask her was clear. Then, may I ask you for just one thing? Originally, I was supposed to ask Talion to convey this to her, but for some reason, he was using the infirmary room right next to mine. From what I heard, he got half-obliterated after getting hit by Eleanor? Anyway, At the Practical Exam, please join my I dont mind if you were to request something from me, Dowd Campbell. Before I could finish speaking, Faenol spoke with a sigh. But dont you think its a bit unfair? What is? Im doing everything you asked of me, but you gave nothing back to me. Wait a damn minute. You were the one who asked to be seduced first. As I looked at her with an incredulous look, Faenol slowly got up and replied. So, what Im trying to say here is that Ill also do whatever I want to do without worrying about your circumstances. What is that supposed to Once again, before I could even ask She grabbed my face with both hands. Since you said you would make me happy And then Without giving me a chance to speak I thought, maybe I could do this much. I could feel her breath up close. It took some time for me to realize what in the ever living fuck I was being subjected to. Perhaps the conservative image of her in my mind made me a bit slow in my realization. Err, what I meant to say was I thought both sides were supposed to close their eyes and do some mental preparation before a kiss But she disregarded all that and immediately shoved her tongue into my mouth before intertwining it with my own tongue. ! Startled, I tried to pull away, but because she was tightly embracing my upper body with both arms, I couldnt do that. Her tongue swept through, as if to attack mine. I had kissed Eleanor intensely once before, but this was sticky and seductive enough to make that look like childs y. Saliva mixed. Her tongue explored every corner of my mouth. Haaa- After a long while, she finally separated her lips from mine with a heated sigh. The sight of our mixed saliva stretching out like threads couldnt be more dizzying. As soon as she let me go, I gasped for air and backed away. It wasnt a very effective action since I was already lying in bed, but I had to at least do something, anything right now. What, are you doing! When you said that earlier, there was clearly a stimtion inside my body, you see. Faenol licked her lips while speaking. I could feel something. Do you understand, Dowd Campbell? That sensation, which I couldnt feel no matter what I did, came back for a fleeting moment. Thanks to you, I saw hope. Apparently, my previous words were quite effective. Though it did seem to be more of a problem than I thought. However, Im still not sure. If I could feel that much with just a few words, I thought something more intense woulde if I did this. She grinned while looking down at my dumbfounded expression. As such, Ill try it one more time. What! Before I could make any protests, a second violent kiss hit me like a storm. Earlier, she had only held me firmly so I couldnt back away, but now, she was practically climbing on top of the bed and pressing down her body onto mine. She pressed down on my shoulders with both hands, pinning me to the bed so I couldnt move a muscle. It was like a carnivore overpowering its prey. Not a light peck to show some ordinary affection, but a clear act of possessiveness. Right now She was craving affection. She wanted me. Mmm How many minutes did we remain like that? After slowly separating her lips, she wiped her mouth. You taste good. Truly a delicacy, Dowd Campbell. Even I, who isnt able to feel anything, felt a tingle rise in my chest. As she spoke, her pupils were shing red. Her gaze drenched with unmistakable desire. Something had emerged within her, who had nothing before. I am really, truly d that you are the one I asked to fulfill my request. System Message [ Significant stimtion inflicted on target Faenol is measured. ] [ If the process repeats, the targets emotions will awaken! ] [ Current Progress: 11% ] System Message [ A portion of emotions awakens! ] [ The target holds Possessiveness towards you! ] Yeah, sure. It was great and all that the number had risen so rapidly. But why did the awakened emotion seem a bit Dangerous? Did you say we should participate in the Practical Exam together? That sounds like quite a fine idea. After all, that means we can keep sticking together. If we keep staying this close to each other She pulled me into a tight hug. Unlike before, it was a gesture that was clearly intentional. As if she found satisfaction in such an act. -Then something truly special might happen. Isnt that so? Hold up. Wait. The reason why I picked her to be my nurse was because I thought she was safe But for some reason it felt like Ive turned the only safe Vessel left into a carnivore with my own hands. What about nursing me? Lets just stay like this for a bit longer. All the urgent matters are already taken care of anyway. As I looked down with a slightly paleplexion at Faenol, who was cuddling my body Caliban spoke up with a solemn voice. [Its your karma.] [Endure with everything you have. Your balls of steel will carry you to the promisednd.] Shut up. But still, on the bright side Whether it was Seras or Eleanor, it didnt seem too difficult to arrange them to be in the same group as me for the Practical Exam. The problem was System Message [ Emotional changes in the targets who had failed to be chosen can be intensely observed! ] [ There is a high likelihood that these may be variables in the uing Main Quest! ] This Yuria, Eleanor, and the Saintess. Based on just what was written in the message, it seemed like something troublesome was going to happen. I just hope nothing big urs. That wish had never been fulfilled before But I still couldnt help but pray.
Until recently, didnt you say you felt apologetic towards him? I did. You said you couldnt even look at his face, and you said you were going to stop getting close to him for the time being. At Beatrixs question, Eleanor nodded expressionlessly. That is still valid. Then what even is the point of your question? She spoke while holding her head with both hands. Being the Student Council Secretary, she was already suffering from chronic fatigue due to an overwhelming amount of tasks. But sometimes, when this woman said such nonsensical things, a headache was added to her pile of pain and sorrow. Of course, even so Why are you suddenly asking about how to look charming and attractive as a woman? When her friend suddenly pped her with such bizarre questions, the pain just turned unbearable. Eleanor quietly bit her lip and kept silent. Regardless of my qualifications to stand beside that man However Her eyes were shining as brightly as it was before she had fallen into despair. I cannot let women who are clearly less qualified than me stand by his side. That man is quite popr. Flies swarm around him in droves. Thats why this time, I realized with certainty. If I do not block them off, he will easily fall for their seduction. What in the world is that even supposed to mean? For example, if I develop such charm and make him look only at me, at least he will not fall for the seduction of those flies, will he? This is all for the sake of protecting that man. Beatrix red at Eleanor with narrowed eyes. Why cant you be honest for once? Just say that you dont want to give that man to anyone else even if it kills you. She let out a sigh, the umpteenth today. Fine, whatever. At least this is better than how she was before. Compared to the time when she seemed like she had some mental illness, devoting herself to training that was close to abuse, her determination to repel everything around that man seemed a hundred times, a thousand times more tolerable. At the very least, it seemed to be helping her to gather her spirits. Haa. Fine. I dont know why you alwayse to me and ask me about these things, though. You being a virgin who has not held a mans hand at your age is not a major w, Beatrix. I know well that you spend all your free time devouring more mature romance nov- Shut the fuck up before I kill you. I thought shes asking for my help, but why is she picking a fight with me? Though she replied bluntly, Beatrix immediately rested her chin on her hand and fell into thought. Ways to look attractive and charming as a woman, she said In the first ce, have you ever tried to appeal to him in that regard? What do you mean Appeal? You know. Like his preferences. Or his fantasies about the opposite sex. Have you ever tried to fulfill something like Seeing Eleanors expression, Beatrix immediately shut her mouth. Why the hell was I even expecting this woman to do some ordinary girly approach? In the first ce, it is a bit strange that you, of all people, are swayed by his reactions and dragged around everywhere. If things were as they should be, that man should be begging to you on his knees to ept him just As Beatrix thought that, a certain idea struck her like lightning. Huh. Wait, that might work She pped her hands in admiration of the idea she herself came up with. Listen, Eleanor. What is it? Instead of trying to lure him in, why dont we approach it the other way around? What do you mean? Lets try seizing it properly for once. By that, I mean seizing the initiative. Beatrix smirked. You said that man is attending the uing Practical Exam, right? Without a doubt That sly smile was something only a reader who devoured more mature romance novels could muster.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 145: Practical Exam (2) Chapter 145: Practical Exam (2) Practical Exam (2) Conrad, Dean of Elfante Knight School, was a former Imperial Guard and a renowned figure in charge of an entire School at one of the continents top three academies. This fact meant there werent many people on the entire continent whom hed kneel and show respect to. Elfante hasnt changed at all, has it, Sir Conrad? It looks the same way as it did back when I was a student. Speaking to him was a young woman, hardly half his age. Exaggerating a bit, she almost seemed like she could be his daughter. Despite that, he was bowing his head to this woman as she made such a remark. In fact, it was actually natural for a person of his stature to be doing something as simple as attending to her. Their rtionship was one where he was unable to carelessly raise his head in her presence. If you had informed us of your visit in advance, we could have prepared a more fitting atmosphere to bring back that nostalgia, Your Excellency. Truly regretful. It feels like forever since Ive been chided for not giving advance notice of my arrival, Sir Conrad. That wasnt my Its a joke, a joke. You dont need to be so tense. The woman in the elegant dress in front of him only smiled softly at his stiff response. Her skin was as white as porcin, giving off a chilly vibe. Her golden eyes, dense with a mysterious atmosphere, some would call them Empires Princeps Jewel. In short, her whole being exuded elegance. Even her every step seemed meticulously refined, following all manners and etiquette down to the tee. Im just visiting for an outing today. If anything, it would make me ufortable if youre being too attentive. Her gentle voice sounded like it would ease the atmosphere, but it only made Conrad snorted on the inside. As if. He, of all people, knew that this person right before his eyes was a VIP among VIPs. There was no way that shede all the way here just for an outing. Facing the Lady of Steel, its only natural for anyone to be this tense. That is quite the nostalgic nickname. Her title gave off a reverent aura. But, that wasnt the case for some people, the people who had suffered under her hand, they knew her by a different name. The Iron-Blooded Chancellor. Or The Witch. When he recalled such monikers, Conrad let out a deep sigh inside. Sullivan Axion Petronus. Above All But One. The Chancellor who oversaw the Empires state affairs. The Lady of Steel. The peerless politician. Well, it isnt like I came here without any business to attend to. Sullivan looked at the wide-open space next to the hallway. Today was thest day of Elfantes Comprehensive Competency Evaluation at the end of each semester. It was also the day of the Practical Exam, where the majority of points were at stake. I also came here for inspection and verification. You see, Her Majesty has been throwing a tantrum about meeting a certain person. If those words were toe out of others mouths, theyd most likely be hanged for lese-majesty. But when it came to her, even Conrad couldnt do anything but frown after hearing such a nonchntment. After all, Chancellor Sullivan was someone who was allowed to say such things. Starting as the head of a barony in the frontiers that no one even knew the name of, she rose to be the second-inmand of the Empire in less than a decade. There wasnt much of a gap in age between her and the students currently enrolled in this academy, yet she stood at the pinnacle of the Empire. Some even viewed that she was closer to the throne than the Empress herself. While the Empress sat on the throne, most of the authority that emanated from the position was created from her very hands. Even the Heretic Inquisition, the same organization that was capable of exerting its authority across the entire empire and even the continent, acted as if they were her own limbs. In a way, once could treat her as the true ruler of the Empire. After all, there was a widespread belief that if she could create a justification, she could easily dethrone the Imperial Princess from the throne she was currently seating at. Rather, a lot of the politicians were befuddled that she hadnt done so already. The Campbell Baronys firstborn Sullivan paused for a moment. Excuse me. It is the Campbell Viscounty now, yes? I heard theyve confiscated Goldic Viscountys territory recently. It seems even Your Excellency makes mistakes sometimes. Right? Ive been referring to them as a barony for so long that it just stuck. ? Her words were strange. Considering her position, such a household should be so insignificant that they were practically ants to her. But, why would she mention their name so often that she even gained such a habit? If the timespan that she mentioned was ever since that man enrolled in the academy, Conrad would be able to understand what she was talking about. After all, he had undoubtedly been a hot issue ever since his enrollment. But that wasnt the case, she used the term for so long. So, what did this entail? At any rate. As Conrad threw her a suspicious nce, the Chancellor covered her mouth before letting out a chuckle. Regarding the Campbell Viscountys firstborn Her words continued in a serene tone. I do have some special expectations for him. To put it simply She was saying that she, the pinnacle of the Empire, had her eyes on a single student; A statement that should not be spoken in such a nonchnt manner.
Its strangely chaotic today, isnt it? On the day of the Practical Exam. The path to the exam venue was so heavily guarded by intimidating security forces that I couldnt help but let out such a remark. Well, due to its nature of hosting children of high-ranking officials and major nobility, Elfante was always under strict surveince, but todays surveince was even stricter than usual. Back when the Saintess visited, they didnt even go this far. It was almost like Maybe a member of the Imperial Household is here? Hearing that question, Faenol, walking beside me, smiled slightly as she spoke. Her Excellency the Chancellor is visiting Elfante today. Her Excellency the Chancellor? I frowned at those words. The Chancellor of the Empire. Sullivan Axion Petronus. The main antagonist in Chapter 6, The One Who Devours God. She was heavily involved with Gideons death, and as the result of her actions, Eleanor eventually became the Final Boss after being consumed by the Grey Devil. Now, Ive heard of the Empress visiting the academy, but her? Well, I only knew because the Heretic Inquisition mentioned it to me. Not even the academy staff were informed in advance. What? That made a lot of sense. It was a sudden visit, that was why I hadnt heard of the news beforehand. Considering her status in the Empire, such visits would be major events that theyd n for months in advance. I heard the n was for Her Majesty the Empress herself to visit, but the Chancellor insisted on verifying the qualifications of the one wholl receive the audience with Her Majesty herself. Yes, theyre talking about you, Dowd Campbell. Listening to Faenol, I could feel a headache creeping in. It seems something got twisted again. Atnte definitely stated that she wasnt interested in me at all But now, she even kicked the Empress aside and suddenly came to this academy by herself. And, if her goal was something rted to me It would be natural for me to feel that something was very wrong. Strange. Honestly I could understand the Empress taking an interest in me at this time. Like, it made sense, kinda Yeah, sure, it was a little strange for such a powerful figure to take an interest in me, but Though it was treated as confidential, I was involved in the issues regarding the Tribal Alliances Chieftain session. This alone was enough for the Empress to visit to congratte me, or at least to make contact with me. But for the Chancellor to step in before that Something was up. Something that I waspletely unaware of. What a hassle. I had gotten used to things deviating from the main scenario, so this was good and all, but My simple hopes that things wouldnt get moreplicated System Message [ An event rted to target Eleanor is generated! ] was spectacrly crushed this easily. < Gift-Rted Character Alert > Eleanor Elinalise La Tristan [ Love Level 4 ] [ Rted Event urs in 2H ] Motherfucker. Couldnt you give me a day at the very least? Two fucking hours? The fuck? Considering the time, this meant that Eleanor would be doing something during the Practical Exam itself. Whatever it was, I needed to be prepared for that too. You seem troubled. No, its just Well, theres just something If you have any concerns, I believe its possible for you to solve most of them by talking about it with me. Sorry? I may look like this, but I still hold the authority of an acting Heretic Inquisitor. I can deal with most problems you throw at me. Ah, right There was a notification about that, wasnt there? I recalled the window that popped up when I first met her. System Log [ Contact has been made with target Faenol. ] [ Interaction with the Heretic Inquisition has been released! ] [ All authority corresponding to the discretion of the Heretic Inquisition can be requested for cooperation! ] Being able to request cooperation under the authority of the Heretic Inquisition was a significant privilege. She had the right to speak to me with such confidence. But its still strange. When I received this, I was too busy to properly assess it. But if my memory serves right, the Heretic Inquisition, by design, was practically the hands and feet of the Empires Chancellor. This meant the Chancellor was practically showing a friendly gesture towards me But why? I couldnt understand. After all, she was not one whod wish for even the implication of her having a good rtionship with the Tristan Duchy. There was no way that she would have a favorable view of me, who frequently interacted with them. Anyway, it seems even Her Excellency cannot be perfectly gracious. As I was pondering such thoughts, Faenol muttered such words. She is in that corridor. Following her gaze, I saw two people walking down the corridor of a distant building. Their distance was close enough to make out who they were. One of them was Dean Conrad, and the other was Youre saying thats Her Excellency the Chancellor? Excuse me? Yes, is there something strange? Fucking hell, yeah. There was. This was strange No, this was something out of a horror movie. Dread enveloped my whole being. Her appearance did have some resemnce to the Chancellor I remember. I could totally see that she was the same person from the game. But She looks young? ording to the setting, the Chancellor should be a middle-aged woman in her forties by now. But her current appearance was Young. Way too young. She looked like a teen. As ifpared to other characters in the scenario, she was the only one who hadnt aged. As I kept looking in that direction with such thoughts Suddenly The Chancellors head turned sharply this way. As if, even from this distance, she was aware that I was looking at her. ! I instinctively stepped back, feeling my heart sink. Her movement was way too precise to count that as a coincidence. Not to mention that she was clearly looking at me. What the fuck? In the game, the Chancellor was always just a civil servant and a schemer. She was not supposed to possess any abilities that could disy such superhuman senses or strengths. Right as I was thinking this The Chancellors mouth slightly opened. She conveyed her thoughts through the shape of her lips without making a single sound. As if whispering to me. As if she had information she wanted to share only with me. Long time no see, Dowd Campbell. And from the movement of her lips I could tell that she said those words to me. The golden eyes, with a strangely captivating glow that seemed to suck people in, were fixed on me for a long time. Almost as if She really was seeing someone again after a long time. Almost like She was seeing someone she had met several times before. Furthermore, it was with a sentiment that seemed to miss that person. There was a longing feeling in her gesture. Your Excellency? It is nothing, Sir Conrad. Shall we go? Only when Dean Conrad, who was escorting the Chancellor, spoke in a puzzled voice did she finally look away from me. As I watched the Chancellor walk away briskly A chill ran down my spine. Strange. Something was terribly wrong. A feeling in my guts, honed over countless life-or-death situations, was telling me as such. As if, in this exam Something big was going to ur because of her. That was the feeling I had. Faenol. Yes? By any chance, is Her Excellency the Chancellor personally attending this exam? Wouldnt that be highly likely? This exam Was definitely not gonna go smoothly. Something was going to happen. Definitely.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 146: Practical Exam (3) Chapter 146: Practical Exam (3) Practical Exam (3) The scene from a while ago kept reying in my head. She definitely said Long time no see. I reflected on thest words Chancellor Sullivan left me. No, seriously, where and when have I ever met her? I couldnt remember anything. At the very least, since I hade to this world, I hadnt even seen her face, let alone acquainted myself with her. [Maybe you met her when you were young?] Suddenly, such words flew out from Soul Linker. What? [Like, you met her before and you forgot.] Theres no way thats the case. I mean, Sullivan was one of the most important characters in the main scenario. If I had ever met someone like that, there was no way I wouldnt remember her. And it was even more so whenplex emotions was involved in it. Wait, now that I think about it, fuck you. Are you trying to tell me that Im a piece of shit who didnt even remember the woman I cuffed in the past? [Now, youre just being paranoid.] [Youre right though.] Motherfucker. Actually, that was still a possibility. Maybe I really met her in the past and I just didnt remember. After all, there was a nk period of time. If I recall correctly, I entered the world of Savior Rising and became Dowd Campbell when the original body was seven years old. As for the memories before that, well Due to some circumstances, my memories before I was seven are a bit vague. [Well, that settles it, back then] That should be impossible though. ording to what Father said, I was so unbelievably weak that he almost gave up on my survival at that age. It wasnt merely on the level of being unwell, he said that I was practically in a vegetative state, my body was the only thing that was alive. I never opened my eyes nor spoke, I barely clung to my life, basically I was a lump of meat that was only able to breathe. No matter how skilled the physician he brought, or what medicine he used on me, it didnt fix me anything. When I was seven, I miraculously recovered, bing somewhat mobile. There was no way I interacted with someone with me being in that kind of state back then. [Your parents must have had a hard time, huh?] Father did, yes. [Huh? What about your mother?] When he saw me sighing without giving him a proper answer, Caliban shut his mouth. He looked taken aback, but I really didnt want to talk about that person. How should I put it? Every time I talked about her, a chill ran down my spine. I guess it was a feeling simr to horror or fear? [From your mood, it doesnt seem that she died or anything What happened?] Its better for you not to know. With such thoughts, I rubbed my temples. Student Dowd~? What are you thinking so deeply about~? When Dame Ophelia, who was in charge of the exam, asked, I snapped back to reality and looked at her. Are you alright~? Any difort~? No, Dame Ophelia, Im fine. I barely managed to reply with an even voice, prompting Dame Ophelia to tilt her head while staring at me. Since I kept getting lost in thought while she was exining the exam progress, I guess she must have been worried about me. Please continue your exnation. When I requested with a forced smile, Dame Ophelia, though tilting her head, continued to do so. First, Ill exin again just in case. In the siege, Student Dowds role is defense~ As a Second-Year student, youll be facing First-Year students along with two teammates~ She pointed to the mountain behind the academy, which would be used as the test site. If the g at the very top was taken, it was a victory for the attackers; if it was defended, it was a victory for the defenders. I have to win. After all, if I lost this test, everything became utterly futile. Even though the variable known as the Chancellor existed, I had to go through all this trouble to see the Empress. After all, there were quite a few parts that revolved around her, especially in Chapter 4, the chapter that was rted to Faenol. Youre free to choose your own teammates, but~ Dame Ophelia looked back and forth between my application form and me. Are you sure youll be okay with these two~? Objectively speaking, it was a strange choice of people. Seras was just a transfer student who joined recently and while Faenols grades were exceptional, she was only a First-Year student. For defense, normally one would form a team consisting of the top three students of the same year. However, this was the most rational choice given the current situation. In the first ce This was not simply a problem of stopping students. Thinking that, I nced at the hastily built stand near the hill. It had an undeniably makeshift vibe but it also gave off the feeling that it was meant to wee a special guest. Its fine, Dame Ophelia. With that answer, I looked at the golden woman entering the stands. I can show a satisfactory performance with this roster. Looking ahead, I continued my speech. No matter what situation we face. I truly believed that. Because otherwise It would really be a disaster.
I spoke so confidently to Dame Ophelia, but Honestly, I was a bit anxious. Both these girls were like ticking time bombs in terms of possibility of them causing trouble. For starters, this one As I thought so, I nced at Seras from the corner of my eye. Fortunately, the Purple Devil was slumbering calmly inside her. Considering her nature, I was worried that she might pop out all of a sudden and cause trouble. Miss Seras? What do you need, Mast Were you about to call me Master? Panicking, she covered her own mouth. [Doesnt seem like this onespletely sane.] I know, right? Why the hell was she like this? Seriously, she made me feel uneasy. What do you need, um Senior Dowd? Could you take one of those entryways? I pointed to one of the pathsid out on the map. There were two entryways in total. Faenol would handle one of them, while Seras would handle the other one. As for me, Id handle the final point where the g was. Youre asking a student of the Theology School to engage inbat alone? Faenol made such a remark while tilting her head. In her view, it was indeed quite ridiculous to assign such a task to a first-year who wasnt even a student of abat-oriented school. After all, the usual tactic in a defense game was for the three to stick together and while blocking the final point with teamwork. Yes. In other words Its Miss Seras, itll be fine. Saying that was my way to tell Faenol that Seras wasnt any ordinary Theology School freshman. Seras looked at me with an odd gaze. Yeah, well. From Seras perspective, even after considering what that happened so far, it wasnt a wonder for her to question how I was so sure about howpetent she was. Ready to give my prepared excuse, I opened my System Message [ Skill: Fatal Charm is activated! ] [ Favorability Level of target Seras has increased! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] Why? The fuck, why did it increase? I nced at her from the corner of my eye, but her expression hadnt really changed much. She was as expressionless as usual. Ill do my best. After all, Ive alreadye all the way here. Yes, thank you. Her response came out so smoothly that I replied calmly as well, but Why was she being so submissive? I should check, just in case. System Notification [ Using Scan. ] [ Gathering information on the target. ] [ A 24-hour cooldown applies before reuse is avable on the same target. ] [ Seras Evatrice ] Characteristic: Vessel Purple Devil Status: Could it be that he is trusting me? Is he entrusting me with this task because he believes in me? Should I take this as a somewhat special sign Wait, hold on. Get a grip, Seras! You shouldnt get so flustered over a man like this, he isnt His Holi Expressionless, nah This girl Was way too easy to please Like, was this okay? Even after taking the Purple Devils characteristic into consideration, making her most susceptible to my influence among all the Devils, this was still a little too much. She already had an abundance of worrisome traits, in the first ce. Now, she was practically a whole-ass minefield for me. System Log [ Emergency Quest has been sessfullypleted. ] [ Exclusive Quest Treachery for target Seras has been unlocked! ] [ Character Quest ] Treachery [ Raise the Favorability level of the target to Love! ] [ The target will betray her current master and swear loyalty to you instead! ] [ This will significantly impact the progression of Chapter 5, Paradise. ] [ It is linked to the 2nd Quest, Family Making! ] Getting her to betray the Pope sounded good and all. But the subsequent 2nd Quest seemed a little Turbulent? I felt like the moment that quest started, a catastrophic development would definitely ur. You know what, Ill increase her Favorability Level as slowly as possible. Anyway. With a sigh, I turned my head towards Faenol. The gesture was filled with a question on whether she could handle an entire entryway by herself or not, but I dont have any problems with it. She shrugged and replied with affirmation. At that, I nodded too. Well, this wasnt too surprising. Setting aside the fact that she was the Red Devils Vessel, she was one of the most skilled geniuses of the Mage ss that could be encountered in the game. She shouldnt have any problems handling mere students. -! As we finished discussing our strategy, a sharp horn echoed nearby. It was the signal for the start of the exam. Alright. Lets go. To our positions. With that, everyone headed to the ce where we discussed earlier. And before I moved to mine I sneaked a peek at the distant stands onest time. Chancellor Sullivan was there, seemingly discussing various topics of conversation with Dean Conrad, who was seated nearby. Unlike before, she didnt respond immediately just because I was looking at her from afar. It almost made me wonder if what I saw before was just my imagination. With a sigh, I stood up as well. I didnt know who exactly she was. Nor did I understand what she had to do with me. And I didnt know what awaited me in this exam either. But whatever it was, I would deal with it as always. No matter what I had to do. That was it. After all, had I not done this countless times before?
At least, that was what I thought five minutes ago. I would deal with whatever came my way, huh? Bullshit. Excuse me. I opened my mouth in an incredulous tone. The fact that I was addressing someone like this meant someone had reached the final goal, the g, within that time. What are you doing here? I didnt particrly me Seras and Faenol. Because the one in question is this person. Ha! Im d to see you, Dowd Campbell! Finally, the revenge of the Chester House Hey, you. Just shut the fuck up. I snapped fiercely at the dumbass who was babbling triumphantly. Dude, fuck off, I dont care who you are. At least, not now. My headache was getting unbearably worse. I groaned again, clutching my temples. So, what are you doing here, Eleanor? Wait, why the hell is the Student Council President joining the attacking team? I am not Eleanor. With her hood pulled down low, Eleanor was definitely trying to change her voice somehow. Im just an enigmatic freshman from the Knight School. Eleanor? I know no such person. T-There should be no p-problems with me participating Yes Dude. Seriously? What was she doing here? As I sent her a piercing stare, she awkwardly coughed before opening her mouth. It seemed even she was embarrassed by her current actions. I havee to engage in a fair duel with you. A duel? Thats right. My headache got even worse. The vanquished must fulfill one demand of the victor. My demand is, well Eleanor stopped speaking for a while. From her appearance, it seemed like it took an incredible amount of courage for her to say these words. And as I watched her, my anxiety grew even further. Hold up. Wait. What on earth are you tryin- I-It is for y-you to spend time with me. From dusk till dawn. Just the two of us. Hey. Seriously. Please. [I gotta say that her antics are cute, but] Caliban giggled as he spoke. [What she wants is practically a one way ticket to your instant death, isnt it?] I agree.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 147: Practical Exam (4) Chapter 147: Practical Exam (4) Practical Exam (4) The path leading to the entrance was a gentle slope that stretched down under a hill. On our way down, an awkward silence loomed between Seras and Faenol. Well, they barely knew each other, so this wasnt exactly a surprise. If anything,this was amon urrence between two people that were merely acquaintances. But, both of them were aware. That the current flowing between them was not so soft and mellow. Perhaps I should be frank. Seras was the first to break the silence. Her next words flowed out of her mouth casually. Youre affiliated with the Heretic Inquisition, arent you? And youre someone from the Holy Land. As soon as that exchange happened, Seras sighed, holding her forehead. The Heretic Inquisition and the Holy Land. At a nce, the former sounded like an organization of thetter, but that wasnt the case. In truth, they couldnt stand each other. Because the way they dealt with Devils was utterly different. The Heretic Inquisition saw Devils as an inimical force to humanity and seeked to ostracize them at all costs. While the Holy Land believed it was better to use Devils to their advantage. Furthermore, the Pope, especially, invested an astronomical amount of money in research rted to Devils every year, which was an open secret among the superpowers. You recognized me so quickly, huh? Ive heard rumors about a Grand Assassin that serves under the Pope. And, since those two were parts of such organizations Ive heard youre quite adept at creating corpses out of the innocents. Them hurling such words,den with poison, was quite a natural development. Hearing her words, Seras eyebrows twitched. One had to admit that the other womans insult was a refined one. It was one thing for the Pope to manipte her like a pawn, leading to peoples deaths But it would be a whole different story if she was insinuating that the very cause she was loyal to was utterly meaningless. Ive heard a bit of a rumor too. Seras responded with a sharp voice. About a Devils Vessel being raised like a pet in the Heretic Inquisition. Its origin is also quite contemptible too, or so I heard. Faenol quietly closed her eyes. It didnt seem like she was that affected by those words. And theres another thing that Ive heard. Seras proceeded to go a step further, probably because Faenols nonchnt appearance made her blood boil. About how you even stabbed your Master in the back. The same person who took you into the Magic Tower, a ce the likes of you should have never been able to set foot in Right as Seras was about to continue, she immediately drew her dagger. She sensed a killing intent emanating from Faenols body. The aura rose immensely even before she could finish her sentence. ? But the absurd thing here was The fact that the source of such killing intent, Faenol herself, seemed utterly bewildered by her own actions. I felt it. She muttered in a dumbfounded voice. Ifelt it. Rage. Thiswhat is thiswhat kind of What in the world? Has she gone mad? Seras watched Faenol muttering like a lunatic with an incredulous look. Its because of that man, isnt it? Good Imtruly d that I met him What was more baffling than that was the words that she uttered. Instead of the rage that shouldve erupted, she let out what sounded like a sigh of relief. While watching Faenol ce her hands over her chest with a slightly flushed voice, Seras added to her words in an incredulous voice. Are you Heretic Inquisitors all out of your minds? Who knows. Faenol shrugged as she responded. By the way, theres one thing youve mistaken, Grand Assassin. I dont really belong to the Heretic Inquisition. Rather, I detest them. What? Then, whats the point of us engaging in this war of nerves in the first ce? Seras red at her with that thought, while Faenol continued her words with a faint smile on her face. I can see it on you. What are you talking Youll be one of those people rubbing themselves against that man. Its so obvious. Seras looked at Faenol with a dumbfounded expression. Before she could get angry, no, before she could even react, she realized the absurdity of those words. To insinuate that she would be fussing over that man. What on earth was that supposed to mean? What kind of nonsense are you She tried to retort, but Despite her words, she could feel her heart throbbed painfully. Please. Just stay quiet, whatever you are. With those thoughts in her mind, a blush appeared on her face. Meanwhile, Faenol threw her a knowing smile. That expression only twisted Seras already ufortable mood even further. Consider this as an advanced warning from a futurepetitor. Its your fate to fall for him deeply, after all. What nonsense. Think what you wish for now. Faenol replied in an even tone. After all, itll be fun to watch how deeply you fall for him eventually. At the very least, no one had managed to escape such a fate so far. And One day, perhaps I will too. As Faenol thought that with a faint smile What an utterly pointless conversation. Seras grumbled and swept her hair back. Lets quickly go and stop all the attackers froming. Since wevee this war, lets try not to be a nuisance to each Seras sentence ended abruptly. A rhythmical sound that went Thump, thump wasing from the ground nearby. ? ? Both of them simultaneously lifted their heads. Whats that noise? No way its something like a High-Grade Demonic Creature, right? As if to render such a conversation useless, they quickly identified the source of the noise. To give an advantage to the defenders, who had smaller numbers to begin with, they shaped the entrance to the exam grounds into a narrow gorge. And There was someone who leaped over those twos heads, practically flying through the air, skipping the aforementioned terrain altogether. The thumping noise was the ground breaking apart each time that person mmed into it. Seras and Faenol both fell silent. While stopping a regr student shouldnt be too hard for them That was a whole different case entirely. Should we have stopped that too? Unfortunately Even two Devils Vessels like them werent enough of monsters to stop something like that.
[So, what are you going to do?] Fuck that. How could you even ask me that kind of question? I looked at Eleanor with an expression of disbelief, before ncing at the Chancellor in the stands over a distance away. Was this woman really going to cause such a scene in a ce where a state dignitary attended? [The other person must have let it pass too.] Caliban let out a bitterugh and said that. Fuck, yeah, that should be the case. In the game, Sullivan was portrayed as a typical schemer; Someone who bred dozens of snake pits to the point that she herself became the very definition of a snake. It was unthinkable that she was unaware of such ridiculous disguise. That was why It meant that she also condoned the antics that was currently unfolding. Then, I aming. Together with such words System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] In such a natural manner, Desperation was immediately set to EX-Grade. Well, it wasnt like shed actually kill me, but The difference in our stats was just ridiculously immense. Even though I had recently been working out and improving my physical abilities, this woman was one of those people whod rise to the peak of the world by merely using her physical capabilities! ! When I tilted my head back, horrified, Eleanors lightly thrown punch swept past. Lightly from the standard of someone who could change the entirendscape with a single sword strike, that was. Eleanor, you do know that I could die if I get hit by that, right?! Dont worry. I precisely controlled it to a level that would only knock you out. Eleanor, who unleashed such a punch with a disgruntled look, replied with a pout. And did I not already say that I am not Eleanor? You were still going with that bit?! What the fuck were you doing! [What else? Shes trying to establish her ce by your side, obviously. Youve been surrounding yourself with a lot of girls, havent you? Its obvious that shes feeling threatened by that.] [Why dont you just let her squeeze you dry once? Be a man and take her for once. It isnt like you hate it anyway.] You only said whatever the fuck you want because you arent involved in this! I already said it before, but my goal is to live with all six of the Devils who would approach me. If I were to do something like that with Eleanor now, I couldnt even imagine where my n would start to fall apart. Anyway, I cant just let myself get sucked dry! [You didnt deny that you wouldnt mind letting her sucking you dry.] Of course I wouldnt, Im still a man! Also, I know my ce. Eleanors really pretty. Normally, someone like me could only dream to hold her hands, so aint no way Im going to reject something like that willingly! [] [Thats why I cant hate you, no matter how retarded you act. At least youre honest.] Shut the fuck up. Anyway. Like I said, I couldnt just lose here. My goal aside, if I got a low score on the exam, who knew what the Chancellor would do. I didnt want to unnecessarily kick the ho nest. I dodged Eleanors relentless onught by using all the abilities in my arsenal. System Message [ Skill: Swordsmans Focus Activated!] [ Reaction speed and precision are increased! ] Fortunately, with this and Desperation buff, I at least felt like I could somewhat react to her attacks. Even as the scenery around me changed with every one of Eleanors strikes, I could somehow keep myself safe and without harm. I was the one who had previously yed Yuria like a fiddle, yet still managed to dodge all her deadly attacks and run away. Though I ended up being sliced in half at thest moment, I still had the senses I honed then. The problem was that Icked a proper means of attack [Didnt you fight and win against a Demonic Creature at the level of an Ancient God before? Use that Law Technique or whatever you call it back then and] I cant win even if I use that! Fighting Artsbined with Law Technique was something formidable in itself, but it would only be useful if the opponent got hit by it. Gathering and circting Law Technique took time to begin with, and to hit someone moving that quickly, Id have to rely entirely on mybat sense. And I was below average in that field, that was me putting it mildly. That was why I had absolutely no means of winning this duel. Not a single one. [Then what are you going to do?] Theres one way. I have to change the entire game. The answer lies in what you said earlier. Ultimately, Eleanor was doing this because she felt anxious about me being surrounded by other girls. To resolve this situation, I had to approach it while keeping that angle in mind. I looked around. Because of the Chancellor, this test particrly had many watching eyes. Based on the reaction that Eleanor showed when I kissed her before Eleanor was very likely to be extremely concerned about those watching. [Are you trying to do some gigolo bullshit again?] Sir? Language, please. [Youre not denying it, huh.] [What did I tell you? I like the fact that youre honest.] Shut up.
It was often difficult to understand the thoughts of those in high positions. This was especially true for Chancellor Sullivan. Conrad looked at her with a puzzled expression, as if unable to understand what she was thinking. The amiable smile that she always wore was still on her face. In fact, even though the Student Council President of Elfante was up to such selfish mischief, she didnt even bat an eye. Well, I do understand, but Such pranks between seniors and juniors were not umon in the past. However, the problem now was that a figureparable to the Empress was attending this event incognito. I apologize, Your Excellency. This exam has turned a bit chaotic. No, its fine. Its good to see them being so lively. The problem is that they are a little too lively. Conrad awkwardly smiled as he watched Eleanor sweeping around the area like a human-shaped typhoon. She had always been a promising individual, but now she seemed like a walking weapon of mass destruction. Among the knights on the frontlines, only someone like Margrave Kendride could evene close to handling such power. If not him, there was only the Sword Saint in the Imperial Pce. As such, though Dowd, despite being just a student, was showing incredible resilience, it was a clearly visible fact that he was barely avoiding death by a hairs breadth. In fact, one individual seemed quite pleased with this spectacle. Ha, HAHA-! A male student, watching Dowd Campbell being pushed into a corner, burst into triumphantughter. He was clearly delighted by that mans misfortune. Look at him scurrying away? And he dares to call himself a man? What a pathetic retard! Hearing this, the Chancellor tilted her head and asked Conrad. Sir Conrad. Who is that man? That is Brix Chester The eldest son of the Chester County. He is the leader of the attack team for this exam. Ah, near Cornwall? Its not thatrge of a county, so I forgot they had a son. Right. For someone of her stature, the Chester County might as well not exist. Though why such a person would show this level of interest in a mere barons son was beyond understanding. I dont know. His atmosphere seems a bitfrivolous. I might need to mention this to Count Chesterter. With that, Sullivans golden eyes momentarily filled with a chill. Conrad observed such a sight without a word. Of course, the behavior of that punk might not look good objectively. But there was something that he had noticed since earlier. The fact that this woman seemed to overtly favor Dowd Campbell despiteing here to inspect him? What is she really here for then? As he pondered this, Dowd Campbell was increasingly getting cornered. He had barely managed to stay near the g, but now that he was being pushed back, Brix was approaching in that gap to seize it. If the leader of the attack team captured the g, the exam would immediately end. The defense team would receive harsh deductions. Yes, thats it! Smash that bastardpletely! Look at this freshman! How useful! I thought you were just some weird lunatic when you suddenly asked to join my attack team! But As soon as Brix reached the vicinity while saying such words Hey. He was abruptly floored. It was because Dowd had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and immediately sent his jaw flying. Dont speak like that. If you dont want to die. Conrad couldnt help but let out a burst ofughter when he saw that. Just now, that punk Didnt it kind of feel like he was waiting for just the right moment to strike? It seemed like he could have done it so much earlier, though. Conrad sighed inwardly at this thought. Speak like that about my woman again and youll die. Got it? Such words followed. Conrad knew Dowds usual behavior well enough to find this actughably atrocious. But upon hearing those words, even the fierce attack of the Student Council President halted stiffly. Dowd? Yes. My woman? W-What are you saying when t-there are o-other people looking- Conrad internally sighed at the flow of this new conversation. Was that what he was aiming for? Had he left Brix alone until now just to set the perfect stage for a dramatic confrontation? This guy was like a professional gigolo. How was he able to prepare something like that in such a situation? He chuckled inwardly at the thought. However Sir Conrad. A voice that sent a shiver down his spine came from beside him. The warm smile that had always adorned Sullivans face Had vanished in an instant. What exactly does he mean by my woman? Such a question trickled out of her lips in a low voice. And the moment he heard that, Conrad realized. Ah. Something had gone terribly wrong.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 148: Invitation (1) Chapter 148: Invitation (1) Invitation (1) You alive? No responseits a corpse Talion Armand scratched his head, surveying the catastrophe that had unfolded in front of him. Those who had been grouped with him in the same team were barely breathing, their bodies strewn around him. As freshmen from Elfante, most of them would have been somewhat confident in their own abilities. That was why Seeing to how they rushed in, outnumbering the opponent 5 to 1, yet still were annihted within 2 seconds, it would be normal for their pride to be scratched deeply But witnessing such a scene only evoked a sense of futility instead. A radius of several dozen square meters had been transformed into charred remains. By just standing there, that woman had created this spectacle without seeking the aid of a staff or any other tools. What she had done was the equivalent of a knight fighting bare-handed. This is basically on par with Senior Brother, isnt it? He had witnessed someone annihting an Ancient God in a single blow, but the Spell Mastery exhibited by the woman in front of him seemed to beparable to that feat. The manifestation of spells through the use of Special Powers was something any student of Elfante could do. And themonw applying to all these Special Powers was the longer you gather, the stronger it bes. But This whole thing was caused by a spellshot that was charged for merely two seconds. If she were to slowly stand, prepare a chant for a long while, and slowly infuse mana like typical students of the Magic School, just how powerful would the spell be? Are you really a First-Year student like us? Even Iliya was way too overwhelming as aparison as someone who was in the same year as them, and there was this monster To that question, Faenol let out a faint smile as she brushed her head back. Will you continue? No, I give up. In the first ce, the gap between us is too great. Talion stroked the trembling Ice Tiger cub clinging to his head as he said that. The poor thing was clearly terrified of Faenol. He didnt feel like reproaching it for being a scaredy-cat. After all, this was the same cub that spread a curtain of ice before his eyes, preventing him from ending up in a miserable state like his ssmates. I didnt only shoot my mana back then, so you dont need to feel too bad. Excuse me? There was something I wanted to try. I wanted to see how much of it I could control. Before the bewildered Talion, Faenol quietly calmed her racing heart. Her chest was clearly trembling. It had been a long time since shest touched it, but since her emotions were slowly awakening one by one, she had lightly unleashed that power. And the result of that was satisfying. I managed to control it. Before, even the slightest use of this power led to her going berserk. Her assumptions were correct. The more she recovered her emotions, the more she could control the Devils Power that forcibly sustained her life. And, the more she fell for that man, the more the Red Devil came under her control. Which meant If she finally fellpletely for that man I canrest. There was not much time left Until sheid down everything she had carried thus far And entered an eternal rest While she was lost in such thoughts, the Ice Tiger cub attached to Talions head began to whimper. Its okay, its okay. We dont need to fight anymore. Dont be too scared. As Talion gentlyforted it by stroking its head, Faenol spoke with a sigh. It is a decent Mana Life Form. Thank you for thepliment. Talion responded to her with reluctance, but that was a sincere remark from her. She could see how perspective the life form was. Even at the moment, it wasnt just scared of her, rather, it was wary of her after sensing what was inside her. And, most importantly You two would make quite a good match if it grows bigger. Excuse me? You are a spear user arent you? Thebination of a spear and a mount had proven its might in countless ancient battles. A spearman mounting on a grown Ice Tiger would undoubtedly be a formidable force. You two would make quite apetitive pairing for the uing Hero Selection. Excuse me? Talion asked in utter confusion. Hero Selection? He had never even heard of such an event. In the first ce, the title of Hero itself carried a significant responsibility, often referred to as the hope of humanity. Only those individuals who had ceaselessly proven their worth across the entire continent and had been unanimously deemed worthy by all superpowers, receiving their stamp of approval saying This person is the right one!, were granted the privilege to bear such a title. And currently, there was no human who had grown to such a level, so the position of Hero was vacant. But They were going to just select one, out of the blue? What was happening? Wasnt the feeling conveyed from that sentence as if they were reluctantly cing someone in the position because there was a situation where they had no choice but to do so? Well, I suppose you shall find out soon enough. Faenol smirked and continued speaking. You see, it will probably be because of me that such an event will soon ur. I just thought it would be better for you to know in advance. After all, if I let you know, it seems like it would be more helpful to the Hero Candidate that man will support during the selection. I have a feeling that the Heretic Inquisition and the Holy Land will undoubtedly try to oppose him or keep him in check. He did not understand a single word that she just spoke. Talion scratched his head in bewilderment. I dont understand what youre trying to say, but thank you forplimenting this little one. In the end, Talion decided to just respond within the limits of his understanding. As he spoke with a grimace, the Ice Tiger cub began to whimper again. I told you, were not fighting, okay? Seriously, why are you like this? Talion chuckled wryly as he stroked it. He had truly thought it wasnt a scaredy-cat. But perhaps, he might have to retract that What? However, before he could even finish that thought Faenol blurted that word out, dazed. After all, she, too, had sensed what the Ice Tiger had felt just now. Then, Faenol whipped her head around, almost as if snapping it, looking beyond the slope where Dowd was located. Impossible. Shortly after, her face paled as she muttered. Eh? Where are you going? The exam is still! Though Talion tried to stop her, seeing her urgently turn around Thats not whats important right now. I need to go to that man immediately! What? Do you mean Senior Brother? Of course. There was no other man beside him. Because, from what she could sense Theres someone who shouldnt be here. Excuse me? A being who shouldnt even exist in the first ce! At least, as long as thews of the world functioned properly The aura she was feeling was undoubtedly from a being that should not exist. Burning ice. Frozenva. It was like an impossiblebination of such contradictory words. And the presence of such a being Was felt very, very close to where Dowd was.
One thing I was reminded of once again. Eleanor had unexpectedly low defenses when it came to everything that involved romance. And it was especially so when there were eyes around, watching; She became several times more susceptible. Urghhh As the half-dead Brix uttered a strange groan after getting beaten the shit out of by me, Eleanor twirled her hair around her fingers, her body twisting awkwardly. I could see that inside, she was fiercely torn between the pleasant feelings from hearing such words and the thought that she didnte here for this. A-Are you, by any chance, trying to coax me again with those words? This time, it seemed that thetter prevailed. Despite her flushed face and stammering speech, the result of the match was clear from words Eleanor had brought up. However, as I mentioned before Her defenses in this area were quite weak. So what if she managed to withstood it once? Rather than trying to coax you, it was more like my body just naturally reacted. Where in the world would someone be happy to see someone they cherish treated like a convenient tool? Lets see if she could do it the second time. Now, would she still not gonna fall for this? B-But still, w-why would you say things like m-me being y-your woman in front of everyone? Eleanor mumbled timidly. Considering the distance to the stands from here, almost no one could hear anyway, making me think she was worrying for no reason. But at the same time You are my woman, arent you? This was my chance to attack. Lets see if she could take a third hit from me. How about that? Still not gonna fall for it? Eleanor looked like she was at a loss for words, ring at me with her mouth wide open. Was it not enough? Fine, Ill add another one. No matter who out of the entire world appears before me, I can boldly say that Eleanor is my woman. Y-You are r-really If possible, Id like to dere it to the whole world. This person is my fiance. Im the luckiest man in the Before I could finish, a fist mmed into my torso. It was a precisely aimed liver shot. As I copsed to the ground without even a chance to cry out, Eleanor uttered a sentence, shaking with trembling fists. Y-You should r-really learn some d-dignity! Then you could have just said so! Was it really necessary to punch someone so hard they saw stars?! [Haaah] [I miss my good man, the Boy King. Why is he sleeping right now? This is the perfect moment for an apuse] Shut up. Enduring the excruciating pain enveloping my body, I turned my head. Fortunately, Eleanor seemed to have momentarily paused the dogshit act she put her very soul into, as well as the onught driven by a bizarre demand she wanted me to fulfill. Then, there was definitely someone who should react by now. Come out. With that thought, I focused my gaze towards the podium where the Chancellor was sitting. There was one well-known rumor in the Empires social circles. Chancellor Sullivan was not on good terms with the Tristan Duchy. The most powerful individuals among the nobles affiliated with the Anti-Chancellor Faction were the Kendride Margraviate and the Tristan Duchy. They were the reason why the Empire hadnt been entirely devoured by her. Even though the Chancellor had swallowed most of the states power, the Empress could still maintain a semnce of authority because of these actions. Thus, Sullivan and the Tristan Duchy were arch-enemies in the original game, always at each others throats. In essence If I showed that there was such a strong connection between Eleanor and me, it was highly likely that she would react in some way. Right as I thought this, a window appeared before my eyes. Finally, the reaction that I expect System Message [ Target Sullivan feels intense rage! ] [ Marked with Negative Tendency! ] [ 1 Stack of Negative Marks! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated! Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] [ This character has a significant influence on the scenario! Interaction with this individual will change all subsequent quests! ] [ Gift: He Who Touches Pitch Shall Be Defiled Therewith meets the conditions for enhancement! ] What? As soon as I saw these contents, my eyes opened wide. No, like I understood that shed be angry. But if my memory was correct, this skill. [ Skill Info ] Skill: Evil Ruler Grade: E Description: Bewitch characters of the good alignment that you have sufficiently influenced. Character under Evil Ruler must do one thing you asked for. Currently Affected Individuals: Lucia Greyhounder, Sullivan Axion Petronus, Iliya Krisanax Was only supposed to apply to individuals of a good alignment. But The Chancellor? Had a Good disposition? In the game, she significantly contributed to Gideons death and yed the role of a catalyst in Eleanor going berserk. Yet she was supposed to be a character of the Good alignment? What in the world? What the fuck is happening? While I was lost in such thoughts by the sheer incredulity of it all, a golden portal opened before me. It was one of the representative colors of the Petronus Household; You could even say that it was practically the Chancellors personal color. Wait a minute. To open such a portal with mana stones You needed mana stones equal to the price of a house And she was using it just to travel from those stands to here?! Okay, she was the Chancellor, so I knew that she could do that with ease, but It made it as if she was in that much of a hurry. As if she couldnt stand it if she were to not intervene at this very moment. Its been a while, Lady Tristan. Eleanor hurriedly kneeled as the Chancellor slowly walked out of the portal. She seemed quite taken aback, which was rather unbing of her. I greet Your Excellency. In the Empire, there were hardly any people before whom she would need to bow like this, but the Chancellor was an exceptional case even among exceptions. As such, the Chancellor simply nodded her head without showing much reaction and immediately proceeded to do what she wanted. Which was To lift me from the ground, where I had copsed And tightly pulled me into her embrace. ! Eleanor, who was kneeling, jumped up in horror. It was probably because the action was so unexpected that it even made her forget to maintain her decorum. Your Excellency, what is the meaning of! You truly havent changed, have you? The Chancellor, quite tall for a woman, almost matched my height, so when she pulled my nape down, my face was buried in her chest immediately. A soft, squishy sensation enveloped the front of my face. What? Seriously? Wait a fucking minute. What the fuck is this? System Message [ Corruption Value of target Eleanor is rapidly increasing! ] As I struggled in the Chancellors embrace, I could see the vitality draining from Eleanors eyes, who had been blushing just moments ago. No, wait! I didnt do anything! Fuck, I feel so wronged right now. I seriously didnt do shit to this person! It was painful, right? Even though youre not someone who should be subjected to such violence. You did a great job, Dowd. This is enough for the exam, so just rest now. With that While in that posture, I heard a voice tinged with sticky kindness. What the fuck? What the hell is going on? This situation was way too strange, I genuinely couldnt understand what was going on! If she was a Devils Vessel, then I could somewhat understand. After all, all of them would take a liking to me without showing any signs nor care for any plot holes and usibility. But Why was this person acting like this towards me? Since it has been a while, why dont we have dinner together, Lady Tristan? Still holding me in her embrace, the Chancellor threw such words at Eleanor with a warm smile. And her tone If one was perceptive enough, they would be able to feel the icy killing intent underneath. Almost as if She was facing an opponent who she had to remove. I have quite a lot I wish to ask about Dowd, you see. And that Undoubtedly, would instill a chilling hostility in Eleanors face, which had already turned expressionless. I intuitively realized. Right now, this situation. Regarding the system window that popped up, indicating that the Chancellor was enraged The target of that rage was not me, but Eleanor. It seemed the hostility between the Tristan Duchy and her remained the same as the original game. It wasnt that she was angry because I was close with the Tristan Duchy, but rather, she was infuriated that the mere Tristan Duchy dared to be close to me! Ah. Why? Why in the world? Why another bomb! [At the very least, you achieved your objective.] [I mean, the Chancellor did intervene, so the game has changed. Now that Lady wont recklessly spend the night together with you. Congrats!] [Well, I cant tell what might happen during the dinner, though.] Please. Stop taunting me with reality!
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 149: Invitation (2) Chapter 149: Invitation (2) Invitation (2) Why?! Why?! why does this keep on happening?! Get your shit together. Seeing Atnte losing her mind while mumbling to herself in front of me like that, I almost blurted that out right onto her face. Unlike usual though, I couldnt just do that. Because I, too, was at a loss on what the fuck was going on right now. It was already a disaster when the Chancellor invaded the academy uninvited, but why are you getting involved in this too?! Its not like I wanted to get involved on purpose. I responded with a gloomy voice. Like, I didnt even do anything. She just approached me out of nowhere. What? Atnte gazed at me, practically holding her breath. It was like she was considering a possibility she didnt want to even imagine. Youre not suggesting that she is a Devils Vessel, are you? I doubt it. Though there were a lot of things I didnt understand, one thing was certain. If she was a Devils Vessel, the system wouldnt ssify her as someone with the good alignment in the first ce. Systematically, it was just not possible. But As mentioned before, it was endlessly impossible to deduce why she would behave like that towards me. What could possibly be the reason for someone with whom I had no connection to act that way towards me? Anyway, I dont know the reason, but its clear that Her Excellency the Chancellor is currently taking a great interest in you. While I was pondering about that question, Atnte continued in a nervous voice. She invited you to dinner, along with Lady Tristan, right? Yes. Ill prepare your clothes, so please wait quietly in the reception room until Ie to escort you. Atnte spoke in a stern voice, as if to warn me. Her reaction seemed toe out strong considering that she was the person who covered up all those incidents I caused in the Forge of Struggle. But this just made it even more clear on how different the weight between the title of Chieftain and Chancellor were. The leader of a republic and a ruler of a centralized nation are pretty different in terms of their significance. When it came to aparison on the national level, both the Tribal Alliance and the Empire were practically on the same level. But that was only because of the difference in their technological advancement. To put it in another term, the Empire had overwhelming manpower and resources, enough to match the technological prowess and longevity that the Tribal Alliance possessed, which in itself was almost at the level of science fiction. And all those manpower and resources could be moved from just a word by the Chancellor and the Empress. This time, if you cause some huge trouble, I really wont be able to protect you. So, make damn sure to behave yourself, understand? Look at her, treating me as if I was some kind of lunatic whod cause trouble wherever I Hm? Actually, that wasnt entirely wrong Considering my track record up to now, it was hard to deny that even as a joke. Fine, Ill promise her that Ill behave this time. Id just eat So you are here, Dowd Campbell! Before I could even finish that thought Someone barged into the Headmistress office by flinging the door open. It was Faenol, and she seemed to be unusually hurried. Faenol Lipek? Atnte tilted her head in confusion after recognizing the other party. It was bizarre enough for a regr student to suddenly kick open the door to the Headmistresss office, but it seemed like Atnte also knew that she was affiliated with the Heretic Inquisition. After all, she skipped over any misceneous questions she had and moved straight to asking about Faeonols purpose here. What brings you here? That dinner! I shall go too! Atnte started wiping her face frantically. And I Didnt really feel like stopping her. Before I could even promise her that Id behave, trouble already came seeking me out on its own.
[I always think this, but unlike you, the girls around you are quite intense.] [I got a good idea. Why dont you gather them all together and hold something like the Greatest Devil Contest or something? The strongest one among them wins the rights to take your first] Shut up for a moment, will you? Mister. I never expected you to show the majesty of a Holy Knight or act like a respectable mentor. But please at least maintain some dignity as a human. I beg you, please. [Neither you nor I are humans anymore, though.] Fuck, he got a point. I let out a sigh and looked down at my chest. It was the location where the Fallens Seal, the thing that was altering myself, resided. Hopefully, there wont be a seizure soon [Seizure? What seizure?] There are two Vessels there, you know. Moreover, one of them was harboring the most powerful Devil and the other one currently had the highest Fusion Rate. If some sort of trouble urred, even I wouldnt be able to control the situation well. With that thought, I gazed at the building bustling with dinner preparations in the distance. Eleanor and Faenol were probably waiting in the dining room already, and I was supposed to join them a bitter. [But why are you joiningter?] Procedure, formality and whatnot, something like that. I let out a sigh as I replied. Also, they said something about how the main character of the night alwayseste. [Yeah, I know that, if thats the case, the Chancellor should be thest one to enter, not you.] Apparently, the Chancellor and I are scheduled to enter at the same time. [] Caliban let out a hollowugh. Being a Guardian who once served in the Imperial Pce, he quickly grasped the hidden meaning. [Isnt the act of entering together reserved for lovers or spouses?] Thats right. To put it bluntly, she was dering to everyone around that, This person is my partner, so dont even think about getting close to him. Most likely, her inclination to disy such things directly to Eleanor was quite strong. [Are you spreading around pheromones or something? What did you do to have her go this far?] At those words, I just silently swept back my hair. Even if it was a personal event happening in a tranquil building of the academy, eyes and ears were everywhere. Rumors would definitely spread. It was possible that the story would be embellished and scattered everywhere as a scandal of sorts. I dont know. In the first ce, Ive never even met her before. [But she seemed to know you.] Huh? [The vibe she gave off made it feel like she had met you more than a couple of times. It shows in her speech and actions.] Calibans words made me stroke my chin and sink into thought. He was right. The consistent hints she was dropping was quite obvious. [But are you absolutely sure you dont have the faintest idea about why?] Calibans words made me frown slightly. What do you mean? [There was someone who gave off a simr vibe before, wasnt it? She never really interacted with you, but she acted as if you knew each other for a long time.] I understood who he was referring to. A certain sly woman who always wore a mask. [Also, you kept on dropping hints that you knew something about her. Scratch that, you acted as if you actually knew who she was.] Its just a hunch. But If my hunch about that person turning into the Prophetter was correct To be more precise If that person actually turned into the Prophetter It was also possible that the Chancellor knew me personally. [What is that supposed to mean?] It meant that they could have met, not me, but a Dowd Campbell from a different temporal axis. The Grey Devil said as such every time it met me. So did the Prophet. Even the Blue Devil did so as well. Since there had been consistent precedents It was not that hard to assume that the Dowd Campbell they first met was not me. Taking that possibility into ount, there was a chance that the Chancellor probably belonged to that category too. [What does that even mean? Didnt you say you were too sick to meet anyone during the period of time in your past that you had forgotten?] If its not the past, then it must be the future. [What?] For Devils, thews of time and space arent absolute, Caliban. This was something the Blue Devil had demonstrated once. Time flowed differently for Devils than it did for others. They had shown this through their words and actions that seemed to know the future several times before, so it was fairly convincing. [If so] Caliban spoke in an incredulous voice. [Are you suggesting that the Chancellor came from the future?] Peripherally, that is correct. But I narrowed my eyes as I replied. Theres also the possibility that it is repeating [Repeating? What is?] The world. [?] Only silence returned from the Soul Linker, as if questioning what the hell was I saying. But, I couldnt find a better exnation than that. At the very least, the truth of this world that I had hypothesized up to this point seemed most aptly condensed into that. Well, Im not certain about it myself. For now, you can just understand it as something had came from the future. [It feels like youre teaching me about something, and the thought of that pissed me off.] Oh, fuck off, teaching my ass. At the current moment, it was just a vague feeling for me too. Reflecting on my experiences and memories, the phenomena that shouldnt be happening were due to the temporal axis being twisted. That was what I got from it. However One thing is certain. I knew which existence was the cause of these phenomena. After all, wasnt there a monstrous entity right beside me? The one who was able to distort time and space with its mere existence? [The Grey Devil.] Yes. Whether it was somethinging from the future, the world repeating, or whatever It was all rted to that entity. In the first ce, that entity was the only one in this worldview with the power to cause such phenomena. Well, who knows. The more important question here was why did shemit such acts? What in the world happened in the future that, upon seeing me at this moment, Devils rushed towards me like crazy and the Grey Devil even twisted the entire temporal axis itself? What exactly was going to happenter with me as the center? I dont know. There were too few things to go by at this present time. For now, I should focus on the immediate issues first. Anyway, whatever it is, theres definitely something going on with the Chancellor. Even after delving to such deep hypotheses, ultimately, that one problem still existed. All entities that I mentioned in the hypothesis were rted to the Devils in one way or another. The Prophet was the Leader of the Devil Worshippers, while the Grey and Blue Devils were Devils themselves. If that was the case Where and what was the point of connection that included the Chancellor in such phenomena? While I was lost in thought about such a topic, suddenly, the voice of another tickled my ears. You were here. Ah, Headmistress. I was beginning to think you would never Right as I was about to stand up with such words, I froze on the spot. Because the person who opened the door to the reception room was not Atnte. The moment I met those golden eyes, I stood up, as if struck by lightning. Your Excellency the Chancellor? Ivee to fetch you, Dowd Campbell. Uh, Your Excellency, sending a servant would have been suff I couldnt possibly do that. With a faint smile, the Chancellor quickly strode towards me and took hold of my arm. She hooked our arms together naturally. My arm was now tightly pressed against her side in apletely stered state. After all, it is you who I am taking, Dowd. Uh, Chancellor. For now, one thing was certain. Entering the hall in such a state would cause Eleanor to go berserk. A one-way ticket to Game Over. But this treatment seems a bit excessive for someone of my status. Perhaps maintaining some distance from me would be Separate? However When she heard my words, her tone dropped immediately. I broke out in a cold sweat. I fucked up. That was the kind of feeling that rushed over me. Youre telling me to separate from you this time as well? Then, a sentence pounded inside my head that even made me forget the chills running down my spine. This time as well? This person. What did she mean by that? And The moment I met those eyes I instinctively realized. What the link between this person and the Devils was. System Message [ Fallens Seal reacts weakly! ] [ It reacts to target =Removed Object= ! ] After all, being this close, the aura swirling in those eyes was unmistakably familiar to me. This person was a Vessel. However She was apletely different type from the Devils Vessels I had encountered before. [What is that supposed to mean?] Shes a Vessel, that much is true, but I spoke, cold sweats started to trickle on my back, as Caliban asked with an incredulous voice. She doesnt have a Devils Fragment. [What?] Theres no Fragment and only the Authority remains. As if I couldnt get myself to finish the sentence. But Caliban finished it for me instead. [As if she herself is the very existence of a Devil?] That was exactly how it felt. What the fuck was happening? With chills running down my spine, I looked at the Chancellor. Well then. Sullivan smiled brightly. Shall we go in? The Chancellor, drawing a graceful curve with her golden eyes, spoke as such. Her smile was beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that it felt like a Devils temptation.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 150: Invitation (3) Chapter 150: Invitation (3) Invitation (3) Faenol expressionlessly gulped down the wine served as an aperitif. She couldnt remember how many sses she had emptied, but judging by the concerned look of the waiter who had been diligently serving her, she deduced that she must have consumed quite the number. This clearly wasnt her normal behavior. In the first ce, she wasnt one to enjoy alcohol, and gulping down this much aperitif already drove her on the line between rudeness and entricity. If she were behaving like normal, she would have never done this. How fascinating. But, she couldnt care less about that in her current state. She smiled faintly to herself as she smelled the faint scent of grapes that tickled her nostrils. Her sense of taste had definitelye back, all thanks to that man. Did you find something ufortable? Such words flowed from the seat next to her. When she turned her head to find out the owner of that voice, her eyes met Lady Tristans. As always, thedy was wearing her usual expressionless face. It seemed like she found Faenols current state odd, that was why she made such a remark. My clothes do feel ufortable. Hearing Faenol saying such words with a smile, Eleanor tilted her head before replying to her. Indeed, the area around your chest does look rather tight. But, why would someone with such a voluptuous bosom like you wear such tight attire? Right, having such arge bosom does give one various inconveniences. I do have a few useful tips to share, if you mind listening to me. Thank you for your words, Lady Tristan, but it is not necessary. What is she even on about? Hers are way bigger Faenol chuckled, continuing the conversation. It was just an expression to say that I am not used to these sorts of ces. Instead of telling the truth of how she managed to regain her lost senses, she chose to steer the conversation in a different direction instead. Though, the statement she made was undoubtedly the truth. After all, I am amoner. Normally, I wouldnt have had the opportunity to attend such a grand asion. While this might have been a dinner, nothing more, nothing less, the host was someone whose position was almost equal to the Empress. An entire entourage was bustling around to amodate such an individual. Wouldnt you have had many opportunities to enter social circles? Are you not an apprentice of the Magic Tower? Faenols eyes widened as she looked towards Eleanor. How does this woman know about my past? The Student Council manages all the personal details of every student in the academy. Eleanor continued in her blunt voice. I heard you had ties with Dean Percy of the Magic School. Is that not so? Faenol wore a bitter smile as she put down her ss. It was a painful past. So painful, in fact, that shed rather not recall it at all. Because the name Percy Siston Levantin still left a deep scar in her heart. Yes, I do have some kind of connection with him. For now, she brushed the topic off. Hearing her words, Eleanor didnt pry any further. Perhaps she realized theplex emotions buried in Faenols voice. You said youre amoner? Which region did youe from? There is a small vige in the North. You probably would not know it even if you heard its name. Is that so? It was a beautiful ce. With that, Faenol turned her gaze at the swishing wine in her ss, her eyes lowered. The wine was as red as blood. At least until a certainincident urred. Just like the scenery of the night when she went berserk and burnt down the entire vige. Eleanor gave her an intense stare, but Faenol avoided her stare and took another sip of her wine. It seemed like the alcohol was affecting her quite a bit since she had been rambling about unnecessary things for a while now. What are you doing right now, Faenol? She chided herself internally. Has she started to long for the ordinary life she once had? Someone like her? A monster who had destroyed her own hometown, and even hurt the person who took her in when she had nowhere else to go? How could she be so shameless to wish such a thing? The Crimson Night Incident, recorded as one of the worst disasters in the Empire, was caused by her. By the Red Devil slumbering within her. Do you know anything about Her Excellency the Chancellor? Though it was rather forceful, she tried to shift the topic. Luckily, the new topic she chose fitted to the asion. After all, the reason why she and Lady Tristan was here in the first ce was because of the Chancellor herself, Eleanor paused for a moment, indicating she understood the shift in her atmosphere. I encountered her a few times when I was younger. Since their ages werent that far apart from each other, Eleanor remembered the other woman well. How was she? Besides the impression of being intolerably remarkable, I do not have much to say. Faenol chuckled. Indeed. To be able to push Eleanor, praised as an unprecedented prodigy of swordsmanship from a major household to second ce, she must have been quite the remarkable person. Not to mention that the major household Eleanor in was the most prestigious one in the entirety of the Empire, as long as the one who possessed the most powerful of swordsmanship. It was no wonder that she managed to climb from the lowest rank of nobility to the highest. Its an unbelievable story. To think that a young woman, not even halfway through her life, had be the Supreme Commander of the Empire. A few years ago, not even novels would tell such a story. And it remained so until Sullivan had first begun to disy her excellence. Nowadays, no one dared to scoff at that reality. After all, those who did were all dead. Faenol let out a bitter smile. Eleanors words were all correct. Except for just one thing. Its not really unbelievable of a story. Mm? Inside her heart slept the Red Devil, one of the most violent ones among the Devils. Although they didnt converse often There were some things that she naturally knew as someone who was harboring a Devil inside herself. For instance How could it be impossible when a person, already destined to rise to the position of Chancellor, also knew the future? Chancellor Sullivan was Undoubtedly the same kind as her. What? Eleanor tilted her head in response, but instead of borating, Faenol just let out a sigh. Not that there was any time for further exnation anyway. Her Excellency makes her entrance. All rise! With those words, the bustling servants scattered neatly in the surroundings. Their faces clearly showed their nervousness. I can understand their tension. After all, they were about to face the Lady of Steel, someone who had never left her opposition survived her des. It was natural for them to worry about the possibility of them falling out of her favor. Thus When the Lady of Steel, affectionately linked arm in arm with a man, entered the hall A palpable expression of shock and bewilderment rose among everyones faces. After all It almost seemed like the couple were unting a romantic rtionship for all to see? Oh my. Is something the matter? While the Chancellor uttered such words nonchntly Faenol inwardly burst intoughter. Because the sight of Dowd being dragged along with a sullen face entered her sight. Sure, most of that mans troubles were self-inflicted, but this time, he seemed undoubtedly the victim. After all, he hadnt directly done a single thing at this current moment. Oh dear. But to those unaware of that truth, none of that mattered at all. Eleanors expression crumpled rapidly at the sight of Dowd, who was cozily locking his arm with another woman.
System Message [ Corruption Value of target Eleanor is rapidly increasing! ] Sorry, Eleanor. I cant do anything about this Thinking this, the Chancellor dragged me to a seat next to her. I tried to escape several times, but every time I did so, the Chancellors dead-eyed re made it impossible. It felt like doing so would actually provoke something horrific. [But you said she didnt have a Devils Fragment. That means she wont go berserk no matter what you do, no?] Yeah, but Im not crazy enough to pick a fight with the Chancellor. [You got a point.] Caliban chuckled in agreement. And even setting that aside, its dangerous. Even if she currently didnt have a Fragment, I had a strong feeling that she was able to wield a Devils Authority. The problem was, I didnt know what kind of ability she could use. There were only six Devils that I knew of. I had never heard of any others. Is it even possible for there to be more? Even I, who was deeply immersed in the settings of Savior Rising, had not heard of such a thing. Yet, this person was A Devil. At the very least, she used to hold a Fragment once. Because of the Fallens Seal, I could pass off as a bootleg Devil, but she gave off an entirely different feeling than me. In the meantime, the servants, having finished serving the food, bowed deeply and exited the hall. Sullivan had probably arranged this with them prior to this dinner. And as soon as I saw that My stomach started to churn. To go out of her way to dismiss the servants meant that she was about to say something that others should never hear. First of all, thank you for epting the invitation, Lady Tristan. And Sullivan began, her gaze slightly shifting to Faenols face. An unexpected face. But With her trademark gentle smile, she continued. Well, it is fine. Either way, this is something that you need to hear as well. What is it that you want to speak about, Your Excellency? Eleanor responded with an expressionless face. There was an ominous glint on her red eyes. Though she was a Lady of a Ducal House, the way she addressed the Chancellor was incredibly disrespectful, but Sullivan didnt blink an eye to this. Almost as if the reason why she had dismissed everyone was for this. And immediately after I hope this message reaches all the other women in this mans vicinity as well. The Chancellor dropped a bombshell. Do not even think of approaching my Dear Husband. Eleanor and Faenol blinked in unison. Her words came out so abruptly, without any warning, that it seemed to evaporate any sense of reason before anyones anger could even take hold. The Chancellor, still wearing a serene smile, helped herself to the food ever so naturally. Almost as if the deration she just made wasnt even that notable. As if asserting an obvious thing in the most matter-of-fact way. And I was in no better condition than the other two. Huh, the brain freeze is kinda severe. Huh. Huh? Dear Husband? The fuck? Are you suggesting that you n to marry him? Faenol asked in a slightly dazed voice. It seemed even someone devoid of emotion found it exceedingly difficult to calmly ept such a statement. In the first ce, there was this persons standing. Her position. Such a deration was bound to create ripples across the entire continent. However Yes. Her answer came all too naturally. There was a hint of incredulity in her answer even, as if questioning why such an obvious question needed to be asked. Your Excellency. Eleanor opened her mouth with a chilly voice. If words could kill, Sullivan would have been sliced into itty bitty pieces by the palpable killing intent emanating from her. That man is engaged to me. Do you not aware of I am aware, Lady Tristan. That is precisely why I invited you here in the first ce. Even when facing Eleanor who was leaking such a crazy killing intent to the point that her words seemed to be able to kill, the gentle smile didnt leave Sullivans face. It was admirable, borderline awe-inspiring that she was able to keep herposure like this. An unworthy woman like you shall never be suitable for this man. What is it that you mean by unworthy? At those words, the smile on Sullivans face deepend even further Lady Tristan. As if she was waiting for that exact question. Because of you, one wrong move might mean the start of a war in the near future. As soon as I heard that I felt my blood turn ice-cold. After all, this was a fixed line of dialogue from the game. A line that triggered a Specific Event. Caliban. [Yeah?] Go to sleep for a moment. [What? No, what in the] Ignoring Calibans baffled response, I removed Soul Linker from my arm and put the entire amulet inside my pocket. After all, the story Sullivan was about to tell Was something this person must never hear. A war? What is that supposed to mean? Lady Tristan. Then Have you ever heard of the Hero Selection? Along with Sullivans words, a system window popped up before my eyes. System Message [ Due to the change in state of target Sullivan, the main scenario is altered. ] [ The starting point of Chapter 4 Crimson Night has changed! ] Yeah. I knew what this was. After all, this Was the line that marked the beginning of Chapter 4. A chapter that marked one of the biggest turning points in the entire scenario. I subconsciously stroked Soul Linker, hidden in my pocket. The reason why Chapter 4 was deemed as the scenarios most significant branching point was simple. Though it was a chapter where Faenol, one of the Devils Vessels, emerged as its Final Boss Iliya. It was also the chapter that the original protagonist of this world Was the most involved with.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 151: Return Chapter 151: Return Return I do not quite understand what you are saying all of a sudden, Your Excellency. Still exuding a menacing aura, Eleanor made such a remark. It wasnt strange for her to feel perplexed when the topic of war was mentioned out of the blue. Anyone trying to dismiss it as some sort of nonsensical talk waspletely normal. However Sullivans words were right. Strictly speaking, Eleanor wouldnt be the cause, rather the entity she harbored.. Both Headmistress Atnte and the Chieftain of the Tribal Alliance seemed to have tried their best to conceal the truth. Sullivan continued in a calm voice. But there are eyes and ears everywhere. In both Elfante and Forge of Struggle, there was news that traces of a Devil were found during the time you were present. Its pretty much an open secret now. With just one wrong move, the news could spread to the public in an instant. Eleanors eyes widened slightly at those words. Did you say a Devil, Your Excellency? Indeed, Lady Tristan. A Devil. Wait! To continue on treading on this topic would be dangerous! If she were to reveal that Eleanor was harboring a Devils Fragment, a huge variable would appear in my ns. This should not happen until Chapter 5 starts at least! As I was about to intervene and stop her from talking The Chancellor nced at me, sending me a wink from an angle that would not be visible to Eleanor. Was she trying to reassure me that she wouldnt speak on the matter any further? I narrowed my eyes and looked at Sullivan. If there was one thing that was certain It was the fact that this woman knew me well.. As if she had been staying by my side for a long time. I do not know anything about entities rted to Devils, Your Excellency. Eleanor said in a stiff voice, but Sullivan just shrugged her shoulders and replied. Honestly, whether youre involved with them directly is not important. The problem here is the incidents triggered by it. It was obvious what she was trying to get at. Every time a Devil revealed themselves, they brought cmities significant enough to send ripples across the entire continent. Even the Guardians, the Empires strongest force, had to stake their lives to deal with the Crimson Night Incident, the incident that turned several cities into ashes and was recorded as the worst incident in the Empires history. It was pretty much a given that the entire continent would be plunged into chaos if they were to find out that a Devils Authority had been manifested in the Material Realm. Barely any statesmen would wee such news. The continent is already on a precarious bnce to begin with, its teetering between peace and war. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that anyone coulde to invade others for the sake of interest if they wish so. If public sentiment did not stabilize and fell into chaos, it was a given that many such opportunities would rise. Even those without such intentions might change their minds if a perfect opportunity presented itself. In short The threat of war Sullivan spoke of really wasnt a fantasy, but reality. And thats how it all connected. If the entire continent was shaken by the fear of Devils, then there was a simple solution for it. To call upon the existence that could bnce out the scale between humanity and the Devils. The only human in history to have ever battled all Devils and matched them. Hero Selection. As Faenol said those words with a bitter smile, Sullivan nodded in affirmation. Originally, it was said that a Hero is selected by the Heavens itself. No matter how strongly someone insisted that they are a Hero, they couldnt just expect to be recognized as one just like that. The First Heros Holy Sword that was kept in the Holy Land. Only someone who was recognized by it would be acknowledged as a Hero by everyone. But now We have to create such a person By force if we have to. Even if the Holy Sword refuses to recognize them, we need someone who is at least strong enough for us to im that they are able to stand against the Devils. What is it that you mean by forcibly creating such a person? Eleanor asked in a chilly voice. To be acknowledged as the Hero, I am fairly sure one must show themselves wielding and using the Holy Sword. Otherwise, the public will not believe it. We have to make them hold it. Force them to, if necessary. If the public wants it, well show it to them. Eleanors mouth fell open. For someone who rarely showed her emotions, this was a remarkably intense reaction, but honestly, I couldnt me her for it. Say, what exactly would happen if someone who wasnt recognized by the Holy Sword touched it? The answer was simple. Theyd just die. Their body would shatter as they were trying to approach a power that they couldnt possibly handle. In other words, what the Chancellor was trying to say was It is better to stage a well-crafted and borate deception than to let thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of lives be lost. That they would create a sacrificialmb to stop a war from urring. The governing body of the Empire has already agreed to proceed with this. Thats why I cant help but criticize you for this matter, Lady Tristan. Sullivan red at Eleanor, her golden eyes glinted. Because you are the reason why this had to happen. A heavy silence descended around us. At that moment I found myself touching the Soul Linker in my pocket again. In this academy, there was already someone who was selected as a Hero Candidate. If a Hero Selection ever urred, that girl would definitely be summoned. I grit my teeth so hard that my gums bled. This was the reason why I took off the Soul Linker. Because this was the only thing that would truly upset Caliban, someone who nonchntly glossed over the fact that I had transformed into something that was close to a Devil. Using his remaining kin as a sacrifice. Thats what theyre fucking saying right now. If it was me, there was no way that Id let it slide. The one fortunate thing was that she was not in Elfante right now as she was staying in the Forge of Struggle. I had to keep her far enough away to dy the starting point of the Main Quest and take enough time to prepare so that such an event would never happen to System Message [ An event rted to target Iliya will be generated soon! ] Mr. System, please. Get a grip and read the fucking room.
ITS ELFANTEEEEEE-! Iliya, who jumped off the train, stretched out her exams and shouted. Why are you so happy about it? You havent even been gone for that long. Except, the only reply she got were some curt words. But Iliya simply twirled around, her smile unchanged. After all, she already knew from living with her for a few weeks. This person always spoke gruffly, but when one got down to it, she was actually a very nice person. And much more delicate than one might think. I miss Teach! I think I havent seen him for almost a month! Cant you keep those thoughts to yourself? Or at least dont shout it out loud? Dont you have any shame whatsoever? Uh, didnt you miss Teach too, Riru? My ass. As Riru Garda snorted, Iliya cocked her head and turned her gaze. At the end of her gaze, there was a box that Riru was holding carefully, as if it was something very precious to her. Thats a gift for Teach, isnt it? Youve been holding it so carefully the whole way here. When Iliya pointed out the bundle that Riru was carrying, she blushed and quickly hid it behind her. W-What do you mean a g-g-gift! D-D-Do I look like someone who would prepare such things?! Woah. She is so easy to read. Iliya approached Riru with a face full of mischief. There was only one case when this person reacted this way. Whenever any talk about Teach came up, shed acted like a boy caught having a crush on a girl. You can tell me a little about it~ I wont tell anyone, I promise~ What is it exactly~? There was also another thing that Iliya realized after spending time with her. The fact that it was so easy to tease her. Especially now, when there was a very solid link that connected her and Riru together. That wasnt a choice but a necessity. Of course, there were conflicts between her friends and Riru before and there were frictions here and there, as she thought that Riru was one of those people who tried to flirt with Teach. But after being caught by Kasa Garda and rolling through hellish training together, a bond almost akin torades-in-arms had long formed between the two. I told you, its not a gift. While she was lost in such thoughts, Riru replied curtly. She even hid the bundle she was holding behind her. Huh? Shes much more stubborn than usual. Usually, when I prod her like this, shed always give in somehow Is that part simr to Miss Yuria? Both of them, with not a single same-age, same-sex friend, boasted a narrow-minded view on human rtionships. As such, they were far more prone to giving in when barraging them with attacks of friendship. So, in this case Yap. Iliya swiftly moved behind Riru and reached for the bundle. Her movement was light, but her speed was astonishing. She had always been exceptional in closebat, so most people would be helpless against her, but Eek. Iliya was pushed back. It was because Riru shoved her hard on the forehead. Seriously, what the heck. Iliya pouted, feeling it was unfair. Having sparred with Riru under Kasas guidance several times, it was clear that Riru possessed a truly bizarre ability. Sometimes She reacted as if she could see a few seconds into the future. Even just now, she should have beenpletely unable to anticipate that move. Yet, it was as if something inside her body was helping Riru. Whether its me or her, we really carry some unbelievable abilities, huh. Strictly speaking The ability she opened under Kasas training was at an even more absurd level. Iliya stroked the eye patch covering her right eye with a bitter smile on her face. It wasnt really like her eye was injured. However Without the eyepatch, even looking around would cause a severe headache. Because the amount of information shed take would be overwhelming. While she was thinking this, Riru spoke with her fists trembling and face flushed. Cut it out, will you! Im seriously going to hit you hard, okay?! What a nice person. Even after all this, she didnt say a single harsh word and only threatened to hit me. Is this really the same person who would resort to fists at just the slightest provocation in the past? I guess its true that someones personality would change when they find someone they like. W-Why do you keep bringing up that guy! I didnt say anything about him though? ! Iliya, sticking out her tongue in a teasing manner, took a few steps back from Riru, who was almost letting out steam from her ears. Ah, really now. Iliya giggled inwardly. In the past, she wouldnt have been able to make such jokes. Rather, she would have been constantly worried about the fact that another girl was approaching Teach. But since obtaining this eye Somehow, the world looked a bit different to her. Then, even though itste, we should go and see Teach first! She spoke energetically, gently touching the eye patch over her right eye. Whatever happened, the fact that she became apletely different person after receiving training from Kasa in the Forge of Struggle was evident. So at the very least, shouldnt she quickly show Dowd what had changed? But it was clear that such a n would be difficult to carry out. Hes with the Chancellor? When Iliya asked this, Dame Ophelia, who was sitting in the dorm supervisors room, answered with anguid voice. Mhmm~ Thats what they said~ I wondered what was going on since he was out all day and it turns out hes tied up with them~ No, wait, what I meant was What business does someone like the Chancellor have at the academy in the first ce? And why is he getting involved in this? As Iliya pondered this, Riru, too, seemed at a loss as she scratched her head. It cant be helped then. If he is in such a ce, we have no choice but to do itter No. Iliya cut in firmly, causing Rirus eyes to widen. What? I have a very strong hunch. He definitely needs me right now What in the world was that even supposed to mean? Feeling? What feeling? She talked about how Rirus personality had changed and all that, but despite all the change she underwent, she was the same as Riru in the end. Though she was as lively and sociable as before In certain aspects, she had be a bit more Stubborn, perhaps? It felt a bit like there were some parts where she would neverpromise about. If she believed something must be done, then shed absolutely carry it out. And that was evident from her next words. Lets barge in! Riru pressed her temples as her head was ringing with pain. After her training with the Fist Saint, Iliya had clearly be a different person. What a crazy bitch. She could blurt out such a deranged, batshit crazy thing as if it was nothing now.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 152: Intrusion Chapter 152: Intrusion Intrusion Your Excellency the Chancellor, please allow me to be fraink. Eleanor, who had only been listening to Sullivan this whole time, spoke in a t tone. She had just heard that she was the cause of the chaos that was happening worldwide, but her reaction was unexpectedly dull. Firstly, I can understand your im that the trigger of this situation had been triggered by me. As soon as the word im came out of her mouth, the edge of the Chancellors mouth twitched. Eleanor said it in a t tone, but the meaning of her words were clear; Everything that you said is just your own opinion. As if to say that such moral condemnation wouldnt really affect her Then, she uttered her next words in the same tone. However, what does that have to do with my rtionship with Dowd? For the first time, Sullivans smile disappeared from her face. Im sure that you arent ignorant of the severity of the situation, Lady Tristan. The Chancellor continued in a stiff voice. Those associated with Devils will be treated as enemies of the entire continent. This isnt limited to the Devil Worshippers, but every human whos involved. I am aware of that. Eleanor replied, tilting her head slightly. So what about it? Nothing has been decided yet, so you can dictate nothing to me regarding this matter. This is something that should be decided between Dowd and myself. Third parties have no right to say on the matter. Now, she didnt even bother to address her with Your Excellency. Despite her calm, serene speech, her face was more expressionless than usual, save for the glint in her red eyes. It made it as if she was trying to suppress something. I wont be so sure about that, Lady Tristan. Sullivan replied with a voice so cold that it could probably freeze the water just by her talking. I am confident that your mere existence would bring harm to this man, so I do not think its unreasonable for me to have a say in this. Even you yourself are aware of this, arent you? Sullivans golden eyes sunk deeply. Theres a high chance that this man will get swept up by something bad because of you. Something very, very dangerous. Hearing her words, Eleanors body turned stiff. This meant that she couldnt find any words to refute her. She bit her lip hard enough for it to bleed, but only for a moment before she started speaking again. If the assumption that you have uttered is true, whether Ill be there or not, that danger woulde anyway, no? Only the foolish whod suffer the consequences first because of their inability to differentiate between truth and lies, Lady Tristan. Well, you are free to think how you like, but A cold sneer followed Sullivans words. I have to say that you look quite pathetic. Eleanors eyebrows twitched. To think that youd go out of your way to deny the truth that you yourself had verified. Do you not realize how greedy your wish to monopolize this man is? Sullivans golden eyes, sunken deep, gleamed insidiously. In the first ce, you are not even able to do anything for this man. Even after you watched him sacrificing himself over and over because of you, youre still unable to let go of that greed. Tell me, what could be more pathetic than that? Oh, is this your attempt to advertise the fact that you grew up without as much as love from your father? The Chancellors intense re, burning like cold mes, pierced into Eleanor. In that case, I can understand. After all, your environment makes you who you are. You didnt have anyone to teach you what proper distance is, did you? I truly find you pitiful now. Even just quietly listening to her sent a shiver down my spine. Because the Chancellors words werent only enveloped by coldness, but also an intense hostility. Even so, you should know when and where to act spoiled, shouldnt you? Even if it is someone as obtuse as you. Though those words werent directed at me, I was breaking out in a cold sweat. Haa. Meanwhile, Eleanor closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. She stood still. No words were uttered. Even after hearing all that, the atmosphere around her still seemed serene. Well, who knows. The next words that she uttered came out in a calm tone. I know of one thing though, Your Excellency the Chancellor. What is? The fact that you have to be removed. No matter what. As Eleanor spoke, a twisted smile appeared on her face. And that sight Made a chill run through my entire body, as if the blood that ran through my vein had been frozen. After all, that was the expression Eleanor showed whenever she was about to swing her sword against an enemy. Then Grey aura surged from her body. System Message [ Target Eleanor is enraged! ] [ Corruption Value of target Eleanor exceeds 200%. ] Her calm responses were not due to her not getting angry. Rather, it was the calm before the storm. The anger within her had reached a boiling point, at the verge of exploding! Without time to n or any of that bullshit, I stood up. All I knew was that I had to stop this somehow, no matter the cost!. Especially considering what happened thest time Eleanor went berserk! Indeed, youre an uncouth woman, just as expected. Then, along with those words This is the only thing that you know, isnt it? Whenever things dont go your way, youd just swing your sword around. System Message [ Fallens Seal reacts! ] [ Target Sullivan drawing out the Aura of =Removed object= has been sensed! ] Sullivans body started to be imbued with a golden aura. I knew it! This person was also deeply involved with a Devil, in whatever manner it might be. Because this was the manifestation that youd see whenever Devils tried to use their Authority! I immediately put on the Soul Linker. Calibans dumbfounded voice soon came from inside. [Huh, whats this? Why did you wake me up again so suddenly?] Shut up and give me your mana. Now! Its urgent! Two Devils were about to sh right in the middle of Elfante. If that were to happen, the entire scenario would go down the drain! [Wait, two Devils? Can you even stop that?!] I dont know. Ill die either way, so who gives a shit! While I responded to him, I checked all the means avable to me. What I can do here is! System Message [ The Sidekick of Survival Rule is activated! ] [ Target Iliya reacts sensitively to your moment of danger. ] [ The targets stats increase dramatically! ] [ The target opens the Eye of Truth! ] ? The fuck? Right as I was thinking as such after looking at the window that popped up out of the blue Heya~ From the entrance of the hall Its great that I decided to intrude. This looks like an absolute mess. Along with that voice A sh came flying.
The growth that Iliya Krisanax showed in the game was at a crazy high level, even after considering the fact that she was the protagonist. Like, the thing about her blowing away a mountain range with a single strike was not an exaggeration at all. But still, even after considering that Wasnt this a little too much? -! -! Judging from the sound, the whole fiasco ended in a ratherckluster conclusion. After all, Iliya solved it by bonking the back of Eleanor and Sullivans head. But, when I saw that I felt every hair on my body stand on its end. While it was true that those two being unable to react to her speed was absurd, the thing that got me was something else. Just now. Faenols dazed voice reached my ears. Judging by the way she was about to unleash all the mana in her body, she seemed to have been preparing herself to stop the collision between the two Devils. Did she subdue two Devils Vessels by hitting them? Yeah. Unless I was seeing things, that was exactly what happened. Eleanor and Sullivan, who were manifesting their respective Devils Authority, copsed powerlessly at the same time. Almost as if they lost consciousness from a single blow. To put it simply, this punk just subdued the two of them by hitting the back of their heads with her bare hands. TEAAAAACH-! While I was thinking this, Iliya called out to me, as she was hopping in front of me. She grabbed my hand and shook it up and down vigorously with a broad smile on her face. The punk looked so d to see me it felt like she didnt know what she should do. Did her personality change? Wait, now that I thought about it This was her original personality. The reason why she became so droopy and deadpan was because of me. Well, to be more specific, because she kept getting swept up in my problems. Have you been well? Wow, its really been a while! I looked at Iliya with a dumbfounded expression for a while before finally managed to ask. You. How did you do that just now? Huh? What do you mean by how? How did youknock out both of them with a single blow? At my question, Iliya tilted her head, as if implying that I was saying something strange. Well, thats Seemingly unsure how to exin, she scratched her head. How should I put it? So, I need to hit them with my fists without hurting them, but I cant just subdue them in the normal way, right? Especially with Lady Tristan. I doubt that shed even get a scratch if I were to hit her Makes sense, go on. Since thats the case, I just hit the thing inside their bodies. What was it? The Devils Fragment or whatever? She said those words so casually, but A heavy silence descended upon us. Me, Faenol, even Caliban in the Soul Linker, who always chattered in any situation, all shut our mouths. Wait a fucking moment. What the fuck does that even mean? Hit? A Devils Fragment? What? After a long silence, I barely managed to let out a voice. But Iliya replied with an unchanging bright smile, as if the thing that she had done was nothing worth mentioning at all. Well, at one point, I started seeing all sorts of things really clearly these days. I can see that They have someone inside them, also theres that Devils Fragment thingy Come to think of it, there was a notification about her opening the Eye of Truth or whatever in a system window just before. And now that I looked at her closely, she was wearing something simr to an eyepatch. So, since I saw that person inside. I tried hitting her, you know? Iliya continued with a grin. And then it worked! When I did it a few times against Riru, she was beside herself. It seems to be really painful for those who have those Fragment thingy if they get hit directly. After I gathered my braincells to understand what the fuck she was saying, I finally understood everything. What she was trying to say was that, even though the one that she hit was the Vessel, the damage was dealt directly to the Devils Fragment inside them. That was why even those two, people who could withstand a direct hit from a bomb, copsed with just a single hit to the back of their heads. But how? It was iprehensible. She was saying it so nonchntly, but Even if youb through the entire worldview, this was an unprecedented power. Keep in mind that the only beings who could suppress the strength of the Devils were either Devils themselves, a Seraphim or a Hero who wielded the Holy Sword. That was thew. A rule written into the very code of the games system, okay? But then What the fuck was that just now? If this were a game, people would dismiss it as a bug. That was how absurd it was. But this was reality, the concept of bugs didnt exist. Seriously though, what the fuck was going on with this kid? Fist Saint. What the fuck did you even do that the kid became like this?! So, what do you think? Iliya asked while gazing at me. I practiced this ability really hard for your sake, Teach. Huh? And as soon as our eyes met I backed away. While I didnt know why I did so, my instincts were screaming, telling me to run. Youve worked hard. Thats actually an unbelievable ability. Right? Iliya replied with a grin. And then From now on, Ill protect you. Along with those words She grasped my hand tightly. As if she wouldnt ever let me go out of her sight. From now on, even if bad women like these try to threaten you, Teach. Ill protect you. Thats what Ive been training so hard for. So However, as she turned to face me, any signs of such an atmosphere had disappeared without a trace. Iliya smiled brightly once again. You cant leave my side, okay? Otherwise, who knows what kind of harassment would you suffer from those violent women. With those words, she hooked her pinky finger around mine. Mhm, pinky-promise. To always stick together. Then, she continued with the same wide smile. So I can always protect you, Teach. Understood? Light radiated from her eyes as she said this, but Like, it was nice and all that she wanted to protect me, but For some reason, I felt a chill running down my spine. How should I put it [This is a premonitory symptom of obsession, isnt it?] [Did you wake me up just to show me how you managed to corrupt my little sister?] No. Its not that. Stop being fucking ridiculous.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 153: Resolve Chapter 153: Resolve Resolve The unprecedented incident where both the Chancellor and Lady Tristan fainted at the same time ended with surprisingly little repercussions, considering the severity of the case. Damn it, shit, FUCKKKKK-! Of course it was Atnte who dragged both of them to the infirmary, wearing an expression that was simr to that of an evil ghost, all while screaming inhuman-sounding screeches. Please dont me her for that though. Our Dear Headmistress was always the first one to get swept up whenever such an incident urred, after all. Also, she always dealt with the aftermath personally. Fortunately, thanks to Iliyas delicate touch, none of them showed any signs of external injuries. They were just unconscious for God knows why. The fact that the victims themselves didnt know who to me or what to me for was a considerable stroke of luck. Prior to this, Atnte, with a stiff expression, told me that the two of them didnt have any intention to directly sh with each other for now. The Petronus Household and the Tristan Duchy have never been on good terms, but they are aware that it wont be good for either of them if the conflict esctes even more than this. Of course But thats only because you arent involved this time, Dowd. Theres no guarantee that such conflicts wont happen in the future. There was an obvious caveat like this. I nodded at Atntes words with a bitter smile. Ill have to find a solution quickly. I responded with a sigh. Things wouldnt be limited to those two shing against each other. The conflicts between Devils would only intensify from now on. This was just the beginning. It was especially the case if the number of Devils involved with me kept increasing; The likelihood of such incidents happening would increase exponentially. Iliya might have acquired the ability to directly hit a Devils Fragment, but I couldnt rely on it consistently. Although the method might work before a Devil went berserk, there were already some cases in the past that rendered it useless, like back when Eleanor actually unleashed her Authority. Do you have something in mind? Well, I do. You see, it was inevitable that such incidents would ur. That was why the best course of action was to prepare the means to manage the aftermath. And when it came to mediating fights that were on the scale of Devils, there was only one being that was capable of doing so. A Hero wielding the Holy Sword. After growing to their fullest potential, they would be the strongest human in the world. They were among the top two inbat power, towering above the rest, along with the Grey Devil. Judging from your expresion, it seems you are not too keen on that method, though. She was right. Because both the burden and the danger of the method was far too high. Not for me, but for Iliya, who would get caught up in this event. But, it isnt like I have any other choice. Saying that, I summoned a window in front of my eyes. System Log [ The starting point of Chapter 4 Crimson Night has changed! ] Originally, Chapter 4 would only start a few months from now. But, as always, due to the twisted scenario, the date was brought forward considerably. Its such a stupid fucking bullshit, imagine if no, I dont even want to imagine the possibility if she cant wield the Holy Sword. The Hero wielding the Holy sword was as important as the Grey Devil being designated as the Final Boss in the scenarios progression. Everything else could be worked on, but this part must not go wrong. The moment it did, the entire world would just crumble. For example, the False God and Stigma of Ill Omen in thetter parts of the scenario worked on the basis that Iliya was the bearer of the Holy Sword. Without that, there was nothing we could do to defeat those guys and clear the chapter. However. The risk is too high. To begin with, trying to get the Holy Sword to recognize Iliya was easier said and done. The slightest mistake could send her head flying on the spot. She passed the test with flying colors in the game, but Most of the ordeals she was supposed to face in the game were dealt by me instead. So, the key question here was whether her growth meter filled up ording to the original game or not. Her sessfully gaining the broken ability to hit a Devils Fragment directly was great and all, but that was a whole different thing to being acknowledged by the Holy Sword. Also When does the Hero Selection start, Headmistress? I heard itll start in a few days. Theyre gathering candidates from the academies of each country. The Holy Sword doesnt allow humans older than a certain age to wield it, after all. I nodded while listening to Atntes words. Just like always, there wasnt much time. If it was gonna happen in a few days, it meant the main event would probably hit me without leaving me any time to prepare. Which meant There was only one option left. Can you do me a favor, Headmistress? What is it? There are about two things. First, I need the contact information of the Senior Professor of the Theology School, as well as the right to meet them. Atnte narrowed her eyes before ring at me. It isnt a difficult favor, so I wont ask you why you need that, but you do know that person is a little peculiar, right? I do know. Honestly, if that person wasnt the Senior Professor, I wouldnt want to be involved with them. Peculiar was a polite way to describe that person. Because that person was a little bit of a lunatic. Second That aside I sighed and continued. Please let me participate in the Hero Selection Ceremony. Atnte looked at me with a stiff expression. Elfante can only nominate one student. I know. In the first ce, if you wanted to be nominated in the selection, youd have to be recognized as a Hero Candidate first. However I wont ask to participate as a candidate, but as part of the entourage to support her. The other countries would send something simr to apany their candidates, right? If thats the case, I can help with that, but itll be nearly impossible to influence the selection process with that alone. You know that, right? Atnte replied with a sour face. That was indeed the case. In the game, during the Hero Selection Event, the candidates had to ovee the ordeals that were presented to them. A supporting attendant or an entourage could only coach them, not helping them directly. However Its nearly impossible, but not entirely impossible, right? Excuse me? The things Ive aplished so far Could they even be categorized as something that was possible to do? This was just the same old pattern again. I just needed to do what I had always done. Since the butterfly effect was caused by me, I had to take responsibility for it. That was why Ultimately, it would be that girls problem to gain the Holy Swords recognition, but I will turn her into a Hero, Headmistress. No matter what it takes. Paving the path for her Was something I needed to do.
I survived another day. As soon as I returned to my dorm room, I rubbed my face tiredly. With such thoughts, I nced at the small bracelet wrapped around the top of the amulet. It was an item Iliya had bought from the Tribal Alliance as a gift for me. In my mind, the conversation I had with Iliya was being reyed. -The Hero Selection? Ill do it! - Because of her overly cheerful response, I barely managed to say my next words. -Do you even know what youre getting yourself into? -Hm, judging from the way youre speaking, it must be something dangerous, huh? -Yeah, you punk. If youre not careful, you could die. So please think about this carefully and -But it will help you, right Teach? - Once again, her words left me speechless, but I kept my mouth shut this time. When I did so, she let out a wide smile and replied without hesitating even a little. -Then Ill do it. -Hey. -And most importantly As if to say that reason alone wasnt her only goal, she added with a bitter smile. -If I be the Hero, maybe I can find Oppa. In the tone of her voice when uttering such a sentence Lied an unshakeable resolve. Thinking about it, even though she always disliked beingbeled as a Hero Candidate or whatever, she had still embraced such a title. It was all for the sake of finding her brother who had gone missing. Caliban. [] I know youre awake. Lets talk for a minute. Since the moment he has been stuck with me, this was the first time that he ever went this quiet. Right as I was thinking this, Caliban spoke in a low, subdued voice. [You brat, youve been ying dumb the entire time, havent you?] What? [You knew that my little sister would have been thrown into such a ce. Its only a matter of time. So, why didnt you tell me about this beforehand?] He was right. Eventually, he was bound to find out about it. [Shes the only family I have left. The only person who carries my bloodline.] His tone was forceful, as if he was spitting those words out. [If anything were to happen to her] Caliban. I pped Soul Linker. This wouldnt harm him in any way, but it should make him pay attention to me and clear up the murky atmosphere a little. The reason I told you this in the first ce is because Im certain nothing will happen to her. Seriously, did he think I was an idiot? I didnt let him hear it when the Chancellor was speaking about it, but let him do it when the Headmistress did for a reason, not because I was a helpless fucking idiot. [] A dumbfounded pause came from within Soul Linker. [So what youre saying is] Caliban hesitantly continued. [There is a foolproof way to get recognized by the Holy Sword?] Theres always a way, of course. [What way are you talking about? Getting recognized by the Holy Sword is one thing, but in the first ce, even getting through the selection process seems impossib-] Nahhhh, that part is easy. With that, I summoned a window in front of me. System Log [ The Sidekick of Survival Rule is activated! ] [ Target Iliya reacts sensitively to your moment of danger. ] [ The targets stats increase dramatically! ] [ The target opens the Eye of Truth! ] This was the window that popped up when Iliya knocked out both Eleanor and Sullivan. Putting aside all else, there were just two things to pay attention to here. Iliyas sensitive reaction to my moment of danger and the resulting effect where her stats increases dramatically were critical points. No matter how much she increased her specs while training under the Fist Saint The notion of her knocking out two Devils Vessels without them even realizing it was impossible. Moreover, it was especially the case when one of the Vessels was Eleanor, someone who was gradually approaching Margrave Kendrides level. That was why It was safe to assume that the buff Illiya received when I was in danger was fucking crazy. And that would be the key for her to secure a superior position in the selection. Caliban. I took a deep breath before continuing. Iliya wont be passing the selection alone. And, as obvious as it sounds We will do it together. [What?] Its a little hard to exin, but you see, if I get into life-threatening situations, her power will increase [] This might sound a bit ridiculous To constantly let her get that stat boost, I needed to be continuously exposed to situations like where I got sandwiched between two or more Devils Vessels on the verge of going berserk. It wont be hard to get into that kind of situation, dont you think? The Hero Selection was an event where the governing body of each country, their selected Heros, and their formidable entourage would all show up together. Even if it wasnt Devil-level threats, it wouldnt be hard to create life-threatening situations for me. [So, what youre saying is that] Caliban responded with a tone of utter disbelief. [In a gathering where the strongest from the entire continent are present] Yes. [Youd be taking actions that are akin to suicide attempts?] Yes. [And how do you n on doing that? Are you going to start picking fights with every single person there?] Of course not. [As expected, even you wouldnt] I need to make everyone there get so mad at me that theyd try to kill me for just being there. Picking fights with them wont be enough. [] In my opinion In order for Iliya to safely pass the selection and be acknowledged as the Master of the Holy Sword, that was the level I had to aim for. Just to be safe. I had to be Public Enemy No. 1 of everyone present there. And to do that, I had to do what I did best. My specialty that everyone acknowledged I was an expert at. I will be a piece of shit, Caliban. Aplete and utter trash. [] Hell, I will redefine the meaning of trash itself. Ill show them a whole new realm of how shitty a human being can be, and Ill disy it for all the world to see. Ill leave the clean, upright, and pure image to Iliya. As for me, Id be scraping the very bottom of humanitys barrel. [Youre telling me youre going to do that against the powerhouses whose strength are at the continental level.] Yes. [] After a long silence, Caliban finally continued to speak. [Right. I had almost forgotten because Ive seen you being tossed around so much by otherstely.] Huh? [You really are the best and craziest motherfucker Ive ever seen in my life.] Guess Ill take that as apliment.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 154: Memory Chapter 154: Memory Memory Walter Gares, the Senior Professor and the Dean of the Theology School, was a well-known entric in Elfante. Sometimes, people would find him dancing half-naked while drinking hard liquor straight from its bottle on top of Gregory hall. At other times, theyd see him jumping off a height of hundreds of meters, trying to test the limits of Divine Power. Youd also find him singing hymns boisterously at the most random of times. Of course, there were times when he did all of these at once. Actually, I didnt need to bring such examples. Any sane person who had encountered him for more than three seconds would agree that you couldnt associate him with the word normal at all. The Vortex of Fate, the Call of Stars, and the Primordial Curse borne by the ck me Dragon sleeping in my right arm have guided our meeting to this ce. [What is he babbling about?] He said hes pleased to meet me. This is his normal greeting. [What is he? A crazy bastard] Yes, yes he is. [] Beneath that silence, I could hear him asking if I was kidding or not, but I wasnt joking when I said that. This person was legitimately aprehensive gift set of mental illnesses. To put it simply, in his brain, the part that was in charge of his rationality, and the part that made his body do entric activities, the crazy bastard part, was functioning separately, but at the same time. Thanks to that, while there was some semnce of rationality in his speech and behavior, for the most part, theyd look like something that came out of an uncontroble lunatic. [Why is he even a professor? He should stay in the hospital.] Well, because aside from his odd behavior, you can stillmunicate normally with him, and most importantly [Yeah?] His skills are the real deal. In other words, despite being riddled with such various handicaps, he was still skilled enough to be the Senior Professor in Elfantes Theology School. And that was why there were things that I could only ask him to do. In terms of Sanctification Work, processing items using Divine Power, no one was more skilled than him, even when the Saintess was included in the calction. Ivee to retrieve the item I entrusted to you, Dean Walter. When I said that, Walter exaggeratedly strutted to his desk. His movements were theatrical, if I didnt know any better, Id believe it if you were to tell me that he was the protagonist of some theatrical y. Behold the masterpiece, born from the primal desire and instinct of a certain being. Capable of mesmerizing its surroundings just by its exist The work went smoother than expected, you said? I just asked for a simple Sanctification Work, though. In a world filled with despair, the fragile yet resilient existence that can withstand with just a sliver of hope is huma- Huh? You managed to preserve its original nature while enhancing it? Thats really impressive. See? I told you this man is skilled. [You could actually talk with him?! How the fuck?!] I dunno, Dude. Well, I encountered him often in the game, so I just understood what he was sayingkinda It was mostly just reading between the lines and guesswork, honestly. Hell be helpfulter on, after all. Later on, hed be of great help in removing Eleanors Unique Debuff, Madness. So, being able tomunicate with him wasnt a bad thing. Anyway The mental ws of humans as social animals include the inability to live alone, thus amidst this terrible imbnce of dissociation, I cry out. Thank you for the offer, but I have to reject it this time. Ill be pleased to have some tea and snacks with you next time, though. With a polite response, I left Walters office. In my hand was the orb-shaped Soul Spirit he processed. This was, to be more precise < Item Info > [ Tatiana Grachel ] [ Processed ] [ Specialty: Curse ] [ Form: Soul Spirit ] [ Processing Options ] Subordinate as a familiar Use as an enhancement material for an item Resummon in full form (Bes annihted after one use) I was talking about this. Originally, I could only choose one of these options, but thanks to Walters workmanship, it seemed I could choose another option after using it as an enhancement material. Thats not bad. Tatiana fell shortpared to Valkasus, but she was still capable of using powerful curses. Whether I were to turn her into a Familiar or just resummon her, I could make use of her at some point. Well, both were forter For now, Id apply it as enhancement material to Soul Linker. I gotta enhance Caliban, after all. [Youre enhancing me? Why?] Im doing something good for you, why the hell are youining? [No, Im not, its just If you can enhance someone, you should use it on yourself or Iliya. Why do you pick me instead? Thats what I was trying to say. I mean, Im just a parasite in your head at best.] Why the hell was he talking like this? Sure, the only thing he could do for me at the moment was to serve as my Buff Skill Shuttle, but that was only because the Soul Synchronization Rate was low. Along with Iliya, he was a linchpin for clearing this chapter. There were numerous situations where his contribution would be crucial. Especially considering that my life would be under constant threat. I was expecting to rely heavily on him a lotter. That was why it was only natural that Id be prioritizing his enhancement. I shrugged my shoulders before bringing the orb-shaped Soul Spirit closer to Soul Linker. Immediately after, a window popped up in front of me. < Item Info > [ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ] [ Enchantment: Epic ] [ Description: This equipment is inhabited by a Grand Soul Spirit. Increasing the Synchronization Rate can awaken the Soul Spirits Consciousness. ] [ Due to the influence of the Grand Soul Spirit, it always contains Mana. ] [ Currently Charged Mana Rate: 100% ] [ Current Synchronization Rate: 40% ] It has been a while since Ive seen this window. Actually, wasnt it the first time Ive ever seen it since the first time I awakened this guy? < Item Info > [ Current Synchronization Rate: 40% ] [ Stage 2 Consciousness of the Soul can be unlocked! ] [ Would you like to proceed? ] [ Y/N ] Without a single ounce of hesitation, I touched Y. And then Mm? Soul Linker began to emit an unusual light. So unusual, in fact, that the moment I looked at it, my consciousness flew away somewhere in the blink of an eye.
It felt like I was swimming in the world of dreams. The first sensation that I felt was the feeling of myself floating aimlessly in the air. When I came to, I looked around, finding myself inside a changing room made of crude, yet luxurious marble. Ummmm It felt as though I had be a spirit; My body was transparent, and no humans around me seemed to recognize me. What happened was Right, I was forcibly pulled into Calibans Image World when I tried to increase his Synchronization Rate. I guess that was the reason why I was experiencing this phenomenon. Nearby, some noticeably well-trained humans were noisily chatting as they brushed past me. The ce reminded me heavily of an athletes locker room,plete with the sweltering heat that came out of sweat and the typical macho vibe. There was one really noticeable thing here The fact that everyone nearby bore scars so severe that it was almost painful to even look at. It was as if each of them was a battle-tested hero who had emerged from a fair amount of carnage. Those scars were the testaments to their struggles. Fuck, Dude, how do you even walk around with something that small on your crotch? If I were you, I woulda killed myself. And you wondered why your wife left you and cheat One more word, Ill make sure that yours is shorter than mine Man, its always the two fuckers who are the smallest among us who keep talking shit every single Listening to their banters made me feel dizzy, but anyway, these people were battle-hardened heroes, there was no doubt about it. Suddenly Someone strode into the locker room, filled with such individuals. His golden armor was etched with Runes, something that symbolized his status as an Elite Knight. Standing at the front, that person was someone I knew very well. Gideon? He looked several years younger than I knew him, though. Come to think of it, this space started reying memories from the moment I first entered. This was definitely a memory from a long time ago. Who is the person in charge? As soon as those words flew out of his mouth, the bustling room instantly went silent. Puzzlement, mixed with wariness filled everyones eyes. Me. Amidst the silent atmosphere, the voice of a man with orange hair filled the entire room. Gideon scanned the name written on the military locker where the man was sitting. Caliban Krisanax. The First Guardian. I am I know who you are, Duke Tristan. Caliban cut off Gideons words with his own. Finished drying his hair with a towel, his tone was filled with annoyance, clearly expressing that he found the Duke bothersome. His disrespectful attitude made the knights apanying Gideon twitch their eyebrows, but all the Guardians remained indifferent. Currently, how many personnels are avable? Hearing that voice, all the Guardians wentpletely still. As Guardians, the most powerful people even when you count in the Imperial Guard, they enjoyed a considerable degree of autonomous authority. Apart from the Emperor, there was no one who could speak to them in such an authoritarian manner. But, there were always exceptions, like the current situation. When it happened, nine out of ten times, it was only for one reason. The situation was so dire that there was nothing that could be done without them. There are ten of us here, and including those off-duty, about fifteen of us. What is this for? Call everyone to arms. Theres a mission that requires everyone to be deployed. Caliban smirked. Oh, really? What kind of mission is it? I cannot tell you that yet. Caliban chuckled without a word. He draped a towel over his shoulder before striding up to Gideon. His orange eyes glinted with cold light. If thats the case, then we are not interested, our Dear Lord Duke. Seeing Caliban ring at Gideon from close range, one of the knights apanying thetter spoke up in anger. He ced his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at any moment. Impertinent! Do you even know who this! If you dont want to die, shut your mouth. At that single statement, the hand of the knight gripping his sword trembled slightly. If you are not confident that you can kill us all, you need to think twice before drawing your sword. You know, at the moment, were being quite patient. Upon hearing Calibans words, the nearby Guardians let out fierce smiles. They were unarmed, while the knights were fully armed. Even so, the fully armored knights were being pushed back in terms of momentum and spirit. While nonchntly scratching the back of his neck, Caliban continued in a s tone. We are Guardians. Our job is to save people, we are not interested in anything else. However His eyes were filled with the fury of a wild beast, condensed with nothing but violence. Even if your grandfather is the one whosing here, Duke, we will not move without a suitable reason. Do you understand that? After a long silence, Gideon let out a sigh before opening his mouth again. This is a request from the Heretic Inquisition. They asked for your cooperation for an Exorcism. ording to them, theyll provide you with sanctified equipment. Upon hearing this, surprise spread across the face of all the Guardians, including Caliban himself. We are knights, Lord Duke, hunting Devils is not in our job description. The Heretic Inquisition has specifically requested your deployment for this task. This is a highly confidential matter, so normally youd be briefed upon your deployment, but Gideon continued in a stiff voice. In the far east of the Empire, signs of a Devil that has gone berserk have been detected. A total of three cities have been reduced to ashes in just half a day. It was clear that he was barely able to get those words out. They wish you to, even if its just for a moment, to halt the Devils actions. To halt it? For how long? One night. Caliban let out a scoff. Just from the sound of it, its a fucked up mission. Gideon bit his lips until it bled. What youre trying to say is that we should throw ourselves into the grinder to save the Empires citizens. Am I right? Gideon himself was fully aware of the implications of what he had just spoken. A Devil that had gone berserk was a cmity that couldnt be faced by anyone other than a Hero wielding the Holy Sword. What he was asking them to do was to confront that kind of disaster for a whole night. Even with sanctified equipment, it was still a suicide mission. He was forcing them to go out there to die. After a long silence, Caliban let out a deep sigh before opening his mouth again. If we refuse to do it, how many of us will die? It is impossible to know. Gideon replied with a heavy heart. But, its certain that at least hundreds of thousands people will die if no one is suppressing it. Thousands of people have already died yesterday. Then we have to do it. Calibans response came without any hesitation. Considering the magnitude of his decision, his tone was unexpectedly calm. Even Gideon turned around to look at him with wide eyes. Lets hear about it in a bit more detail, Lord Duke. Almost as if I mean, it isnt like anyone other than us can do it. It was just another days work for them.
System Message [ Consciousness of target Caliban has been unlocked! ] [ A Special Memory is being reyed! ] [ Collecting all Special Memories will trigger a Holy Sword Rted Event! ] After that message popped up, my consciousness was pulled back to reality. I stared at the Soul LInker with a dumbfounded expression. That was Calibans memory during the Crimson Night Incident Yeah, that definitely was [Whats wrong? Why are you spacing out all of a sudden?] Uh, like Honestly Seeing all that made me see him in a new light. Because prior to this, he had only been bitching around Well, I guess he wasnt a Guardian for nothing, huh? [Huh? Whats that about all of a sudden?] Its nothing. With a bitter smile, I shook my head. These were memories rted to his own demise, it wouldnt do both of us any good if I were to tell him that I had seen them. Right as I was lost in such thoughts System Message [ Following the Awakening of the Enchanted Thought Form within Soul Linker, some functions have been unlocked. ] [ Fusion of the Soul Spirit: Orb confirmed. ] [ Additional skills have been unlocked! ] Such a window popped up before my eyes. Ah,e to think of it Thest time the Soul Synchronization Rate increased, it also unlocked some new skills. I guess it happened again this time. As I browsed through the newly appeared window with such thoughts. This is fucking insane. My pupils dted to its very limits.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 155: Reunion Chapter 155: Reunion Reunion Hmm. Staring at her best friend, Trisha let out a deep breath through her nose. She couldnt say that she and Iliya had known each other for a long time, but there was one thing that she was certain of. The fact that her best friend was extremely shy when it came to romance, almost frustratingly so. Considering that, her current attitude was Iliya, what did you just say? Hm? Ah, I said that I should help Riru out. Strange Way too strange It was unbelievable that this was the same girl who was shaking in anxiety, thinking that she had no chance of getting her Teachs attention because there were too many attractive women around him. Whenever Dowd was brought up, her emotions would surge terrifyingly, but now she was remarkably calm. It was like looking at the surface of a tranquilke. Riru? You mean, that violent woman? Carefully, Trisha started speaking while stroking her chin. Thest time she heard about Riru, she was told that the woman was clearly interested in Dowd. But Out of a sudden, her best friend said that she would help that woman What the hell happened to her? Also, what kind of help is she even talking about? Well, Riru is nning something Iliya rubbed her eyes behind the eyepatch before letting out a grin. It seems like shes about to make a very important confession to Teach. Did she tell you that? She didnt, but she doesnt need to. I can clearly see that shes nervous, and it seemed like she was hiding something inside. You cansee? The way she phrased her words made it sound like she didnt just randomly guess. And her following words precisely confirmed Trishas suspicion. Yeah, like you know, emotions and things that are somewhat visible to the eye Like, I can see somethingstirring Trishas mouth fell open. Her eyes that could see emotions was an ability awakened through interaction with Divine Power. To be more precise, most Priests would gain a special ability after they reached a certain realm. But even among them, her ability was one of the most powerful. After all, it was pretty much the same thing as being able to read someone elses thoughts. But Iliya acquired that kind of ability? Out of the blue? Y-You can see e-emotions now, Iliya? No, I cant actually see all of them, just like If they have Bad things inside their body I can see their emotions if they have some intense ones Bad things? I cant say what it is, or else enemies woulde from all over the ce. Seeing Trisha cocking her head, Iliya just waved her hand before continuing. Anyway, how could I possibly see everyones emotions? Besides, having that kind of ability would make it hard to even hang out with people close to me~ I mean, normally, youd hate being around someone who could look into your head, right? Like, take this conversation for example. I wouldnt be able to talk about it with anyone other than you, Trisha. You got a point Trisha barely managed to force out a smile, agreeing with her words. Because in the back of her mind, she was suppressing all the horrible memories that were trying to resurface because of Iliyas words. This ability was the reason why she was oftenly ostracized and bullied in the past. At times, she was even treated like a monster. Not to mention that Because of it, there were people she could never meet again. She barely managed to control her expression. With great difficulty, she changed the subject. But, is it really okay for you to help her just like that? This matter is rted to Mr. Dowd, right? While those words were the result of her desperate struggle to shift the topic of the conversation, they were also something that she genuinely wanted to ask. If Iliya were to help Riru, and thetter ended up getting together with Dowd, what would happen afterwards? That was the question that Trisha actually wanted to ask. Well, it doesnt matter. The answer that came out of Iliyas mouth however, was all too carefree. What? After watching him for a bit, I concluded that its his fate to attract various women in his life no matter what hes trying to do. Even if the world itself tries to stop it from happening, it wont stop. So, I figured that instead of trying to stop the inevitable, I should just try to make the best out of the situation. Trisha stared at her with a dumbfounded look, meanwhile, Iliya only let out a bright smile. Besides, Im an irreceable existence to him. She sounded so certain when she said those words, and she wasnt wrong in the slightest. Indeed, she was the only person around Dowd who could effectively suppress those insane women who were essentially throwing their bodies at him. This was something that even Lady Tristan couldnt do. Even if she won the race, the Lady would probablypletely crush her rivals or at least leave them in pieces. Knowing Dowd, there was no way that hed wee that kind of oue. That was why Also, since thats the case, it would be even better for me if more women flocked around him. To her, the more the women shed among themselves, the better. Huh? Why? Because that would make Teach rely on me even more~ Indeed, the more often such conflicts emerged The more valuable Iliya became as she was the only person who could control the traffic of those people. To put it simply, Dowd wouldnt be able to live without her anymore! So, youre intentionally letting more women gather around Mr. Dowd while youll be watching them fighting among themselves from the sidelines? Nah, of course not. That would be a bit too much, wouldnt it? Theres no need for me to needlessly aggravate the situation, or else itll just put Teach in danger. Iliya let out a chuckle before continuing. Im just helping Riru out because shes my friend. Wouldnt it be sad if she couldnt even convey her feelings properly? Um, Iliya? Chill ran down Trishas spine, but she still tried her hardest to maintain her smile. Her friend was saying that she was just helping out a friend of hers And she found those words a little bit strange You said that youre helping her because shes a friend Yeah. Whats up with that? Surely it wasnt a strange question to ask. Because until just now, Iliyas attitude was like she was saying, Ill be the number one anyway, it doesnt matter how many women will approach him. That personumRiruis she really your friend? That question was difficult for Trisha to bring up. Of course she is. But the response she got couldnt be any more nonchnt. Thats why, uhIm fine with epting her as a second or third concubine. Normally, if you treat her as a friend, wouldnt you step aside and let her be the number one at least? Whats with this attitude of hers? I mean, Teach is mine, you know? This much is already a pretty big concession, no? Such an empty, fleeting friendship That thought automatically brushed past Trishas mind.
[Can I ask you something?] No. [] I already knew what he was going to ask, so I wouldnt even consider trying to entertain him. As I thought so, I slightly loosened my grip on Yurias leash. Her slight panting as she was being dragged along could be heard from behind me. Sorry. Did it hurt? N-No! I-Its perfect now, s-so, c-could you continuelike this? Fine. If you say so. I continued to pull on her leash, trying my best not to look back at her. If I were to turn around and look at her face, she would be probably blushing right now, Id definitely feel the weight of my own social disgrace. And that would be enough to get me into the spiral of depression for a good while. [Fuck that, I cant resist anymore.] [You know the Hero Selection starts tomorrow, right? So what in the world are you doing here?] Did you even need to ask that? Obviously, I was doing it because it was necessary! System Message [ Activity Walk on Leash is in progress! ] [ Activity Light Choking is in progress! ] [ Masochism Meter of target Yuria is in the process of resetting to 0! ] [ Corruption Value of target is significantly decreasing! ] I swear if someone read those words without an ounce of context, it would seem like I was engaging in some fucked up acts that the society would condemn me for. But that was exactly why I was doing it. Thinking this, I brought out a window. This was what I saw yesterday. System Log [ Built-In Skill Defenders Soul has been added to Soul Linker! ] < Item Info > [ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ] [ Enchantment: Epic ] [ Hero Shard Fusion ] [ Evil Essence Fusion ] Built-In Skills [ Image World ] [ Skill Grade: A+ ] [ Summon a Spirit Body to create a unique domain in the surrounding area. Within the domain, certain abilities possessed by the Spirit Body can be used. As further levels of consciousness unlocks, the range of the domain and the number of abilities that can be used increases. ] { Current Avable Abilities } [ Mastery: Solidarity ] [ To a knight,rades are family. You can partially share the buffs applied to yourself with nearby individuals.] [ Defenders Soul ] [ Skill Grade: S ] [ Guardians have always been recognized as the defenders of justice and morality. Every time you suppress someone with malicious intent, you gain Special Stacks. If you fill up the Stack, you can summon the soul to the current world for a certain period of time. ] Current Stack: 2% [ Forbidden Sorcery ] [ Grade: 4 Tattoos ] . . . This person, who was almost like a harmless big brother next door, was once called the First Guardian. Even Gideon hesitated to confront him directly. Summoning him to this world would definitely give me a terrifying advantage, that was why I had to fill up the Stack no matter what. Considering that the Hero Selection would be starting tomorrow, it was even more so. Theres no doubt In the world of Sera, the term Suppression would apply whenever someone inflicted some sort of harm on another, in any form of way. Including dragging someone around on a leash just like what I was doing now System Message [ You have suppressed target Yuria! The Stack of Skill: Defenders Soul is umting! ] See? These notifications kept on popping up. But System Message [ You havent suppressed the target sufficiently. The Stack is umting slowly! ] This window also kept popping up. It seemed I hadnt fully met the Suppression requirements. Guess I had to do more research to act more like a hot garbage [Did you lose your mind already?] [Youre going to look for something that is worse than this?] No, likeexcept for her, with her masochistic tendencies, who else would willingly ept such treatment? Getting Suppression stacks required me to inflict some kind of harm, but not many people would just stand still and let me hit them, even if they were Devils Vessels. Of course, this girl was an exception. Who in their right mind would willingly ask to be walked on a leash?! Ah, o-ooh, M-Mr. D-Dowd, g-gently Ah, sorry. Did it hurt? I was lost in thought as I dragged her along. It seemed like I had been treating her roughly unknowingly. But, hearing my words, she only smiled shyly before responding. N-No, n-not at all. Her smile looked so pure and genuine that it felt refreshing to see. If she wasnt wearing the leash, this would have been quite a picturesque scene. Even if it hurts a little, it feels really good. This is the first time Ive ever experienced something like thisthey said it usually hurt the first time, but with Mr. Dowd doing itit just feelsgood Bruh, what the fuck? Stop. What kind of heinous shit did you just say? I only heard her words, but that was enough to make me shudder in embarrassment! [Is thisdy right in the head?] Whatever, as long as were not caught by others, it should be fine! At the very least her Corruption Value wasnt increasing; The biggest risk factor was taken care of. In the first ce, this ce was a deserted in, and it was reallyte in the night. When I was about to respond to Caliban and turned around the corner I bumped into Iliya, who had a smile stered all over her face. Maybe I was wrong. This was probably the biggest risk factor, not the Corruption Value. When I thought as such while facing Iliya She approached me with a grin. I had to say something. Anything. When I was about to make an excuse, my body broke out in cold sweat Im not like the Student Council President, Teach. Iliya spoke up first. What? Whatever peculiar and intense tastes Teach has, I can understand and ept all of it. Huh? Anyway, can I walk Miss Yuria instead of you? I believe you have an urgent matter that you have to attend right now! I was obviously stunned by her words, and it was also the case with Yuria, as she seemed to be momentarily at a loss for words. What the fuck is she on about? At that moment W-Wait, Miss Iliya! T-This is! Dont worry! This is what friends are for! We help each other out with these kinds of things from time to time! H-Huh? I-Is that really the case?! Of course it was not! What the fuck?! Sure, I understood that you didnt have any friends and all, but how could you just blindly believe her words like that?! I created this opportunity, so While she was dragging Yuria away, Iliya mouthed something. Without a doubt She was saying it to someone behind me. Good luck, Riru! Uh? What? I turned my stiff body around, like a robot that hadnt been oiled for a long time. And I saw the exact person Iliya mentioned, standing there without a word. Riru Garda. The Chieftains granddaughter. There was arge box in her arm. Just seeing the sheer size of it made me almost feel a sense of dread. The silence stretched on. Normally, shed tell me off, asking why was I staring at her for so long. But now, it was as if she had forgotten how to breathe. Her breathing was rough, as if she had went through some kind of hardbor. Not only that, her face was flushed. A vivid red hue decorated her tanned skin. Its been a while, Riru. How have you been? In the end, it was me who broke the silence with a greeting. You shoulda contacted me when you first arrived in Elfante. I coulda gone to find you so we could have a meal together. That topic should be uncontroversial enough to lighten the mood, right? You know Unlike before, this woman now held a significant position in the Tribal Alliance alongside Kasa. If she were to start a trouble with me, my options to go against her were pretty limited, especially with how the Hero Selection was right around the corner. Judging from yourplexion, you seem to be in a better mode. Thats a relief Dowd Campbell. She cut my words, her tone sounded serious. Guess my efforts were futile. This woman definitely brought something that could cause me trouble. I could feel it in my skin. Do you remember thest thing I said before we parted ways? Uh, yeah. I told her to bring me a gift whenever she returned to Elfante. The box she was holding probably rted to that, huh? Now, the question was, what kind of gift was it exactly? Why did she look soserious? Riru chewed on her lips again. Despite her tomboy-like appearance, this woman seemed to be unable to bring herself to say something out loud, thus increasing my anxiety. Fucking hell. Seriously, what did she want?! Hey. After a long silence She finally seemed to have made some kind of resolve. Take this. With those words, she pushed the box towards me. The box was decorated with exquisite engravings and jewels. It was clearly something meant for a grand asion. Definitely not something that was only worth one or two coins. Is that a gift for me? While hoping that it was nothing significant, I tried to keep the mood light as I showed her a casual smile. However What is this exactly? It looks expensive. A dowry box. Hearing her words A part of my brain stopped working. Excuse me? With difficulty With truly great difficulty, I managed to force out a response. But when I did so Dowd Campbell. Riru With her entire face and body flushed red And her gaze aze with a fiercely burning determination Marry me. Spoke such words Firmly and decisively.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 156: Poetic Justice Chapter 156: Poetic Justice Poetic Justice [Why are you just standing there? Isnt this a crisis for you?] Though Caliban said that to me, who was just standing there dumbfounded after receiving the box from Riru Yeah, sure. It is a crisis, but The first thought that came to my mind wassomething was off Wedding ceremonies in the Tribal Alliance were massive events that could surpass your wildest imaginations. Even when you had topare it with other nations traditions. There were various reasons why, but fundamentally it was because the nation used a strong sense of unity to make up for its low poption number. Considering that If a member of the Chieftains n were the one whod get marriedthe ceremony would be so massive that just thinking about its scale could give you a massive headache. What I was trying to say here was Riruing here with just a box to propose to me was something that should never happen under normal circumstances. This kind of modest proposal would be seen as rash. No one from the Tribal Alliance would even think about proposing in this way. Considering that Riru herself was someone who valued the importance of tradition highly, such a proposal only brought me difort rather than a sense of crisis. Marriage? Anyway I cautiously asked that question. First, I gotta probe if she was truly serious about it or not. Yeah. But Though she was avoiding my gaze, the tone of her voice remained the same. She looked clearly embarrassed, but there was a fierce determination in her response. I know this is sudden. Riru opened her mouth before covering her face with her hands. But, if it isnt now, I might not get another chance ever again. Sorry? If I were to leave things as they are, I have a feeling that someone would snatch you away That mutter came from beneath the hands that were covering her face. This time, her voice was rather subdued, unbefitting of her character. No doubt, in there I could sense Her fear. The contrast between her usual confident demeanor and her current self made this felt even more real. It really felt like this person was baring her heart open to me. However [Are you going to reject her?] Well, did I have another choice? If the immediate threats to my life like Eleanor and Yuria didnt exist, I would literally just reject them all. Given my situation, I couldnt afford getting myself surrounded by the Devils too closely; The risk was way too much. I clenched my teeth. So hard that I could taste blood in my gums. Honestly, while I could stand being called trash or whatnot I always felt guilty acting that way towards the people who sincerely opened their hearts to me. Im sorry, Riru. My deration that I wanted to live happily with the Devils was true, but if she were to bring up something like this so suddenly I couldnt just ept it. Because that was my goal forter. Only after the main scenario was sorted out, and all potential threats were eliminated could I have the lenience to do that. My answer was pretty much determined from the start already. Right nowis a little too sudden I thinktheres still too much we need to learn about each other before we can reach that point With great difficulty, I managed to say those words out While suppressing the choking feeling in my throat, I tried to get the words out as calmly as possible. After that, she went silent. Well, obviously. No way in hell she could just give an immediate response after hearing such words. She still had her face covered, so I couldnt see her expression. Im sorry, Riru. I think itll be a bit difficult right now. My tone was somber, I continued. Again, she didnt give out any particr reaction. She just kept her head down, facing the ground. When you say right now Her voice was low, and it sounded rather subdued. Does that mean your answer can changeter? Well, yeah, of course. I was already nning to live with you in the first ce. But I couldnt say that now. The best I could do was to pass it over vaguely. I think, what we should do now is to get to know each other better first, thats more important than anything else. As I said that, I let out a bitter smile. It was the most clichd rejection line, the same one everyone would say out of pity. But unlike them, I was being sincere. There was indeed still a mountain of things we needed to learn about each other. Also, we were going to continue to see each other anyway. So, what exactly does getting to know each other better mean? To put it simply, well, while its hard for us to get married right nowwe can still spend plenty of time together. Getting married immediately might be a bit much But we could always start slowly while building up our rtionship steadily. Hearing my reply, Riru spoke up again. Then. After another moment of hesitation She opened her mouth again, clearly looking nervous. Does that mean we can start as a romantic rtionship? If its that muchyes, we can. Compared to some of the women around me, the ones who straight up would kill me if I didnt marry them, this much was rtively tame. It wouldnt be hard to manage such a rtionship, and even if the others were hounding me about it, I should be able to deflect them with ease. Really? After saying that She finally removed her hands from her face. ? But Her expression was a bitstrange. ?? Why? I clearly rejected her proposal But why did she have an expression that said, I did it! He fell into my trap!? Our rtionship will be that of a man and a woman, that means were more than friends, but less than lovers, right? After saying all that, she let out a smirk. I was dumbstruck, so despite what was going on in my head, I could only nod my head reflexively. I-I guess. Alright, if thats the case She let out a bright smile before patting my shoulder. Then she suddenly pulled me into her embrace. Riru? Since our rtionship is that of a man and a woman, I can do this much, right? R-Riru? From now on, lets meet up often. Ill call youter, okay? She said with a slightly twisted, yet wild smile. Like the same Riru that I had always known. It made me think that She had only been acting all gloomy and deted while she was listening to me. Remember, you are the one who said Lets take it slowly, so no backing out, okay? Alright, thats all. Riru, who was scratching her cheek Still with her cheerful smile, albeit with a slight blush now Lightly punched my shoulder and spoke. Im in your care. My Dear Boyfriend. Umm What the hell is going on? Why am I breaking out in a cold sweat? It feels like I just made a terrible mistake A-Anyway, bye bye! Have a nice evening! Seemingly embarrassed by her own words, Riru quickly stormed away. And Leaving me standing alone under the night sky, apanied by the sound of crickets. Seriously, what the fuck just happened? [Truly a masterpiece. Is this what true poetic justice looks like? Or, in yournguage, is this the result of the butterfly effect?] Caliban said, his voice was full of incredulity. Whats wrong with you all of a sudden? [No, likehow can I notugh when I had the front-row seats watching you getpletely outyed? You realized that she learned all of that from you, right? This whole thing is just peakedy! Theres nothing better than this!] Excuse me? The fuck was this person saying? Caliban continued with a chuckle. [Just think about it. By rejecting her marriage proposal, you were forced to start a rtionship between a man and a woman with her, no?] [Originally, you havent been paying any attention to her, and you had no intention of making the first move on her either. But from now on, she doesnt need to do that. Under the guise of rtionship between a man and a woman, she could just approach you without holding herself back.] [Prior to this, everyone would just rush at you, telling you that theyd kill you if you wouldnt embrace themthats why you never thought anyone would pull a fast one on you like this. Your tolerance against this kind of thing is pretty low, huh?] Huh? Wait [In any case, since youve already agreed to start meeting her in a more romantic manner, you cant back out if she wants to push herself on you. She has the moral high ground now.] W-Wait a minute. [Until now, all the women around you are throwing fits to get your attention, and there hasnt been a single one whod be proactive and call you over. But there is one whod do that now.] W-Wait, a-about that D-Does it really work that way? [Thatdys quite the schemer, jeez.] [You just got yed by her, you punk.] [The marriage proposal was a bait. A trap she set to get this kind of privilege from you.] Hearing this I stood nkly for a long while. Only then did I realize something. Eh? Unlike when Eleanor proposed to me, or when Yuria threw herself at me There wasnt a Devil Rted Alert this time That meant From the very start, she came to me with the mindset of, it doesnt matter even if I got rejected. It was almost as if She had anticipated that Id give her this exact answer if she were to prod me like that. Now that I think about it, there was something strange in her way of proposing to me. Eh? Did that mean She gaslit me?
Riru Garda desperately rubbed her flushing face. [Woah, you actually did it.] Shut up. She muttered grumpily to the teasing voice that came from behind her. Her heart was pounding so wildly, that she felt it was so surreal. Because, just now, she Hey, uhyou know [Yes?] Since hes myboyfriend now, c-can I She muttered her words while stroking her own face. Y-You knowc-can Ig-go on dates with himo-or k-kiss hima-and stuff? [] Looking at her, the Blue Devil was struggling to suppress theughter that was about to burst out. My goodness. I cant believe Id hear something like that from a grown woman. Shes so unbelievably innocent when ites to this, huh? Totally different from her look. I have to pat myself in the back for giving you that advice. If they were to follow Rirus own pace she would never have done something like this. He was her first love, rtionship, confession and romance. From now on, everything shed build up with that man would be something that she had never done prior to this. And she opted to skip all that and immediately jump to a marriage proposal, which was something ratherunfair. However That was exactly why she did it. Back when you said Id be rejected here no matter what I doI wondered why I should even bother doing it She murmured in a slightly excited voice in between her restless pants. But youre really reliable when ites to this matter. Throughout her time together with this Blue Punk, Riru realized that all the information about the future that the ghost asionally spouted was almost always urate. Also, perhaps she was influenced by this punk, at times, she was able to glimpse a few seconds into the future. ording to that punk, these were additional elements that urred during a Fusion or whatever it was. -Grey, Purple, and Red all go through this process as well. The merging of Fragments and the Vessel. Its just, in our case, its easier for us tomunicate with each otherpared to them. And, well, I guess itll make it easier for us to coordinate too. -Coordinate? What are you on about? -Well, coordinate as in, getting Dear Husband to enjoy two different vors at once during our nighttime activities. - -Thats a joke~ Dont worry, youll find outter, Riru. She remembered the Blue Punks chuckle as she said that.. -To put it simply, we can shine the brightest when Dear Husband is in the most danger! What followed was something iprehensible, though. Anyway [Of course. Like Ive been saying, theres nothing to lose here.] The Blue Punk floated around her while giggling. [Considering Dear Husbands current situation, this proposal was nothing short of a bomb. There was no way he would ept it.] However By keeping that certainty in mind, she inadvertently created an opportunity to establish a natural rtionship that other Vessels couldnt even imagine. And the stage to continue leveraging this advantage wasing soon. [Hmconsidering the flow in the time axis, the Hero Selection is tomorrow, isnt it?] The Blue Devil murmured before sweeping back her hair. The Hero Selection? Whats that? [Its somethinga pretty important incident] One could say that The branching point rted to Dowd Campbells crisis all started from here. Hero, Grey Devil, White Devil, Red Devil, all of them were entwined in a chaotic whirlpool. Originally, there was no ce for the Blue Devil or Riru in such a melting pot. However [This round will be a bit different, Dear Husband.] The Blue Devil, licking her lips slightly, murmured. [We wont just watch from afar and let the others lust after you likest time~] Without a doubt For Riru who was listening in, the sentence was filled with a chilly allure that it sent shivers down her spine.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 157: Its Been A While, Hasnt It? Chapter 157: It''s Been A While, Hasn''t It? Its Been A While, Hasnt It? thus, the rules for the Hero Selection will proceed as follows. Reading the documents handed to me, Atnte threw in those words. From the schedule, theyll start with Elfante, Forge of Struggle and finally the Great Temple of the Holy Land, where the Holy Sword is disyed. Candidates from each academy will have to pass through ordeals that were prepared by the respective academies. I nodded at her exnation. So far, it was the same process as I remembered. As per the custom, each country will nominate two candidates, and each of them will be apanied by one entourage as a support. The reason why they used a grand term like custom was because every Heroes in history had never acted alone. There was always someone who was supporting them by their side. Of course, they didnt have grand or big responsibilities. At best, theyd only do some anciry activities that would enable the Hero to act as they were required to. How should I put it? I guess it was simr to a pet in some other games? In the original game, this was a role that would be filled by someone from the Hero Party, but Id be taking it this time. Though the Pope wouldnt make a direct appearancean Archbishop wille in his ce, alongside a War Chief from the Tribal Alliance, and Her Majesty the Empress for Elfante. The Empress herself? No matter how you looked at it, it was aplete mismatch. Since the ones whod attend were an Archbishop and a War Chief, it should be Chancellor Sullivan who should attend it to match their status. But, the Empress would be attending it personallyit meant It is a political risk for her as well. The Headmistress said this with a bitter smile. Basically, shes acknowledging, albeit implicitly, that her influence is below that of the Chancellor in a public setting. Well, even in the main storyline, the Empress was always outshone by the Chancellor. She didnt really have a significant influence. But that didnt matter, the reason why she went out of her way to ept such humiliation was what mattered. Is itbecause of me? Ive always found it convenient that you catch on so quickly. Atnte brushed her hair back and nodded in affirmation. For some reason, Her Majesty has great expectations of you. Shes even willing to go to such lengths just to see you in person, ignoring how unreasonable her action is. Ill repeat this again. The Empress was one of the central figures in the main scenario. Especially in the chapter where Eleanor was awakened as the Final Boss. The biggest things that were holding Eleanors sanity together had been Beatrix and the Empress, her friends since childhood. Eventually, Gideon too, after they reconciled and the real intentions behind her excluding him was revealed, but it wasnt the case for now. It seems I cannot disappoint then. That was why I had to make a good impression on her. I was confident that I could do it. As far as I had seen, the Hero Selection hadnt deviated much from the games flow. However There was still one thing that bothered me. Whats the likelihood of the Holy Land causing trouble or getting in our way? Its pretty much inevitable that theyll do that. Hearing Atntes response, I let out a sigh, and a bitter smile appeared on my face. Considering that he had sent Seras after me, it was clear that the Pope was wary of my growth. Now that my name popped up in such an ultra-major event, the Hero Selection, there was no way that he wouldnt pull any shenanigans. Do you have any idea what kind of method theyll use? They willmost likely doubt your legitimacy. In hindsight, you are someone I had to hastily include, thats why your participation seems forced. Theyll argue that you havent been properly vetted to participate in such a grand event. Well, that was one method that I couldnt really defend against. While I had achieved feats that were impossible to achieve considering my status as a student, it was ultimately the Holy Land who held the highest authority on matters concerning Devils and Heroes. This was why Atnte said them getting in our way was an inevitability. She let out a heavy sigh before continuing. Moreover, Archbishop Luminol has demonstrated Miracles as proof of faith, not just in the Holy Land, but across the entire continent multiple times. If such a person directly questions your legitimacy, it will make your participation in the selection be much more difficult. That will be a little bit of trouble, yeah. Saying that, I flipped through the documents. Archbishop Luminol. A middle-aged man. His demeanor painted him as a man of peace, but he was still the Popes underling. Beneath that face of his, he was another one of those scheming bastards. And just as Atnte said, he had reached a high realm as a Priest. He performed several Miracles that were considered advanced even from the perspective of a Sera sweat. Among those Miracles, the one that could be said as his specialty was As soon as I saw that entry on the document A smile crept across my face. Whats wrong? Why are you smiling like that? From what I see, itll be a bigger problem if this person doesnt attend. Sorry? You see, from my perspective, Id rather face this person more than anyone else. There wasnt a rule that stated I couldnt scheme against them. By them, I meant the person who they had sent to go against me. What a coincidence. I was actually someone who was quite good at scheming too.
Elfante was always a bustling ce, befitting its name as the Imperial Academy. However Even taking that into ount, the current uproar throughout the school was not ordinary. Iliya, standing next to me, looked around with an incredulous expression. After lining up the Hero Candidates in single file, everyone was preparing to present them with a fanfare. The crowd gathered here did not fall shortpared to Empires greatest festivals, like the Full Moon Festival and the Harvest Festival. Woah, this is no joke. Are you nervous? There are so many people here, of course I am! It really felt like it was a huge event. You could really tell how big it was from seeing all kinds of facilities that had been set up across this vast academy in just a few days. Theyd be using these for the ordeals. Everyones excited, huh? Thinking this, I looked around. Since we couldnt reveal that traces of Devils had been found here and there, they promoted this event instead, as an internationalpetition to determine the Number One Hero Candidate. To othersmaybe it felt like a sports event or something of that sort I continued to look around while thinking that when A sudden warmth enveloped my hand. Startled, I turned to see who it was, only to find Iliya looking at me. She had a drooping expression, and her eyes were downturned. Her hands were ced on top of mine. Please hold onto meIm so nervous What? When I hold your hand like this, TeachI feelreassured Come to think of it During the Full Moon Festival, didnt I also hold Eleanors hand like this, even when there were a lot of people around? But back then I was the one who grabbed Eleanors hand. This time, it was this punk who grabbed my hand first. She had be a lot more assertive than before, huh? It feels like every little thing contrasts with each other. As if to prove that they were indeed fated rivals, even in these small details, the contrast was noticeable. Cant I? Because I only stared at her silently, she asked such a question. There was a bright smile on her face, but I could tell that her voice was tense. She had mustered quite a bit of courage to do this. Only until we go out in front of everyone. Ehehehe. With a sillyugh, she then hugged my arm tightly. I didnt say she could go that far, but since I couldnt just push her away, I just let her be. [Killme] Now, what the hell was wrong with this guy? [Why do I have to see my little sister flirting with a guy? Such bull] What? Will you say some shit like Iliya is too good for me or whatever? [No. The sight just makes me want to puke] He didnt even have a body, what kind of stupidint was he even making? Then again, I could understand his feelings. If I were a big brother, and I saw my little sister acting like this, I would react the same way too. Wouldnt it be like watching your pet goby going out of their way to look all pretty and cute to someone Are you having some weird thoughts again, Teach? How could she tell so fucking quickly? Anyway, I should change the topic so she wouldnt be on to me anymore. By the way, didnt you say that you wanted to be the Hero because of your Oppa? Yeah, but why are you bringing that up all of a sudden? Well, considering what youre trying to achieve, dont you think your way is a little too grand? Like, if someone just wanted to find their Oppa, normally theyd just snoop around to gather information, not to straight out to try and be the Hero. Well, Ive tried everything I could. Iliya let out a slight smile. However Her smile wasnt the usual refreshing smile that bloomed like a flower, but a bitter one that represented her self-deprecation. But, no matter what I did, nothing worked. The reason why I came to Elfante was because Oppa attended this school back then. I thought Id be able to at least find some trace of him, but I could barely find anything There was a deep fatigue and even a faint hint of despair in her voice. It seemed like while I had been bustling around, she also faced a lot of difficulties. Maybe she spent almost all of her spare time searching for traces of her brother. Thats why I had no choice but to rely on external means from now on. External means? Bing the Hero means Ill be a famous person, right? Famous enough for my name to spread across the entire continent. If thats the case, maybe I dont even need to search for him, helle looking for me insteadat least to hear some news about me I only watched her smiling face silently. Honestly, her idea was way too far-fetched. In the first ce, not a lot of people would risk their lives in such a dangerous event, the Hero Selection, for personal reasons like her. Most of the candidates were motivated by a grand mission or a strong belief. At the very least a national interest was involved somewhere there. But, when you look at it from a different perspective It just showed how desperate she was. She even resorted to undertaking such an impossible task for such an unbelievable motive. That just showed how deeply she longed for her only remaining kin. Inside the Soul Linker, Caliban went silent. Despite pretending not to, Caliban always mmed up whenever Iliya talked like this. After all, what she would ultimately find at the end of her journey was the news of his own death. But, eventually, the truth woulde out. And my role was to ensure that when that time came, Iliya would not fall into despair. That was why If its that, it might happen sooner than you think. I only needed to do the same thing as always. Doing my specialty,pression, bringing forth results that would normally take much longer to achieve. With that in mind Excuse me? Youll definitely be a famous person. By the end of the day, youll be able to achieve that goal of yours. The faster the progress, the better it was. At the very least, after this opening ceremony, Iliya would be a celebrity known across the entire continent. Enough to at least have the authority to undertake the tasks she desired without hindrance. ? I smiled slightly at Iliya, who wore a big question mark on her face. Then, I proceeded towards the podium. [Hero Candidate No. 1, affiliated with Elfante of the Empire, enters!] There was even an announcer here. It really felt like a sports event. As she climbed onto the podium, they introduced her in a manner that reminded me of an athlete entering from the challengers corner. Its overwhelming. Representatives from various nations, each seated in veiled seats across the venue. All of them hade to observe this event. These people represented their respective countries. They were people who could alter the continents fate with a single word. And even among them I nced discreetly at someone who was sitting at the most central seat. The current Empress of the Empire. Cecilia the 11th. Though she remained silent and had only been sitting quietly I could feel her gaze briefly pierce me before moving away. And In that short, yet deep interaction, I realized with certainty. Of one single fact This person was here to see me. Wee. Iliya Krisanax. Dowd Campbell. I turned to my right at the familiar voice. This person was the War Chief of the Tribal Alliance. Utad Han-Chai. The father of Luca Han-Chai, a member of the Hero Party. It seemed like the Alliance had sent him as the representative. The other candidates will be entering shortly, so please wait just a Sorry, War Chief. But it seems we cannot have them just be on stand-by here. There we go. Id be feeling lonely if I didnt get obstructed like this. Shit wouldnt be fun without a little challenge. I turned towards the source of the interruption with a wry smile. Archbishop Luminol. The representative of the Holy Land. From within the veil, he stroked his Holy Relic while looking directly at me. What is that supposed to mean, Archbishop? Is there a problem with the Hero Candidate selected by the Empire? Ah, no, please dont misunderstand me. I have no issue with the candidate, however With that, Archbishop Luminol stood up. I can detect an irreverent aura from that attendant over there. What does that mean, Archbishop Luminol? You need to avoid such baseless suspicion. It is not a baseless suspicion. Following that The Archbishops Holy Relic emitted a divine light. It was a vast amount of Divine Power. So much so that the surrounding spectators murmured at the disy. After all, this being will immediately testify why I felt such an aura. At the same time as he spoke A portal tore open in front of me. The portal didnt serve as a simple medium for teleportation. Instead, it momentarily created a gap between dimensions. Following that From within, something with an overwhelming presence emerged. And at that sight Despite the vast expanse of the circr seating filled to the brim The entire audience fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the portal. A portal directly connecting from the Astral Realm to here. And the entity that emerged was undoubtedly an Angel. Halo and divine wings in all their glory. Angel? It cant be, they only exist in myths and references! Just as expected This persons specialty that I read in the documents was Angel Summon. This being who represents the Will of Heaven shall be the judge. It certainly made sense. The Holy Land must be aware of my deep interactions with Devils. Summoning an Angel to testify would certainly put me in a dire situation. They could even sentence me to death if they wanted to. Yet, they waited until this event started and I was exposed in front of the public. This meant they were aiming to hurt me as deeply as possible with a certain dramatic ir. Truly shitty behavior, second to none. O Faithful One Who Serves the Will of Heaven. The angels voice resonated deeply. Most listeners were awestruck, some even gasping because the overwhelming presence made it hard for them to breathe. A proof of myth had now descended upon this ce. I have arrived in this ce, responding to your The Angels voice Abruptly halted upon seeing me. The Angels expression scrunched. As if wondering why the hell I was here. Implying that me and this fellow were acquainted. O Agent of God? Archbishop Luminol tried to prompt the Angel But the Angel remained immovable, theirplexion turned slightly pale while they were looking at me. Let me tell you a secret. ording to various sources It seemed the hierarchy of beings that could be summoned by this person was limited to that of a Virtue. And If a Virtue was summoned here at Elfante There would only be one angel that would appear. A rare female Angel from the Astral Realm, the one who I was all too familiar with. System Log [ Target Virtue A1101 recognizes you as irredeemable trash! ] [ Marked with Negative Tendency! ] [ Rewards Avable! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated! Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] Oh right, this fellow Definitely had something like this imnted by me before. I vividly remembered ckmailing and extorting Starsteel from her through the White Devil. And the point that I needed to pay attention to was thismand right embedded in her. Virtue. At my call The Virtue flinched. Her eyes trembled. It was a stark contrast to the dignified demeanor she attempted to maintain moments ago. Seeing this, I smiled and added to my words. Its been a while, hasnt it? Watching the Angels expression crumble I activated the skill. System Message [ Skill: Evil Ruler activated. ] [ Usingmand rights on target Virtue A1101! ] [ The target is absolutely obedient to yourmands! ] Noicee~ Absolute obedience, huh? Noiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice~ Id need this kind of shit anyway because there was no way shedply with my demand without that level of coercion.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 158: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire Chapter 158: Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire The look of utter dismay on Archbishop Luminols face as he peered at the Angel through his veil was palpable. In his eyes, such a scene must have felt bewildering. After all, under normal circumstances, the Angel should have rebuked the presence of a Devils Aura in me. But, what had happened was she only stood there stiffly, her gaze was fixated on me. O Messenger? The Archbishop called out to her, but she still didnt respond. Her eyes continued to tremble greatly. Meanwhile, for me This was a huge jackpot. Normally, this angel would have fled the moment I tried to meet her, but now here she was, boldly standing in front of my eyes. [Y-You W-Why are you here?] Her quivering voice that echoed in my mind made it even clearer that she didnt want to be here. Keep in mind that whenever an Angel were to manifest themselves in the Material Realm, they had the obligation to maintain a devout and dignified atmosphere, and she wasnt exempt from this obligation. Yet, even with that obligation in mind, she still couldnt suppress a groan out of her lips. All because I was the personification of her trauma. Just by seeing me must have brought back the fear that she had when she was almost devoured by the White Devil. D-Did he just say, Its been a while? Does that mean he actually met the Angel before? Such mutterings started to appear from the spectators seats. After hearing those words, the Angels expression began to darken even more. Iliya, who was still standing beside me, alternated her gaze between me and the Angel. There was a knowing look on her face. Well, she was there when I met the Angel for the first time, so it was understandable that she made such a look. Uh, Teach? Yeah? After observing you for a while, Ivee to understand you to a certain extent. Okay From the look of your face, youre about to do something incredibly shitty. Like, this would definitely go down on the history kind of level. Ive always had the feeling that she had a good intuition. Ever since she acquired the Eye of Truth or whatever, it felt as if she could read my mind directly. Seriously, what kind of ability was that, anyway? [What do you want from me this time? Why do you have such a sinister look on your face?!] Well, either Iliya got a good intuition, or everyone could see it from my face, I guess. Well, its nothing much. Just like Caliban, it seemed like this Angel could respond to my thoughts directly. A blessing to me, really. Because Id need balls of steel to say this shit out loud. You see, Im trying to do an important thing, but some of these bastards are trying to prevent me from even starting it. Like, seriously. Even back at Elfante and the Forge of Struggle, I had been pushing myself to death, trying to prevent the world from being destroyed by those Devils. But for some reason, there were a lot of fuckers who kept on getting in my way for their own selfish goals! This time, it was the Holy Land. That was why I wanted to make a grand statement to put them in their ce. Miss Angel, can you please testify on my behalf? Just this once? [Testify? What is it that you need me to testify?] Then, I conveyed what she needed to know through my thoughts. And as expected, her reaction was pretty dramatic. [T-This inhumane trash!] [H-How could you make me say such things!] Well, I dunno. But you better do it. As I thought so, I manipted the window to forcibly apply a skill on the Virtue. Suddenly, she folded her wings and gently descended to the ground. [H-Huh? E-Eh? W-Whats this?!] What I did was using the oh so preciousmand right that could directly manipte even the Angels. So It was only natural that I made her use some words that were a littleout there Yes, it really has been a while. [W-Why is my mouth moving on its own?! W-What have you done to m-] Her voice buzzed angrily in my head, but Before she could even finish her tantrum, the sentence I requested her to say had already echoed throughout the venue. Ive missed you, Master. Then, when the next sentence followed. This lowly servant is ready to obey anymand. The vast square Was suddenly enveloped in silence.
System Message [ Target Virtue A1101 recognizes you as a mortal enemy! ] [ Marked with Negative Tendency! ] [ 2 Stacks of Negative Marks! At 3 Stacks, a special effect will ur! ] [ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated! Obtained 1mand right over the target! ] Wow. That just straight out replenished themand right. I smirked, looking at the window that appeared before my eyes. As soon as the Virtue said those words, Archbishop Luminol hastily reversed her summoning, so I didnt get to see her full reaction. This was good enough, though. Well, Id be worried a little if themand right wasnt replenished, but as expected, forcing the poor Angel to refer to me as Master had truly thrown her mind into disarray. It was like calling your pet Master, it should feel disgraceful. [Is the Boy King sleeping right now?] He almost always is. Why do you ask? Even if he was awake, hed keep his silence. He was aplete opposite to this chatty guy. Anyway, he was holing himself up, preparing something that was rted to Forbidden Sorcery. It would be nice if he showed his face once in a while, though. [I know, right? What a shame. This would be the perfect time for him to give you another round of apuse.] [When ites to anything except for the women around you, you wont feel guilty about it, so its really quite the sight~! In fact I became quite fond of you] I ignored his nonsense and turned my gaze to what was above the desk. A bombshell has dropped. Looking at the newspapers that are sensationalizing yesterdays events, such words spontaneouslye out. Woahhhh Its absolute chaos Following myment, Iliya, who was sitting on the sofa while going through the materials I had already reviewed, also let out a groan. I knew you said that youd make me famous, but isnt this a little too much? Iliya said as she read several headlines out loud. [ The Deration of an Angels Submission, the Holy Land remains silent on the matt- ] [ Archbishop Luminol raises the possibility of a mass hallucination- ] If hes really using mass hallucination as an excusethis whole thing must have been quite a shock to him. True. For the Holy Land, this would be nothing short of a nightmare. Their position and influence mostly stem from having produced the First Hero and the religious authority of being directly recognized by the Angels. Yet, an Angel directly referred to the person who they had thrown suspicion on as Master. The whole situation just turned them into an absolute fucking disgrace. Of course, they could officially mitigate such facts. After all, their influence was still considerable. But, they couldnt just silence the many witnesses. The topic of my rtionship with the Angel would still spread with terrifying momentum. And as a consequence to that Their recognition of the Hero Candidate whom I was an attendant of would skyrocket. So, how does it feel to be one of the hottest topics across the continent? Honestly, I dont really feel like its real yet. Even if Ive be the talk of the town, no, the continent, its not like theres any immediate change around me. Like, Ive been receiving a lot of attention in Elfante anyway. Must be nice to be popr. As for me, my reputation of being a somewhat suspicious bastard, a sinister human, a loner without friends, yet oddly surrounded by women for various reasons still lingered. I was already strayed millions of light-years away from the ordinary school life I dreamt of when I first enrolled in the academy. Teach? Are you crying? No. It just seems like it because of how sparkly my eyes are. Anyway. At least, at least this would prevent the Holy Land and the Pope from finding any pretext to hinder me throughout the Hero Selection. So, I didnt need to worry about them that much anymore, but By the way, what have you been doing all this time? Before I realized it, I already asked that question. Look, I could still understand that she barged into my room and invaded my furniture, but that wasnt the problem here. She had been cutting something out of the newspaper for a while now. Im collecting photos that feature both me and Teach together. Ah, this one turned out well. And, why was she even doing it here? Even someone as oblivious and dense as me can only think hes doing this as a tant appeal. Also, shes bing more proactivetely. No, seriously, she had been doing this a lottely. While I was at a loss for words after hearing Iliya say that, a voice came from Soul Linker. [Can I just ask one favor?] Huh? [If you two are going to go through some important event, do it where I cant see. Please.] [I already feel like dying, so if I were to see something like that, Id probably die a second time.] It wont happen. Important event, my ass. I could still remember the time when Yuria cut me in half. If I were to do that kind of shit, Id get cut into more than twenty pieces by the other Devils Vessels. Calibans nonsense made me let out a sigh. I turned my gaze to the documents Atnte had given me. It contained the general itinerary of the Hero Selection that would be announced to everyone during the opening ceremony. Well, the event that urred during the ceremony was so explosive that it overshadowed everything else, but it seemed like all the relevant documents had still been distributed to the parties involved. The most important thing is The list of candidates participating in the ordeals. You could also consider it as the list ofpetitors, I guess Also, I had to infuriate these people somehow, so theyd go out of their way to kill me. And This was also the part with the highest potential for variables to appear. Looking back at what had happened so far, these parts were the things that always got fucked over. The Tribal Alliance has the Twin Berserkers. The Empire has Iliya and Faenol Lipek. A bitter smile formed on my face as soon as I saw that name. As I started to think about her [ Main Quest ] Chapter 4 Crimson Night [ Rted Event will ur soon! ] The main event of this chapter was Hero Selection, but the name of the Main Quest that formed the backdrop of the chapter was the Crimson Night. It was the chapter where Faenol appears as its Final Boss, but the thing I needed to focus on was the reason why she became the Final Boss. During the selection, something would happen that would cause her to go berserk. And it was my job to stop it. [Cant you just solve it quick and easy as usual?] If there are no variables involved, I can. [Hmm?] Since, this is something rted to the Devils, theres one more group of motherfuckers wholl always stick their noses in, aside from the Holy Land. In terms of hindering my smooth scenario progression, they were much worse than the former. Thinking this, I flipped to the next page of the document. Anyway, up to here was a list I was familiar with. The list matched perfectly with the game. These people were undoubtedly strong, but it was still manageable. The problem was. What came up while I was scanning the list from the Holy Land. The variable I had been so wary of was tantly pushing its way into view. Candidate No. 1. The top student of Great Temples 1st-Years. A very standard selection. I could even apud it as a good choice. The problem was the other person, though. Why cant I take it easy just for once? Seeing the face reflected in their profile, such words escaped my mouth like a groan. It was the picture of a man whose appearance screams frivolity, looking like a womanizer at first nce. But, even so Just by looking at him, I already felt dizzy. Enough to make my vision go white. I even felt a sense of resentment, as if the world was tantly trying to fuck me over with variables. And that was because the identity of this bastard was Hes a bnce breaker. A monster who could turn the Hero Selection itself into mere childs y. Talker. The Prophets right hand man. A bastard who was strong enough to subdue Eleanor who was fused with two fragments had tantly made his presence known.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 159: First Ordeal (1) Chapter 159: First Ordeal (1) First Ordeal (1) Yuria Greyhounders social circle was exceedingly tiny. In fact, the only person she could call a friend was Iliya, and the only other people she conversed with regrly were her sister, Dame Ophelia and Dowd. One would be justified to say that her social skill was utterly atrocious. But even after considering that The extreme unease she felt when facing the person in front of her was on another level. U-Um S-Student Council President? Desperately fidgeting with the new cor that Dowd had given her as a gift, she began to speak. After all, it was the only thing that gave her some semnce offort when facing this person. C-Can I ask what brings you here? No answer returned. Inwardly, she felt tearful. After all, the other person had just barged in and pressured her like this, and she didnt even know why. Worst of all was that her Big Sis happened to be out right at this moment. They said the Hero Selection is today, right? She did hear that the actual Ordeal would begin today. Dowd, Iliya, and the mage she saw before, Faenol, would all be there. As Yuria was thinking this, Eleanor elegantly ced the teacup she was sipping onto the table. Woah. Yuria couldnt help but let out a silent exmation of awe. Each of her movements was overflowing with grace, making her realize once again that the person before her was a genuine noblewoman. And not just any noblewoman, the Young Lady of Ducal House. While she had behaved rather entrically a few times, she still possessed qualities that could enchant numerous men with ease. Not only that, she was also a genius in swordsmanship and her position as the Student Council President spoke volumes of how intelligent she was. And above all, she was beautiful. Compared to Yuria, who was of a short stature and whose chest wascking, she was enchantingly beautiful. To put it simply Their ss was different. Maybe, perhaps even in Dowds eyes, if they were ced side by side, Yuria would look like a little childpared to Eleanor. Hell, in that situation, it would be a miracle if he were to see her as a woman. Feeling such insecurity, she unconsciously gripped the cor that Dowd had given her tighter. But still What in her hand was a Token of Promise that he had given her. Something that reminded her how precious she was to him. And, as she was thinking this -Do you really think that is true? A voice that always came to her when she felt this anxious, echoed loudly in her head. This voice again Previously, it only sounded like simple tinnitus, buttely, it had be clearer, as if it resonated within her consciousness. As if there was another being living inside her body. -You have no charm. You look like a little kid. Who would ever like someone like you? And that voice As always -If you arent going to do anything, just hand over your body to me. At this rate, hell be snatched away by another Color. Youll be abandoned, ignored, stuck crying while watching another woman monopolizing him. Is that what you want? -Arent you a loner? Youve been alone, cold, lonely and suffering for so, so long It spitted out such hurtful words -But now, youre willing to let that warmth you finally found be taken away? -By another woman? That gouged at her heart. However No. Yuria pressed down on chest and lowered her head. As soon as she voiced that response, her whole body tingled. How dare someone like you try to defy me! It was as if something inside her body was trying to tell her that. Such a sensation appeared in her heart, and spread throughout her body. But even so, she resisted. So strongly, so desperately. I will never be swayed by you again. She knew That she must not listen to these words. Because she had oncemitted a sin that threatened Dowds life before. And she knew he would never betray her no matter what. She bit her lip, trying to endure the pain sweeping through her body. At that moment, Eleanor, who had been staying silent all this time, suddenly spoke up. By any chance, do you also hear something akin to a voice? Excuse me? Hearing her words made Yurias heart drop, and made her involuntarily gulp. It was a miracle she managed not to let her reaction be more noticeable. Her sister had always reminded her to never reveal the fact that she was harboring something inside her body. And more than that She instinctively felt that she couldnt let this person catch on to that. I-I dont k-know w-what youre talking about As Yuria replied with cold sweat breaking out, Eleanors gaze coldly swept over her from head to toe. It was as if thetter had seen through her lies already. Hm, is that so? I was sure that youd have something simr to that. But, judging by her words, it seemed like Yuria was mistaken to think that. E-Euhhh Yuria inwardly cried. Her hands trembled as she lifted the teacup. She felt nauseous. Just being observed by a woman like her, a woman who exuded adult charm, was enough to make her feel pressured, to the point that it brought a sense of inferiority. That was why, when the woman said her next words She was so shocked, almost frightened even. Well, it doesnt matter even if thats not the case. What I want to ask iscould you lend me your talents for a while? She almost spit out the tea she was drinking. Excuse me? I am proposing for us to work on a certain task together. Even while witnessing Yurias choking on her tea, coughing, her calm tone was still unchanged. Strange. Such a perfect woman has something to ask of me? How? Yuria pondered such a question that floated in her eyes, meanwhile Eleanors gaze was fixed onto Severer that was sheathed on her back. A sword of considerable value, and you could handle it with such a familiar manner. I do not need to see your performance to know, as I can already tell that your skills are as formidable as the rumor goes. Rumor? There is a rumor among the First-Year students in the Knight School about a tiny ughter tank that would slice anything thates to her vicinity. What kind of bizarre rumor is that?! Yuria inwardly made a tearful face once again. A ughter tank, of all things! I am a girl too! I had never done anything to earn such a terrifying nickname! Originally, I would not have any reason to ask anything of a woman who stays close to that man. Eleanor sighed as she spoke. And Yuria smiled bitterly in response. Finally, something that made sense. She had definitely heard about how this person was stalking Dowd. That was why it would only be natural for her to know whenever he came to meet Yuria. But I have encountered an opponent I desperately wish to win against. Someone I absolutely do not want to lose to. An opponent you wish to win against? A thieving cat with the audacity to try and remove a stone that has already been lodged in. All because it believes it deserves the spot of the stone that was there first. Even its color is detestable. Golden, annoying to look at. Um, about that From Yurias point of view, she felt the same way about Eleanor. Because she was the closest person to Dowd, and the man most likely treated his meetings with Eleanor as a mere affair. And she hasnt even been walked on a leash before! With that peculiar sense of pride in her mind, she snorted at Eleanor. Internally, of course. There was no way she had the courage to show such a sentiment openly. Anyway A thieving cat? If the woman was talking about removing something that was clinging to Dowd, then it was worth lending an ear to her. Correct. That woman is surely plotting something for this Hero Selection. Knowing how Chancellor Sullivan, Elenaor was certain that she would definitely have something in mind. After all, she had shown such an overt interest in Dowd. This Hero Selection was the perfect asion for such a n. She must have been cooking up some schemes here and there. We should make that thieving cat understand her ce. Ummm, is it a very dangerous task? There is no need for killing, that, I promise. Yuria scratched her cheek slightly. Still, the other person was asking for her skills with a sword, which meant there must have been some sort of danger involved. And if she jumped into this without telling her sister, she was sure to be scoldedter As an advance payment, I shall give you a photo of Dowd. What in the world is this person saying? Arent advance payments usually in the form of money or valuables? What on earth are you talking about? What in this world could possibly be more valuable than this man? Do you think mere money or trinkets is more important than him? I only made this offer because I need a talent like you. No, waither logic iscorrect? But, while I would like a photo of him As such thoughts crossed Yurias mind Photos of him with sleepy expressions, photos of him smiling, exercising, studying, eating Every time Eleanor spoke, a photo wasid out on the tea table And each of them enamored Yuria, her gaze wandering over them. So cool. So cute. So lovable. Her heart raced. She wanted to frame each one of these photos. She wanted to keep every one of them as a precious treasure. Yuria swallowed hard. They did turn out well, I guess. Among over 300 shots taken a day, I have carefully selected the best ones. I brought them specially for you because I value your importance. If there was one thing that Yuria was certain of This person was a stalker. And an ultra-severe one at that. Andstly. If we sessfullyplete the task Eleanor then pulled out one more photo from her belongings. Though it was a photo where only his back was visible For some strange reason, even the white nkness of it seemed to captivate Yurias gaze. I shall give you this. W-What is that? A photo of him drying his hair after taking a bath. His upper body is exposed. Iwill hear you out a little Eleanor nodded. There was never a doubt in her mind that Yuria would definitely give in to her demand.
System Message [ Target Yuria and target Eleanor forms a Party! ] !! Butterfly Effect !! [ The formation of this Party significantly increases the likelihood of influencing other Vessels! ] [ The actions of target Seras, target Riru, and target Sullivan are highly likely to change! ] [ The interactions between targets intensifies! ] [ The Main Quest is extremely likely to be affected! ] The fuck? What the fuck is up with the Butterfly Effect? It seems like problems woulde even if Im just sucking on my thumbs! Cant they stop harassing me for a second?! Just let me get through the Main Quest already Thinking this, I looked around. The first process of the Hero Selection was quite straightforward. They simted a dungeon that resembled actualbat situations as closely as possible. The one who reached the center of the dungeon first would earn the most score. In normal circumstances, this is really dangerous, though. Watching Iliya warming up at the starting line, I couldnt help but think that. Having recently defeated a Demonic Creature at the level of an Ancient God, dungeon subjugations no longer made me feel anything. But for normal students to do something like thisit was supposed to be something unimaginable. After all, one little mistake could actually kill them. Well, it should be fine. The Hero Candidates, including Iliya, were a monster in their own right. Especially this bastard. Heyo. When I turned at the touch on my shoulder Talker was there. The Cursed Speech User. A monster that had lived through countless ages. Someone who even had a history of leading Valkasuss kingdom to ruin. Look at this motherfucker, acting all friendly to me. Who the fuck did he think he was? When I red at him, he raised his hands, retreated with his tongue out. Woah, chill. You look like youd take a swing at me, you know? Instead of replying, I just sighed deeply. The silver lining here was that Valkasus was currently asleep. If he was awake, it wouldnt be strange for Soul Linker to go berserk. Last time, it didnt happen because my mutation due to Fallens Seal left no opportunity for any kind ofmunication with him. Anyway, for what reason did this bastard evene to me like this? And? It isnt like we are on speaking terms. Honestly, it was fucking ridiculous. Yeah, I knew that there was some connection between the Holy Land and the Prophet, but for him to crawl around the Hero Selection and act as a candidate was utterly absurd. But, I was the only person who knew of his true color. Considering hisbat power, it was better to ignore him as much as possible. Even if I were to tell anyone else, including Atnte, it would only stir up trouble. After all, there was no one in Elfante capable of dealing with him right now. Which meant, I had to be cautious to not fall for his provocations. And I should nevery a hand on him first. I didnt know why the fuck did he approach me, but if he was going to stay quiet for now, there was no need to escte things. No, I just wanted to ask some stuff. Saying that, Talker looked directly at my chest and spoke. Hows the Apostle doing? He was probably talking about Tatiana. It seemed like he knew her soul was bound to me right now. The Prophet probably told him something about my Seal. Woah, woah. No need to give me such a fierce look! Ill get scared! Why dont we chill for the time being, okay? I have no reason to be friendly with ackey of the Prophet, though. Hearing my words, the fucker let out a smirk. Thats a bit sad to hear. And his following words made absolutely no sense. Seeing as how our boss sent me here to protect you, you know? ? What? What kind of bullshit is [All Hero Candidates, to your designated locations!] At the same time as such an announcement echoed, Talker grinned. Well, see youter. The other Hero Candidates are not to be underestimated either, so do your best not to fall behind. Wait. Im not finished See youter~ With a flippant tone, Talker disappeared swiftly. His departure was so decisive and nonchnt that I couldnt even say anything. I frowned as I looked in the direction he had gone. He came here to protect me, he says? Putting aside what the Prophet intended by sending him here with such orders. What exactly was I even being protected from?
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 160: First Ordeal (2) Chapter 160: First Ordeal (2) First Ordeal (2) You expected me to believe that? Such words came out of Lucias mouth, her face was decorated with a deep frown. Ill repeat my question again. So, Yuria, youre trying to enter the Selection Exam? And the reason for that is because you want to observe the selection process closely with a friend of yours? Yes, Unnie. Are you telling me you have a friend? Rather, are you telling me that Lady Tristan herself is your friend? Stop joking around! Youd think Id just believe that? C-Can you be a little more gentle when youre hitting me? Of course, it was a bit of a stretch for Yuria to call Lady Tristan her friend. It was to the point that Lucia wondered if she was the same younger sister she knew. Yurias heart tingled. Honestly, what Ive told you was just a secondary reason She sighed before continuing her words. The real reason is because of Mr. Dowd, Unnie After hearing that sentence, Lucia, who had been folding her arms, looking at her sister with a sullen look, lost control of her expression. Because of Mr. Dowd? Yes. ording to the Student Council President, Mr. Dowd is definitely going to get swept into something during the selection process. Lucia bit her lip slightly and turned to look at Eleanor. The other person was staring intently in the direction of the artificial dungeon that the Hero Candidates had just jumped into. As if she could feel that there was something wrong inside. Is there any evidence? The Student Council President was the one who said it, theres no way shed do it for no reasonalso There wasnt any further information provided, but If it was evidence, then there was extremely convincing evidence right here. Its Mr. Dowd were talking aboutits a given that hell get attacked by a woman in some ce again You know it too, right, Unnie? When ites to women, he Yes, yes, thats a very convincing point, but still Lucia spoke, cing her hand on her waist. If an outsider were to participate in the selection recklessly, chaos would Unnie, let me go. Yuria cut off Lucias words. Her tone was firm, and so was her will,pletely unlike what she was usually like. Seeing this made Lucia unable to bring herself to rebuke her. I dont want to go through what happenedst time again. Yuria. What if something happens to him? A certain scene came to her mind. Back when that idiot continued to worry about her and Yuria, even though he himself was dying And she could still remember how useless she was back then, unable to do anything but watch him The guilt she felt at that time still clung to Lucias heart like sticky soot. Just as Yuria said, there was no limit to how weak she was to the circumstances of that mans well-being. Please, Unnie. Let me go in. I wont cause any trouble. Please Uggggggghhh Letting out a frustrated groan while scratching her hair, Lucia eventually replied in a deted voice. I cant let you enter the dungeon, but Ill try to arrange it so you can get as close as possible to it. Youre the best, Unnie! Seeing Yuria give her a thumbs up, Lucia sighed with a sense of self-loathing. By the way, what have you been looking at since a while ago? Despite her sister asking that question, Yuria remainedpletely still. During their conversation, Yurias gaze waspletely fixed on Dowds photo that was given by Eleanor. To be more precise, she was gawking at his face. Because I was thinking, So thats how Mr. Dowd looks like. Mm? I mean, he always covered his face in front of me. Lucia tilted her head. Huh? Shes righthe did that Whenever Yuria is around, he always wears a mask Did he ever tell you why he goes around like that? No He never talked to me about it After saying that, Yuria paused for a moment before continuing. Come to think of it He must have always taken it off whenever Im not around, right? Maybe? It would be strange if he kept wearing it. As Lucia was pondering this, Yuria murmured again in a low voice. Im a bit sad. And then [I also want to see his face directly.] As soon as such a sentence flowed out Lucia instinctively took a step back in spite of herself. Just now Something was mixed in Yurias voice. Something sinister enough to momentarily send shivers down her entire body. Whats wrong? Is there something nearby? The person in question didnt even seem to realize she had let such a thing flow out and was just looking around, puzzled. Seeing that, Lucia took a deep breath and rubbed her chest. N-No. Its nothing. Am I mistaken? I thought I felt something, but Yuria is acting like her usual self But, just now Its definitely Anyway, Ill leave it to you, Unnie! Before Lucia could even finish her thoughts, Yuria was already running towards where Eleanor was. Unaware of Lucias worried gaze behind her, Yuria soon stood near Eleanor, tip-toeing slightly to peek at her expression. Ive got permission, President! We cant get inside the course directly, but as if its only the vicinity Yuria abruptly stopped her sentence. Because it was clear that Eleanor didnt seem to hear her words at all. What are you looking at so intently, President? But, her question was only met with silence, as if Eleanor hadnt noticed that she approached her. Her gaze was locked somewhere, as if captivated by something. Previously, she had been looking toward the direction of the dungeon, but at one point, she shifted her gaze elsewhere. And so, Yuria followed Eleanors gaze. Though the selection was underway and the vicinity was packed with spectators Her gaze Was fixed on someone in the middle of the crowd. And Yuria, fairly confident in her own eyesight, quickly followed to see who exactly was there at the end of Eleanors gaze. There was a bodyguard with a huge sword behind their back, and in front of such a figure, stood a woman. Her body, including her face, was almost entirely wrapped up so it was hard to tell who she was, but the contours of her body and various other aspects made it clear that she was a woman. Though she was quickly obscured by the crowd Your Majesty? Such words spilled out of Eleanors mouth in a daze. Sorry? Yuria, too, responded in a dazed voice. Your Majesty There was only one person that could be addressed in that way. The current Empress of the Empire, Cecilia the 11th. One of the two most powerful figures of the Empire, along with Chancellor Sullivan. It had been said that she was participating in this selection as the host. However, if it was the Empress, shouldnt she be sitting in the best facility and waiting under tight security? There shouldnt be a need for her to be in the middle of such a crowd, though? Are you sure you werent just seeing things? At Yurias question, Eleanor mped her mouth shut. No, it is nothing. There is no way that is the case. It was as if she was trying to deny what she had just seen. Um? Its nothing. Eleanor said in a brusque voice. She readjusted the position of her sword. However, the ripple inside her heart was still ongoing. What she had felt just a moment ago was still vividly etched inside her very nerves. I felt it. Though it was only for a very brief moment Within that crowd She could feel that someone who looked exactly like the Empress she knew Carried something identical to what she harbored within her body. To be more precise, she could smell it. Because it had the same scent. She shook her head in denial. The Empress, along with Beatrix, was one of the few people she couldpletely trust. And now she was having such absurd thoughts towards someone whom she had known for years? They had been close ever since the other person was merely an Imperial Princess. Let us go. It is a waste of time to dwell on such absurd notions. Eleanor spoke, feigning herposure. All while desperately reassuring herself that her assumption waspletely wrong.
Wont we bete if we dont hurry up and go, Teach? No. This pace is just right. I ignored Iliyas urging from the side and continued to walk slowly through the dark tunnel. At a veritably yawning pace. Hmph Iliya breathed out of her nose, as if to express her discontent, but instead of arguing further, she just matched my pace. Well, theres always a reason why youre doing something like this It seemed her dissatisfaction had piled up to a fairly considerable degree. After all, she even started pouting her lips. But regardless of whatever she did, my walking speed remained the same. Slow, like an elderly taking a leisurely walk in a dungeon. [What are you even trying to do?] At the sound of Calibans voice, I nced at Soul Linker. What? [Whats with this snails pace?] Dont forget our objective, Caliban. I replied in a serious tone. Just as what he was trying to say, other candidates must be grinding their teeth, trying to advance as quickly as possible. That was how one would get a high score in the ordeal, after all. That was why, I understood their impatience, but Our goal is to piss off the other punks by taking shitty actions. [] After all, Iliya needs to be strengthened. Caliban closed his mouth as if to express his incredulity. Either way, the Hero Candidate was not me, but Iliya. It was Iliya who needed to stand out in this entire selection process, not me. And to utilize that, we needed to proceed through this dungeon slowly. The other candidates cant just easily break through anyway. Everything is going ording to n. Though I had explored a mock dungeon with Iliya before,pared to this one, that one was merely a joke. Compared to other contents of the game, this artificial dungeon section was one of the toughest sections. Even a sweat like me needed to be careful, as a single misstep could easily inte the clear time by several folds. Thebat difficulty wasnt so high that it touched the sky, but it was the sheer number of crazy gimmicks, as if someone had condensed all of mankinds malice into them, that made it so challenging. When recalling how I navigated through the dungeon in the game, it still pissed me off. After all, it was a bundle of various malicious traps and shitty mazes that made me wonder if they were even made by the same motherfucker. It was the perfect content for raising ones blood pressure. Traps capable of killing you in one hit in areas without a single iota of light, beasts ambushing you from all directions, limited visibility, and treacherous terrains that could cause your death just from a single misstep. Of course, I understood that the Hero Selection should be as challenging as its namesake, but even for a game, putting students through such a level of difficulty seemed beyond any sane level ofprehension. That was how hell-like it was. Especially since The final boss that appeared in the deepest part was the very epitome of such malice. I could guarantee one thing; it was useless to rush ahead. They had to defeat that boss to clear the dungeon anyway, and without the right conditions, none of the candidates would be able to achieve that. And in that regard My current actions were crucial to such progress. Teach? Mm. What are you doing right now? Resting. Iliya looked at me in utter disbelief, but instead of responding, I simply sat down on the ground. Theres someone we need to meet here. What? Now even Iliya was following her brothers footsteps, responding with an incredulous voice. She spoke from the perspective of someone who needed to break through the dungeon as quickly as possible. Though I could practically hear the unspoken curses, asking me what the fuck I was doing You havent met any of the other Hero Candidates yet, Right? Well, I guessso? But what about that? Even in the original game, Hero Candidates were strictly prohibited from exchanging information with each other before entering the ordeal. This was done to limit them from sharing information with each other as much as possible, thus aiming for true equity. Given the significant advantages tied to the position of a Hero, it prevented potential underhanded deals and mutual acts of sabotage against a specific person. But still, under normal circumstances, the candidates would at least get to see each other and experience various events during the opening ceremony. It wasnt like now, where they didnt even know who the others were. Lets try meeting one of them. In that regard Each and every one of the Hero Candidates are quite interesting, you see. There was someone Iliya needed to be introduced to. With that, I checked the time while sitting on the ground. My slow pace up until now was all about matching the right time. Lets see. Considering her behavior pattern, that punk should be passing by around WAAAAAAAAH-! Right on time. I smiled at the screaming from behind us. What is up with this dungeon?! Ive already died six times-! The voice was boisterous enough to echo throughout the entire dungeon. In fact, enough to even make Iliya turn around with a reluctant expression. Already did what six times? Of course, it seemed like she found the contents itself utterly absurd, though. I stood up with a chuckle. Right on time, huh. Do the two of you know each other? Yep. I continued with a smirk. Shes your little sister. Excuse me? Of course, not in a biological sense. Its more of a nickname given by users. Lana Rei Delvium. The top student of the 1st-Years at the Great Temple, the academy of the Holy Land. The protagonist of the DLC, Holy Land Crusade, a Side Story of Savior Rising. One of the strongest tankers in this worldview. One of the indispensable pieces needed to clear this dungeon. And Herees the prey. Wee~ Scapegoat No. 1 of the dogshit behavior I would relentlessly disy.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 161: First Ordeal (3) Chapter 161: First Ordeal (3) First Ordeal (3) Oh! So you are Ms. Iliya Krisanax and herpanion, Mr. Dowd Campbell! Nice to meet you, Im Lana Rei Delvium. Alright, lets talk about this person, Lana Reid Devlium. She was the MC in Seras DLC, and some people called her Iliyas little sister. Her hair was ck and short, only slightly covering her neck. The thing that stood out the most on her head was the single hair sticking out of it, just like those ahoge youd seen in anime. As you could see, even though she encountered both me and Iliya, her ownpetitors, she didnt show any hint of rivalries or hostilities. Instead, she greeted us leisurely, to the point that she even exchanged her name with us. That should be enough to show you how docile of a person she was, right? And she had one more characteristic, though. The most important one out of them all. She was immortal. Whats that supposed to mean? Exactly what I just said. You could tell from what I had experienced so far already; Savior Risings main game was notorious for its difficulty level. It was to the point that if their yers were to lynch the developers for it, they wouldnt have any excuse to defend themselves. That was one thing, but the DLC, [Holy Land Crusade], was brutally difficult even whenpared to the main game. Like, the wholemunity went feral upon its first release. It was so bad that the dev had to add certain features so that the yers could at least clear the story smoothly. And most of the features were given to this girl, the MC. They gave her an ability that was close to cheat codes. Yes, thats right! I wont die even if Im killed! Seeing her grin as she said such a thing, even Iliya was at a loss of words. Ive often heard about Divine Power Overload ever since I was young. Apparently, I cant feel pain and even if my body ispletely fragmented, it regenerates quickly! I consider it a blessing to be born with such a blessed physique. Thanks to this, I can use my body to conduct various research for the Holy Land! T-That Could you even count that as a blessing? Iliya was about to say that, I could tell it. But, she didnt seem to have the heart to utter such harsh words to this brat. Which was understandable, because the brat was literally talking about how they used her body for human experiments as if it was nothing. Hell, she even considered that as a blessing. It was even more so since she already knew how much of an asshole the Pope of the Holy Land was despite his benevolent image. Still, in a way, it is indeed a blessed physique. Among the Priests, often cases, due to their innate Divine Power going haywire, they ended up not only performing some kind of Miracles or Graces, but also gained Special Abilities. Take the Hero Party for an example. Trisha, their Priest, could visually perceive others emotions due to her Divine Power Overload. The ultimate expression of Divine Powers nature was the creation of Homunculi. Yuria and Lucia, the Greyhounder Sisters. The Saintess and the Talisman. These properties would be revealed inter chapters, but just keep in mind that both of them were terribly powerful. And it was especially the case for the younger of the two, who harbored the White Devil. By the way, wheres yourpanion? Um When Iliya asked why she was by herself here, she scratched her chin with a troubled expression. Theyre gone! Sorry? The incredulousness of Iliyas tone became twice as high as moments before. A Hero Candidate Attendant was the most basic framework of this selection process. But to say even that was gone was utterly baffling. Truly, the fuck was she talking about? We got separated in the middle when I tried to break through the dungeon by myself! You know that they wont recognize it if you dont reach the deepest part of the dungeon together with your attendant, right? There is a rule like that?! By now, Iliya must have realized too. The second most important characteristic of Lana. She was an idiot. Anyone with half a brain could see that she was outright a simple-minded fool. And that was a milder way to describe it. Ah, well~ Thankfully you two are such kind people, Mr. Dowd, Ms. Iliya! If you didnt tell me that, I might have rushed to the deepest part by myself foolishly! Alright, since you two helped me to avoid making such vain efforts, Ill help you with anything! Just ask away! Uh, you do realize were currentlypeting in the selection, right? From Iliyas voice, it was clear that a creeping headache hade rushing into her head. Its fine! I was taught to always repay a favor. Human principles take precedence overpetition! How dazzling. What a truly upright and righteous spirit. Almost blindingly so. It felt like she was trying to show off that she wasnt a Hero Candidate for nothing. Iliya shot me a gaze that seemed to ask how on earth I was thinking of exploiting such a person. And for this once, I couldnt help but to agree with her. Yes, this was necessary, but thinking that I had to do something bad to this girleven I would lose sleep over it Oh, the guilt! [Shut it, youre going to do it anyway. So, how are you going to deceive her?] Despite such a voice flying out from inside Soul Linker I let out a sigh and denied it. No, I have a conscience too, you know? How can I possibly deceive a kid like her so nonchntly? [You hada conscience?] After a moment of silence. I answered. Anyway, I wont deceive her. [I see. Finally you are treading on the path to be a decent] Ill still do something shitty to her, though. [] To be fair, I hadnt said anything about backstabbing or scamming her. I mean, I didnt need to go out of my way to do that to her, just telling her everything straight would be enough. Besides, she was the one who said that I could ask her for anything, so it was all good. [Oi, I know you said that youll be a real piece of shit or whatever this time, but this is a little Are you really going to earn her hatred in order to strengthen my sister?] She wont end up hating me, though. So, uh one thing about her is that Its impossible for her to hate me in the first ce. You see, her emotional circuit is just unable to feel wrath or hatred. No matter how despicable her opponent is, shed justugh it off like an idiot. [Then, wholl be the one whod threaten your life? I thought that part is necessary for strengthening Iliya?] Well, theres someone wholl definitely clench their teeth and chase me to the end of the earth if I were to fuck the girl over. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whoever tries to fuck me over, Ill do the same to them. Quite a simple principle. Of course This would be scraping the bottom of the barrel known as my humanity. Sorry. Im really sorry, Lana! Lana, then, may I ask you for just one favor? Suppressing such guilt, I opened my mouth with a smile. Yes, you can ask anything! Anything? Anything, huh? Well, what do you know? I like the sound of that.
Utad Han-Chai slightly frowned as he sipped the ck tea in his cup. As someone who had lived the life of a warrior, such sweet beverages and desserts were not exactly something that suited his pte, but he heard that enjoying such things was a cultural thing in both the Holy Land and the Empire. And the reason why he was being dispatched as the representative of the Tribal Alliance was probably because he respected such culture, and he possessed an ample amount of flexibility. However What do you mean by that, Archbishop Luminol? Even someone like him would asionally hear remarks that were just too absurd to simply ept. I asked whether you will join hands with us and keep the Empires candidate in check. To be more precise, the goal of this cooperation is more limited to the student named Dowd. Utad practically felt an iing headache as he rubbed his temple. It was clear that the Holy Land had been trying their best to keep Dowd in check from the Angel incident, but he had never expected them to propose such a direct approach as well. I appreciate the direct approach without any metaphors or hints, Archbishop Luminol. After all, it is the way of the Tribal Alliance. Utad sighed and entertained such a conversation. I need to hear a reason. Why do you oppose that student to such an extent? Personally, I simply dislike him. So it was indeed a personal reason. Utad only sat there, dumbfounded, while Archbishop Luminol fired out hisints rapidly. Irreverent, promiscuous, without a hint of dignity, and yet he has the audacity to enter the Theology School. I cannot stand his hypocrisy and pretense. May I ask what basis you have for that judgment? The reason is very clear, War Chief Utad, you can see it with your own eyes. Lowly humans like him cannot hide their scent, after all. I see. This man has a severe case of ssism. Thats why he could look down on Dowd, who came from at most a Barony or Viscounty, so naturally. Well, aside from my personal reasons As Utad was thinking as such, the Archbishop continued. Among the Three Superpowers, the Empire boasts the strongest military force, together with our Holy Lands religious authority, and Tribal Alliances technological prowess. He continued calmly. If they could gain legitimacy to the title Herowe would be like candles in a storm. The bnce that holds the entire continent together would shatter. Indeed. Logically, his words made sense. However Even if we were to keep him in check, what does the Holy Land gain? Besides, Dowd is merely a Candidates attendant. It would make more sense if they aimed to keep Iliya in check instead. In the first ce, it was extremely unusual to be so wary of a Hero Candidates attendant. This is the will of the Pope. I merely follow hismand. Utad narrowed his eyes. He was well aware of the unpleasant stories surrounding that sly fox who was sitting inside the Great Temple. What he didnt know though, was the fact that such a person would have so much interest in a mere student like Dowd Campbell. If we put our strength together to keep him in check, I can promise you a solid alliance through the authority that will be granted to us after the Hero Selection. We shall provide you with whatever it is that you desire. You speak as if the Master of the Holy Sword has already been decided. Our side has someone who will undoubtedly pass the test of the Holy Sword. The smile on the Archbishops face looked very slightly human as he said this. She may be slightly obtuse, butshe is strong, warm-hearted, and above all, braver than anyone. Such pride and warmth were rare expressions to find in a politician who had climbed to such heights. She is my precious daughter. Thatst part doesnt really seem necessary, does it? Why is he bragging about his daughter all of a sudden? Luminol Rei Delvium. He was the father of Lana Rei Delvium, the one who was participating as the Hero Candidate of the Holy Land. And anyone could see that this man was a fool for his daughter. Right as such words flowed out A-Archbishop! Someone burst into the conference room where Utad and Luminol were. Judging by their attire, they were from the Holy Land. Luminols face stiffened slightly. To think such impolite behavior would be disyed in a meeting of authorities that could practically be called a summit. Unless it was a suitably urgent matter, he would definitely administer a punishment for themter Your daughter is currently! Currently! Currently? Being used as a shield by Dowd Campbell! A heavy silence descended in the conference room.
Wearing a taciturn expression, Seras Evatrice looked at the people across from her. She was brought here by an unexpected call, and found herself surprised to see two individuals that she had never imagined to be present in this room. FIrstly The Chancellor of the Empire? Sullivan Axion Petronus. Now, why exactly would someone like her, who should be busy with state affairs, be here? As someone who loathed all humans from the Empire, her first instinct was to frown upon seeing her But, the other person who was there was even more astonishing to see than her. What are you doing here? Ever since Seras infiltrated Elfante, she had been feeling like she had lost her goal, but she was essentially still an assassin who was following the Popes orders. While she had deep reservations about killing Dowd Campbell now, her desire for the well-being and benefit of the entire Holy Land remained unchanged. That was why And you are? Hans. It was clear that the alias was created incredibly half-heartedly. Making her wonder what was the Holy Lands Intelligence Department thinking by giving this person such an identity. Well, it wont make sense to call myself Spinning Fire Wheel in this continent, right? Thats why, lets just stick with Hans. I couldnt care less about that. Seras massaged her throbbing head as she spoke. This is the Hero Selection, what are you doing here? You are aware that the Pope went to great lengths just to scrub your identity clean, right? The man named Spinning Fire Wheel, a.k.a Hans, just smirked. Oh wow, its still hard to get used to the fact that the little kid is the Pope now. I swear it feels like just yesterday that he was starving in the slums. He seemed to be at most in his early twenties, but he dismissively referred to the Pope by the little kid But Seras knew, albeit vaguely That even though he might seem like a human, he had nearly reached the domain of a Demigod. Anyway, to answer your question. His casual response belied his identity, though. Im not here for something like the Hero Selection, Im here to protect the one who holds the Worlds Key. What is that supposed to Its because youve been handling things so sloppily that I was sent here in the first ce, you know? What? A Grand Assassin like you should have no trouble putting a knife in that guy called Dowd, so whats with the dy? Talker sighed deeply before continuing. If you had just put Dowd in a sufficiently~ near-death, state the flow of events wouldnt have led us here. He wouldnt have participated in the Hero Selection and I wouldnt have needed to protect him. With that, the Little Pope and our Boss interests became aligned, and she ended up sending me here. What is that supposed to mean? Its not in the little kids interest, nor our boss to just let that guy go around and die. And, its also not in her interest either. As he said so, Talker nced sideways, nodding towards the Chancellor, who sat quietly with her eyes closed. Am I wrong, Sealed Devil? The Chancellor of the Empire lifted her head with a sigh. Refer to me by that name again, and our cooperation ends here, Cursed Speech User. Remember that this is merely a temporary alliance. Sullivan raised her head as she spoke. Her golden eyes were filled with a glint of killing intent. I know what you did to that man in the previous world. There is no guarantee saying it will not happen again in this world as well. Hmm. Both you and your pathetic Prophet will have to leave that mans side eventually. Otherwise Oho. For Dowds safety and well-being, I will kill you. Despite the chilly aura dripping from each of her words Talker merely let out a burst ofughter in response. So scary~ Well, in the first ce, it was you who contacted the Little Pope for help, wasnt it? Seras expression grew even more perplexed. The Chancellor of the Empire One of the most powerful statesmen on the continent Had contacted the leader of a foreign nation, who they were currently engaged in fierce power struggles with, all for the sake of just one individual? As she questioned this, the Chancellor spoke in a subdued voice. It cant be helped. Today marks the First Branching Point, after all. At this moment, everyone was gathered here. Devils Vessels. The person who embodied all their long-cherished wishes. And most importantly The root cause of all distortions that would be made in this ce. Purple. No, Seras Evatrice. Are you familiar with the name Yuria Greyhounder? Purple? What did she mean? Nheless, she answered the question. Homunculus. Out of the keys, which are the Saintess and the Talisman, of the Paradise n orchestrated by His Holiness, she is the one responsible for the role of the Talisman. What about her? That woman is present here today. ? She obviously could be. Whats so wrong with th- And today. Right as Seras was thinking as such Sullivan continued to speak calmly. Because of that woman, Dowd Campbell will die. Her attitude was almost as if She had experienced it prior to this.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 162: First Ordeal (4) Chapter 162: First Ordeal (4) First Ordeal (4) Wait. Talion said, halting Faenol in her tracks. Ahead of them,id a dark corridor. It would be better to turn back. There is too much risk to enter from this direction. His judgment was reasonable. Thoughtlessly entering such a passage in a dungeon was the equivalent of suicide. After all, there were dangers in the dungeon at every turn. Without visibility, the likelihood of certain death would skyrocket. However Faenol Lipek was unfazed by this as she continued to walk at a steady, yet a little bit slow pace. Ms. Faenol? Wait, what are The rmed Talion tried to stop her, but Before he could even finish his sentence The trapsid around, artificial Demonic Creatures, and the intricately ced mana disruption devices, all activated simultaneously with a loud tter. She just stepped forward and this already happened. What are you doing over there? But, she was still unfazed, she turned around to see Talion looking at her with an incredulous expression. As if she was questioning why he was just staying behind and not following her. After staring nkly for a while, Talion let out a resignedugh. He had momentarily forgotten how much of a monster the other person was. Throughout their dungeon exploration, it was this woman who effortlessly swept every obstacle they faced aside. Though it had been days since he was unexpectedly chosen as her attendant for the Hero Selection, he still couldnt get used to her extraordinary abilities. No, its nothing. Its just that I cant see anything beyond this point. Is that so? Faenol smiled bitterly. She didnt know if she should feel relieved or sad here. Because she wasnt someone who relied on her five senses as she was more ustomed to using her Mana Mastery to navigate her surroundings instead. That was why she barely noticed things like the lighting bing dim. No, buthow does that even make sense, though? Among knights who were specialized in Body Strengthening Techniques to the extreme, being able to move their bodies despite some of their bodily functions failing was a given. But that was only because their job required them to continue fighting even when they got seriously injured. Faenol was just using a different set of skills, a Mages mana to be exact, for the same purpose, indicating that she, indeed, had an advanced level mastery in this regard. However Talion admired her for this, but this bewildered Faenol. It seems to be getting stronger. The price the Red Devil demanded for reviving her from death was her ability to feel everything. In other words, as her emotions began to awaken, such control over her should have weakened. Yet, even though she wasnt particrly invoking Devils Aura, her mana was now naturally imbued with Devils Aura. Almost as if the Devils Authority within her was growing stronger. Strange. The only exnation she could think of was that it was because of him. Dowd Campbell. After that man dered he would make her happyit felt as though the Devil inside her was reviving at the same time as her emotions were awakening. The effect waspletely different from what she had anticipated. Her original n was to end her life so that she could prevent the Devil, who had gathered all the Fragments, from going berserk. Considering that, the right course of action should be to avoid any and all contact with that man immediately. However -I am going to make you happy, Faenol. And you do not have the right to refuse. Recalling the words she had heard before, Faenol gently touched her lips. Because she felt like she might just inadvertently smile at those words. It was clear that he was not someone who was bound bymon sense. He should know what exactly had she done in the past, and why exactly did she seek the sweet release of death. If anything, it would be unbelievable if he were to not know that. Even so, he still dared to make such a statement. Though she didnt know why he sounded so sure, what exactly had he prepared for that goal, and what he was nning to do She had a feeling, if it was that man, he definitely could solve the abnormality in her. That was why Ill trust him. Just a little more. I only need to focus on feeling the throbbing in my heart each time I see him. Because, if he could truly return happiness to her In turn, she would pay a price befitting that to him. While she thought this, Talion, who was standing beside her, spoke. We should be the fastest among everyone. So far, weve been breezing through all the obstacles. Shall we take a small break, then? Hearing Faenols suggestion, Talion tilted his head. Taking a breakisnt a bad idea, but are you sure this is the right time to act so leisurely? The other Hero Candidates are exceptional as well, you know? I dont know, and honestly, I dont really care. Faenol brushed her hair back as she responded. Im not interested in whod be the Hero from the very start. Excuse me? Besides, the only reason why I chose you as my attendant after meeting you just once is because I dont particrly care who my partner would be.. Talion was dumbfounded by the sudden bizarre turn of conversation. Then why did you participate in the selection in the first ce? Because I was ordered to. That was apletely understandable reason. Not only did she belong to the Heretic Inquisition, the pressure and the influence of Chancellor Sullivan, the one who oversaw the organization, was also incredibly strong. That personage had told Faenol that she had just to be present at this position, and she didnt need to do her best for the selection. In the first ce, the reason why she was selected as a candidate was also a result of that personages significant influence. And Faenol could understand why. There could only be one reason the Chancellor was so concerned about this selection. The Chancellor, Lady Tristan, and a Grand Assassin As Faenol was listing those who coveted that man, she chuckled and spoke up. Excuse me, Mr. Talion. Yes? In your opinion, how many pieces do you think Mr. Dowd will be divided intoter? Sorry? Considering the number of women hes been beguiling in his surroundings, and how every single one of them carries a significant level of danger What do you think? Talion stroked his chin. He appeared to be giving it serious thought. At least twenty pieces, maybe. It was a joke. That question was too real to sound like a joke, so I cant help it but to consider it seriously. Thats fair. But since Senior Brother is Senior Brother, hell surely engage in all sorts of crazy acts or insane behaviors whenever his life is in dang YAHOOOOOOOO-! At the sound far too bizarre to possibly be echoing through this dungeon, both Talion and Faenol turned their heads to its direction in a daze. Below the route they had chosen, a group was running at a breakneck pace without a single ounce of hesitation. Thatsdefinitely the entrance we turned back from because hundreds of Demonic Creatures were pouring out, right? The ce was a solid open terrain that, unlike the other passages, led directly to the deepest part of the dungeon as long as one went through it properly. In other words, it was the shortest route avable. However, the number of enemies that poured out was simply terrifying, to the point that even Faenol couldnt handle it, that was why they decided to change their course under Talions guidance. Even now, the sound of beasts approaching from all directions was enough to send chills down anyones spine. However Thatjust now, uh Talion spoke in a voice of utter disbelief. Are they really using a living person as bait to control the wave of Demonic Creatures? From where they were at, they could see Iliya running with someone on her back. They could also see how Dowd was following close behind while they were being chased by a massive number of Demonic Creatures. There was something that didnt make any sense, though The fact that the person Iliya was carrying was tied to a stick with rope. As if they were just bait hung for fishing. Teach! Theyll catch up with us if we keep going at this pace. Give that to me. WIth that, Dowd took over the stick and Lana, who was tied to it, from Iliya. Shoo. Along with such a word, Lanas body was swung around in all directions. The scent of blood from her battered body made the Demonic Creatures eyes gleam even brighter. They were drawn by instinct towards where Lana was being fluttered. How can they all be hooked like that just because he shook the line a little? When I was young, I used to fish quite a lot. That doesnt seem like something you can be that skilled in just because of diligence, though?! If I wasnt able to do at least this much, I would have starved to death. Their actions and conversation was utterly out of ce when considering the situation, butpared to such nonchnce, the effect was astounding. Like taming savage beasts in a circus, the entire wave swayed following Lanas dangling body. The entire formation of the horde crumbled and their speed decreased because a few Demonic Creatures rushed in to hit or bite Lana just once. And naturally, this made it much easier for Dowd and Iliya, who were running away, to escape. Naturally, Lana, who had be the bait, umted more injuries, but the person who had endured such rough treatment didntin; instead, she burst into cheerfulughter. WAHAHAHAHAHAH-! Mr. Campbell, you are really fun! Ive never met anyone who would think to use me like this to get through! Such a voice boomed out. At the acid river, you used me as a raft to cross over, at the crushing traps, you kept shoving me in to break the trap, and now, youre using my whole body as bait for a massive wave of Demonic Creatures! To think someone coulde up with all that! Im too stupid to have ever imagined using my body like this! You are truly amazing! Yeah, hes amazing, all right. As Iliya narrowed her eyes and muttered, Dowd was retrieving the human fishing rod with a calm expression, even while breaking out in a cold sweat. And as Talion watched such a scene unfold, he spoke up in a daze. Excuse me, Ms. Faenol. Yes? I think twenty four pieces was too generous of an estimate, what about you? An implicit agreement heavily settled between the two.
But still, thanks to Teach, were breaking through really quickly. Iliya, ring at me with narrowed eyes, made such a remark. Having broken through the Demonic Creature Wave, the deepest part of the dungeon was now right in front of us. Once we got past the giant stone gate, we could reach our destination. Nice. As long as we could reach this ce, we should be able to pass the First Ordeal without much difficulty. My heart was aching from the guilt, but at the very least, wed be able to effortless System Message [ An act so vile and abominable that it is dumbfounding! ] [ Title: Waste has been added! ] [ When equipped, the effect of your wrongdoings inciting rage and resentment in others is amplified! ] This motherfucking!
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 163: Branching Point (1) Chapter 163: Branching Point (1) Branching Point (1) This is our goal, right? Iliya said after seeing the huge stele in front of us. This was thendmark wed see when we arrived at the deepest part of the dungeon where the First Ordeal took ce. The Heart of Mystery embedded in the deepest part of every dungeon. Normally, when you made contact with it, the dungeon boss would be summoned, and youd have to engage it in battle. Yes, to put it simply, it was a device for summoning the boss. Aha, so they have something like this too in the artificial dungeon? Lana approached the stele, circling around it while inspecting it from various angles. Thanks to all thehardships she faced on the way here, her uniform that showed her affiliation to the Holy Land was in tatters. While I was giving the girl a nk stare, Iliya, who was next to me, poked my side roughly and gave me a piercing stare. Actually, rough didnt cut it. Her poke hurt me so much that it felt like I lost my breath. My whole body even staggered because of it. What? Stop giving that kid such perverted looks. Why dont you stop ndering me instead? But I never did that. Hmph. Hearing my words, she gave out a deep snort before turning to look at Lana with her still narrowed eyes. Despite having gone through so many perilous incidents just now, that girl seemed unconcerned. Hell, there wasnt even a hint of anger on her face. Does that kid not care at all about getting hurt? I know right? While rubbing the side where she hit me, I barely managed to agree with her. Teach. Suddenly, she spoke up in an expressionless voice. There was a heavy sense of guilt in her voice and gesture, which was rather surprising of her. We have to apologize to that childter. Sorry? Yes, I know she doesnt seem to be hurt, and she herself agreed to it without any objections, butit still feels as if were taking advantage of her genuine and pure kindness Uh, well, that was why I did that in the first ce. Because she wouldnt mind such things. Thanks to that, we managed to clear the dungeon at a quicker pace than others. [Hey.] Suddenly From inside the Soul Linker, Caliban called me out with a sigh. [Theres something slightly off about you, you know that?] Excuse me? [Sure, Ive been teasing you about how trash you are and whatnot, buttely it really feels like youre bing even trashier than before.] No, if its about the matter of the aftermath, this is actually the safest [Its not that.] His words stopped me in tracks. Because his current atmosphere waspletely different from the usual one he had whenever he teased me. [Normally, you wouldnt resort to such methods unless its absolutely necessary. The Dowd Campbell I know hates seeing others get hurt, especially in this case where he doesnt even dislike the kid that he hurts. Hed rather sacrifice his own body instead.] [While you might sometimes make irrational decisions in confusion because of the dire situation you were in, you had never willingly sacrificed others.] Come to think of it He was right. If it were the usual me, even when I knew that she couldnt feel pain and was okay with it, I still wouldnt have gone to such extreme measures to aplish my goal. Just like he said, it was as if my psychological resistance to hurting others had significantly decreased. [I think I know what the reason is for that. And Im sure you already know it as well.] His words were followed by a sigh. [Your races change, this is the side effect of it. Am I wrong?] [Your body isnt the only thing it affects, but your mind too, right?] Yes. It was the first symptom shown by humans who began to be encroached by Devils. An extreme decrease in aversion to inflicting violence on others. How do I know, you ask? Ive seen it. In the game, this was the very first symptom shown by Vessels consumed by Malevolence. Gradually losing their aversion tomitting inhumane acts under the pretext of how it was necessary for the people around them. The prime example of that was Eleanor. And Im bing like that? It was certain that I, who had begun to be affected by the Fallens Seal, was not free from this either. Since that was the case Alright. I nodded in sincere agreement to Iliyas words. Ill apologize. Lets do it together. Hehe. I knew you would listen if I said something, Teach. To Iliya, whoughed frivolously as she responded I then added another point. And one more thing. Yes? From now on, we will never do such things again unless the person involved really deserves it. I was required to develop the powers of the Fallens Seal, even if solely due to the Prophet. And being influenced by it, I might choose methods I normally wouldnt. However, I must not do that. Change originally came as subtly as a drizzle soaking ones clothes. If it werent for Caliban and Iliya pointing it out at the same time, I might have thought it natural to use Lana in such a manner, considering it the most efficient approach. In that regard If it ever seems like Im about to do something strange again That was why I spoke as such to Iliya while scratching my cheek awkwardly. Make sure I dont cross that line. Huh? Because when ites to this, youre the most trustworthy person I know. Among everyone I knew If there was someone who was the most human out of them all, the one person that could prevent me from going astray It would be her. Teach. Iliya responded in a low voice. There was a tremor in her eyes, as if deeply moved by what I said. Why is quitting such shitty behavior not an option for you? Have you truly given up on any chance of rehabilitation? Has your way of thinking bepletely different from ordinary people? Maybe because they were siblings Their way of grilling me was getting increasinglyfierce. No, its just Premonition. Like a gut feeling that I would have no choice but to end up doing such things? I guess that was how to put it. [You have no choice?] [A fucker like you, who seduces my little sister as naturally as breathing, has no choice?] Shut up. What do you mean seducing? I aint done nothing to her! Haaa. Whatever, this is the kind of person Im attached to, it cant be helped What did you say? Its nothing, you blockhead. She then bonked my head. Why the hell did you hit me? Still Following that, she spoke with a wide smile. Thank you for trusting me, Teach. I could see from her words I will definitely protect you, Teach. No matter what. That they were felt with an indescribable warmth. It was clear that she was touched by my words. As if those words made her truly, truly happy. [You wanna know something?] What is it now? [You are the definition of human trash.] [Please, just go die.] You just said that you only called me trash as a joke. But why the hell did your voice sound so sincere? !! Butterfly Effect !! [ Favorability Level Check of target Iliya is sessful! ] [ The current states of the Devils Vessels are being verified! ] [ All conditions met! A butterfly effect urs! ] [ As a result of all your actions, the First Branching Point will soon ur! ] [ Sessfully resolving this event will change a part of the Ending! ] Suddenly such a window popped up, making me dazedly blink at it. What the fuck was this? Why this all of a sudden? Did Calibans words jinx it for me? Branching Point? Was it some kind of special event? What the hell was it? Also Ending? I furrowed my brows at the word that appeared out of the blue as I scanned the sentence. Though I was confused as the window sprung up without warning The text heavily implied that a major event was imminent. Eh? And before I could even ponder deeply on it Lanas bewildered voice echoed, it sounded as if she was at a loss for what to do. Following that The stele she had been inspecting began to vibrate wildly. Judging by the threatening ck magic swirling around, it was clear that she mistakenly triggered something. What did you do? There was a button that just begged to be pressed, so I pressed it down~ Ah, that. That was the Boss Summon Button. Why did you press that? Am I not supposed to press that? Also, the button was so stiff, so I did it three or four times. Am I not supposed to do that either? From what I knew, if someone were to press it multiple times [ The challengers provocative will is acknowledged. ] [ The Dungeon Defender of the highest difficulty is summoned. May luck be with you! ] It would significantly increase the difficulty, just like this. Teach. Iliya quietly brushed back her hair. Her expression was filled with surging anger. I think we can postpone the apology forter. I know right.
How fascinating. Eleanor narrowed her eyes at the thing being summoned by the ck mana before her. Having received permission from Lucia to enter the dungeon, she arrived at the deepest part early and was waiting, thus witnessing this scene. Based on her prediction, since Dowds abilities would surely bring him to arrive in first ce, it would be okay if they were to wait for him here. -Uh, what if Mr. Dowd fail to get first ce? -How could that possibly happen? Eleanor resolutely nodded in response. -Well, if that does ur, I will make it so that he gets the first ce regardless. -How would you do that? -That is a secret. But as long as it is something that he wishes for, Ill eveny down my life to help him. -Youre willing to go that far?! Even when hes clearly doing all those wrongdoings!? Considering how willing she was to risk her life to help him with his shitty actions, they were truly a match made in heaven. To think that someone would risk her life to cheat for the man she was smitten with, even though this was arge-scale event on a continental scale. Anyway, Did they seriously imnt a Spirit Entity into this artificial dungeon? Eleanor muttered in disbelief as she observed the something that was taking shape amidst the swirling ck mana. Are Spirit Entities that threatening? Indeed. Well, rather than threatening, it is more like they are impossible to defeat. Existences from dimensions other than the Material Realm were generally considered a step higher inbat power than ordinary Demonic Creatures. But even among these, beings like Spirits, who were Thought Forms, were practically treated like disasters simply by existing. At the very least, they were different in that they were hard to hunt. Firstly, due to their nature as beings from another world, they were not subject to mostws of the Material Realm. So, there was only one way to defeat them. In the Material Realm, one must endure all attacks unleashed by the Spirit Entity, employing either Mana or Divine Power at a high level to prate the Mental World the Spirit inhabited, and then defeat it there. That was why, they might be the most suitable opponents for the Hero Selection in a way, as they allowed aprehensive evaluation ofbat skills, Special Power Masteries, and mental strength all at once. Im not sure if he can properly go against it, though Eleanor murmured as her eyes narrowed. No matter how exceptional Dowds skills may be, the risk associated with a Spirit Entity, given its direct connection to the mind, was considerably high. If it seemed like something bad would happen, she might have to directly intervene to help. Um, isnt Ms. Iliya, the Hero Candidate, supposed to be the one dealing with it in the first ce? That may be, but do you truly think she is stronger than Dowd? There wasnt anything she could say to refute that. As Yuria awkwardly smiled while thinking that, Iliya nodded as if she had expected that response. For now, let us move a bit closer. We need to be able to react immediately if something happens. Y-Yessss As Eleanor stood up, Yuria also rose from where she had been crouching on the ground. Thanks to that, her field of vision opened up. Dowds tense expression as he faced the Spirit Entity was clearly visible. Thats right. Without a doubt He was very, very visible. Yuria? Eleanor let out a puzzled voice upon seeing Yuria, who suddenly became immobile. However, Yurias gaze remained fixed, refusing to move a single inch from a singr spot. On Dowds bare face that was not covered by a mask. Ah. A sigh mixed with admiration, wonder, and delight inadvertently escaped Yurias lips. Following that [Found you.] She uttered as such Along with a heated white breath.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustrtins on our discord discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 165: Substitute Chapter 165: Substitute ? Substitute ? ¡°¡­Iliya has been spacing out all day.¡± After Falco said those words, Trisha, who was sitting across from him while reading a book, silently nodded in agreement. In these past few days, Iliya had been secluding herself in her room, cutting off all contact from the outside world to a severe degree. Considering how she had passed the First Ordeal of the Hero Selection Exam with the highest mark possible, her current attitude was extremely strange. All details of the Selection Exam were ssified information to the public. That was why, if Trisha wasn¡¯t someone who was able to see emotions with her own eyes, she wouldn¡¯t be able to guess that something significant had indeed happened to her friend. ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t say anything though, only letting out a deep sigh.It was a known fact among their group that Iliya, contrary to how she was in public, would at times suffer from severe mood swings. As such, there was usually only one reason for her to act like this. Or at least, that was what Trisha knew. ¡°How is Mr. Dowd doing?¡± ¡°¡­What about him?¡± At Trisha¡¯s question, Falco tilted his head. He clearly didn¡¯t understand her intention, but like the model student he was, he still gave his response properly. ¡°I have heard¡­rumors¡­about him¡­¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± ¡°Well, there are always bad rumors swirling around that guy in school. You know, about how he¡¯s a batshit crazy yboy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sadly, Trisha, too, could not deny such rumors. Even Iliya herself knew that he was such a person, yet she was still blinded by her infatuation toward him. ¡°I guess?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Having said that much, Falco ran his fingers through his hair. There was an ufortable look on his face. ¡°I heard he¡¯s currently being hospitalized in the infirmary.¡± Hearing that information, Trisha managed to connect that as the reason why Iliya had been so listlesstely. After all, she had publicly dered her intention to ¡®protect¡¯ him. Since he was hospitalized, that meant she had failed to protect him from something. As she pondered about this while stroking her chin, Falco quickly added another sentence. ¡°But I heard there are at least fifteen women crowded in front of his door.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There are quite a few people who are happy about this. They said that it¡¯s finally time for the shitty yboy to receive his karma¡ª¡± With that, Trisha managed to deduce a second reason. On top of failing to protect him, Iliya also had to see all her ¡®rivals¡¯ gathering at one spot. Now, the question was, what exactly happened back then? Why did people who wouldn¡¯t normally see eye to eye group up in one ce like that? ¡®¡­Mr. Dowd.¡¯ Trisha turned her head to look at the infirmary, which was currently made off-limits. If she were to take a guess, they probably did it because something significant was going on inside. ¡®What in the world happened?¡¯
¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy silence pervaded the ward. Inside, there were two people lying side by side on their beds. Yuria Greyhounder and Dowd Campbell. ¡°How is their condition?¡± Chancellor Sullivan asked in a stiff voice. The Saintess and Lady Tristan, who were standing next to her, both swallowed dryly, focusing their gazes on Dame Indra. ¡®¡­What kind of guy is he exactly? Look at all these people rushing over here all at once¡­¡¯ Such thought crossed the mind of Dame Indra of the Medical Corps. About fifteen people gathered outside the ward, curious about the man¡¯s condition, but most of them had been turned away by her. She told them that the patient needed space in order to gain some semnce of stability. These three remaining were the ones who were chosen as the representatives of those fifteen. Dame Indra cautiously gathered the mana she had spread around the room. ¡°Both show no abnormalities in their vital signs. Physically, there¡¯s nothing wrong with them.¡± ¡°¡­Then, what about anything other than their physical conditions?¡± Hearing that question, Dame Indra could only shake her head. ¡°If you are asking about his amnesia¡­ I can¡¯t say for sure what caused it, but a ratherplex process involving the ¡®soul¡¯ took ce before that happened, I can confirm that much at least.¡± ¡°Aplex process¡­?¡± ¡°Currently, this man¡¯s body doesn¡¯t possess its ¡®original soul¡¯. Someone has stolen it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Dame Indra¡¯s words, everyone¡¯s gazes sharply turned toward Yuria. Chancellor Sullivan¡¯s eyes especially, were zed with what seemed like hatred. ¡°From your reactions, it seems you have already guessed it. It seems like their souls have been mixed. Both of their souls are now inside this student named Yuria.¡± In other words¡­ It was safe to say that the White Devil was holding onto his soul and refusing to let it go. As if she was saying that she would never give him up to anyone else. ¡°However¡­without a soul¡­normally shouldn¡¯t he be in a vegetative state? How is it that he can move around¡­?¡± Essentially, a soul was like a storage device; It held someone¡¯s memories and personality. Once it left the body, the body would turn into nothing more than flesh and bones, at least theoretically that was what should happen. But, in Dowd¡¯s case, he could move around just fine despite suffering from amnesia. How was it possible? ¡°Uh¡­that¡­at the end of the ordeal, a Spirit Entity appeared, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, it did, but¡­what does it have to do with this situation?¡± ¡°That Spirit Entity has turned into a ¡®substitute¡¯ for his soul.¡± Everyone in the room blinked dazedly after hearing this revtion. ¡°A substitute?¡± ¡°The body is a vessel for the soul, and even without it, its ¡®nature¡¯ still remains. I¡¯m not sure what kind of trick he used in that brief moment, but he turned the Spirit Entity into an ¡®artificial¡¯ soul. So that his body could function without his own soul.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell over everyone in the room. Just by hearing it was enough for them to quickly tell that this feat was akin to a miracle. However, what they couldn¡¯t understand was how exactly did he manage to make such a decision, execute it and ultimately seed in such a short span of time. ¡°¡­An outstanding talent indeed.¡± As Chancellor Sullivan murmured this, Dame Indra added more remarks. ¡°Of course, this is only a temporary measure. If we cannot return the soul inside this student, Yuria, to its original body, the body itself will eventually perish.¡± At the same time as such words trickled out¡­ A heavy tension began to fill both the inside and outside of the room¡ª ¡®¡­Huh? Outside¡­?¡¯ Eleanor looked towards the door with an incredulous expression. Because that revtion suggested that those who were outside were clearly eavesdropping on this conversation, as if it was only right for them to. At any rate¡­ ¡°¡­Is there a way to do that, Dame Indra?¡± Eleanor asked in a gloomy voice, in which Dame Indra sighed before responding. ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s no immediate solution to this. There might be special effects or influences while the Spirit Entity substitutes for his soul, so the best we can do is just treat him as naturally as possible.¡± ¡°What kind of effects, if I may ask¡­?¡± ¡°There might be some changes in his personality or behavior. Changes that go beyond just losing his memories.¡± ¡°Changes?¡± ¡°Since it is an artificial soul, he retains the ¡®knowledge¡¯ that he has umted, but has lost all the ¡®experience. That¡¯s why he will have a much lower resistance to a lot of things¡­¡± ¡°¡­What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°It is simple, Chancellor.¡± Dame Indra ran her hand through her hair as she continued. ¡°There is a high chance he will be much more¡­¡¯na?ve¡¯pared to before.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If someone tries to deceive him, he is very likely to fall for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A silence so heavy that they could probably hear a pin drop clearly enveloped the inside and the outside of the room. Without a doubt¡­ This silence was calm before the storm.
[¡­Hmmmm¡­] Caliban Krisanax let out a deep hum. It sounded as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. After the punk regained consciousness in the afternoon, Caliban had just managed to engage with him in a conversation. [¡­What did you just say?] Dowd Campbell cocked his head. His eyes were wide open innocently, as if he couldn¡¯t fathom what was wrong with what he had just said. ¡°¡­I said, I dislike people who act like yboys.¡± [¡­] ¡°Someone who¡¯d flirt from one woman to another is out of their mind, no exception.¡± [¡­] ¡°And I don¡¯t really know why you¡¯re bringing up this topic all of a sudden¡­¡± [¡­Uh, right. You¡¯re correct. Sorry.] Caliban responded, clearly taken aback by Dowd¡¯s genuinely puzzled demeanor. ¡®¡­Who is this fucker?¡¯ ¡®Losing your memory doesn¡¯t mean your nature would just change, does it?¡¯ ¡®This isn¡¯t the same fucker who boldly stated how he would live with several different women right in front of the women in question at all!¡¯ ¡°Um¡­ By the way, may I ask you something?¡± [What?] ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, it seems we were fairly close before I lost my memory. So, I was wondering¡­ What kind of person was I?¡± [¡­] ¡°Since so many people came to visit me, I assume that I am a decent person at least¡­is that correct?¡± [¡­Uh, about that¡­] ¡°It was mostly women who visited me, which was strange, but they should be all my friends, right? That means I made a lot of good friends all through my school days!¡± Caliban was a Guardian. Which meant he was inherently righteous and kind-hearted. To tell this pure, sinless soul who possessed such innocent eyes the truth about his past was something he couldn¡¯t bring himself to do. [¡­I mean, well. Yeah. Uhuh. Right¡­] ¡°So it really was like that, right?¡± As Dowd grinned and said such words, Caliban found himself unable to respond further. He was feeling twice as embarrassed. Unlike usual, the sincerity that practically dripped from Dowd¡¯s voice was overwhelming. As he swallowed these feelings, someone knocked on Dowd¡¯s infirmary door. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s time for the nurse toe, though?¡± Dowd tilted his head in confusion as he got up from the bed. It waste in the evening, visitors shouldn¡¯t even be allowed in, so who could it be? As he opened the door with such thoughts, someone Dowd recognized stood there. ¡°Ah, uh¡­ Ms. Iliya¡­?¡± Mixed emotions of delight and surprise colored Dowd¡¯s voice. He remembered this person as the one who had carried him in a rush to the Medical Corps after he had copsed. But why had shee in such a time instead of regr visiting hours? Right as these thoughts crossed his mind¡­ Iliya, with a strangely flushed face, grabbed Dowd¡¯s shoulder firmly. ¡°¡­What a relief. I got here before anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­Ms. Iliya?¡± When he observed her closely, her breath seemed oddly sweet. ¡°¡­Do you have a fever? I¡¯ll call Dame Indra, so please wait a moment.¡± [¡­] ¡®Nah, hold up. I think she¡¯s gone crazy at the thought of doing, well¡­ something. Her eyes look like she¡¯s lost her mind¡­¡¯ During the time Caliban hesitated, unable to get himself to voice his thoughts, Iliya took a deep breath and spoke up. ¡°Teach, please listen carefully.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m listening carefully.¡± At this polite and obedient response, Iliya clenched her chest and gasped with a Keup. ¡®What the hell? Why is he so cute?¡¯ She had heard from Dame Indra that he might behave like this¡­ But such an¡­¡®innocent¡¯ Dowd held a destructive power beyond what she had expected. ¡°¡­¡± Of course¡­ Seeing as he was like that, she was aware that what she was about to do couldn¡¯t be considered something that was morally right. But she couldn¡¯t afford to let other women get ahead of her. This was the least she could do to protect him from those terrifying women. ¡°Other girls are going to say all sorts of nonsense in the future. Don¡¯t listen to them. Just listen to me. Do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Before anything, there¡¯s one thing you need to know, Teach.¡± Iliya took a deep breath. ¡°You and I are actually engaged.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd¡¯s face turned slightly pale.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 166: Everyone Be Lying Every Time They Open Their Mouths Chapter 166: Everyone Be Lying Every Time They Open Their Mouths ? Everyone Be Lying Every Time They Open Their Mouths ? Since Dowd didn¡¯t even know how to respond to Iliya¡¯s words, he just gave her a nk stare. Iliya didn¡¯t even wait for his response before immediately firing off her next words though. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯re my fianc¨¦, Teach! Everything will be okay as long as you listen to me!¡± ¡°¡­Um, excuse me¡­uh¡­Ms. Iliya¡ª¡± Before Dowd could finish his reply, Iliya cut him off sharply. ¡°T-That¡¯s why, g-get some more rest! I¡¯ll see you at the next ordeal!¡± Just like before, her words came out rapidly. It was almost as if she heard his response, she wouldn¡¯t be able to control herself from doing¡­unspeakable things¡­ With her face flushed red, she dashed out of the room as quickly as she spouted out her previous words. Leaving Dowd, who was watching her leave, slumped onto his bed dazedly. ¡°Excuse me, Caliban.¡± [Hm?] Caliban barely managed to respond, as he desperately suppressing the nausea he felt. ¡®I can¡¯t believe this¡­¡¯ ¡®To think that I¡¯d directly witness my own sister falling to such depths¡­¡¯ ¡®Is this karma for all the times I made fun of this guy¡­?¡¯ ¡°¡­MHow can this be possible? My goodness!¡± [Mm.] Caliban could understand his shock. If he were to be confronted by a woman he had never seen before, then she imed to be his fianc¨¦ while making absurd demand like he could only survive by listening to her alone, even he would be dumbfounded by¡ª ¡°How could I forget my own fianc¨¦? Was I out of my mind?¡± [¡­] Caliban barely held onto his fading consciousness. ¡®That¡¯s¡­not it¡­¡¯ ¡®Seriously, that¡¯s not fucking it!¡¯ ¡®Yes, you are out of your mind, I agree with that!¡¯ ¡®But that isn¡¯t the point! It was so obvious that Iliya was trying to force her way to create a rtionship with you!¡¯ ¡®Also, you were literally the one who said that you wouldn¡¯t get into a serious rtionship with anyone until the matters with the Prophet and the Devils are resolved!¡¯ [¡­I dunno.] ¡°But, didn¡¯t you say you knew me before I lost my memories? Did you really not know anything about me having a¡ª¡± [If I said I don¡¯t know, then I don¡¯t know, you fucker.] ¡°¡­¡± He dislikedshing out at someone who was asking a genuine question, but this was unavoidable for him. ¡®Fianc¨¦, my ass¡­!¡¯ Caliban internally screamed, grabbing at the back of his imaginary, nonexistent neck. ¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯d admit out loud that my sister was so blinded by greed that she resorted to deceit¡ª!¡¯ [¡­But, I do have a piece of advice for you.] ¡°Yes?¡± [You might want to¡­double check at whatever words a woman told you. Just to see if it¡¯s genuine or not¡­] Throwing out this hint was the least thing his conscience could manage. After hearing it, a frown actually formed on Dowd¡¯s forehead as he turned to stare at the Soul Linker. ¡°Are you telling me that there are people who¡¯d lie about such things?¡± [¡­] ¡®Yes, there are.¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s one particr fucker who did this shit to almost a dozen women at once.¡¯ ¡°Surely you jest. People who purposely y with others¡¯ hearts deserve nothing but divine punishment. There¡¯s no way someone like that actually exists!¡± [¡­] ¡°And you¡¯re telling me to suspect Miss Iliya and others of such a sin? There¡¯s no way! They are such good people!¡± [¡­] ¡°If anything, I feel guilty for not properly remembering my rtionship with those wonderful people!¡± ¡®Every statement he made was correct.¡¯ ¡®All of them, without exception¡­but¡ª!¡¯ ¡®¡­Ugh, this is so fucked¡­¡¯ Caliban cursed in his mind. But¡­ It wasn¡¯t like he could tell him that everyone around him, including Dowd himself, was a bunch of fucking lunatics. He thought so as he slightly shifted his gaze. At the end of his gaze was Yuria, lying as if dead next to Dowd. Right now, the White Devil inside her body must be doing everything she can to cling onto Dowd¡¯s soul and refused to let him go. [¡­] Caliban didn¡¯t even bother to entertain the thought that the bastard would die. After all, that guy was someone who had been swept up in much worse crises than this. Even through those crises, he managed to survive and this time, it wouldn¡¯t be no different. That was why, instead of being concerned toward him, what Caliban wanted to was¡­ ¡®Please! I¡¯m begging you! Please,e back quickly¡­!¡¯ Begging for him toe back. This kind of moment made him realize how much he appreciated Dowd¡¯s presence. To not witness those Devil¡¯s Vessels sumb to the depths of unsightliness was the most earnest wish he had at the moment.
Officially, the Hero Selection was still ongoing, but in reality, they were halting everything temporarily. Publicly speaking, they stated that they needed time to prepare for the Second Ordeal in the Forge of Struggle, but anyone with an adequate informationwork knew that this wasn¡¯t the case. The real reason why this happened was because the leaders of the Three Superpowers agreed to put them on hold for a few days. Because all of their attention was focused on a certain man. Indeed, all of the leaders; The Empress and the Chancellor of the Empire, the Chieftain of the Alliance Tribe, and even the Pope of the Holy Land himself. ¡°¡­There doesn¡¯t seem to be any immediate issues with your body.¡± As she was having suchplicated thoughts, Lucia removed the hand that she ced on top of Dowd¡¯s body. She had been examining his body, looking for any abnormalities inside with the Divine Power that she injected into her hand. Now that his soul was reced by a Spirit Entity, it became pretty much her role to check for any irregrities inside his soul and body. This didn¡¯t discredit Dame Indra of the Elfante Medical Corps, since she was also reliable in this regard, it was just that even she couldn¡¯t match a professional cleric¡¯s level of precision. ¡°¡­¡± To put it in a less optimistic way. Even a cleric of the Saintess¡¯ caliber couldn¡¯t do anything except for performing a simple check on him. Until now, no one hade up with a ¡®measure¡¯ to restore his original personality. Lady Tristan was still burying herself in the library, while Chancellor Sullivan was holing herself up in a meeting room inside the Imperial Pce, both were trying to look for a way to cure him with their own methods. Lucia herself was pretty much in the same situation as them, without a way to help this man. ¡®¡­What a sinful situation this is¡­¡¯ Lucia nced at Yuria, who was lying on the adjacent bed, with deep, sunken eyes. She did not wish to me her own sister. But, it was an undeniable fact that this man had suffered greatly twice because of her and her sister. ¡®My sister and I¡­¡¯ ¡®Might have to spend our whole lives to atone to him¡­¡¯ As she was lost in such thoughts, Dowd politely bowed his head and spoke to her. ¡°As always, thank you, Saintess.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing him bowing reverently before her made her let out a bitter expression. Usually, he¡¯d shamelesslye forward to request various things from her, telling her that he needed it for this and that, but now he treated her like a ¡®Saintess¡¯, and she found this treatment extremely awkward to receive. ¡°¡­No, my younger sister is also involved in this, so it¡¯s only natural that¡ª¡± Lucia abruptly stopped her words. Because she noticed Dowd¡¯s visibly ripped muscles as he put his clothes back on. ¡®His body looks better than before¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve heard whispers among the female student recently, they¡¯ve been saying that it might be worth keeping an eye on him just because of his appearance¡ª¡¯ ¡®W-Wait! S-Such discourtesy¡ª!¡¯ As such thoughts came to her mind, she covered her face with both hands, prompting Dowd to close his eyes and quietly bowed his head again. ¡°I apologize. I showed you such an discourteous sight.¡± ¡°¡­W-Why are you apologizing?¡± ¡°Though someone of your exalted stature might not think anything of it, Saintess, I still want to show you proper respects¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Does he even know what he¡¯s saying?!¡¯ ¡®Saying words that could poke at my heart so nonchntly like that¡ª!¡¯ ¡°By the way, does this mean I can engage in somewhat vigorous activities without worrying about my body?¡± ¡°That may be the case, but¡­why do you ask? Is there someone who¡¯s trying to make you do such a thing?¡± Lucia asked in a chilly voice. ¡®If someone dares to exploit him for their own goal¡­I won¡¯t stand for it¡­¡¯ ¡®Above anything else, he needs to rest and to be protected! If there¡¯s anyone who¡¯s brazen and tactless enough to push their own agenda on¡ª¡¯ ¡°N-No. It¡¯s not like that.¡± Upon seeing her reaction, Dowd said those words with a bitter smile. ¡°I heard that I was participating in the Hero Selection with Ms. Iliya.¡± He said, as if it was natural for him to assist Iliya. ¡°Since this is something I¡¯ve agreed to do with her, I have toplete it, right?¡± Following that, a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Because she¡¯s someone precious to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucia clenched her fists. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. Just that one sentence made her blood run cold. She didn¡¯t exactly understand why she felt this way. More than anyone, she was aware that she was in no position toin about how this man¡¯s kindness was directed toward another woman. But still¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Her heart¡­was hurting¡­ She didn¡¯t even know the reason, she just knew that her heart was hurting so much. Just being aware that this man treasured another woman brought forth such a sensation. She barely managed to open her tightly-clenched mouth and spoke. ¡°¡­It might be dangerous, Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°Even so, this is something I have to do, no?: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®He lost his memory, that¡¯s for sure¡­¡¯ ¡®But, why¡­? How¡­?¡¯ ¡°¡­Why would you go to such lengths?¡± Lucia found herself asking this question before she could even realize it. While yes, she had harmed him a lot to the point that she felt guilty about it all the time, why was it when he lost all his memory, others still received his unconditional kindness, but that wasn¡¯t the case with her¡­? What exactly was the difference between them? ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Just like before, his reply flowed out naturally. ¡°Because Ms. Iliya is my fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing that outrageous response, Lucia was dumbstruck, as if someone whacked the back of her head with a hammer. ¡®¡­What a sick joke¡­!¡¯ ¡®Fianc¨¦?! What fianc¨¦?! Fianc¨¦, my foot¡­!¡¯ Lucia gaped in shock as these thoughts raced through her mind. ¡®That¡¯s a tant lie! She just tricked him like that, really?!¡¯ ¡®How dare she, deceiving someone who had lost his memory to fulfill her own desires¡ª!¡¯ ¡®¡­Fine, if that¡¯s how you want to y it¡­!¡¯ ¡®Then, I won¡¯t hold back either!¡¯ ¡°If that is the case, I do have a valid reason to stop you!¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Dowd tilted his head, unsure of what she actually meant by that. ¡°B-Before you lost your memory, I-I was¡ª y-your¡­!¡± She tried to continue¡­ But soon found herself at a loss for words. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Huh¡­?¡¯ ¡®What was I to him again¡­?¡¯ ¡®I wasn¡¯t his lover¡­not his girlfriend either¡­ Acquaintances? No, that¡¯s too ambiguous, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ ¡®It feels like I¡¯m just a tool that he used whenever he needed something, but it isn¡¯t like I can say that out loud¡ª!¡¯ ¡°¡­Saintess?¡± Seeing Dowd calling out to her with a puzzled look, a sense of urgency filled Lucia¡¯s face. ¡®I need to say something! Anything!¡¯ ¡°¡­Uh, I do not know what this is about, but you don¡¯t have to force yourself to say anything.¡± Dowd spoke with a wry smile on his face. ¡°I mean, how could someone of your stature have any significant rtionship with someone like me, Saintess? You are one of the most revered people on the entire continent, after all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I just hope that I haven¡¯t inadvertently troubled you or made some mistake in the past, Saintess.¡± Her statement was warm and kind. Even so, one thing came to Lucia¡¯s mind. ¡®Such an ironic thing to say¡­¡¯ It was his kindness that reminded her of the most audacious thing he had ever done to her. ¡°¡­¡± Her body trembled at the sacrilegious, irreverent, sphemous, shameful, and embarrassing thought; Something the usual Lucia would never even dare to contemte. But in this situation¡­ If she didn¡¯t act right now, she would lose. Considering that someone else had already stolen the lead, she didn¡¯t have the leniency to be picky. That was why¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Lucia took a deep breath and pulled something out of her pocket. An object she always carried with her, because she didn¡¯t know when she might be summoned by this man. A cor. One that looked so simr to a dog¡¯s cor. ¡°¡­Saintess?¡± Though Dowd spoke in bewilderment when she suddenly produced such a strange item¡­ She closed her eyes tightly and ced it around her neck. Just thinking about saying the words that came to her mind with her own mouth made her whole body want to convulse. However, it had to be done. Only then could she prevent this man from being entangled in the machinations and tricks of other women. ¡°¡­I-I was¡­¡± Lucia, with her eyes still tightly shut, extended the handle of the cor she had ced around her neck towards Dowd. ¡°Y-Your pet¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Y-You made m-me into t-this, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You, have, to take, r-responsibility, for¡ª! Thespecialrtionshipthatwehave-!¡± Upon hearing herst sentence, pouring out without taking a single pause¡­ Dowd¡¯s face turned utterly pale.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 164: Branching Point (2) ? Branching Point (2) ? ¡°¡­Teach?¡± Iliya¡¯s puzzled voice came from beside me. That was probably her reaction after seeing me suddenly froze in ce when an enemy as formidable as the Spirit Entity appeared before us. System Message [ The aura of the ¡®White Devil¡¯ is detected! ] [ ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ reacts! ] !!! Alert !!! [ Emergency Event has urred! ] [ Target ¡®White Devil¡¯ is involved! ] [ Upon failure, you will lose your ¡®soul¡¯! ] I knew this would happen, I felt it deep in my bones these days. Of course such dangerous situations woulde at the worst possible situation. That was why¡­ I managed to instinctively realize that this was the crisis of a fucking lifetime the moment that window popped up, even though I hadn¡¯t fully ¡®register¡¯ what exactly had happened yet.¡¯ A chill ran down my spine as my consciousness sank heavily, as if shutting down involuntarily. ¡°¡­¡± Though the warning windows weren¡¯t filled with exmation marks that always popped up whenever I got into a real danger, the fact that the White Devil¡¯s Aura was present while I was ¡®not wearing a mask¡¯ was a death sentence in itself. Because the White Devil was different from others. Normally, if a Vessel were to go berserk, that meant they lost their reason to a Devil¡¯s Malevolence, going batshit insane without a clear goal. In the White Devil¡¯s case, however, she moved with a certain purpose. I probably have mentioned this a few times already. Compared to how a normal person felt or acted, Devils¡¯ affections were often twisted in utterly iprehensible ways. To put it simply, it was fucked up. So, imagine there were those crazy bitches who¡¯d find happiness from just being together with someone they liked. Even more so if they were to lock that person up and ¡®breed¡¯ them. Yeah, this punk was the prime example of that kind of crazy bitch. In other words¡­ If I did not do something right here and now¡­ I would die. Well, I wouldn¡¯t actually die, but like, my ¡®life¡¯ as I knew it would end. I might be breathing, but I¡¯d be deprived of most values and rights that I should be able to enjoy as a human. ¡®Remaining time, 20 seconds.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know from where, how, or in what form she would approach me. But judging from my past experiences that were now engraved in my very soul, the grace period given when the White Devil saw one¡¯s ¡®face¡¯ in Sera was about that long. ¡®¡­Stay calm.¡¯ Everyone, and I mean everyone, had the ability to learn. After going through the same exact thing numerous times, anyone could develop an optimized routine of action. I knew all too well that panicking in such times was utterly useless. Putting aside the sense of crisis, I started checking the surroundings with a calm mind. ¡°¡­Teach?¡± Noticing my unusually grave expression, Iliya voiced her concern with a slightly anxious tone. ¡°¡­¡± Normally, she¡¯d be the only one I could count to get me out of this shitfest. But, Desperation, and by extension, her stat buff, would only be triggered if I were in danger of ¡®dying¡¯. Against a special case like the White Devil, it was highly unlikely for her to be of much help. If she had the Holy Sword, she might be able to do something, but she hasn¡¯t had it yet. ¡°¡­Teach? What¡¯s wrong¡­?¡± As I had only been standing in a daze, she asked me another question. Seeing such an appearance of her made me grind my teeth in frustration. Originally, she would have proceeded with the Main Quest on her own, even if I wasn¡¯t by her side. But now, the flow of events in this worldview had long been altered to revolve around me. Also, like the system window previously mentioned, this was a butterfly effect. And if I disappeared from that flow¡­ The world would end. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for some Devil to go berserk somewhere, somehow, and swallow the world in its entirety. ¡®¡­Remaining time, 10 seconds.¡¯ I clenched my teeth and looked around. If this situation continued, I would be fucked. There must be a way¡­! ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit strange for me to say this!¡± As I desperately racked my brain, elerating it to unseen heights, Lana¡¯s voice pierced my ears as she drew her twin swords. ¡°But, it isn¡¯t time to be spacing out like that! A Spirit Entity is right in front of you!¡± At that moment¡­ As soon as I heard that shout¡­ My gaze locked onto the Spirit Entity right before my eyes. A Thought Form emitting ck mana fluttered threateningly around. Back in the game, it would immediately start a fight and try to consume ¡®mental energy¡¯ through the process. However, it seemed to have noticed that everyone here was far from ordinary, that was why it was so hesitant to make a move first. Even the weakest among us, me, boasted quite a solid mental defense thanks to the Devil Conquest Stats I ripped off from Yuria. In the perspective of a Thought Form, I was quite the prob¡ª ¡®Thought Form.¡¯ That word echoed in my head. I tried to recall the game¡¯s setting in my mind. Thought Form was an existence from another world with its own ¡®Mental World¡¯. Right as I was remembering such a setting¡­ An idea struck me. ¡°¡­¡± There was a way. Just one. It was aplete gamble, but it was still much better than the certain death I was about to face. ¡°Teach? Why are you acting like¡ª¡± ¡°Hey.¡± I cut Iliya, who was voicing her unease, off with a sigh. ¡°Promise me one thing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I let out a bitter smile to her as she responded to me with a trembling voice. ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll do well on your own.¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± I meant what I said. The method I was going to use was the only way I could survive against the White Devil. But, if I did so, she had to carry out a significant portion of this ¡®Main Quest¡¯ all by herself. In other words¡­ ¡®Until I returned¡¯, she would have to y the role of the protagonist without me. ¡°¡­I¡¯m counting on you, Iliya.¡± Under normal circumstances, I would never do this. But now, I had no choice. With that, I activated Soul Linker. However, it wasn¡¯t Caliban I was calling this time. [¡­Dowd?] To the Boy King, who awakened with a puzzled voice, I responded with a bitter smile. ¡®Valkasus. I have a favor to ask.¡¯ Just as it always was when I summoned this person, I had to ask him to help me use Forbidden Sorcery. [ Skill Info ] Forbidden Sorcery: Seal Grade: 5 Tattoos Description: Restricts the opponent¡¯s skill usage for a certain period of time. Duration is 0.3 seconds. However¡­ [¡­Are you serious? You want me to use it like that?] When the Boy King responded incredulously to my ¡®request¡¯, I nodded in affirmation. ¡®You must. Otherwise, I¡¯ll die.¡¯ [¡­I trust you have a good reason to ask me to do this!] Fortunately, he quickly agreed to my request without any further questions. I tried to keep track of the time. To make this n seed, I had to time it perfectly; To exactly match the timing when the ¡®White Devil¡¯ was about to pounce at me. I watched the second hand very, very carefully. Time remaining until she took away my soul¡­ 3, 2, 1. ¡®Valkasus, now!¡¯ As I shouted this in my mind, I dashed in front of Iliya and Lana, as they were brandishing their weapons. Along with that, the Arrays of the Forbidden Sorcery inscribed on my body shone. ¡°M-Mr. Dowd?! What are you doing?!¡± ¡°Teach?!¡± As their shocked voices simultaneously echoed behind me¡­ ¡®All the power¡¯ I could wield disappeared. After all, I designated myself as the target of the Forbidden Sorcery. So that the Spirit Entity in front of me would look at me and attack me. -! Predictably, it really charged at me with a terrifying momentum. And in that exact moment¡­ ¡®Something¡¯ surged right before my eyes. It didn¡¯t feel like she had ¡®moved¡¯ at all. As if the process of the action had been skipped, leaving only the start and the end. ¡°¡­¡± My blood ran cold. Just looking at her made me feel like I would go blind. Externally, it was Yuria. The same punk who was always timid and hesitant, yet capable of brutally slicing anything that came near. However¡­ She was covered in pure white color. A chilling and blinding white color that permeated all over her body. ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Then, her mouth opened as she let out an excited moan. As if she was cherishing something, finding something utterly precious, she slowly reached out her hand toward my face. ¡°¡­Found you¡­¡± And, at the same time the Spirit Energy charged at me with the same terrifying momentum as before, thus making contact with my body¡­ Yuria¡¯s slowly extended fingertips also touched my face. ¡°Together, forever.¡± Along with those words¡­ A rising ¡®white haze¡¯ engulfed me. As soon as Yuria ced her hand over Dowd¡¯s face, both their bodies copsed. As if their consciousnesses were severed at the same moment. And at the same time¡­ ¡ª!!! Utter chaos erupted in the surroundings. People who were ¡®hiding¡¯ in all directions suddenly emerged at once, creating a ratherical scene. ¡°¡­That crazy fucker¡ª!¡± The first to react was Talker, who had been quietly observing the situation. And when he shot up in horror, Seras and Chancellor Sullivan, who were with him, also revealed themselves in a simr manner. The original n was for them to somehow ¡®thwart¡¯ the White Devil from consuming his ¡®soul¡¯ while she was in the middle of doing so. As Dowd had shown how tenacious he could be time and time again, they were confident that he wouldn¡¯t be immediately devoured by the White Devil. At least not until they managed to use the appropriate ¡®measures¡¯. However, that lunatic willingly erased all his abilities with his own hands! ¡°¡­Dowd!¡± Following them, Eleanor rushed down from upstairs. ¡°Damn it, what were you thinking to do such a thing-!¡± Not only that, Riru also popped up from the ground, having hidden who knows where. As Iliya looked around with a dazed expression, unable to grasp what exactly was happening, Lana looked around with an incredulous expression before speaking. ¡°¡­Were there this many people hiding in such a cramped space?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A moment of awkward silence followed as they looked at each other. Although none of them could fathom why all these people were gathered here at the same time, what was certain was that they had alle with a singr purpose in mind. For the well-being of Dowd Campbell. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll talk about thatter! Take care of this man, quick!¡± When Eleanor, who was the first to grasp the situation, spoke up, Sullivan quickly regained herposure and urgently added. ¡°It¡¯s one of the Devil¡¯s Authorities, ¡®Kin¡¯s Designation¡¯. If we do not act quickly, he might never regain his consciousness¡ª!¡± However, as if to render such an urgent exnation utterly futile¡­ Dowd opened his eyes immediately after. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unbing of her, Sullivan seemed extremely taken aback as she closed her mouth. ¡°H-How can this be¡­?¡± ¡°¡­The renowned name of the Iron-Blooded Chancellor seems to be in utter shambles. What an incredibly foolish appearance.¡± ¡°¡­Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Is there any part that feels strange?¡± To that, Dowd blinked nkly. He looked at Eleanor, who had approached him, and then scanned the people bustling around him. They all waited anxiously for his response. ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything like that, but¡­ Before anything¡­¡± Dowd spoke in a dazed voice. ¡°¡­Where am I?¡± A look of relief shed across Eleanor¡¯s face. She thought something had gone wrong, but given that he was able to speak properly, it seemed like there was no major issue with him. ¡°This is the deepest part of the dungeon where the First Ordeal of the Hero Selection Exam is taking ce. There was a slight ident¡ª¡± ¡°Hero Selection Exam? Dungeon? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor closed her mouth. Now, a creeping sense of uneasiness began to run down her spine. She wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this way. Everyone around her also began to distort their expression bizarrely. ¡°¡­Uh, that, Dowd¡­¡± Eleanor struggled to formte another question¡­ But before she could finish, a different response came. ¡°¡­Dowd? Is that my name?¡± Eleanor¡¯s jaw dropped. While the others also expressed their shock in various ways¡­ ¡°No, wait. In the first ce¡­¡± Another statement followed. ¡°Who are you people?¡± The look in his eyes¡­ Was truly as if he had seen them ¡®for the first time in his life¡¯. Chapter 167: Compromise Chapter 167: Compromise ? Compromise ? ¡°¡­Caliban.¡± Dowd spoke in a trembling voice as he wiped his face. On his other hand, which trembled precariously as if he was suffering from Parkinson¡¯s, hung a leash that the Saintess had just entrusted to him. In his head, the sentence he had just heard was being yed back. -S-Sometimes, p-please fasten this and t-take me on a w-walk! -¡­ -I-I mean, engaging in s-such activities regrly i-is crucial for your health! P-Please stay healthy! D-Don¡¯t get hurt unnecessarily! G-Goodbye! He remembered how she said those words with a great deal of embarrassment. Having finished such a recollection, a voice, deep with self-loathing, came out of his mouth as he asked, ¡°¡­What in the world was I doing before I lost my memory?¡± [¡­] ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ ¡®If I were to tell him right now, he¡¯d definitely consider killing himself, so I should just exercise my right to remain silent.¡¯ [¡­A lot of things¡­] ¡°To summarize what I¡¯ve just heard¡­¡± He said, covering his face with his hands. ¡°I am engaged to a genius Hero Candidate, who¡¯s admired by people across the continent. But not only that, I also went around dragging the Saintess, the one all the believers of the Holy Land¡¯s faith is looking up to, by the leash?¡± [¡­] ¡°¡­And we must have done that quite a few times for her to refer to herself as being my pet or whatnot.¡± [¡­] ¡®Actually, after hearing all that¡­yeah¡­that¡¯s quite something¡­¡¯ ¡®One of them lied to him, but that¡¯s just the case of him reaping what he sows, pretty much.¡¯ ¡®Now I realized the level of the incidents this punk has been causing all this time¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t this count as adultery?¡± [I¡¯ve told you before, you shouldn¡¯t just believe all the words that the women around you said.] Dowd¡¯s question, almost akin to a groan, was met with a sigh and response from Caliban. Of course Saintess was telling pretty much the truth, but their rtionship wasn¡¯t close enough to the point that she¡¯d normally go out of her way to ask him to take her on a ¡®walk¡¯. If anything, it was more like she was trying to take advantage of his amnesia to carry out some kind of scheme. ¡®¡­Wait.¡¯ Caliban suddenly had a chilling thought, sending shivers down his spine. ¡®It had only been two days since this guy lost his memory, but two women had rushed in, trying to cook him in their own way.¡¯ ¡®And those two are actually less obsessed with himpared to the others¡­¡¯ ¡®Given the number and the line-up of all the women around him, this is likely to be just the beginning¡­!¡¯ ¡®¡­We already have a fianc¨¦ and a pet as the beginning, what wille up next?¡¯ While Caliban was shuddering at the thought, Dowd suddenly stood up from his seat. His face suggested that he had made some kind of firm resolve. ¡°Mr. Caliban.¡± [Yeah?] ¡°I think I need to check for myself.¡± [Check for what?] ¡°Whether there are others that I¡¯m having a rtionship with even though I have a fianc¨¦ already.¡± [¡­] ¡°Surely I can¡¯t be that unhinged. Given that I¡¯ve already done such a thing to the Saintess, there¡¯s no way that there are others like her, but¡­¡± [¡­Why don¡¯t you think about it first?] Caliban definitely couldn¡¯t encourage him to do that. Because what he had encountered was nothing more than the tip of the iceberg. The two people he had met were the most naive and innocuous out of them all. If he were to meet the other ones, who knew what would happen to him. Thinking as such, Caliban was about to object. But soon after, he closed his mouth again. As for why he did that¡­ ¡®¡­Well, it¡¯s his karma.¡¯ Chances were, even if he didn¡¯t look for them, they woulde to him on their own. Since he was going to find out sooner orter, what even was the point in stopping him? [No, forget it. Who are you going to meet first?] ¡°¡­Who? What do you mean who? Your question is strange.¡± [Huh?] ¡°I was nning to gather them all together and ask if I¡¯veid hands on anyone el-¡± [¡­Hey, hey, hey. Hold on.] ¡®Yes, it¡¯s something that¡¯s bound to happen eventually¡­¡¯ ¡®But that¡¯s just suicide! There¡¯s no way I can let him throw himself into the fire like that!¡¯
In this world, there were people who just weren¡¯t meant to get along with each other no matter what. The prime example of that were those sitting together here. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor and Chancellor Sullivan looked at each other. If they could manifest their gazes into something, sparks would have already flown from them. The sheer hostility mixed within their gazes was something else. ¡°¡­I see you have managed to graciously ept the invitation, Lady Tristan.¡± Chancellor Sullivan began with a cold voice. ¡°If you had tried to resist, I would have sent someone to forcibly drag you here.¡± ¡°The Tristan Duchy knows the meaning of courtesy, duty and procedure, Chancellor.¡± Eleanor responded with a voice filled with ridicule. ¡°Well, I can assume that those concepts are unfamiliar to someone who is ustomed to killing those who opposed her and trying to make herself seem bigger.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although she didn¡¯t specify who it was that she was talking about, it was already clear from the sentence itself. Thanks to that, the attendants and servants nearby all wore expressions as if they wished to die. Being close to two of the most noble women in the Empire growling at each other, as if ready to devour one another, would undoubtedly make anyone¡¯s blood run cold. Although they had heard that the rtionship between the Tristan Duchy and the Chancellor was not good, seeing them exchanging venomous words in private would make that fact even more tangible. ¡°¡­Since we are not in a position nor a rtionship to exchange idle gossip with each other, let us get straight to the point.¡± And, to put that in different terms¡­ ¡°It is about Viscount Campbell, Lady Tristan. You must have suspected already, that¡¯s why you walked into my office without any hesitation.¡± It was a shocking fact in many ways. That there existed a man who could, even if only for a moment, make these two cooperate. ¡°¡­We both must have reached the same conclusion. After all, you are not someone who is not capable of rational thought. Nor are you someone whocks the intelligence to make such a deduction, Lady Tristan.¡± When Sullivan spoke as such in a calm voice, Eleanor nodded expressionlessly. ¡°¡­After scouring through all the literature, I have learned that the ¡®victims¡¯ of the White Devil are trapped in an Image World created by that being. And external interference is utterly meaningless.¡± As such, even the elite forces in Elfante were struggling in vain, unable to even involve themselves in such a matter. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eleanor and Sullivan looked at each other silently. Both of them were probably thinking about the same thing. If a being at the level of a Devil truly started to exert their power, the only things that could counter them were celestial beings at the level of Seraphims or¡­ Another Devil. ¡°¡­It is sad to say, but¡­¡± Sullivan continued with a sharp voice. ¡°Right now, there is nothing ¡®I alone¡¯ can do to save that man, I¡­¡± Her voice trailed off momentarily. Then, she slowly closed their eyes. Her expression made it seem like she was being overwhelmed by memories, reminiscing about ¡®someone¡¯ from a long time ago. Drowning in nostalgia, such was the atmosphere she exuded. ¡°¡­have a bit of a circumstance, you see.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My ability to use the ¡®entity¡¯ inside me is quite restricted. Especially if it involves that man.¡± Eleanor slightly furrowed her brows. Once again, the other woman uttered an iprehensible array of sentences. Eleanor herself didn¡¯t care if the other woman talked about something that only she herself knew. But, hearing that she kept trying to involve Dowd in such matters, something that she wasn¡¯t aware of, it painted her heart in displeasure. And that was probably the reason why her next words came out so abruptly. ¡°¡­If you are hoping to receive a promise of cooperation to use the ¡®Devil¡¯s Fragment¡¯ or whatnot within me, then¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Sullivan cut off Eleanor with a sharp smile. ¡°What is inside you is not merely a ¡®Devil¡¯, Lady Tristan.¡± ¡°¡­What is the meaning of that?¡± ¡°They just lumped it together, calling it the Grey Devil and whatnot¡­but even among those Devils, that being is at apletely different level. That¡¯s why I¡¯m making this request to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s no one else that can do it besides you.¡± ¡°¡­I do not care about any of that.¡± After listening to the Chancellor quietly for a while, Eleanor interrupted her words. ¡°Just tell me the important part.¡± Her clear, red eyes met the other woman¡¯s golden¡¯s eyes. ¡°If I cooperate with you, can we save Dowd?¡± ¡°We can, Lady Tristan. But you might die in the process.¡± ¡°And how do I do that?¡± After she heard the reply that came out without a single ounce of hesitation, Sullivan let out a chuckle. ¡°¡­It would be wiser of you to hesitate a little.¡± ¡°This matter is rted to Dowd. Risking my life for that isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± Just like she said, her tone did not contain some sort of grand resolve. She just said it inly, as if it was the most natural thing to say. As if, for that man¡¯s sake, she could easilyy down her life. ¡°¡­¡± Sullivan slightly bowed her head and closed her eyes. ¡®¡­She was like this before too. In fact, she was always like this.¡¯ In every situation she had ¡®seen¡¯, the sentiment that the other woman carried had always been like this, no matter what the situation she found herself in. No matter what kind of catastrophe she faced, no matter what kind of choice she had to choose, no matter how destructive the action she had to do¡­ Eleanor and the Grey Devil¡¯s course of action always remain the same. Everything was for the sake of Dowd Campbell. Regardless of the consequences that maye forth. ¡°¡­Even though everything just stems from her greed¡­¡± However, as she was in a position where she could predict the ¡®oue¡¯ of such actions, that was all she could say. ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°It is nothing.¡± When Eleanor responded with a puzzled voice, Sullivan replied nonchntly and looked back at Eleanor. ¡°For now, before I exin the method in detail, I have something I must ask you.¡± Sullivan¡¯s stern expression made Eleanor also let out a serious look. Though she wasn¡¯t sure what question woulde, judging by the atmosphere, she knew that at least the it wouldn¡¯t be an utter non¡ª ¡°What is the most aggressive, radical, and extreme thing you have done with Viscount Campbell?¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking in a sexual sense. Given your timidity, I presume that this isn¡¯t likely, but have you ever slept with him prior¡ª¡± Hearing that unexpected question, Eleanor let out a dumbfounded look, a look that could be considered unbing of her. ¡°What¨C wha-w-what in the world are you saying right now?!¡± ¡°Your reaction suggests you haven¡¯t. That is fortunate.¡± Sullivan continued to speak, still maintaining her utterly serious demeanor. ¡°After all, if you had done something I haven¡¯t even done myself, I would kill you right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Because I want to be the one to take his first time.¡± ¡®I see¡­¡¯ ¡®So Dowd has never slept with anyone, including the Chancellor¡­¡¯ Her knowledge about Dowd increased. ¡°Well, that was just my personal musings, but besides that¡­¡± Despite Sullivan having made such a statement, she continued speaking without blinking an eye, before facing the bewildered Eleanor. ¡°It is truly fortunate that you have not done such a thing, Lady Tristan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you were as promiscuous as your body suggests and had alreadyid hands on that man, this method would be absolutely im¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Chancellor Sullivan.¡± Eleanor rubbed her temples, which were starting to throb with the onset of a headache. Normally, she was the one who¡¯d cause people to rub their temples, that was why she had never experienced it herself, but now she seemed to have met her match. ¡°Please, I beg of you, exin in a way that I can understand.¡± The sentence that came out of her mouth was filled with genuine sincerity.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 168: Youll Take Responsibility? Chapter 168: You''ll Take Responsibility? ? You¡¯ll Take Responsibility? ? My consciousness slipped away. It felt like my whole body was continuously falling into a bottomless swamp. I couldn¡¯t remember when it started and I had no idea when it would end; that was how long such a sensationsted. Ever since I regained my senses, I had been in this state. First, I tried calling out to the two people who were always around me. ¡°Caliban.¡± I received no answer. ¡°Valkasus.¡± This time too, no answer. The inability tomunicate with the two people who were always mentally connected to me under the pretense that my mind was intact would only suggest one thing. Our soul-bound connection had been severed. In other words¡­ My soul had left my body. ¡°¡­¡± Which meant I had entered the White Devil¡¯s ¡®Imprisonment¡¯ Event that I tried so hard to avoid. There were a few reasons why it was considered the worst event. It forced you to enter an emergency event without any regards whether you were in the middle of the main event or not. The worst part of it was when you entered the event during a critical moment. You had no choice but to enter it whether you liked it or not. The fact that it could pop up randomly and out of nowhere also added to the dreadfulness of it. ¡®¡­At least I¡¯ve prevented my body from dying for now.¡¯ Since I had used the Spirit Entity as a life support device, putting it as a substitute, at least I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about dying anytime soon. It also meant that the Hero Selection would still be able to proceed while I was being trapped here. Even if I didn¡¯t have my memories, my knowledge and ability to act shouldn¡¯t be too different from my usual self, so it should work out somehow. With that thought, I continued to fall. ¡°¡­¡± How much time had passed? When I asked that question in my mind, a spark shed in front of my field of vision. -¡­ -¡­! And a ¡®world¡¯ was suddenly created before my eyes. Along with bright light, my eyes took in all the information from my surroundings. This was a luxurious mansion, inside a spacious bedroom¡­ And I was now lying on arge bed in one corner of such a room. ¡°¡­?¡± I looked around with a bewildered expression. Whenever Iliya got marked by the White Devil, the game would force an instant-death event to you, such as ¡®Forced Summoning to Pandemonium¡¯ or ¡®Withstand the Mental Attack of the White Devil for More than 24 Hours¡¯. So, why in the world was I summoned into such a peaceful ce? ¡°¡­Wake up. Do you even know what time it is? Why are you still sleeping?¡± Right as I was thinking that, such a voice came from in front. I sat up and looked around me, following the direction of the voice and found someone sitting at the table in front of me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you an exclusively contracted servant? Then you should take care of the schedule of the one you are serving before starting the day¡¯s work. Waking upter than me means you¡¯re being negligent. Do you understand?¡± There was a girl, sipping her tea as she spoke. A white one-piece dress covered her body. She had long ck hair with bangs that covered one of her eyes. Her skin, pale as snow. The beauty she possessed wasparable to a piece of art, it was as if she was made of fragmented ss. I recognized her face very well. Well, if I were to take her current appearance and increase her age by ten years, then I¡¯d say that I knew exactly who she was. But, well, this was a sad thing to say¡­ The thing was, that punk I knew very well would never make such a¡­¡¯dignified andposed¡¯ face¡­ Even her posture looked prim and proper. If I didn¡¯t know better, I would probably think of her as a ¡®nobledy¡¯. Compared to her figure that I was familiar with; With her tattered rags, slouching in a corner of the warehouse¡­well, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to make such aparison¡­ ¡°¡­¡± But¡­ It was because of such a stark difference that I managed to figure out ¡®what kind of situation¡¯ I got myself into. ¡°I heard this is our first time seeing each other¡¯s faces.¡± The girl spoke, slowly approaching me and extending her hand. ¡°However, please be careful so that this kind of situation does not happen again.¡± Simultaneously, a window appeared before me. System Message [ You are entering the Image World of target ¡®Yuria¡¯. ] This was¡­ ¡®Yuria¡¯s¡¯ past. The Yuria of the past, back before she started to wield ¡®Severer¡¯, the time period that the original game never properly covered. This was a story of a girl untouched by the filth of the world, back before she was isted from the rest of the world. ¡°¡­¡± So this was how she looked like before she wielded Severer, huh? It was unimaginable to think that this was the same person as the hopeless loner that didn¡¯t even have a single friend in her life. If I were to exaggerate her conditions a little, I could call her Little Eleanor. As I was thinking this, another window popped up. < Event Info > ?Sweet y? [ Persuade target ¡®Yuria/White Devil¡¯. ] [ Your assigned ¡®role¡¯ is ¡®Lady Yuria¡¯s exclusively contracted servant¡¯. Do not break character! ] [ A time limit of 3 days is given. If you break character or fail to escape the Image World within that time, you will be trapped in the world in question forever! ] ¡°¡­?¡± The fuck was all this gibberish? What were all those things supposed to mean? Persuade her? Assigned role? Not to break character? What the fuck did those words even mean? Why was the White Devil showing me this anyway? But, despite those questions¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Intuitively, I understood. I had somehow be this punk¡¯s ¡®exclusively contracted servant¡¯. And if I were to deviate from that world, the result wouldn¡¯t be pleasant. ¡°¡­Hello, My Lady.¡± That was why, what I needed to do was to y along for now. With that, I firmly grasped the hand that Yuria extended. ¡°¡­?! ¡ª¨C!!!!¡± However, the moment I did so¡­ As if being jolted by electricity, she jumped back before retreating. I swear I could hear her silent scream. When I looked at her in bewilderment, Yuria, whose dignified facade had shattered to pieces, yelled out in indignation. ¡°¡­W-What do you think you are doing¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t you offering your hand for a handshake?¡± ¡°When ady extends her hand, you are supposed to lightly grasp only the very tips and kiss it! You fool! Idiot! Barbarian!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing her tightly-closed eyes well up with tears while shrieking, I was at a loss for words. Was that how it was? ¡°Holding it t-that tightly is s-something t-that only lovers can¡ª!¡± Yuria was about to say something, but her body suddenly recoiled in shock, as she covered her own mouth. Then, with her eyes tightly shut, she blurted out words at a rapidfire pace. ¡°¡­F-Forget it! I-I don¡¯t know! H-Hurry up and get ready. Today is a very busy day, after all!¡± ¡°¡­¡± I silently watched Young Yuria dash out of the room with a Swoosh-. ¡®¡­Now, this seems more like the Yuria I know.¡¯ She was so sensitive to physical touch, just like what I was familiar with. Well, I never tried to touch her before, but I always felt like if our skin grazed even a little, she¡¯d react the same way. ¡°¡­¡± Anyway, that aside¡­ First and foremost, I needed to gather information about the current situation. Only then might I understand why the White Devil had ced me here. ¡®¡­An exclusively contracted servant, huh?¡¯ As I stepped out of the bed, I mused over the term. Just as Yuria said, I¡¯d probably be really busy because of the position. And it definitely wouldn¡¯t be surprising if I were to get involved in some kind of strange incident through the process.
¡°¡­So, are you trying to say that I shouldn¡¯t let those women meet each other at the same time?¡± [Yes. No matter what, don¡¯t do that.] ¡°¡­¡± Walking down the corridor, Dowd frowned slightly at the suggestion. He was on his way back to his quarters after receiving a vague confirmation from Dame Indra that it was okay to check out of the infirmary. No matter how much he asked why such an action would be dangerous, Caliban remained silent, hence his reaction. ¡°¡­¡± Dowd scratched his head in dissatisfaction and sighed. It was obvious to anyone that he was being advised not to delve too deeply into his past. As such, he could not help but react in such a manner. ¡°¡­Then for now, I¡¯ll head back to my quarters and think about it there.¡± [Good. Well thought.] As soon as he returned back to his amodations¡­ Dowd encountered Riru, who seemed to be waiting for him, with a dumbfounded expression. It seemed she was waiting in front of his room. ¡°¡­¡± What. Why? Again? What now? Perhaps Dowd¡¯s thoughts were too apparent on his face, seeing as how Riru spoke up with a frown. ¡°What¡¯s with that face? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve seen a ghost or something.¡± ¡°¡­N-No. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Dowd forced a smile, barely managed to respond. Riru gave him a weirded out look, but instead of pressing the issue further, she handed him a bag. Inside were neatly packed snacks and a few simple medicines. ¡°Here, to celebrate your discharge. I¡¯ve brought a few things that aremonly used in the Tribal Alliance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. You still have to participate in the Hero Selection in your current state. Dame Indra said that you¡¯re okay, but still¡­take care of yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s with your face this time?!¡± Tears welled up on Dowd¡¯s face, prompting Riru to exim in horror at the sight. ¡®Seriously, what¡¯s wrong with him?! Was it really something to be so moved about?!¡¯ ¡°¡­Excuse me, Miss Riru.¡± ¡°Just call me Riru, ¡®Miss¡¯ is too formal.¡± Hearing how she was addressed with honorifics, she waved her hands in disgust. Upon seeing that, Dowd¡¯s face rxed as he patted his chest in relief.. After all, unlike others, this woman clearly didn¡¯t harbor twisted desires toward him. The vibe that she exuded was that of a ¡®best friend¡¯. Since that was the case¡­ He figured that it would be okay for him to ask this question. ¡°¡­W-We¡¯re just friends, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At that moment, Riru¡¯s expression instantly turned rotten. ¡®Friends¡­¡¯ ¡®Friends, huh¡­?¡¯ ¡®For some reason, the word felt incredibly unpleasant¡­¡¯ ¡®My rtionship with him should be more¡­um¡­¡¯ ¡®Intimate?¡¯ ¡®¡­Should I just outright deceive him?¡¯ Such wicked thoughts wriggled its way into her mind. After all, Dame Indra did say he was in quite a gullible and naive state. ¡°¡­¡± However¡­ Riru pped her own cheek with a loud smack. ¡®¡­What in the world am I thinking?¡¯ ¡®Did I not decide topete fairly?¡¯ ¡®I wouldn¡¯t stoop so low! Scamming him or whatnot!¡¯ She could figure the blue figure behind her clicking her tongue, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough to shake her reso¡ª ¡°You¡¯re different from the others, right? We¡¯re just friends, right¡­?¡± ¡°¡­The others?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Riru responded nkly, Dowd stepped back in utter shock. Anyone could see that he had realized he made a mistake. As such, Riru narrowed her eyes and stepped closer. ¡°What about the others? What did they tell you?¡± ¡°¡­N-Nothing.¡± ¡®Bullshit.¡¯ ¡®Some of those women definitely approached him and told him that they were more than just ¡®friends¡¯.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡®No, they aren¡¯t women. They¡¯re just vixen-like bitches.¡¯ ¡®And here I am, trying to y fair, but those bitches dared to throw away all their conscience and do whatever they pleased¡ª!¡¯ ¡°¡­Did I perhaps also behave¡­ inappropriately towards Miss Riru?¡± And when she heard Dowd¡¯s anxious query after such wrathful thoughts she had¡­. Riru¡¯s heart sank with a thud. For some reason¡­ For some odd reason¡­ Seeing him so ¡®vulnerable¡¯¡­ Stirred up a mischievous desire she had originally decided not to indulge in. If this guy, who was usually so immacte and meticulous, showed such a ¡®clingy¡¯ demeanor towards her¡­ If he showed a ¡®possibility¡¯ that indicated she could have her way with him¡­ Riru swallowed dryly. ¡®¡­Hmm¡­¡¯ On top of that, if she considered how the others had already made their moves without giving a damn¡­ Then¡­ ¡°¡­What if we had that kind of rtionship? Then what are you going to do?¡± Maybe just once¡­ Couldn¡¯t she also take such ¡®deviant¡¯ actions? Dowd¡¯s expression instantaneously turned to one of deep grief. His face practically crumpled in despair before he weakly drooped his head with tightly-shut eyes. ¡°¡­sibility.¡± ¡°What?¡± At the whisper-like voice, Riru leaned her ear closer to catch what he was saying. ¡°I said, I¡¯ll take¡­responsibility. Even though I do not know what I did to Miss Riru¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Whatever it may be, I will definitely¡­take full responsibility¡­!¡± ¡®Ah.¡¯ ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Riru¡¯s breath quickened slightly. Warmth spread across her face, as well as her entire body. A smile involuntarily formed on her lips. ¡°Really?¡± Simultaneously, Riru flung open the door to Dowd¡¯s personal room. Then, before he could say anything, she threw his body onto the bed. She quickly climbed on top of Dowd, who was sprawled on top, and immediately pinned his arms down with both her hands. ¡°¡­Miss Riru?¡± Such a voice emerged from Dowd, who was held beneath her. Almost as if¡­ His voice wasden with slight fear. Riru¡¯s entire body heated up even more. Her heart raced faster than usual and her lower abdomen became hotter. ¡°W-Why are you doing this¡­?¡± A sadistic urge arose from within her. Compared to his usual know-it-all, conceited demeanor¡­ His vulnerable look as she pinned him under her¡­ Made him look more defenseless¡­more feeble¡­ As if he would go along with whatever she decided to do with him. ¡°¡­What did you do to me, you ask?¡± Heat coursed through her body. It red passionately. She herself wasn¡¯t sure what kind of words that came out of her mouth¡­ As she only let herself drown in her own desire. ¡°You asked me to ¡®raise your child¡¯.¡± That was the truth. While it was a very, very nitpicky thing to say and she skipped a lot of hoops, her words weren¡¯t a lie. Dowd¡¯s face turned into one of sheer horror. ¡°Just a moment ago, you said¡­¡± A grin formed in Riru¡¯s face ¡°¡­That you would take responsibility, ¡®whatever it may be¡¯, right?¡± There was not a shadow of a doubt. It was the smile of a savage beast eyeing the prey right before her eyes.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 169: Cat Fight (1) Chapter 169: Cat Fight (1) ? Cat Fight (1) ? [Oh, Ooooooh¡­ To think that Riru, who couldn¡¯t even eat a meal that had already been prepared, has grown this much¡­!] Though she heard the blue punk behind her babbling something¡­ ¡®¡­You¡¯re the one who told me to do this in the first ce.¡¯ Such grumbling naturally came out. ¡®It¡¯s time like these you need to step up more! So that you can be ahead of the other women!¡¯ was what the blue punk behind her kept saying, egging her on. Of course, the reason it went this far was partly because Dowd¡¯s attitude was too¡­ ¡®docile¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± But¡­So, like¡­ Pinning this guy underneath her and saying whatever she wanted was great and all, but¡­ [¡­By the way, what are you doing, Riru?] Until the blue punk behind her uttered those words, all Riru did was nkly stare down at Dowd, whom she had sat on. There was only one thought in her head. ¡®¡­What am I supposed to do next? W-What do I do-?!¡¯ Riru thought as such, her eyes spinning in confusion and panic. No, like, she had to have some kind of training to know what to do, right? She talked about having children and all that, but she waspletely clueless about the actual process¡­! [¡­Are you serious, Riru?] ¡®I-I really don¡¯t know! Even Granny didn¡¯t teach me this!¡¯ [¡­] She could keenly feel the incredulity of the blue punk¡¯s gaze, floating behind her. After staring at her like that for a while, she then heard a sigh. [¡­Well, I always knew you were just a gullible, naive simpleton pretending to be strong.] ¡®W-What should I do? Should I apologize and back off now?!¡¯ [If you¡¯ve drawn your sword, you might as well cut something, Riru.] No, so like, how the fuck was she supposed to do that?! Such a scream burst from within Riru. ¡®¡­Cutting something? Fuck that, whatever that means. Should I just start backing off¡­¡¯ In the first ce, it felt like she had crossed the line far too much even at this point. Where did her will topete fairly and squarely go¡­! Riru thought this as she looked down with a tense expression. Then¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd just¡­ Closed his eyes tightly. It clearly wasn¡¯t a gesture to particrly push her away. Rather, it seemed more like he was ¡®resigned¡¯ to what was about to happen. ¡®¡­E-Eh?¡¯ This¡­ This meant¡­ ¡®C-Can I do it? It means I can do it, right? He¡¯s giving me permission, right?! This is all consensual, okay?!¡¯ [¡­Aren¡¯t you getting a bit too excited, Riru?] Though the blue punk behind her was yapping again, at least now, she had a justification to take one step further. This was¡­fair and square, okay? Anyway, it was! For sure! ¡®¡­A-At times like this, first¡­¡¯ Riru swallowed dryly and reached for Dowd¡¯s top. Though she didn¡¯t know what to do, she would just start with whatever came to mind. The sound of buttons being undone by trembling hands echoed softly in the room. Coat, vest, and finally, the shirt. All of it was opened up. A well trained upper body of a man was fully exposed before her. ¡°¡­W-Woah¡­¡± Such an exmation leaked out, unable to be suppressed. [¡­Why do you kind of seem like a teenage boy going through puberty who saw something lewd for the first time in his life?] After ignoring the oddly specific remark, she unconsciously ran her hands over the distinctly etched muscles. The way Dowd twitched under her fingertips was transmitted through every bit of his skin. And as her fingers crawled over his chest, passing by it¡­ She felt his heartbeat. Loudly. Very, very clearly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riru looked down at Dowd, who still had his eyes tightly shut, with wide eyes. Right, he, too¡­ It wasn¡¯t just her who was nervous. This guy was anxious too. After all, it was his first time as well. Even though he always had girls around him, going ¡®this far¡¯ with apletely sound mind was a first for him. And¡­ Right now, she was the one to ¡®monopolize¡¯ that. As soon as she realized that fact¡­ ¡°¡­Eup.¡± Her heart dropped with a thud. It felt like the temperature of her whole body had risen by several tens of degrees. The tingling sensation that had been circling her whole body and lower abdomen since earlier intensified by several times. ¡°¡­¡± She lowered her face, kissing his chest. Though it was an entirely unconscious action, it seemed to have a definite effect. This guy, who would just twitch when touched, now gasped, taking a big gulp of air. It was an ¡®adorable¡¯ reaction that made Riru want to smile as wildly as before. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no answer. However, Riru took a deep breath and continued to speak. ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to continue, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to resist, this is yourst chance to, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Still, no response. At this, the smile on Riru¡¯s face grew even bigger. At the same time, a voice close to a cheer came from behind. [¡­Here we go, here we go¡­!] ¡°¡­¡± [We, who never got a chance to eveny a hand on him before! We, who only watched others bite, tear, taste, and enjoy¡­! Here we go¡­! We¡¯ll be the ones in the lead¡­!] ¡°¡­¡± Wasn¡¯t this punk the one to tell her she was getting too excited? But honestly, wasn¡¯t she in a worse state than her? ¡°¡­If not¡­¡± Anyway, now that she hade this far, she couldn¡¯t stop. Riru nced down at Dowd¡¯s lower half. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to continue, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Still, no response. Riru swallowed dryly. Sure, she had encountered a man¡¯s upper body several times before. But this was undoubtedly uncharted territory. A ce condensed with the mysteries of the human body that she had never encountered in her life, whether through pictures or words. ¡®¡­Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s different from before¡­!¡¯ With that thought, Riru reached towards Dowd¡¯s lower half with a firm resolve. At any rate, this was happening with his consent, so it should be fine. Nothing could stop her from this glorious exploration that she would now undertake¡­! ¡°You lecherous bitch-!¡± She thought as such. At least, until Riru was kicked by someone and sent flying. -! Along with the sound of a window shattering next to Dowd¡¯s quarters, someone agilely flew into the room. Then, a swift kick flowed like water, so incredibly well-trained in physicalbat that it was noticeable. Riru, hit by this, was sent flying into the wall without even being able to make a sound. ¡°W-W-What are you doing-?! To think you would pounce on a patient who lost his memory! Do all these empire bastardsck conscience like this?!¡± White hair flowing wildly. Daggers held in both hands. A student uniform that fit tightly, akin to a suit. Dowd, who had been lying on the bed with his upper body exposed, stared nkly at the person who barged in. ¡°Rather than that, Senior! Are you alright?!¡± He looked at the one rushing towards the bed. He knew this person. The name definitely was¡­ ¡°¡­Miss Seras?¡± ¡°Ah, you know?!¡± ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be more absurd to not remember the name of the person who came all the way to the infirmary when he copsed? Right as he looked at her while thinking this, Seras hesitantly continued. ¡°No, I mean,pared to other women, we only met a short time ago. So, I didn¡¯t expect you to pay such close attention to me and remember me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There are so many people around you, after all¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd held his head as if to express that he was dizzy. Exactly how many women were around him for such a statement like ¡®I thought you wouldn¡¯t remember me¡¯ toe out so tantly? ¡°¡­¡± No, wait. Hold on. No way. Could it be? ¡°¡­Uh, Miss Seras.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have I done something to you as well, Miss Seras?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seras scratched her cheek with an awkward expression, as if she was at a loss for how to answer. That, well¡­ How should she put it? Though she was wondering whether she should reveal this or not¡­ ¡®¡­He looks so desperate.¡¯ Seeing Dowd¡¯s face practically welling up in tears, Seras swallowed dryly. Either way, this man was her ¡®current assassination target¡¯, but he was also someone she had a lot of second thoughts about. And she had rushed in to save him for that very reason; she wasn¡¯t sure what to think about him. He looked like he¡¯d get more depressed if she justpletely denied it, so exining vaguely shouldn¡¯t be too big of a problem. ¡°I, uh, was going to do something¡­ bad to you, Senior.¡± ¡°¡­What? Something bad? Did I do something to deserve such a grudge, Miss Se¡­!¡± ¡°N-No, it¡¯s not that S-Senior did something bad to me! It¡¯s just that there are a few people around you who don¡¯t like you¡­!¡± Dowd¡¯s mouth fell open. What in the world had he been doing to have people hiring a third party to harm him¡­?! Seeing such an expression, Seras hurriedly continued her exnation. ¡°N-No, so like, what I mean is¡­!¡± While waving her hands, Seras moved closer to Dowd¡¯s bed and then suddenly stopped. Following that, she quickly covered her eyes with both hands, but because her eyes were still clearly visible between her fingers, it was quite a bizarre sight. The reason for this? Well¡­ It was because the moonlight leaking through the window illuminated Dowd¡¯s upper body, which Riru had exposed just before. ¡°¡­W-Woah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hadn¡¯t Riru reacted the same way before? Was it some custom to say that upon seeing his upper body? Right as Dowd thought this with a dazed expression¡­ ¡°¡­You called me a lecherous bitch? How ironic. Look at you. You look like you¡¯ve lost your mind. You¡¯re no different, huh.¡± Riru was walking out from the wall where she had been embedded. Even in the dark room, her eyes shone brightly, all too visible. Seras narrowed her eyes and looked in her direction. She had definitely kicked at her vital point in that one strike. And she had confirmed that she had inflicted enough damage to make her opponent faint in an instant. But then, why was she still so fine? ¡®¡­She¡¯s not ordinary, huh?¡¯ The physicalbat skills of a Grand Assassin was, at the very least, at a level that made a regr knight look like a joke. Yet, she took a direct hit and didn¡¯t even have a single scratch. It means she was far beyond the level of any considerable powerhouse. ¡°¡­And one other thing¡­¡± Riru spoke, brushing her bangs aside. Due to this, the bulging veins on her forehead were slightly revealed under the moonlight. There was no doubt that she was furious. ¡°Seeing as how you barged in so suddenly like this, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯ve been following someone without permission? It seems impossible for you to interfere so quickly unless you were constantly watching this guy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was true. Though it was an action taken under the pretext of observing an assassination target, It was a fact that Seras had been monitoring every move that Dowd took. ¡°Look at you, pretending to be all righteous and clean. The nerve of this mentally-ill voyeur.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to hear that from a woman who should be charged with attempted rape.¡± ¡°¡­It was an action made with consent.¡± ¡°Look at her, not even denying she intended to cross thatst line. You crazy bitch. Do you even have a conscience?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your im about it being consensual was just your own delusion, isn¡¯t it? Even though all Senior did was turn a blind eye to it, you decided to just interpret it however you wanted, didn¡¯t you?¡± At Seras¡¯s words, another vein popped on Riru¡¯s forehead. ¡°¡­Seeing that you kick people out of the blue, it seems you¡¯re also ustomed to resolving matters through violence.¡± She continued to speak, her cheeks trembling in fury. ¡°Follow me to the rooftop, you bitch. Think you¡¯re that good at fighting? Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Somehow¡­ The situation was getting worse and worse. Dowd thought this as he nkly looked at the two.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 170: Cat Fight (2) Chapter 170: Cat Fight (2) ? Cat Fight (2) ? Daggers and gauntlets shed. On top of the rooftop that bathed in pale moonlight, sparks flew violently. Their exchange of attack and defense ended up evenly matched once again. Both of them had long lost count of how many shes at this level that they had. Still, they definitely felt the same thing. The fact that their opponent wasn¡¯t someone they could take lightly. ¡°¡­¡± Seras frowned as she brushed off a wound near her face with her hand. She couldn¡¯t even remember when was thest time she had seen her own blood, as it smeared on her palm. ¡®¡­She is able to exchange blows with me¡­¡¯While stealthy assassination was her specialty, she didn¡¯t earn the Grand Assassin title from merely using some hidden cards up her sleeve. Only those who belonged in the level of the continent¡¯s strongest powerhouse would be able to exchange blows with her. And out of those in that list that she knew, Riru Garda definitely wasn¡¯t someone who could ever make it onto that ranking. However, something about her opponent¡¯s movements was odd. ¡®¡­It almost feels like she can predict what I¡¯m about to do¡­¡¯ As if she was moving with knowledge of a few seconds in the future, she always interfered with her attacks in the midst of it. Riru¡¯s bizarre movements were the reason why, despite Seras having overwhelming physical capabilities andbat skills, the situation ended up in a stalemate like this. -! Once again, their weapons shed violently. At a distance close enough to feel each other¡¯s breaths, Seras opened her mouth with a sigh. ¡°I know one thing for certain.¡± ¡°Ah, what a coincidence, me as well.¡± Riru and Seras backed away from each other, their eyes locked in a re. ¡°You. Are you from the Holy Land?¡± ¡°And you are from the Tribal Alliance.¡± One used Divine Power-based Miracles and Graces. The other, Law Technique-based Fist Arts. From just that alone, it was clear that the sources of their techniques were different from the Mana-based Body Enhancement Techniques taught in the Empire. ¡°¡­¡± Riru¡¯s gaze briefly shifted to the lower floors of the building. Dowd, who had been desperately trying to dissuade them from fighting until they came up here, was probably down there. Of course, for the two, who were already steaming with rage, his words went in one ear and out the other. ¡°¡­What business do you crazy zealot have with us?¡± Seras¡¯ expression twisted slightly. ¡®¡­Us?¡¯ ¡®Is she trying to imply that man is hers or something?¡¯ ¡®But, for some reason¡­¡¯ ¡®I really, really hate that sentence¡­¡¯ ¡°Who knows? What I know is that barbarian who knows nothing but science and technology should mind their own business.¡± Their eyes glinted with an even stronger animosity. Through their sh, they confirmed that both of their ability and talent could onlye from high-level training transmitted through esoteric doctrines at an early age. Considering these techniques were usually shared secretly among the upper echelons of their respective countries, they managed to reach a conclusion. That both were likely to be close to the ¡®chief executives¡¯ of the Holy Land and the Tribal Alliance. And the fact that they had amon interest in a single man suggested a great many things. ¡°¡­Even if I were to mind my own business¡­¡± Riru spat out such a sentence. ¡°I can¡¯t just ignore this. After all, isn¡¯t the Holy Land that shitty country ruled by the most disgusting and cunning human in the world?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Upon hearing those words, Seras¡¯s expression went nk. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know enough about our country to make such a im, Barbarian.¡± ¡°You know, the Empire isn¡¯t exactly a pleasant ce to be in, but it¡¯s still miles better than that shitty country of yours.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just think about it, even a country that is uninterested in politics such as ours has heard of the nasty rumors about your nation. So, I hope you fuck off and not get Dowd involved in such a¡ª¡± Before she could finish her sentence, Riru hastily leaned her body back. It didn¡¯t matter if she could see the future or not. She had to take that action because she could feel the looming sense of death. Seeing the wound across her chest left her dumbfounded. For the first time, she could not keep up with her opponent¡¯s speed. Hell, she couldn¡¯t even see that blowing. It was by pure luck that she avoided a fatal blow. ¡°¡­¡± The atmosphere around her opponent had changedpletely. Riru squinted at Seras, who now held her dual daggers in a reverse grip. Her eyes were devoid of light. And a ¡®purple aura¡¯ was swirling around her entire body. And then¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Seeing the animal ears sprouting from Seras¡¯ head, perhaps influenced by her change in attitude, Riru let out a chuckle. She now understood why her words had angered her opponent so much. ¡°Biped?¡± A two-legged beast. In other words, a beastkin. They were the most famous ones even among the Cardinal Humans, the mixed races of humans and other species. ¡°Gotta say, you really got guts. Daring to step into the Empire when you¡¯re a Cardinal Human?¡± The Empire actively encouraged discrimination against Cardinal Humans, so it wouldn¡¯t be a strange sight to see people capturing or killing beastkin in broad daylight. There was a reason why the races of Cardinal Humans despised the Empire. Moreover, since Seras was from the Holy Land, known for their policy of equality without discrimination against any race, there were more than just one or two reasons for her to be angered by Riru¡¯s words. ¡°¡­Originally, anyone who sees this should be killed.¡± Seras responded in a monotone voice. ¡°But I won¡¯t kill you.¡± Not only the Pope, but Archbishop Luminol had also ordered her multiple times to be especially cautious when it came to Dowd¡¯s wellbeing and personal affairs. There was no need to stir up trouble by messing with the people around him. ¡°¡­But still, there will be a price to pay.¡± However, even so¡­ It didn¡¯t seem like it would matter if she taught this arrogant woman, who acted as if she had imed the man for herself, a lesson. After all, she had been displeased by her attitude from the start. Her mission aside, this was how she personally felt. At the same time¡­ [¡­Riru.] A voice filled with vignce came from the blue punk attached to Riru¡¯s back. [I can usually help with just about anything. But if the opponent is of ¡®equal standing¡¯ to me, it might be a bit difficult, you see?] ¡®¡­What are you on about?¡¯ [I¡¯m saying that person is simr to us.] Riru silently looked towards Seras. Now it all made sense to her. She knew the reason why a strangely colored aura was emanating from her opponent¡¯s body. ¡°¡­What¡¯s the hell?¡± And immediately after, a fierce smile adorned her face. ¡°So you had something like that attached to you too?¡± A blue aura also started to swirl around Riru. Following that¡­ An Authority was imbued into her body. It was a technique she had used a few times in the Forge of Struggle. Pulverization. Anything her body touched would be utterly destroyed. Since her opponent had pulled out something simr, there was no reason for her to back down. Once again, the two charged at each other. However, the intensity of their sh was distinctly different from before. Previously, even though their blows were especially strong, it still felt like they came from humans. But now, it felt as if two natural disasters were colliding with each other, sending the aftermath in all directions. The air screamed, the ground vibrated, and the building they stood on shook. ¡°¡­What the? What is happening?!¡± ¡°The dormitory building is¡ª!¡± Chaos erupted all around. Even the students sleeping below in the dormitory woke up, adding to the uproar. However, for the two Vessels who had already engaged inbat, those things were trivial matters. They put their everything in line to knock down the opponent in front of them, that was the only thing that mattered for them at that moment. -! -!!! And then, just as their weapons were about to sh again¡­ -¡­ -¡­! Someone cut in between them. Smoothly¡­ Yet firmly¡­ A single stroke of the sword simultaneously separated the two. Riru and Seras, who had been knocked away by that one strike, both had dumbfounded expressions. ¡®¡­I didn¡¯t feel anything, though?¡¯ They didn¡¯t feel any ¡®Special Power¡¯ in that motion, not even an iota of it. It was as if it was a natural course that a bare body that did not emit any aura could intervene in their sh. Almost as if¡­ ¡®Just that¡¯ was enough. As if this existence was on apletely different level even from them, who had disyed miraculous powers until now. ¡°¡­You two.¡± And, there¡­ ¡°What in the world are you doing?¡± Expressionless¡­ Yet all too clearly furious¡­ Stood Eleanor, the sword she had just swung reflected the moonlight.
¡°Get a hold of yourselves. I do not care about the reasons for your fight. But at the very least, you should avoid causing trouble in front of Dowd. You two are aware that he isn¡¯t in the best condition, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am¡­¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am¡­¡± Eleanor looked down at the feeble response that came from below, her eyes emitting a fierce red glow. There, Riru and Seras were doing a handstand with one arm, having been in that position for 30 minutes. ¡°¡­But why a handstand?¡± Dowd suddenly asked, to which Eleanor cocked her head. ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t there a moremon way to discipline someone, like making them kneel with their hands raised?¡¯ ¡®Why make them take up such a cruel posture¡­?¡¯ ¡°¡­Is this not how they normally punish someone?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, this is how they usually do it in the Tristan Duchy¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dowd simply nodded without a word. It felt like he had found a sliver of a hint as to where this Lady¡¯s monstrous physical abilities came from. Putting that aside¡­ ¡°¡­How will Ipensate them for all this?¡± While looking gloomily at the battered dormitory building, Dowd spoke as such, to which Eleanor nced over. ¡°Compensate? Why would you need to do that?¡± ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t this all happen because of me?¡± With a bitter expression, Dowd looked at the destroyed building. ¡°No, it¡¯s hard to me you for this situation.¡± Eleanor retorted his words strongly. ¡°Because their greed is the sole thing to me for this incident.¡± ¡°¡­No, but¡­¡± As Dowd tried to speak again with a depressed expression, Eleanor sighed and stood up. Then, she strode over to Dowd, before pulling him into a hug. Dowd¡¯s eyes widened into saucers, as she whispered warmly into his ear. ¡°It is alright. Eung. Yes. It is fine. You are not trash. Those women were trying to tempt you with nonsense. You have done nothing wrong.¡± ¡°¡­Miss Eleanor¡­¡± ¡°Even if you had made such a mistake, even if the whole world condemned you, I, at the very least, would still ept you. You can always lean on me. Whenever you wish.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Eleanor stroked Dowd¡¯s head while saying so, the expressions on Riru and Seras¡¯ faces simultaneously turned intoplicated perplexity. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Eh? This. Somehow. Wait. So like, considering the situation, they were clearly the ones at fault, but¡­ [¡­Looks like you cooked the dish and ended up giving it to someone else, huh?] ¡°¡­¡± [What was even the point of you and that person fighting so fiercely?] Riru quietly agreed with the Blue Devil¡¯s words in her mind. ¡°What is with those expressions?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you two perhaps have anyints?¡± ¡°¡­I have none¡­¡± ¡°¡­No ma¡¯am¡­¡± However, they could not dare to retort, given the overwhelming force this woman had just demonstrated. Faced with Eleanor¡¯s fiery re, Riru and Seras both kept their mouths shut.
You can rate/review this serieshere. Illustr§Ñti§àns on our discord ¨C discord.gg/genesistls Chapter 171: Play (1) Chapter 171: y (1) ¡°¡ªSo what I¡¯m saying is that he got entangled with the White Devil and is now trapped inside her.¡± [What about the movements of the other Vessels around him?] ¡°Do I even need to say it? Everyone is rushing in with a fire in their eyes, trying to suck that amnesiac bastard dry.¡± Talker, a.k.a Spinning Fire Wheel, spat out such words to the Prophet, who was on the other side of the video call. His next words were apanied by a burst ofughter. ¡°The extent of the fierceness of theirpetition is absurd as well. It made me wonder what it would feel like if women of such caliber are fighting over me to monopolize me?¡± [...What do you mean by that, Talker?] At the slightly thorny voice that responded, Talker giggled inwardly before opening his mouth. ¡°Ah, of course, I understand that you are disappointed for not being able to join in this revelry, Boss. But, considering how he has a fake personality at the moment because of the artificial soul inside him, I¡¯m sure such emotions are a bit¡ª¡±[Cut the nonsense. Did you call me just to say that?] ¡°I¡¯m kidding, kidding. Don¡¯t get mad at me.¡± Strictly speaking, considering that he failed to fulfill the mission that the Prophet entrusted him, Talker¡¯s attitude was utterly shameless. However, neither the Prophet nor him seemed to be concerned about that. In the first ce, he was the strongest Cursed Speech User in history, a legend whose name was carved in both the Eastern and Western Continents¡¯ history. Neither party seemed to care much about going head-to-head to some extent. In that regard¡­ ¡°...Anyway Boss, that guy is a more dangerous variable than I thought.¡± The fact that someone like him uttered these words in such a serious manner meant the situation must be more severe than expected. Although his frivolous smile was still hanging on his face, the glint of his eyes clearly conveyed the gloomy feelings that he had. ¡°I know that he acts as the ¡®Key¡¯ for all the Devils. But the speed at which the Devils are gathering around him is much faster than anticipated.¡± [...] ¡°Originally, the White Devil was supposed to imprison him around this time in ¡®a different worldline¡¯ as well, but this is the first time that he had formed such close rtionships with other Vessels.¡± [...] Talker continued to speak towards the silent Prophet. ¡°If this continues¡­¡± At least, when uttering this sentence¡­ ¡°The ¡®End¡¯ wille before we can do anything, you know?¡± His usual smile vanished. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left, Boss. We need to take some measures before more Devils are unleashed.¡± [...I know.] The Prophet responded in a low voice. [I also know this is ourst chance. That¡¯s why...] Though low, the voice still carried an undeniable ¡®resolve¡¯. [...We should start considering a method to use it. The Key.] A key generally had two functions. Unlocking a lock and locking a lock. Up until now, the ¡®Key¡¯ known as Dowd Campbell had been incredibly sessful in performing the former task. To Talker¡¯s knowledge, not a single precedent existed where a soul constitution like his rapidly gained the love of Devils yet managed to survive. However¡­ What the Prophet and Talker intended to do was not the act of ¡®unlocking¡¯ but of ¡®locking¡¯. ¡°...¡± He let out a wry smile. The situation was funny to him. Though this woman bore the title of the Leader of the Devil Worshipper, she was in fact the most devoted and fervent person in regards to locking all the Devils away. Such an irony, barely anyone in the continent would know about it. ¡°Alright. Using the Key is one thing. But before that, how are we supposed to get him away from that white punk? You know that if a Devil decides to imprison a soul, there¡¯s no way for it to¡ª¡± [That doesn¡¯t matter.] ¡°...What?¡± [The gender of this round¡¯s Vessels are all female. From the way I see it, the reason that man has been holding up this well is because of that, yes?] ¡°...¡± [As long as the White Devil is female, it will somehow work out.] ¡®What was with that unwavering trust?¡¯ It was as if there was a firm belief that, as long as the opponent was female, they had no chance of winning against that man. But¡­ About that¡­ It felt a bit¡­ ¡°...Boss, for some reason¡­it feels like you¡¯re talking from you own experience¡ª¡± [Rather than that, what about the current state of the Red Devil?] The Prophet abruptly cut off Talker¡¯s words and continued as if nothing was amiss. But it was clear to anyone that she didn¡¯t want to talk about this topic, so Talker just responded with a wry smile. ¡°If it¡¯s the Red Devil, then¡­ It¡¯s that one, right? Fae¡­what was it? Faenol? What about her?¡± Among all the Devils, she was currently the most docile and calm. While the others were all growling at each other, each trying to be the first one to strip Dowd and feast on him, she stayed so quiet that one couldn¡¯t help but wonder what exactly she was up to. ¡®Is she even worth paying attention to?¡¯Her current attitude was enough to invoke such a thought in his mind. [Well, I don¡¯t know about that. At least, I wouldn¡¯t think that way.] ¡°...What?¡± [Keep a close eye on her, Talker. Besides the White Devil, she is the most likely to cause trouble.] Without a doubt¡­ [It¡¯s always the quiet cat that starts trouble first.] Those words carried a profound implication.
¡°Unni and His Holiness areing in a few days.¡± Young Yuria, who was walking ahead, brought up such a topic in a careful voice. Her tone and expression were stern¡­or at least that was what she thought. ¡°Within that time, I will instill in you the perfect manners and etiquette, so you can present yourself as my servant without bringing shame to me. Do you understand?¡± It felt more like she was pleading with me to think of her as strict, rather than actually being strict. I had felt it before as well, but she really did seem somewhat awkward when using this manner of speaking. It wasn¡¯t just a feeling I had; Anyone would notice that her current demeanor was one she was not familiar with. So much so that it was tantly clear that this timid girl was desperately trying to maintain an attitude that didn¡¯t suit her. ¡°...W-Why are you looking at me with such a weird expression?¡± ¡°...¡± When she said that, I touched the corners of my mouth, which had rxed into a fatherly smile. < Event Info > ?Sweet y? [ Persuade target ¡®Yuria/White Devil¡¯. ] [ Your assigned ¡®role¡¯ is ¡®Lady Yuria¡¯s exclusively contracted servant¡¯. Do not break character! ] [ A time limit of 3 days is given. If you break character or fail to escape the Image World within that time, you will be trapped in the world in question forever! ] Anyway, I had these restrictions ced on me, so I couldn¡¯t just act recklessly. ¡°A-Are you looking down on me? With just one word from me, someone like you¡ª!¡± ¡®Oh dear.¡¯ Tears welled up in Yuria¡¯s eyes as she puffed up in anger. I crouched down to match our eye levels. It wasn¡¯t like I had any choice but to do this. Not only did she have a small body, I also had the body of a grown man. ¡°How could I possibly do such a thing, My Lady?¡± When I spoke in a serious voice, she immediately closed her mouth, despite her being on the verge of shouting something. Even so, seeing that her eyes were still filled with tears and her fists were waving without purpose, it didn¡¯t seem like her mood had entirely improved. So, I brought her hand to my lips and gently kissed it. She definitely said this was the proper etiquette, right? ¡°Of course I will make every effort to fulfill the duties you have entrusted to me, My Lady.¡± ¡°...!¡± Her expression brightened rapidly upon hearing my words. But immediately after, she had a look of realization, and hurriedly managed her expression. ¡°A-Anyone can t-talk the talk! S-Show me how you w-walk the walk!¡± She puffed out a breath through her nose, creating a sound. Then, she waddled ahead with quick steps, desperately trying to control her expression that was about to soften again. ¡°...¡± Of course¡­ From such an appearance, a nagging and ufortable question followed. This girl¡­ Exactly what kind of experiences had she gone through? How did such an easy-to-read yet innocent child end up thrown into such a harsh environment, thus growing up to be a gloomy loner? How was she so deeply afflicted by loneliness? ¡°...¡± I looked around silently. There were more oddities that had been nagging at me continuously. While being dragged out under the guise of escorting Young Yuria, I realized this was one of the most sinister buildings inside the Holy Land. At first nce, it appeared to be a noble¡¯s mansion that did not have a single w. There were servants and they all treated Yuria kindly when they met her. However¡­ There would be no reason for those things to exist in an ordinary house. I looked at the warm sun-drenched garden and the birds on the trees turning their heads in sync with our movements. To someone who was unaware, these would seem like unproblematic elements. But for me, it wasn¡¯t the case. I knew the eyes of the birds were embedded with ¡®Arrays¡¯ using mana stones. They were not just simple birds, but artificial life forms that were intentionally created; Homunculi. And it didn¡¯t stop there. Items which purpose was to monitor a certain target¡¯s every move were ced all around the mansion. Moreover, I didn¡¯t see any on the path leading outside the mansion. As if it was intentionally omitted from the design. Judging from all these facets, one thing was certain. This¡­was not a house. Rather, a bird cage. Created to strictly confine and rear someone. I was following Yuria slowly while thinking as such when she suddenly stopped in the middle of exining various things about the mansion¡¯s interior. ¡°Ah, this ce is¡­¡± It was a ck door. Even among the luxurious interior of the mansion, its presence stood out. ¡°...The office of His Holiness.¡± Yuria mentioned in a slightly scared voice. ¡°T-This ce¡­ I don¡¯t really know much about it either, but¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°U-Unni and His Holiness told me¡­ to never evene near here¡­¡± It seemed she had been educated numerous times never to enter here. Her appearance, with tears hanging heavily to hershes, was pitiful. ¡°If it¡¯s a ce we cannot enter, then you can just tell me about itter, My Lady.¡± ¡°...No, I can¡¯t.¡± Hearing my words, Yuria clenched her fist tightly. ¡°E-Educating the s-servants is my responsibility. So, if I don¡¯t do it properly!¡± ¡°...¡± She really had an unnecessarily strong sense of duty. If it wasn¡¯t allowed, then I could just find out on my ownter, though. ¡°P-Please w-wait here. I''ll ask if other people can enter!¡± ¡°Ah, wait¡­¡± Before I could say anything more, Yuria dashed off down the corridor. ¡®Look at her go. She really is great at taking action, huh?¡¯ As I let out a sigh with such thoughts in mind¡­ ¡°Ah, excuse me.¡± Someone nearby struck up a conversation with me. When I turned around, I saw a servant dressed simrly to me. ¡°Pleasure to meet you. You are the new exclusively contracted servant that just arrived, right?¡± ¡°...Yes. Have I done something wrong?¡± I couldn¡¯t think of any other reason why someone would suddenly approach me like this. However, the person who heard my words just shook his head with a friendly smile. ¡°No, it¡¯s not really that. I just wanted to offer some advice. Since you don¡¯t seem to know anything about this ce.¡± ¡°Ah, if you are willing to tell me, I will listen with a grateful heart.¡± Seems like a nice person, huh. Right as I was quietly gazing at the servant with such thoughts¡­ ¡°It would be better if you did not get too close to the youngdy.¡± Such words¡­ Came up out of the blue. ¡°...¡± I stared intently at the servant who had just given me this advice. This was the same punk who had greeted Yuria with a bright smile, just a moment ago. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary at first nce. So, why would this bastard suddenly say something like that? ¡°...¡± It felt like my gut was being wrenched. After barely suppressing a frown, I continued the conversation. After all, I needed to extract more information about the current situation. ¡°...What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You are new here, so it is understandable that you do not know, but¡­¡± The man continued in a whisper. ¡°That bitch is a monster, born without parents. A cursed life form, if you will.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°There is no way anything good wille out of sticking next to her.¡± The face of the servant who spoke¡­ Was filled with a contempt and disgust that he didn¡¯t even attempt to /genesisforsaken Chapter 172: Play (2) Chapter 172: y (2) In Savior Rising;s main story, Yuria¡¯s past was only mentioned in a line or two. ¡®She is an artificial life form cultivated by the Holy Land.¡¯ That was all. However, I knew all too well about the incident when she first held the Severer, went berserk and turned this mansion into a wastnd. And I knew how she was still drowning in her guilt because of that. ording to Lucia, she still had nightmares about it. But¡­what the fuck was this all about? ¡°...What do you mean by that?¡± I managed to get those words out without getting my expression to crumble. Despite the irritation and wrath bubbling inside, I still needed to keep as low profile as possible for now.Because I couldn¡¯t afford to break my character. ¡°Every servant here is all aware of it. Those cursed beings will eventually be used as ¡®sacrifices¡¯. Both the older and the younger sister.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°They are necessary sacrifices for the utopia that His Holiness promised us.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Well, since you¡¯vee all the way here, you must¡¯ve known about it too, right? The ¡®Paradise n¡¯.¡± The Paradise n was essentially the ultimate goal of the doctrine preached within the Holy Land. A utopia where there was no conflict or strife, where everyone could pursue eternal happiness in peace. To bring that to the world was the goal of both the Holy Land and the Pope. And I already knew which direction the scenario would take because of this goal. ¡®...The quest in Chapter 6.¡¯ The Holy Land¡¯s Sanctuary Conquest. It featured the False God Subjugation as the final highlight. The section was infamous for its fucked up difficulty even among the Sera users. 80% of the yerbase got wiped out here. If one hadn¡¯t built up a steady series of connections with the Homunculi Sisters, the Final Chapter¡¯s difficulty would increase significantly. Also, if their Favorability Levels weren¡¯t high enough, the yer¡¯s would be forced to watch the event where those two would be ¡®sacrificed¡¯ to the Pope. ¡°...¡± The problem here was¡­ Why did they refer to them as disgusting or monsters when they were the very beings who¡¯dter be sacrificed for the ¡®great cause¡¯? Normally they¡¯d sympathize with those two a little, no? ¡°...Judging by your expression, my words must be hard to ept.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You might think otherwise, but in the first ce, those Homunculi¡ª¡± ¡°...¡± It was getting harder and harder to contain my annoyance. Despite knowing that these people would eventually die the moment Yuria held Severer, they still pissed me off. I knew how wicked the Holy Land could be contrary to their holy appearance, but this was a little too much, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°...Hey you.¡± Just as I was about to spit out a flood of retorts, a young voice interrupted me. ¡°I-I kept you w-waiting. I apologize!¡± It was Yuria, rushing over from across the hallway. At that moment¡­ ¡°Oh dear, My Lady. Please be careful, you don¡¯t want to fall, do you?¡± ¡°...¡± The servant immediately changed his expression and started letting out a bright smile as soon as she appeared. This sight made me stare at him in disbelief. ¡®...Are those fuckers even human?¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s a limit on being immoral, you know?¡¯ ¡®This motherfucker acting like this toward a child they created and nned to sacrificeter¡­¡¯ ¡®To think that Yuria would be grieving by herself in the future for killing these bastards¡­¡¯ ¡°...Unfortunately, it seems I still can¡¯t enter His Holiness¡¯ office.¡± Just as I barely managed to hold back the surge of anger that was about to explode, Yuria said so with a look of regret. ¡°But they said they¡¯ll let me know about the contents inside soon, so you cane in with me by then, Mr. Servant.¡± ¡°Of course, My Lady. You will find out soon enough, I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°...¡± Though I wasn¡¯t sure what exactly it was¡­ Considering this bastard¡¯s real thoughts, there was no way that opening this door would be any good to Yuria. Right as I was thinking this, a window suddenly popped up in front of me. System Message [ The progress of the ongoing event ¡®Sweet y¡¯ has been updated. ] [ Prevent the tragedy that will befall target ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] ¡°...¡± Of fucking course. My shitty premonition would never be wrong.
¡°...So, they¡¯ll continue everything in the end? It¡¯ll be soon too, huh?¡± As she scanned the document handed to her, Iliya let out a grimace. The Second Ordeal of the Hero Selection was about to proceed, so they sent her documents about it with detailed exnations about the location and method of progress. She had wondered why Atnte suddenly summoned her to her office alone, but this was way worse news than she could have imagined. ¡°I have been filibustering as much as possible, but this is the limit.¡± Atnte let out a sigh as she responded. The Holy Land, the Tribal Alliance, and even the Empire had pushed for the selection to continue. No matter how much the leaders of each nation agreed to dy its progress, seeing as it was an event jointly undertaken by all the Superpowers, there was a necessity to proceed for appearances'' sake. And, above all¡­ There was only one ¡®real reason¡¯ why they even dyed the event. ¡°...After confirming that Dowd had regained consciousness, both the Tribal Alliance and the Holy Land agreed to continue the selection.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°There are only a very few people who know that he still hasn¡¯t regained his memories, so from their perspective, there is no more reason to dy it any longer.¡± He was able to exercise control over the ¡®Devil Vessels¡¯ merely by breathing. That was how much influence the man held. So, there was no need to disclose the fact that he was in a vulnerable state where he could be manipted left and right. From their perspective, they only knew that he had regained consciousness, and they didn¡¯t know that he lost his memories. That was why they believed it was okay to proceed with the selection. Iliya rubbed her forehead with a sigh, feeling an iing headache. ¡®...Okay, I understand that far, but¡­¡¯ ¡®Why would the schedule change depending on Teach¡¯s condition?¡¯ ¡°...Their focus is supposed to be on the Hero Selection, right? But why does it seem like they are more interested in Teach, who is only an attendant, than the actual Hero Candidates?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just how it is. The Empress of the Empire, the Chieftain of the Tribal Alliance, and even the Pope of the Holy Land, all of them are keeping a really close eye on that man¡¯s movements.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya furrowed her brows and rubbed her chin. She could understand the situation regarding the Chieftain of the Tribal Alliance, as it was the most obvious type of interest. Her granddaughter, Riru, harbored an intuitive fondness for Dowd. But, the Empress and the Pope was a different story. ¡°By the way, how is Dowd¡¯s condition now?¡± Hearing Atnte asking that question cautiously, Iliya unconsciously swallowed hard. ¡®That¡­um¡­¡¯ Given his memory loss, it was obvious that the reason why she asked that question was out of concern, whether he could participate in the Second Ordeal or not. But, she couldn¡¯t just disclose the fact that a chaotic free-for-all buffet to take a bite of him while he was still in his defenseless state was unfolding. Recently, she heard that Riru and some woman named Seras had a big fight over Dowd, which ended with Eleanor tearing a new one in them. Even herself had told him a mountain of nonsensical lies, which deterred her from disclosing the situation even further. ¡°...He doesn''t seem to be doing all that bad.¡± Iliya managed to force a smile as she spoke, making Atnte¡¯s eyes narrow slightly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°...¡± From her gaze, it was clear that she already knew something despite her question. As Iliya kept up her strained smile, all while breaking out in a cold sweat inwardly, Atnte kept her eyes narrowed as she spoke. ¡°I heard there was a huge fight at the dormitory where that man stays. Between students Seras and Riru.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Given their nature, it is understandable they would flip at the sight of Dowd, but they have to consider the man¡¯s current state.¡± Atnte sighed and continued. ¡°He is not the shameless Dowd Campbell who¡¯d boldly tug at their heartstrings anymore. Instead, he has an artificial soul with apletely clean te. Nobody knows if he¡¯d suddenly be twisted due to shock, or if he¡¯d suddenly take an abrupt action.¡± ¡°...Y-Yes¡­¡± ¡°From what I can see, his mental state is still quite precarious at the moment. If he receives any more shock than he already has¡­it could lead to severe problems.¡± At Atnte¡¯s words, actual beads of sweat formed on Iliya¡¯s forehead. She tried to muster up an excuse. Something. Anything. ¡°C-Come on, what could possibly happen? There¡¯s no way anything would go wrong. They already got scolded severely once, they won¡¯t cross the line, I¡¯m sure!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I-I really mean it! After the Student Council President chewed them outst time, I heard that Riru and that Seras person have calmed down!¡± Iliya was about to say something more to convince Atnte when she suddenly mped her mouth shut. ¡°...Huh?¡± A surge of vitality suddenly coursed through her body, prompting her to let out that puzzled sound. Yes, she could always manage her peak physical condition through her daily training, but¡­ ¡®This is¡­¡¯ ¡®The same sensation that alwayses whenever Teach¡¯s ¡®life is threatened¡¯?!¡¯ ¡°...!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Atnte inquired, confused after seeing Iliya¡¯s stiff expression. Meanwhile thetter just urgently yelled out, as even herself found it difficult to exin what exactly happened. ¡°...T-Teach might be in danger right now!¡± ¡°...Excuse me? What do you¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin, but we need to go see Teach right away!¡± ¡°...¡± Fortunately, Atne was also someone who was significantly vested in Dowd¡¯s well-being. Even though the other person¡¯s exnation was messy, instead of probing further, she immediately grabbed her by the nape and hastily prepared a spell. ¡°...He should be in the dormitory right now.¡± Teleportation. The coordinates were right in front of Dowd¡¯s quarters. As the light enveloping her body faded, Iliya quickly scanned the vicinity of Dowd¡¯s room door. Nothing seemed amiss, except for the fact that there was a woman standing there with her chin in her hand, staring at Dowd¡¯s quarters. Recognizing who she was, Iliya called out to her in a dazed voice. ¡°...Lana?¡± Lana Rei Delvium. An Immortal who was previously tied up by Dowd and used as ¡®bait¡¯. For some reason, she was here. ¡°Mmmm, Miss Iliya? Long time no see!¡± ¡°...Yeah, uh, it¡¯s been a while, but forget that. What brings you here, Lana?¡± ¡°Eh, it¡¯s nothing much. I came to say hi to Mr. Dowd, but it¡¯s quite noisy over here. There were so many women here, they said that they wanted to spend time with him.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Mr. Dowd seemed to be in agony, asking whether he actuallyid his hands on this many people.¡± Iliya tried her hardest to avoid Atnte¡¯s piercing gazeing from the side. She could practically hear a shout in her ear, saying ¡®Everything will be fine? EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE?!¡¯ ¡°But in the midst of that, Mr. Dowd kind of¡­asked me? Uh, he looked like he was grasping at straws. Anyway, he asked me whether he had everid his hands on me or not.¡± ¡°...¡± A sense of foreboding surged through both Iliya and Atnte simultaneously. ¡°...So, what did you tell him?¡± ¡°I mean, all I did was remind him of the things he did to me during thest ordeal, recounting those pleasant memories one by one.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°To think he could do such cruel, brutal, and immoral things so nonchntly. I have never met such a manly man before! You think so too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya and Atnte¡¯s faces turned ashen. -Nobody knows if he¡¯d suddenly be twisted due to shock, or if he¡¯d suddenly take an abrupt action. Yes. That was literally the thing that they had just discussed. And the things Dowd did to Lana were unimaginably shitty by any standard. ¡°...Did I do something that I shouldn¡¯t have?¡± While Lana absentminded words echoed in the hallway, Atnte had already pushed open Dowd¡¯s door, rushing in. No one was inside. And the room was terrifyingly tidy. Almost as if he was resolving himself in order to prepare for some significant event. ¡°...¡± With a pale face, Atnte quickly scanned the room. She was looking for a clue, whatever it may be, that might indicate the man¡¯s current state. And she did indeed find one. It was a small note on Dowd¡¯s personal desk. ¡°...What does it say?¡± Ignoring Iliya¡¯s anxious-ridden question, Atnte red at the sentence that was written there without saying anything. Minutes ticked by. And then a few more passed as well. Only then did Atne ce the note back on the desk with trembling hands. Iliya, who was standing still while watching this scene, quickly ran over to check the note. [I believe it is better if something like me does not exist. Goodbye, everyone.] ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Silence swept over everyone. How much time had passed? Atnte, with a shaky voice, finally spoke. ¡°...Drag out and gather every single woman who had clung to that man. We have no time to spare.¡± And then¡­ ¡°...Tell them, unless they all wish to die by my hands, to FIND THIS MAN IMMEDIATELY¨C!!¡± Such a scream fell from Atnte¡¯s lips like a /genesisforsaken Chapter 173: Play (3) Chapter 173: y (3) Elfante¡¯s structure wasplex, intricately woven as spider¡¯s web, mostly due to the various types of buildings that had aged over time. It was because of this that Yuria, who possessed such an extremely noticeable trait managed to find a building to live quietly in. This fact also meant that it wasn¡¯t hard to find a deserted ce where one could carry out something significant without being caught by anyone. ¡°...Tying a knot is a bit hard¡­¡± Dowd Campbell muttered with an unfocused gaze, as if he was in aplete daze. The sight of him trying to tie a noose with a sturdy rope he had found somewhere was beyond miserable or pitiful. Actually, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong if someone were to think that he had gone mad. [...] [...] In a ce not so far away, a ¡®will¡¯ was left neatly besides Soul Linker. And in it, two souls were in silent agreement.[...Will it be fine even if we do not stop him?] Valkasus, who had awakened at some point, said this to Caliban, but thetter only let out a deep sigh without giving a clear answer. [I mean, even if we try to stop him, he won¡¯t listen to us. What else can we do?] [...But that doesn¡¯t mean we can just leave him to die like this, right?!] Valkasus eximed in horror at Caliban¡¯s calm response. What in the world? That man was on the verge of suicide. How could he remain so calm? At this very moment, Dowd was almost ready to hang himself. His gloomy gaze checked the noose to see if it was tight enough. [I mean, there is no reason not to be calm, right?] Yet, Caliban¡¯s voice returned unflustered despite Valkasus¡¯s urgency and panic. [The things clinging to that bastard are ¡®Devils¡¯, Valkasus.] He continued with a bitter smile. [Even if he wants to die, there is bound to be at least one punk that won¡¯t let him do as he wishes.] Valkasus didn¡¯t even need to ask what that meant. -! After all, just as Dowd was about to hang himself with a whistle, the part of the roof where the noose was fixed exploded and flew away. Thanks to that, Dowd fell to the ground as there was nothing left to support his weight. As he tumbled to the ground with a Crash, someonended gently from the air. ¡°...Are you serious¡­?¡± Faenol, who was levitating in the air using her mana, let out a deep sigh as she retracted the mes wrapping around your body. ¡°I know I was busy with the Second Ordeal recently, so we haven¡¯t seen each other. But what in the world do you think you¡¯re doing? Is this seriously the first thing I need to see after meeting you for the first time in a while?¡± ¡°...¡± Dowd stared nkly at Faenol, whose body was illuminated by the moonlight. Her appearance, her dress fluttering in the night sky, was almost dreamlike. But the biggest factor that gave such a sensation to him was actually something else. He dragged his dazed gaze upwards, to something that was rising above her head. ¡®...Horns?¡¯ Though his memories were gone, hismon sense and knowledge still remained. That was why, across the continent there would be no human who¡¯d have such a thing growing out of their head. This indiscernible sight made various questions rise in his head, but¡­ For the two souls inside the Soul Linker, it was different. No one needed to exin to them anything, as they both knew that horns were a definitive symbol of a ¡®Devil¡¯. The thing she used to blow up the roof of the building was rted to that power. Karmic Fire, a Devil¡¯s Authority. The firepower of it wasn¡¯t something really worth mentioning. Because no matter how robust the buildings of Elfante were, a Devil¡¯s Authority had the power to damage even the barriers of Seraphims. Rather, the absurd part of this was¡­ [...Did she just precisely ¡®scoop out¡¯ the top part of the building with a Devil¡¯s Authority?] Valkasus let out such words with a groan. No Vessel in the world could ¡®bring out¡¯ and use a Devil¡¯s Authority however they liked in such a way. Only when a Vessel started to go berserk after getting encroached by a Fragment would such a power manifested. Her being able to use it so precisely implied a bunch of things. [...] Caliban silently watched this scene. Obviously seeing the power of a Devil he had once subjugated with his own hands wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience for him. But, more than feeling such a displeasure, he could feel a terrifying chill ran down his spine. ¡®...Didn¡¯t she say before that as she regains her emotions, her control over the Devil¡¯s power bes stronger?¡¯ Certainly¡­ The precision of her usage of the Red Devil¡¯s Authority was iparable even to back during the Crimson Night Incident. Back then, she only spread her mes indiscriminately, but now she used it with a clear purpose and she could use it in an extremely calcted manner. Then, maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­ Having fought this person once before, he had no choice but toe to an ufortable hypothesis. If that punk, for some reason¡­ Became an ¡®enemy¡¯... And if she decided to burn the world with the firepower of three Devil¡¯s Fragmentsbined, as well as such precise control over that power¡­ [...] The disaster that she could cause would be iparable to the Crimson Night Incident, when she managed to turn several cities to ashes in less than half a day. As he was thinking about this, Faenol let out a sigh while holding both sides of her waists with her hands, staring at him with squinted eyes. Each and every of her gestures exuded an exasperated atmosphere. ¡°Some people can¡¯t die even if they wish to, you know? What are you doing here? Are you trying to rub that fact in my face? Are you trying to brag?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± Dowd let out a bewildered voice. After all, this person was aplete stranger to him, someone he hadn¡¯t seen even when he had copsed and was in the infirmary. So why in the world was she acting as if he knew him? As he shot an upward nce filled with these thoughts, Faenolnded gently on the ground. Then she promptly approached and grabbed Dowd, who was sprawled on the floor, by the scruff, hoisting him up. The strength from her slender body was unimaginable, but then again, questioning such things about a Devil¡¯s Vessel was ridiculous in itself. ¡°...Uh, who are you¡­?¡± And then¡­ Faenol immediately pressed her lips against Dowd. ¡°...? ...?! ----?!¡± Startled by this, Dowd struggled fiercely, but he simply wasn¡¯t strong enough to shake Faenol off. The kiss went on and on, until he waspletely out of breath. All the while, Dowd squirmed, trying desperately to escape. ¡°...W-What, w-wait, w-what is the meaning of this¡­?¡± As soon as their lips parted, Dowd blurted out in utter shock, clearly frightened out of his wits. Though he was not certain as his memory was lost, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, as if such an event had happened before, was palpable. ¡°...I¡¯m refueling myself.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been apart from you recently, so I haven¡¯t been able to feel any thrill. My heart hasn¡¯t been racing at all.¡± Contrastingly to him, Faenol continued in an expressionless tone. To feel any kind of emotion at all was an extremely significant matter to her. It was as important as an oasis to a wanderer in the desert. Considering that the things that gave her powerful ¡®resonance¡¯ were matters specifically rted to this man¡­ Her kissing him as soon as they met wasn¡¯t even all that special of a situation. At least, that was the case for her. ¡°...¡± ¡°You said you would make me happy, so this much should be eptable, right? Count it as you taking responsibility for your words. Well, I admit that I was a little impatient.¡± ¡°...Me, to you too¡­?¡± It was dizzying. Truly. Dowd¡¯s eyes lost all focus once again. He staggered up and picked up the noose that had been discarded on the floor. ¡°...What are you nning to do with that?¡± As Faenol chuckled and asked, Dowd mumbled, half out of his mind. ¡°...As expected, it¡¯s better for something like me to just die¡­¡± ¡°Aha.¡± Faenol chuckled again upon hearing his words. ¡°With whose permission?¡± ¡°...¡± Along with such words, the noose Dowd was holding burst into mes that materialized in mid-air. Almost as if telling him such an act would never be allowed. ¡°Dowd Campbell, do not delude yourself.¡± Faenol continued with the same smiling face she always had. ¡°Your life is not solely your own.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± Some amount of alertness returned to Dowd¡¯s eyes. It was primarily due to the sheer incredulity he felt upon hearing such words. ¡°After intruding into someone else¡¯s life uninvited¡­ After taking her heart with abandon¡­ To think that you would then talk about dying as you please.¡± However, her eyes were not smiling. Rather, they shimmered with a sinister color. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too¡­selfish?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You have a duty to survive until the end. To make me happy and to find happiness for yourself as well.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you die, I shall chase you to the ends of hell to hold you ountable, so, why don¡¯t we stop with these pointless acts?¡± Faenol pressed her lips lightly against Dowd¡¯s once again. Compared to the sticky heat before, it was merely a brush on the surface. Yet the feeling terrified him so, to the point that chills ran down his spine. ¡°...That is enough, Faenol.¡± As Dowd was left breaking out in a cold sweat, such a voice cut in from the side. ¡°I will acknowledge your feat in finding this man so quickly, but I will not tolerate such a stimtion. What were you thinking? His mind is already unstable enough with the matter of the artificial soul.¡± ¡°...My apologies.¡± At the same time Faenol conceded and set Dowd back down, Sullivan entered through the door, sighing and brushing her hair back. ¡°You should not cause such trouble, Viscount Campbell. Please have some awareness that you are still a patient.¡± Her voice was warm. However, to Dowd, who had been dogged by countless women up until now, her kindness felt ominous, even frightening. ¡®...No way. Could it be¡­¡¯ Was this woman also ¡®involved¡¯ with him? ¡°...Excuse me, Chancellor, but¡­¡± Dowd asked with a trembling voice. ¡°May I inquire about the nature of my rtionship with Your Excellency¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Sullivan slightly furrowed her brow at the unexpected question. The answer that came was as if questioning why he would ask something so obvious. ¡°We had no rtion whatsoever.¡± ¡°...!¡± Dowd¡¯s expression brightened momentarily. That was right, it must be so! No matter how much of a lunatic he was before losing his memory, there must be at least one person who he had a normal rtionships with¡ª ¡°This was what you believed.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°However, I have harbored some special thoughts towards you.¡± The Chancellor said this, lightly smiling as she caressed Dowd¡¯s face with a tender touch. But to Dowd, it almost felt like the gesture of a Grim Reaper. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s stop this mess and return.¡± ¡°...Return¡­?¡± ¡°There are many who are worried about you, you see.¡± ¡°...I¡¯d rather you k-kill me, Chancellor¡­¡± Dowd, who muttered as such with unfocused eyes¡­ ¡°...?¡± Soon mped his mouth shut. It was probably because he had noticed something odd. ¡°...Chancellor?¡± Sullivan¡¯splexion, which had just previously been stern as if not a single drop of blood could be drawn from her¡­ Had suddenly turned visibly pale upon hearing those words. ¡°...Eup.¡± Then, as if trying to suppress nausea, Sullivan hastily covered her mouth. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She breathed heavily. Her face was intermingled with what seemed like sheer terror. Almost as if¡­ Some sort of ¡®trauma¡¯ had been triggered. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Both Dowd and Faenol looked on with bewildered expressions. ¡®That¡¯ very Chancellor¡­ Someone who, if she wished, could even have the Empress of the Empire grovel at her feet¡­ The woman known as the Iron-Blooded Chancellor¡­ Was now stepping back as if she were a frightened child at that single phrase Dowd had uttered. ¡°...Chancellor?¡± ¡°Take the patient away, Faenol.¡± With a tone significantly harder than before, Sullivan issued such amand. ¡°...An urgent matter¡­came up¡­so I must¡­take¡­my leave first.¡± After barely getting such words out, Sullivan quickly turned and scurried away. Rather, she practically sprinted down the corridor. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Silence lingered for a few minutes. ¡°...Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­?¡± In the wake of Sullivan¡¯s abrupt departure, Dowd and Faenol were left standing there, sharing the same look of confusion.
¡°...Chancellor?¡± Dizziness. That was the only thing Sullivan felt when she arrived in front of her quarters in Elfante. ¡°...Chancellor, are you alright?¡± Despite her attendant¡¯s repeated inquiries, Sullivan did not respond. Instead, she rushed into the room with a pallid face. And then, immediately after¡­ ¡°...Eup¡­!¡± Upon reaching the bathroom, she vomited out everything in her stomach. In her mind, ¡®old¡¯ memories of the times she had shared with someone reyed. Memories of a very distant past. Ones that shouldn¡¯t exist in ¡®this world¡¯. Those kinds of memories filled her head. -Thank you, Sullivan, as always. She remembered a certain someone¡¯s voice. -I know you are busy with Chancellor duties, but please take it easy a bit. And rely on me a bit, too. Their warmth. -...Even if they call you a ¡®Devil¡¯s Vessel¡¯ or whatever, I, at the very least, will never leave you. Smile. Memories that persisted even through the ¡®regression¡¯ of the world¡­ They assaulted her mind, consumed her consciousness. Then¡­ The phrase she had just heard echoed again. -...I¡¯d rather you k-kill me, Chancellor¡­ She knew that he didn¡¯t mean it when he said so. Both situations were entirely different, and she knew better than anyone that there wasn¡¯t any real intent behind his words. Still¡­ ¡°...¡± For her, it was a nightmarish experience. All the precious memories she remembered¡­ Was now being overshadowed by that one single phrase uttered by the ¡®same person¡¯... Turning them into the most horrific scene. -I¡¯m begging you. It was a rainy day. She remembered the awfully obliterated Imperial Pce. And the figure of a certain man, breathing faintly in her arms. -Please, I¡¯m begging you. -I¡¯m so sorry, but I¡¯m just in so¡­ so much pain¡­ -...Could you please just kill me instead? The smell of blood on her hands, the stench of entrails on her feet. And the sight of Dowd Campbell, who had pleaded to her with a smile that he had barely managed to form. As soon as those memories, covered in dust on the other side of consciousness, started reying¡­ ¡°...Eu-...Eup¡­-!¡± With tears staining her face, Sullivan continued to vomit violently. After a long while, she had nothing left to throw up. But despite this, the nausea persisted. ¡°...¡± How long had she continued as such? Completely drained, Sullivan copsed right then and there. ¡°...No. This time¡­¡± Her voice, mixed with sobs, barely managed to let out a whisper. ¡°In this world¡­ No¡­ It won¡¯t happen¡­¡± In an incessantly absent-minded state¡­ ¡°I can protect him¡­¡± The Golden Chancellor murmured as if whimpering. ¡°I won¡¯t let him die¡­¡± She would make sure of it. No matter the cost. Even if she had to sacrifice everything. No Devil, no damned Prophet, no Empress, no Pope, none of them¡­ Could ever take Dowd Campbell away from her. ¡®...At the very least, not this time¡­¡¯ Gasping for breath, Sullivan clung to that resolve as a faint golden Demonic Aura glimmered around her /genesisforsaken Chapter 174: Play (4) Chapter 174: y (4) My tour of Yuria¡¯s mansion finally came to an end when the evening came and the sun started to set. Well, technically, it was the time when the artificial lighting began to dim. ¡°...¡± Although when one looked up toward the sky one could see something that seemed to resemble a sun, a closer look would reveal that it was merely an artificially created sculpture that moved ording to some kind of mechanism. Basically, it implied that the facility itself was hidden deep underground. ¡®Such a paranoid setup.¡¯ ¡°I believe that should give you a good understanding of the mansion, Mr. Servant.¡± Young Yuria said so with confidence as she cleared her throat to add to the ir. Seeing how proud she looked as she introduced me to the entire ce, I couldn¡¯t help but smile like a proud dad and apuded her in spite of myself.And that seemed to inte the punk¡¯s pride even more as she puffed out her chest, exhaling a ¡®Hmph¡¯ proudly with her nose. When I patted her head, though, she quickly straightened her face. ¡°...What is the meaning of this? Are you treating me like a child?¡± ¡°...¡± I wanted to ask that myself. Seriously, why was I doing this to her? She was still technically my employer. I¡¯ve noticed this for a while now, but it seemed like I had a tendency to dote on children a bit too much. Especially when they gave off the vibe of a younger sibling. ¡°...¡± It reminded me of the good old days. The thought made me let out a bitter smile inwardly. Shaking off such musings, I beamed at Yuria, pulling the back of my hand from her head. ¡°I apologize. Did I upset you?¡± However, as soon as I uttered those words, Yuria grabbed my hand. When I looked at her with a puzzled expression, she mumbled for a while before finally managing to speak. ¡°...I did not ask for you to stop.¡± ¡°...¡± It seemed like it didn¡¯t matter whether she was my superior or not. In the end, she was still just a kid. I continued to stroke her hair until it became all tousled. A content expression appeared on her face, reminding me of a purring cat. ¡®...This is beyond just being generous to her employee. She¡¯s justx to them.¡¯ At this point, I couldn¡¯t even tell who the employer was. Like, it was her who came to wake me up after I overslept. It was also her who had a busier day than me, doing everything while teaching me how to do my duties. While I was thinking as such, I started to notice the stares from others around us. ¡°...¡± They seemed to be really, truly displeased with how close I was to her¡­ As if they found my interest in this ¡®thing¡¯ diforting. ¡°...It is about time you go to bed. My Lady.¡± Unable to hold back my surging irritation, I blurted as such. I just wanted to separate her from these other bastards. But when she heard my words, her expression quickly darkened. ¡°...?¡± What¡¯s this? Did I say something wrong? ¡°A-Alrea¡­dy?¡± Her stutters made me cock my head in response. ¡°You have shown me the entire structure of the mansion and it is getting quitete, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...T-There m-might still be ces in the m-mansion we h-hav¡­ haven¡¯t¡­¡± As I watched her struggling to continue her words, I realized something. I didn¡¯t say something wrong. She was just afraid of being separated by me. ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t know why she felt that way, but there was a simple solution for this. ¡°...Then, how about we do something special? I¡¯ll tuck you in for tonight, My Lady.¡± ¡°...!¡± Seeing as her expression instantly brightened, it seemed I had made the right choice.
¡°...and so, the Princess lived happily ever after with the Prince.¡± I was familiar with the act, but this was actually the first time I¡¯ve ever told a bedtime story. It was a ssic story. A princess, persecuted by the world, was eventually saved by a prince on a white horse. Afterwards, it continued to a pleasant happy ending that was found in a lot of other fairy tales. ¡°...¡± However, despite it being a clich¨¦, Yuria¡¯s eyes sparkled with an unmatched brilliance after she heard it.. ¡°What a beautiful story¡­¡± ¡°...You think so?¡± ¡°Yes. Especially the part where the Prince marries 12 Princesses all at once was particrly memorable.¡± ¡°...¡± Right. There was something like that in the story. Seriously, whoever thought that it would be a good idea to add such bullshit to a children¡¯s fairy tale must be out of their goddamn minds. ¡°The way the Prince seduced the women easily felt a bit iffy to me. There¡¯s also the way he effortlessly overcame all the obstacles. Oh yeah, he also yed around with all those women he seduced like a libertine. Despite that, it was still a beautiful story¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Strange. For some reason, my heart felt heavy. As I pondered the reason why the phenomenon urred, Yuria spoke up again, albeit hesitantly. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Servant.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± ¡°Do you think a prince like that wille for me as well?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing those words, I was instantly rendered speechless. Uh¡­ I¡¯d rather not convey such a harsh reality to her, but in her near future, she¡¯d be ridden by a storm of blood and tragedy that was caused by her making contact with Severer. Such a ¡®stage¡¯ was likely orchestrated by the Pope to awaken her role as the ¡®Talisman¡¯. ¡°...¡± And from my perspective, who roughly knew such contents¡­ I couldn¡¯t bring myself to utter even empty promises about princes and such. Because just the thought of me doing that was already enough to make me feel like a massive asshole. !!! Warning !!! [ Rebellious intent detected from the target. ] [ This knowledge is not supposed to be known by the ¡®exclusively contracted servant¡¯. ] [ Do not disclose this! ] [ Do not break character! ] ¡°...¡± I looked at the red warning window that appeared before me with a bitter smile. It seemed like I couldn¡¯t even speak of it in the first ce. After all, I was under a restriction to not break ¡®character¡¯. And, most of all¡­ Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t feel all that sorry if the people here all just dropped dead. This ce was a gathering of the dregs of humanity anyway. Scums who didn¡¯t even deserve to exist. At least I thought so. Although Yuria might feel guiltyter about cutting them apart, I would rather she didn¡¯t know about any of this. That was how fucked up these people were. As I was thinking this, Yuria opened her mouth with a dull voice. ¡°Right now, the only person by my side is Unni, you see.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°...This is the first time someone has indulged me like you have, Mr. Servant.¡± I looked at Yuria with a dumbfounded expression as she mped her mouth shut. ¡®...She definitely said¡­¡¯ ¡®Only¡¯. Which meant she knew that she was isted in this mansion. ¡°...My Lady, what do you¡ª¡± ¡°...I already know that I¡¯m all alone here.¡± Yuria spoke in a calm voice. ¡°ording to doctrine, life is sacred. The most sacred union that humans can create. And ording to such a doctrine¡­ I am just a lowly creature¡­created ¡®out of necessity¡¯...without even a mother or father.¡± Right now¡­ What she was trying to say was that she was something that deserved contempt from those around her. That she was aware of this matter, painfully so. This young child was reciting those cruel words so inly. ¡°...As such, I should notin and I should not be sad. I cannot be a burden to those who treat even something like me kindly with a smile.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I must fulfill¡­my role¡­the duty given to me.¡± Seeing her forced smile made me lose my words. ¡°His Holiness and Unni will be visiting soon. When that timees¡­ I¡¯ll be able to repay the kindness I¡¯ve received.¡± She described her life, trapped in a bird cage, as a result of some kind of kindness. That was enough for me to notice. But it was far clearer from the nuance that she exuded with every word. She already knew. That there was not a single person in the mansion who genuinely cared for her or wished her well. The purpose for which she was created was never in her best interests. And that in a few days, the Pope would bring Lucia, and it would most definitely not be anything beneficial to her. ¡°...¡± When thinking about it, the reason she was so gentle with me throughout the mansion tour¡­ The reason why the person who was supposedly the owner of the mansion showed such an attitude to a mere exclusively contracted servant¡­ Was because she herself understood her ¡®circumstances¡¯, so she was just being as kind as possible. But then, that raised a question. ¡®...Why?¡¯ Why would she go to such lengths? Why did she ept such facts so calmly? ¡°...¡± Given the personality I had seen from her so far¡­ There was only one reason that came to mind¡­ It was simply because¡­ She had no other choice. From the very beginning, she was never given an environment where she could choose a different path. ¡®...That¡¯s just¡­¡¯ ¡®Horrible¡­way too horrible¡­¡¯ She was still a little kid. At this age, she should be sulking in her parents¡¯ arms as they gave her an overflowing amount of love. What she should do was to learn about the world, to fall down and get back up, to grow and develop without a worry. But to be trapped in such a cage for a specific purpose, isted, and ultimately needing to sacrifice herself for those who didn¡¯t even give her a speck of love¡­ For such a precocious child, who epted all those atrocities and even acted as kindly as possible of her own will, to meet such an end¡­ That was¡­ Far too terrible of an ending¡­ ¡°...Still.¡± While I was lost in such thoughts, Yuria continued with the same t voice. ¡°...I am truly lucky to have met¡­a good person like you¡­Mr. Servant.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You seem a bit different from others, Mr. Servant.¡± As I listened quietly to her words¡­ It suddenly made me realize something. ¡°...¡± I summoned a window before me. < Event Info > ?Sweet y? [ Persuade target ¡®Yuria/White Devil¡¯. ] [ Your assigned ¡®role¡¯ is ¡®Lady Yuria¡¯s exclusively contracted servant¡¯. Do not break character! ] [ A time limit of 3 days is given. If you break character or fail to escape the Image World within that time, you will be trapped in the world in question forever! ] [ Prevent the tragedy that will befall target ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] I focused particrly on thest line, reading through it once more. Now it began to click for me. The reason why the White Devil had shoved me in here. And what she exactly did expect from me. ¡®...You want me to prevent a tragedy, huh?¡¯ As I confirmed once already with Riru and the Blue Devil¡¯s rtionship¡­ The rtionship between a ¡®Devil¡¯ and a ¡®Vessel¡¯ was much, much closer than I thought. There were exceptions like Seras and the Purple Devil, but they were the only ones like that, so I could put them aside. Anyway, in regards to the White Devil¡­ She wanted Yuria to see a ¡®happy scene¡¯ from her most nightmarish past. That was why¡­ ¡°...My Lady.¡± What I had to do here was clear. I smiled back at Yuria, who was trying so desperately to smile. ¡°Do not worry too much.¡± Upon hearing my words, Yuria gave me a weak smile. ¡°...Mr. Servant, you really are a good person.¡± She probably thought that my encouragement was futile. After all, she already knew that a great misfortune would befall her in the next few days. Since the orchestrator of that event was none other than the Pope, a figure that was no different from a natural disaster, she knew it could not possibly be stopped. However¡­ I was not just making empty promises. ¡°I will save you.¡± ¡°...?¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes widened. She seemed unsure of what exactly I was trying to say, ¡°You see, while you might feel iffy to see the Prince seducing all the women around him, while you might find it strange that he ovees all those obstacles effortlessly¡­ While he will be the crazy bastard who ys around with all those women he seduced like some sort of libertine¡­¡± ¡°...E-Excuse me¡­?¡± I continued speaking to the dumbfounded Yuria. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure about being a prince on a white horse. Because I didn¡¯t really have any confidence in ying that kind of role. However¡­ ¡°Such a bastard will definitelye for you.¡± If it was a superman on a white horse, I should be able to manage it. By superman I meant someone who was able topletely overturn a decided course of a /genesisforsaken Chapter 175: Play (5) Chapter 175: y (5) ¡°...Eh?¡± Lana tilted her head as she opened her mouth. ¡°Mr. Dowd, you seem a bit out of it.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya couldn¡¯t agree more with her words. She looked at the dazed Dowd standing beside her, letting out a bitter smile. While it was good that Sullivan and Faenol managed to find him before Atnte started smashing the Devil¡¯s Vessel¡¯s heads, he had almost always been in this state since then. It was as if he had lost his mind, only staring nkly at space. At this rate, there was no way anything good woulde out of the Second Ordeal.¡°...¡± When she looked at the massive force field spread around them, Iliya let out a sigh. Compared to the impressive artificial dungeon shown in Elfante, it was just a huge, incredibly tough hemispherical force field, but that was the thing that made it even scarier. Because just from the sheer size of it implied that there was an entity that ¡®could only be imprisoned¡¯ with something like that. If the First Ordeal¡¯s goal was to test the candidates¡¯ boldness and courage, the Second Ordeal¡¯s goal was to test their patience, nning, and quick thinking. Or so they said. And so, because of that¡­ ¡®...We have to survive among Demonic Creatures without any protection whatsoever.¡¯ When she remembered how the ordeal would go, Iliya let out another sigh. They would push the candidates into the areas near the Forge of Struggle that was infested with Demonic Creatures. Those candidates could only rely on their bare bodies to survive for two whole days. Not only that, they also made the Demonic Creatures to be more aggressive than usual. Considering that those candidates were people who hadn¡¯t even reached adulthood, only people who were out of their mind would think that they could withstand such a situation. However, that was how heavy of a burden the title ¡®Hero¡¯ was. And even after all that, there was still another problem. ¡°Miss Iliya, Mr. Dowd, since you both were ranked first in theprehensive score of the previous ordeal, the other candidates will definitely try their best to hold you in check. Will you be alright?¡± ¡°...There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll be alright.¡± Iliya said that as she looked around. The other candidates, who would soon enter the hemispheric force field with them, had ominous glints in their eyes. And¡­ ¡°...¡± Just like before, in the ¡®spectator seats¡¯ set up in the sky, the Empress of the Empire, War Chief Utad of the Tribal Alliance, and Archbishop Luminol of the Holy Land were sitting side by side. Thest figure in particr was a problem. Because the gaze he sent to Dowd made it seem like he was his sworn enemy. ¡®...I understand where he came from, though.¡¯ Iliya broke out in a cold sweat as she inwardly murmured to herself. If anything, considering what Dowd had done to Lana in the previous ordeal, it would be strange if he didn¡¯t act like this. After all, he was her father. They¡¯d be really lucky if he didn¡¯t tantly try to mess with them during this ordeal. ¡°...There shouldn¡¯t be any big issues, though¡­¡± As soon as she muttered that, Lana sharply turned her head and looked at Iliya. Her timing was actually scary. ¡°Huh, Miss Iliya?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Before, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems, but since you said that, something will definitely happen now.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®What the hell is she saying?¡¯ Iliya red at Lana with narrowed eyes. ¡°...Stop telling such an ominous joke.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking!¡± Lana continued with a grin that didn¡¯t fit the sentence she just spoke. ¡°They often told me that I have a good sense for things!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So, if there¡¯s something I¡¯m confident of, it¡¯s safe to say that it¡¯ll happen!¡± ¡®Please, I beg you.¡¯ ¡®Stop talking about such a meaningful foreboding with a smile!¡¯ ¡®Seriously¡­¡¯ Iliya sighed inwardly as she looked over at Dowd, who was still in a daze. ¡®...When will youe back, Teach?¡¯ ¡®If you don¡¯te back soon, things will turn very messy!¡¯ She felt that in her very bones.
System Message [ The ¡®Sweet y¡¯ event is at its most critical juncture. ] [ You must prevent tragedy from befalling target ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] I let out a chuckle upon seeing that window pop up. It felt like I was being yelled straight in my ear. How should I put it? It felt like the White Devil kept giving me warnings such as, ¡¯. ¡°...His Holiness ising.¡± Yuria said as she saw the elevatoring down from above the mansion. Although she seemed to disy theposed expression she always tried to maintain, her hands were trembling pitifully. No matter how strong-willed and mature she tried to be, she was still a kid. There was no way she could attain perfect control at her age. And next to her¡­ I was staring nkly at empty air. ¡°By the way, what exactly has Mr. Servant been doing since earlier?¡± ¡°I am checking the time, My Lady.¡± ¡°...?¡± Yuria¡¯s face seemed to be asking why I was staring at air instead of looking at a clock if I was checking the time. Well, that was because what I was actually checking were the numbers next to the ¡®System Window¡¯. I wasn¡¯t trying to gauge how much time had passed here, but what time it was ¡®outside¡¯. ¡®...Has the Second Ordeal started by now?¡¯ Considering all the various conditions and elements, this should be around the time when Iliya would be forced into the Second Ordeal. ¡°...¡± Which meant, I had to get out of here quickly. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure what would happen to her in the Second Ordeal, but strictly speaking, this Main Quest was Iliya¡¯s show. In other words, she was the most important person in the scenario and the one who would be prioritized the most. ¡°...¡± Of course, that didn¡¯t mean I nned to neglect this current quest. But, given the circumstances¡­ I probably needed to resort to a rather drastic method. ¡°Mr. Servant.¡± As I was thinking that, Yuria tugged mypel to get my attention. In front of our eyes was the Pope, descending in the elevator. While he was wearing a different outfit than I remembered, I could recognize his detestable mug in an instant. ¡°...¡± And then, I closely observed the sword wrapped in a sealing device that he held in both hands. Severer. The sword that Yuria would continue to carry with her from this moment afterwards. Despite it being covered in so manyyers of seals, I could still feel the ominous feeling it gave off from a nce. Even Yuria flinched a moment and started to tremble when she saw its appearance. ¡°...I¡¯ll be back.¡± Yet, she still forced a smile on her face. A pitiful-looking smile. Her voice sounded as if it was squeezed out with much difficulty as she tried her hardest to suppress her fear. She herself knew the impact it would have on her, that was why she reacted like that. ¡°...¡± From here onward, I already knew what would happen. The Pope would guide Yuria to grasp the Severer and then force her to ughter everyone in the mansion. And the event would leave an incredibly deep trauma in her heart. Which meant¡­ I had to prevent it from happening with all my might. ¡°...¡± Normally, I wouldn¡¯t even think of attempting this method. All the more so when the White Devil had struck all sorts of restrictions on me, telling me to not break character or whatever. And even if I were to disregard all those¡­ I¡¯d still need to gamble for my desired aftermath. But, it should work somehow if I just go for it, right? I mean, when had I ever thought things through before pulling some kind of bullshit anyway? ¡®...Alright.¡¯ I confirmed the means I needed to take to achieve my ns. Well, you see, I¡¯ve been saving something for this exact moment. System Message [ ¡®Skill Copy Ticket¡¯ is used! ] [ You can copy 1 skill from target ¡®Yuria¡¯! ] It didn¡¯t take all that long to find the skill I was looking for. System Message [ ¡®Skill: Curse of Severance¡¯ is copied! ] [ You will attack anyone whoes within three steps indiscriminately! ] [ The effect in question will ur if you grab ¡®Severer¡¯! ] There we go. That was what I was talking about.
¡°Have you been well, Yuria?¡± When the Pope approached her, saying those words, Yuria¡¯s body jerked. His voice was polite, proper and rather melodious. He delivered it in such a manner as if he always spoke this way. Some might say it was a demeanor befitting someone at the pinnacle of all clergymen. But to Yuria, it was nothing more than the slither of a snake. ¡°Today is the scheduled day for your glorious ascension, Yuria.¡± With a faint smile, the Pope extended something to her. It was a long sword. So long that it seemed almost as tall as her height. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try holding it for now? It¡¯s an object I¡¯ve prepared just for you.¡± ¡°...Um, Your Holiness¡­¡± Yuria spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°...D-Do I¡­have to hold it?¡± I don¡¯t want to. It looks like it will hurt me. I¡¯m scared. Something terrible will definitely happen as soon as I hold it.. Such was the thought behind her words. ¡°...Yuria.¡± Her body couldn¡¯t help but flinch again at the Pope¡¯s voice. His demeanor was still gentle. However, the eyes gazing down at her¡­ Those eyes that looked as if there wasn¡¯t even a hint of hostility in them¡­ Felt like a cold gaze that was skinning her alive. Contained in it was a pressure with the notion that the ¡®worth of her existence¡¯id only in this. ¡°Are you nning to neglect the duty assigned to you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten that it was the Order that fed and raised you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Are you thinking of bing a bad child who turns their back on kindness and favor?¡± ¡°...N-No¡­¡± Hearing her response as she trembled, the Pope showed a kind smile once again. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear, Yuria. Our Yuria is indeed a good child.¡± ¡°...¡± Yuria tightly closed her eyes as the sword was extended in front of her again. ¡®...Mr. Servant.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t sure why that person came to mind. But strangely, at such a terrifying moment, she was reminded of his existence, the most reliable presence, even more than her sister. ¡°...¡± However¡­ The oue of the y had already been determined. No one could help her. It was her fate to ept the impending tragedy. So, she reached out towards the sword with trembling hands. ¡°...?¡± But then¡­ Before she could even grab it¡­ She could hear someone¡¯s footsteps from close by. ¡°...Mr. Servant?¡± Upon seeing the man who approached her from the side, Yuria reflexively let out a bewildered voice. ¡°What are¡ª?¡± Before she could even finish her question, his hand already grabbed the hilt of the Severer held by the Pope. Following that, the ¡®curse¡¯ contained in the sword surged through Dowd¡¯s body. An age-old curse that had festered for centuries began to encroach his body. Originally, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for a human corrupted by such a curse to go mad from the pain and die immediately. But instead, Dowd just casually drew the sword. As if all the experience of someone who had dealt with the curse countless time before had been ¡®transferred¡¯ to him. Then¡­ ¡°Yap.¡± With a Swoosh¡­ He swung it towards the Pope. The edge of Severer smoothly passed through his neck. Its movement was fluid, as if cutting through water. Thud, Rolllll. The Pope¡¯s head rolled on the ground, apanied by a graceless noise. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± As blood spurted with a Pwoosh-... Silence settled heavily in the surroundings. Heavy, and deep silence. It went on. And on. ¡°...Hm¡± While everyone was stunned in a daze upon watching this scene, the man who caused it opened his mouth with an ever so nonchnt voice. ¡°As expected, a y needs some kind of a twist.¡± At the same time he uttered such words¡­ Hell unfolded in the /genesisforsaken Chapter 176: Deus Ex Machina (1) Chapter 176: Deus Ex Machina (1) ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Whenever and wherever these two were together, a suffocating silence always seemed to emerge. Such thought upied Faenol¡¯s mind as she alternated her gaze between Sullivan and Eleanor, who was silently ring at each other. Though they gathered here out of necessity, it was still hard for Faenol to stay in the same room with those two. Mostly because she still couldn¡¯t adapt to such a tense atmosphere. Nheless, she was a genius mage even among the powerhouses of the entire continent. Even in such an uneasy ambience, she still managed to fulfill the task she had to undergo. ¡°...All preparations areplete.¡± Faenol said as she stepped back from the barrier she had created. Yuria, who was in a deep slumber with her eyes tightly closed, wasid in its center.Ever since the First Ordeal ended, when both her and Dowd lost consciousness, she had not opened her eyes even once. Sullivan, who had been quietly observing her, turned around to look at Eleanor. ¡°...As I have exined before, what you need to do is simple. If you are ready, just step onto the Transmission Array ced in the center of this barrier.¡± ¡°From my understanding, while it¡¯s an easy thing to grasp, it isn¡¯t necessarily easy to achieve, Chancellor.¡± Eleanor said in a t tone, which prompted a bitter smile on Sullivan¡¯s face. She was right. There was a reason why Sullivan even mentioned the possibility of it reaping her life when she first called upon her. ¡°Have you fully understood the risks involved, Lady Tristan?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...¡± Upon hearing her shamelessly confident reply, Sullivan mped her mouth shut. ¡°To be perfectly honest, Chancellor, everything that you said went in one ear and went out the other. It was all too far-fetched of a theory.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Then again, it isn¡¯t like I need to know much, don¡¯t you think so too?¡± Eleanor let out a sigh before continuing. ¡°Dowd is in danger. It might be a risk to my own life, but you need me to save him. That¡¯s enough of a reason for me.¡± ¡°...¡± She wasn¡¯t wrong, but¡­ There were still things that needed to be properly straightened out. ¡°...You can¡¯t take this matter lightly, Lady Tristan.¡± Sullivan continued with a sigh. ¡°Within here is an Image World constructed by the White Devil. A ce where mortals of the Material Realm shouldn¡¯t even dare to approach. Inside, the power that the White Devil holds is no different than a god¡¯s.¡± That certainly was true. Faenol inwardly conceded with a bitter smile. The White Devil was known to have the most dominant ¡®mental¡¯ Authority even among the Devils. After all, controlling minds was the core of the being¡¯s Authority. What they were doing was essentially ¡®forcibly shoving¡¯ Eleanor into such a space to retrieve Dowd. It was a n so absurd that only those out of their minds could evere up with it, let alone agree to it. ¡°...Given that you are capable of hosting the most powerful entity even among the Kings of Pandemonium, your chances of holding your ground are considerably high. This is why we are requesting you to do it. There¡¯s no one else but you who can do it.¡± Eleanor¡¯s expression crumpled slightly at her words. Devil. Kings of Pandemonium. Both the unidentifiable Cursed Speech User and Chancellor Sullivan had mentioned such terms. Telling her that something like that was harbored inside her body. And how that something was somehow rted to her mother. Furthermore¡­ As far as Eleanor knew¡­ There was only one person who knew the full truth behind all these ims. Someone who was likely entangled in everything rted to such a topic. ¡®...Duke Tristan.¡¯ Gideon Galestead La Tristan. Her father. The next time they met¡­ Eleanor swore that she¡¯d try to find out exactly what all that meant. She was quietly lost in such thoughts when another sentence flew her way. ¡°At any rate, you must brace yourself. Even though they were both Devils, your safety still isn¡¯t guaranteed since you are dealing with a different¡ª¡± Just before Sullivan could continue her words, Yuria¡¯s body suddenly twitched. Given herpleteck of movement until this moment, this was a rather dramatic reactioning from her. That was why everyone¡¯s body turned frozen stiff as they watched her closely. Not long after that¡­ -! -!! As if trying to dere that she didn¡¯t move for no reason, the barrier Faenol had deployed started to violently shake. So much so that the expressions of all three women inside the room were instantly filled with rm. ¡°...Faenol. This¡­?¡± At the Chancellor¡¯s question, Faenol hurriedly inspected the barrier. Then, she replied in a grave tone. ¡°...It seems something serious is happening inside.¡± ¡°Something serious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure what exactly it is, but what I¡¯m sure of is that the creator of this Image World is extremely angry. If this continues¡­¡± Faenol trailed off. It was as if she could not bear to voice the following words. ¡°...The Image World might bepletely distorted¡­ And Dowd Campbell¡¯s soul could be destroyed forever.¡± ¡°...!¡± Sullivan and Eleanor¡¯s eyes widened simultaneously. ¡°...Then I must go in immediately.¡± At Eleanor¡¯s words, Faenol added urgently. ¡°Please wait a moment, Lady Tristan. The situation is too unstable for you to go, you will definitely die if you do. I¡¯ll calm the barrier down as quickly as I can, so¡ª¡± ¡°Won¡¯t the probability of him getting hurt increase while you are stabilizing the barrier?¡± ¡°...Yes, but his odds are better than yours. If you dive in right now, it¡¯s a certain death for you.¡± Despite Faenol¡¯s urgent warning¡­ Eleanor just shrugged her shoulders and replied nonchntly. ¡°Then, let us just hedge our bets on me dying.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Better that than the increasing probability of that man¡¯s death.¡± With those words¡­ Eleanor dashed into the violently shaking barrier. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®That crazy bitch.¡¯ Those words came to both Sullivan and Faenol¡¯s mind.
!!!!!! Warning !!!!!! [ You have broken ¡®character¡¯! ] [ A penalty will be given! ] [ The chance of escaping from the Image Space is significantly reduced! ] At the same time that message appeared before my eyes, screams poured out from all directions. ¡°YOUR HOLINESS! YOUR HOLINESSSSSS-!¡± ¡°Call the physician! A-Activate the s-security system!¡± As the Pope¡¯s head rolled on the floor, chaos erupted all around, apanied by a symphony of screams. Then, throughout the mansion, armed personnel, various types of Attack Spells, Graces, and Homunicli that had turned hostile¡­ And so on, and so on¡­ So many things going on at once, I couldn¡¯t even grasp what was what anymore. Well, the one thing that was clear was the fact that the entire mansion had turned into my enemy. ¡°...Mr¡­ Servant¡­?¡± I heard Yuria¡¯s voice as she stared nkly at me. ¡°Look, My Lady.¡± I turned to her, letting out a gentle smile. ¡°Do you know what is far more hellish than being left all alone in the world?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Being surrounded by people who make you feel alone.¡± ¡°...¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°So¡­¡± I continued with a chuckle. ¡°...From now on, I shall remove such obstacles for you.¡± Honestly, I didn¡¯t intend to go this far. But fuck it, I hated everything here. Young Yuria. The environment that seemed to imprison and ¡®rear¡¯ her. And the attitude of those who seemed to despise her. Every. Single. Thing. I hated them all. Because it reminded me of my ¡®past¡¯. ¡°...¡± I took a deep breath and grasped Severer. Thanks to the copied skill, the burden on my body felt lighter than expected. Let¡¯s see, what I needed to do was to prevent a tragedy to befall Yuria, right? Since that was the case, I had a simple method to solve everything. Kill them all before she killed them, ¡°You will not die peacefully, you damn traitor!¡± ¡°Everyone, surround them! We must capture them alive!¡± Them trying to capture us alive didn¡¯t mean they were trying to show us mercy. They just wanted to make us suffer before killing us. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] System Message [ ¡®Tristan Style Swordsmanship¡¯ is applied. ] [ The proficiency and power of your swordsmanship has increased! ] System Message [ ¡®Curse of Severance¡¯ is currently applied! ] Since I wasn¡¯t holding Soul Linker, my mana reserves couldn¡¯t be supplemented, so I couldn¡¯t use any divine-rted skills. But if this was just a simple meleebat, with the skills I had ess to right now, there weren¡¯t many people who could match me. Not even the powerhouses. Considering that I even possessed the Curse of Severance that was able to decapitate the Pope in an instant¡­ -! With just a single sh¡­ The line that the sword drew ¡®sliced away¡¯ a part of the mansion. All people within the range were swept away as well, turning into little chunks of flesh. Normally, you¡¯d need Eleanor-level stats to be able to change the scenery with just a swing of the sword. But with thebination of Severer, Desperation and Tristan Style Swordsmanship, I managed to mimic something simr to that. ¡°M-Monster¡­!¡± ¡°What in the world is that¡­!¡± I heard such screams and remarks clearly, but¡­ Instead of responding to them, I just sliced through everyone like I was cutting meat.t. Fountains of blood sprayed and human flesh flew everywhere, making me feel somewhat nauseous. But honestly, I wasn¡¯t all that affected. It would probably be different if this was reality, but this was just an Image World. Basically, it was nothing more than an illusion created by the White Devil. There was just one problem, though. It was clear that a certain someone was really displeased with what I was doing. !!!!!! Warning !!!!!! [ Return to your ¡®role¡¯ immediately! ] [ Return to your ¡®role¡¯ immediately! ] [ Return to your ¡®role¡¯ immediately! ] [ Return to yo- ] The size of the red window in front of me grewrger andrger. It almost seemed like it was screaming at me. However, I just ignored it and continued to sh. To cut, to kill, to stter blood all around me. Then, soon after¡­ System Messa- Just as another Message Window was about to appear¡­ [Mate, what are you doing?] It got ¡®intercepted¡¯ by something. Following that¡­ ¡®Everything¡¯, including myself, came to a halt. As if a transcendent being had intervened. ¡°...¡± I inwardly let out a sigh. Originally, only the Grey Devil could do these kinds of things, but within a ¡®world of their own creation¡¯, there was a punk who might be capable of simr actions. [I am fairly certain I told you to maintain your role, didn¡¯t I?] Along with those words¡­ A ¡®Devil¡¯ emitting a blinding white light tore through space and popped out before me. It was the White Devil, assuming Yuria¡¯s form. ¡°...¡± There we go. This was what I had been waiting for. I knew if I caused enough of a shitfest, this punk woulde by. Her piercing eyes glowed fiercely. While maintaining a cold gaze that seemed to chill my heart just by seeing it, the being approached me. Then, after lifting my chin, she forced me to look into her eyes. [I shall allow you to speak, so tell me. Why did you ignore the warning?] At the same time, my ability to move returned slightly. I could barely open my mouth, but I still managed to somehow spit out a sentence. ¡°It was suffocating.¡± [...What?] ¡°Why ce such restrictions like a ¡®role¡¯ in the first ce?¡± The White Devil¡¯s face twitched at my words. ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it? If you wanted to prevent something from happening to Yuria, there was no need for such constraints. It only limits the range of actions I can take, it also doesn¡¯t fit the goal.¡± [...] ¡°And why bother going out of your way to emphasize it to me?¡± What exactly she was nning, I couldn¡¯t say. But her concern for Yuria was genuine. Creating this Image World and ¡®reforming¡¯ Yuria¡¯s past to induce some positive effect was evident. However¡­ Regarding this role¡­ ¡°You have an ulterior motive, don¡¯t you?¡± If she didn¡¯t¡­ She wouldn¡¯t need to impose such restrictions on me. There was only one function that could be expected as a result of that. It allowed the White Devil to naturally ¡®anchor¡¯ me to the world she created¡­ To manipte me however she pleased. In the case of the White Devil, known for her intense obsession and desire to control even among the Devils, providing such a ¡®pretext¡¯ meant the fallout could be unpredictable. [...] The White Devil¡¯s face continued to twitch. [...I¡­] After a prolonged silence, she barely managed to open her mouth. While grinding her teeth, she opened her mouth. [Just wanted to change you.] ¡°Change what?¡± [...The future you are heading towards. The past of the Vessel I inhabit.] ¡°...What is that supposed to mean?¡± [...] She fell silent again. This time, the silencested much longer Then, she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. As if to shake off an unwee memory. One that she never wished to recall again. [...Be quiet. At any rate, you have vited the restriction I set.] With that, the White Devil raised her hand towards me. [That means I can rightfully strip your soul of its ownership. And that wouldn¡¯t even constitute a breach in our¡­ ¡®agreement¡¯.] ¡°...¡± ¡­Agreement? Another iprehensible term was thrown out. But given the atmosphere, it seemed unlikely she¡¯d exin anything to me. Demonic Aura started to gather in her hand. [...Though the method was not what I expected¡­] She muttered quietly. [This time, we can finally be together for¡ª] However, before she could even finish her sentence¡­ -! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The space¡­ Was warped, twisted, and shattered¡­ Then, it was ¡®swept away¡¯. Pure darkness took its ce in our surroundings, akin to the abyss I had seen when I first entered here. As if someone¡¯s ¡®arrival¡¯ hadpletely destroyed the Image World. [What¡­!] A cry of astonishment escaped the White Devil¡¯s lips. In an Image World that she created using her mental power, she should be able to hold full control over it. That should be an undeniable fact, an unshakeable truth. After all, what kind of existence could possibly tear through and enter with such ease? So, when the horrified punk turned around¡­ ¡°You.¡± There¡­ Stood a familiar face. ¡°[What were you intending to do with Dowd?]¡± With those words¡­ A grey aura started to explode around /genesisforsaken Chapter 177: Deus Ex Machina (2) Chapter 177: Deus Ex Machina (2) ¡°...Ummmm¡­¡± Iliya looked around with a pained expression, as if she had a headache. She understood the concept of Second Ordeal well. To put it simply, it was a battle royale where one had to survive in harsh terrain. It was obvious that they would be thrown into an area swarmed with Demonic Creatures with only a simple bundle of survival tools. In that regard, the current situation was definitely something she couldn¡¯t grasp, even if she mustered all themon sense she possessed. ¡°...Where on earth did you get all those?¡± When Iliya asked that in a troubled voice, one of the men surrounding her spun the longsword in his hand without answering. ¡°...¡±¡®No, seriously!¡¯ ¡®I thought this is a test of survival where we¡¯re supposed to go barehanded?¡¯ ¡®But those guys are fully armed! They clearly want to kill us!¡¯ ¡®No matter how I look at it, these people didn¡¯t barge their way into the Hero Selection ¡®fairly¡¯ at all!¡¯ ¡®Is this the thing that Lana was so smug about?¡¯ ¡°...¡± After looking at the sunlight that was reflected off their longswords and armors, Iliya looked down at her own attire. Cloth boots, pants and top. Compared to the opposition¡¯s gear, which wouldn¡¯t look out of ce even on a real battlefield, hers looked more like a farmer¡¯s attire. If someone had the power to get these kinds of people into the Hero Selection, that meant they were incredibly powerful. That also meant their minions wouldn¡¯t be ordinary folks. Even for her, facing such skilled individuals with just this kind of equipment, she¡¯d need to risk her life to even begin. ¡°Excuse me, could you at least tell me why you are doing this?¡± ¡°Iliya Krisanax, you are not our target.¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°You can still walk away. We shall spare you if you do.¡± The man who said this then pointed his sword at Dowd, who looked as if he had lost his soul. ¡°Our target is that man. Keep quiet and step back. We can at least spare your life then. Killing a Hero Candidate would cause quite the aftermath, so we¡¯d rather not do it if we have the choice.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Their target is Teach, huh?¡¯ Iliya nodded solemnly. ¡®Alright, now that I know their objective, it¡¯s easier to guess their affiliation.¡¯ ¡®Since they are going for Teach, then I can make an educated guess from a list of potential suspects¡­¡¯ ¡°...¡± After a moment of thought, Iliya asked in an even more solemn manner. ¡°...Where are you from¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You see, there¡¯s more than just one or two people who want him dead, so if you could at least give me a hint about who¡ª¡± ¡°...This is yourst warning. Step back now and hand over that man.¡± ¡®Ah, they¡¯re from the Holy Land.¡¯ From their words and the battle-oriented Graces imbued in their equipment, Iliya managed to deduce as such. Which meant, they were people who hade in under Archbishop Luminol¡¯s influence. After figuring out this far, everything suddenly made sense for her. Considering what Dowd did to his daughter, it would be strange if they didn¡¯t pull out something like this. ¡°...Sigh.¡± Iliya sighed before pulling out a short dagger from among her bundle of tools. ¡®Its edge is blunted¡­¡¯ The dagger was clearly not meant forbat. At least it could be used for skinning or cutting meat. In other words, it was no different from junk. ¡°...What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Someone questioned why she was pulling that out, but¡­ At the very next moment¡­ -! That same person shot up vertically. Because Iliya had swiftly approached him and thrusted the dagger in her hand upwards. If his equipment had been any worse than this, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for him to be knocked out right then and there. That was how much force she put behind that strike. The man who was flung into the air then fell onto the ground. At this sight, hisrade furrowed their brows before opening up his mouth. ¡°...What are you ying at?¡± Instead of answering, Iliya nced back briefly. She carefully observed Dowd¡¯s reaction. Usually, he was someone whose eyes always sparkled with intelligence when he was thrown into abat situation, but now, only bewilderment enveloped his expression. ¡°...¡± There wasn¡¯t the slightest hint of him ¡®returning¡¯ yet. Which meant, without her, he was as good as dead. ¡°...Have you lost your mind?¡± As she did so, such ament came out from the front. ¡°Even if you¡¯re a Hero Candidate, it¡¯s impossible for you to take on all of us with such poor equipment. Do you wish to die that badly?¡± ¡°Of course I don¡¯t.¡± Iliya spun the dagger in her hand before letting out a smirk. ¡°But, you see, if it¡¯s for Teach, it¡¯s worth risking my life at least once.¡± ¡°...¡± The group of men drew their swords with a sigh before activating the Graces on their equipment. ¡°...This is your choice.¡± At worst, he was a high rank Battle Priest, but either way hisbat capabilities were beyond Iliya¡¯s. And that wasn¡¯t even considering his subordinates. Fighting them here was pretty much a suicidal move, as her odds of victory was just t out zero. ¡°Then die here, Iliya Krisanax.¡± ¡°...Sigh.¡± However¡­ This time, instead of running away¡­ Iliya merely let out a sigh and scratched her head. ¡®What a hassle.¡¯ ¡®Seriously, your luck when ites to people is the worst, Teach!¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡°Guess I¡¯m also to me for falling for him first.¡± Following that, Iliya and the armed men shed fiercely.
¡°...Eleanor?¡± Someone suddenly appeared from the ck space, of course I¡¯d be dumbfounded like this. [...You.] I wasn¡¯t the only one who reacted as such. After seeing Eleanor emanating grey aura from all over her body, even the White Devil¡¯s eyes shook. After that, she gritted her teeth. [In me and my mate¡¯s nest¡­that damn punk¡¯s Vessel da¡ª] Hearing those words, my expression immediately became twisted. ¡®...Nest?¡¯ But, she hadn¡¯t told me such a thing. Her choice of words sounded extremely ominous. ¡°...¡± Ah, I see. I understood. ¡®...She had no intention of letting me out from the very start.¡¯ As soon as I thought that, a bitter smile formed on my lips. The reason why she imposed such cumbersome restrictions like roles or whatever was to seize the ¡®initiative¡¯. Getting me to follow the role meant she¡¯d pull some trick to trap me in this world with her forever. And if I were to break my role, just like what I did, she¡¯d just yap about how I broke the restrictions or whatnot to extort the ownership of my soul. Both paths would end in me facing a hellish dilemma of being bound by this punk. Moreover¡­ I wasn¡¯t the only one who realized this. Eleanor, who had been silent until now, spoke up about it. ¡°...Nest?¡± Her red eyes shone even more intensely. Was she angry? No, she was already way past that. ¡°From the very start¡­you¡­¡± And then, in the following sentence¡­ Her voice was torn apart. [You were nning on ¨²¡ä?¨¢?, monopolizing?¡ã? that man, weren''t you?] ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Wait. As soon as I heard the statice out of her voice, I instinctively knew. Eleanor wasn¡¯t the one who spoke. But another entity using her ¡®body¡¯ to speak. [Grey¡­!] And as Yuria¡¯s expression changed, rage surged in the White Devil¡¯s eyes. [How dare you show your shameless, brazen face¡­! In my space¡­!] Of course, it wasn¡¯t like she was amicable prior to this¡­ But now, she made an expression as if she had encountered her mortal enemy. Following that, white aura flickered throughout the space. The pitch ck space instantly turned white, proof that the White Devil was trying to exert her full power. [I WILL KILL YOU¨C!!] While the Demonic Aura of Devils was always threatening, the intensity of the White Devil¡¯s Aura within this Image World was on another level. It even surpassed the time when Grey Devil managed to exert her aura in the Material Realm. ¡°...¡± Anyway, there should be some kind of backstory between these two. I mean, there was no way they came to hate each other so much for no reason at all. As I was thinking this, White Demonic Aura surged towards Eleanor all at once. However¡­ -!! -! -... The Demonic Aura stopped suddenly. As if ¡®time¡¯ itself had been frozen solid, the White Demonic Aura that touched its grey counterpartpletely froze. [...!] At that sight, the White Devil¡¯s expression twisted slightly. [...] And then, at the same time¡­ Time itself froze. The color of the surrounding space was slowly ¡®eroded¡¯ from pitch-ck darkness to grey. Which meant the White Devil was losing initiative. ¡®...Does this even make sense?¡¯ Even I was taken aback when witnessing this. All Devils, regardless of the dimension, held a supreme status, capable of exerting their power within another¡¯s Image World. However, at least when it came to any ¡®mental-rted¡¯ domain, the White Devil was ahead of them all. But to think the Grey Devil could disy this level of ability within a world where that kind of existence held absolute dominion. How could this be? -... -...! Due to the creeping Grey Aura, the space that was already deste to look at began to haltpletely, making it looked even more nd. It affected everyone, whether it was Eleanor, who was being used by the Grey Devil, me, or even the White Devil. Thetter seemed to be able to move somewhat though, perhaps because she belonged in the same hierarchy as Grey. Meanwhile Eleanor, the Vessel and I, who possessed the Fallen¡¯s Seal, were both frozen. [...Haaaa¡­] Then, something descended from the sky. Following a sigh and a Swish¡­ A beingnded gently on the ground. On top of their head, a ¡®crown¡¯ reminiscent of a halo rested. This was the Grey Devil. A Ruler of Pandemonium. The strongest one among them all. [Because of you¡­ Because of you, my mate¡­ Because of you-!] As soon as she saw the Grey Devil, the White Devil let out a cry of perhaps despair. [I know.] That response immediately returned. [I am sure you ¨²¡ä? hate me. And I also know ¨²¡ä? you think that man¡¯s deathter is my fault.] ¡°...¡± Words that I couldn¡¯t just let pass over my head were heard. ¡®I¡¯m going to die?¡¯ ¡®Later?¡¯ ¡°...¡± ¡®Hey, Grey Devil? What is that supposed to mean?¡¯ While I was thinking this¡­ [But still.] The pupils of the Grey Devil opened up horizontally. Whenpared to the innocent and naive appearance she usually showed me, the difference was chilling. There was malice. One that was concentrated with a pitch-ck emotion held for the one across from her. While wearing such an expression, the Grey Devil reached right in front of the White Devil in an instant. ¡°...!¡± For the first time since I had seen this being, she was wearing such an intense amount of malice that made me think that it was fitting of her to be called a ¡®Devil¡¯. In a moment, as a suffocating sensation simultaneously enveloped me, the Grey Devil stretched out both hands towards the White Devil. [That ??¡ã? man¡­] And then, as soon as they made contact¡­ The White Devil was ¡®torn¡¯ to shreds. It happened in an instant, as if she had been thrown into a shredder. The entire figure of the White Devil blurred and flickered, like a video that had been disrupted by signal interference. Her mouth opened. Though it was probably to scream out in agony¡­ But, before she could even do that, the Grey Devil grabbed the only intact part of the shredded White Devil - the head. [He is ?¡ä?C mine.] Following that, the punk mmed that head onto the ground. With a full swing, as if clearly intending to ¡®smash¡¯ it. Again, the figure of the White Devil flickered. Her expression twisted in terrible pain. [He is ???? mine.] Without paying any attention to such a phenomenon, the red glow in the Grey Devil¡¯s eyes intensified with ferocity. She lifted the White Devil¡¯s head again¡­ And mmed it down onto the ground. Again. And again. Repeatedly. As if she was dead set onpletely annihting the being in front of her. With a Crack, the ground broke apart. White fragments scattered in all directions. The area shook as if struck by an earthquake. Yet even so, the hostility emanating from the Grey Devil showed no signs of abating. As ifying down punishment for daring toy hands on what belonged to her. [Do not ?C??y your hands on him.] Along with a Craaaaack¡­ The space shattered into pieces. Along with the remnants of the White Devil¡¯s body, the Demonic Aura that had risen in the area dispersed like shattered ss. ¡°...¡± ¡®Dude.¡¯ ¡®Sure, I get that you¡¯re strong, but both or you are Devils.¡¯ ¡®What the fuck is this overwhelming difference in power?¡¯ The Grey Devil disyed strength that was far beyond it should have been capable of. Almost as if¡­ She had gone beyond the hierarchy among Devils, being the sole one to exert a power almost akin to a transcendent. ¡®...But how?¡¯ Though I didn¡¯t know what had happened for this punk to be that powerful¡­ For now¡­ ¡°...¡± ¡®Grey Devil scawy¡­¡¯ I thought that with all my /genesisforsaken Chapter 178: Second Ordeal (1) Chapter 178: Second Ordeal (1) System Message [ The Parent Body who has been maintaining the Spell has been overpowered.] [ ¡®Event: Sweet y¡¯ will be forcibly canceled!] [ The Image World is copsing! ] System Message [ You have witnessed the downfall of a ¡®Devil¡¯ in person. ] [ The ¡®Fallen''s Seal¡¯ automatically records the target¡¯s weakness and how to defeat them. ] [ ¡®''Suppression Method¡¯ of the ¡®White Devil¡¯ can be unlocked! ] After such messages popped out in session, the world crumbled down. This Image World was preserved by the White Devil¡¯s authority to begin with. There was no way it would be intact after the Grey Devil destroyed the punk. But, that was that. ¡®...What?¡¯ My eyes widened as I saw the message window that popped up in front of my eyes. Thest line was the sole reason why my eyes widened like this. ¡®Suppression method?¡¯ To summarize what the sentence was trying to imply, it meant that I could interact closely with a ¡®Devil¡¯ through the ¡®Fallen Seal¡¯. All this time, I had been able to ¡®borrow¡¯ and ¡®imitate¡¯ their power, but to overpower them? ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t know how that was possible, but what I knew for sure was the fact that it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. In the original game, ¡®overpowering a Devil¡¯ was only something that could be brought up when we were talking about three subjects. Other Devils, a Seraphim with fully charged Divine Power and Iliya who hadpleted her final growth while wielding the Holy Sword. Even so, except for the Grey Devil and Iliya, the others could only achieve a tie with the Devils. Getting the upper hand against them? Well, that was quite the good joke if I had ever heard one. ¡°...¡± Wait, now that I think about it, it didn¡¯t make any sense for Iliya to be able to do it. Like, how the fuck did her at full potential could be on the same level as ¡®those kinds of beings¡¯? With such thoughts, I looked at the Grey Devil who was smiling in front of me while standing still. She held my hands, shook them and patted my head. No, I wasn¡¯t joking, she really did that. As always, she acted like an innocent child. ¡°...¡± When I slightly shifted my gaze, the shattered figure of the White Devil came into my view. She could barely maintain her body because of this punk in front of me. Of course, it was hard for me to find this punk cute after seeing her effortlessly pummeling another Devil like that. You know, even if a tiger was trying to act cute, there was no way people would find it cute, it was something simr to that. ¡°...¡± Still, even if she was a tiger that I encountered when I was unarmed, I could tell that she was sincerely worried about me.. Obviously I¡¯d feel that way if she were to see me with that gaze filled with affection. As I was having such thoughts, she opened her mouth. [...Have you¨¢?been well?] ¡°...¡± That was when I noticed something strange. The noise that had always covered her voice seemed to have faded away. It only faded a little, but it was enough to make her voice sound clean. ¡°...Uh?¡± When I became aware of that, I also became able to move to some extent. As if I had grown some tolerance toward the Grey Devil¡¯s abilities. [You look surprised.] When she saw my trembling eyes, she said those words while poking me. She flew closer as if she was not subject to gravity as she stroked my chest¨Cwhere the Fallen''s Seal was at. [...It¡¯s??¡ã?because of this. Because I¡¯ve absorbed the knowledge about White just now.] ¡°...¡± [Since the????Seal is gradually growing the more you¨¢|meet us. Your tolerance?UCwill also keep rising.] As she said that, she clenched her fist and threw it forward, as if trying to gesture ¡®Do your best~¡¯. But the straight punching gesture only made her seem like a martial artist instead. [If White?¡ã?UCbothers?eyou next time, return?¨¢|it.] ¡°...¡± [Just??¡ã?Uin case, I¡¯ll give you??¡ã?Uthis too.] A window popped up again in front of my eyes. [Since??¨¢|it¡¯s a skill nobody but Dowd would be able to use.] System Message [ ¡®Synthesis¡¯ function is added to the ¡®Fallen''s Seal¡¯! ] [ You can synthesize the Devil''s Aura umted in the seal and create additional effects! ] ¡°...¡± I narrowed my eyes. That window popped up in ordance with her words. She had done this multiple times before. The Grey Devil seemed to have a grasp on the system windows, even though I was the only one who could see it. It made me wonder if she could manipte it as much as she wanted. ¡°...¡± That aside. ¡®...Synthesizing the Devil¡¯s Aura?¡¯ The idea behind the skill was somewhat crazy. Its scale was just on a different level, I couldn¡¯t even guess how amazing it would turn out. ¡°...I¡¯ll receive it gratefully.¡± As I expressed my gratitude, the Grey Devil hugged me tightly with a wide smile. Since our bodies were just astral bodies in this Image World, I couldn¡¯t feel any physical force, but her gesture was so affectionate that it made me feel like a dad looking after his daughter. ¡°...¡± Anyway. While this punk was still here, there was something I needed to handle. If I were to do it now, she wouldn¡¯t kill me right away. I pulled myself away from the Gray Devil and took some steps. At the end of my gaze was the White Devil who was barely able to maintain her form after she got pummeled by the punk. ¡°...Later¡­¡± I said to the White Devil, who seemed to receive quite the hard blow judging by how her body kept on glitching. ¡°Show me everything.¡± [...?] ¡°I was talking about Yuria¡¯s past that you tried to show me. You know, I only acted harshly because it isn¡¯t the right time for this.¡± With a sigh, I continued my words, prompting the White Devil to open her eyes slightly wider. There was no way that she tried to show me Yuria¡¯s past for no reason. She definitely had something on mind. I didn¡¯t know what it was, but there must be something she wanted to tell me. However, given my current situation, I couldn¡¯t meet that expectation of hers. An event rted to the main scenario, the Hero Selection was still going on outside. If things went wrong, the entire scenario would go down the road of destruction. ¡°When the right timees, I¡¯ll hear you out properly.¡± But, to put it differently¡­ If it wasn¡¯t anything like that, I would respect this punk¡¯s will. Based on the fact that my assumptions were true, that is. I had to treat the Devils preciously, just like how I treated their Vessels. Since that was the case, I had no intention to ignore their feelings and thoughts. [...] After I said that to the White Devil, who was still staring at me with wide open eyes, the Grey Devil flew in front of me again. The corners of her mouth were twitching, seemingly unhappy. [...You don¡¯t??¡ãhave to be that nice to??¨¢the other¨¢| ???colors but me.] ¡°...I¡¯m just telling her let¡¯s get along.¡± [More than with me?] ¡°...That¡¯s not it.¡± Seeing the Grey Devil puffing her cheeks after saying that, I hurriedly replied to her while breaking out in a cold sweat. I had a feeling that if I didn¡¯t do that, I¡¯d just die. There was a high probability that this punk didn¡¯t even guess that I was nning to live together with all the Devils. ¡°...¡± Speaking of, how could I do that? Did it mean that the only way I could survive was to seven-time them all without getting caught by any of them? But, like, how? ¡®...Ugh, I don¡¯t know anymore.¡¯ Foreseeing my destructive future, I cried inwardly while smiling at the Grey Devil outwardly. Whatever, I¡¯ll worry about that when I cross that bridge. If I worked my ass off to the point that I faint or even die, maybe, things would work out, surely. That was how I had been surviving so far anyway. -I love you. As I was having such thoughts as always, the Grey Devil said so as she was wrapping her hands around my face. At this point, her voice sounded so clean it was almost perfect. As if her intention to convey those words was more important than anything else. -See youter. -At that time, definitely. You. Until the end of the world. -Just the two of us. Forever. I remembered those sentences. Because every time I was with her, whenever we parted ways, she would add new parts to it little by little. This time, it was; -Let¡¯s walk the ending of this recurring ¡®story¡¯. It was a sentence where a ¡®conclusion¡¯ existed. One with a very clear goal. -So¡­ -Don¡¯t die until the next time we meet again, okay? With those words as a cue, my consciousness was forcefully yanked out of the world.
¡°...How persistent.¡± One of the men said that to Iliya, who was gasping for breath. Considering that she didn¡¯t even wear proper equipment, just wearing a cloth, while holding a blunt dagger, she was holding up bizarrely well. But, if one were to put it in a different perspective, even after she learned the ¡®Eyes of Truth¡¯ from the enlightenment during her training with the Fist Saint, she could only endure their assaults and nothing more. ¡®...I thought I could at least knock out one or two people.¡¯ Her initial n was to reduce the number of the opponents before escaping with Dowd, whether she had to carry him on her back or she had to use any other means. However, the opponents were too skilled. The longer the fight dragged on, the more it became apparent. These people were powerful enough to be treated as national key forces in any country. In the Empire, they were pretty much at the same level as the ¡®Knights¡¯ who were right below the Imperial Guards. ¡°...¡± With that in mind, the person who controlled them unquestionably deserved to be described as possessing a force at the same level of the Imperial Guards. They were a group filled with monsters who¡¯d purposely go to battles with handicaps, even if they were to face the Tristan Duchy, who had the reputation as the region with the best swordsmanship in the continent, as their opponent. Even whenpared to them, the man¡¯s skills could be considered not all that far off from their level. ¡°But, that¡¯s it, that should be your limit.¡± And his words were true. She couldn¡¯t simply endure forever. There were minor injuries all over her body. It was a miracle that there were no serious injuries so far. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you think that man is worth so much to the point that you went this hard. In any case, you¡¯ll die here, Iliya Krisanax. You¡¯re more foolish than I thought.¡± ¡°...Ugh, that was my bad.¡± She really believed that it was her fault. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t thought of spending a hundred years with Teach, I wouldn¡¯t go this hard. If only I hadn¡¯t dreamed of a great married life with him, with so many children that we could form a team of a ball game, then I wouldn¡¯t have no reason to go through this kind of hardship.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have to live my life while being taken advantage of by a crazy yboy who constantly flirts with other women! I wouldn¡¯t need to help him deal with the mishaps that he caused because of the women he entangled himself with! I wouldn¡¯t have be a pushover who, instead of getting sick of him, I felt happy because he was relying on me¡ª!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s my fault for falling in love with this trash!¡± As she said those words with a voice filled with resentment, her opponent looked at her, seemingly at a loss for words. ¡°...I see, it¡¯splicated, huh?¡± His voice sounded uncharacteristically sympathetic. But that was that, this was this. They were pros, so they had to do their job. ¡°Time to wrap it up.¡± While saying such words, the man¡¯s sword rushed towards Iliya. ¡®-It¡¯s dangerous¡­!¡¯ With her body filled with injuries, she couldn¡¯t react to his speed. If she couldn¡¯t avoid this blow, it would definitely get her seriously injured. -! -!!! But an explosive sound echoed and the man¡¯s body flew tens of meters back after getting hit by someone¡¯s fist. ¡°...!¡± Everyone nearby raised their respective weapons with terrified expressions on their faces. As experienced as they were, this was the first time they had ever seen or heard such a scene being created with merely unarmedbat skill. However, a certain someone had seen it awfully often. As far as she knew, there was only one person who¡¯d be drastically stronger in a moment of crisis. ¡°...Teach?¡± She called him, sounding as if she was in a daze. All this time, he had only watched from behind her back, but he suddenly pulled out something like this. ¡°...¡± When their eyes met, Iliya intuitively realized. He was back. The usual Dowd, whom she found a little annoying¡­ Had finallye back. ¡°H-H-Have youe back to your senses?¡± ¡°...Yeah. Just now.¡± ¡®Damn.¡¯ ¡®Damn it.¡¯ ¡®...It¡¯s nice that he¡¯s back and I¡¯m really curious about what happened, but¡­!¡¯ ¡®There¡¯s something more urgent than that now!¡¯ Iliya stammered with a flushed face. ¡°B-By any chance! J-J-Just now¡ª! D-D-Did you hear¡ª!¡± ¡°...What are you saying?¡± ¡°...¡± From his expression, it seemed like he really hadn¡¯t heard her words. Thankfully. ¡®What a relief¡­!¡¯ She had felt a sense of crisis worse than a threat to her life¡­! ¡°...I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here, but¡­¡± As Iliya was pondering with her own thoughts, Dowd scanned around expressionlessly. In front of them were several skilledbatants and an exceptionally strong battle priest who was leading them. ¡°This is perfect.¡± ¡°...What is?¡± ¡°I got something new, so I want to give it a try once.¡± Along with such words, the Demonic Aura of the Grey Devil and White Devil mixed together radiated intensely from Dowd¡¯s /genesisforsaken Chapter 179: Second Ordeal (2) Chapter 179: Second Ordeal (2) ¡°Demonic Aura?¡± Someone muttered. It took them no time to recognize the aura since they, the Holy Land, were among the most sensitive group of people along with the Heretic Inquisition when it came to anything rted to Devils. ¡°...Get everyone ready.¡± After those words fell, the group of men took out their catalyst out of their embrace one by one. Those were armors made of a mixture of Holy Water, Holy Relics, and the Legacies of Saints. ¡®...The Seraphim¡¯s Seal.¡¯ Upon seeing the seal that imprinted upon those catalysts¡¯ surface, Iliya gritted her teeth. Then again, considering that the person they were up against was able to handle the Devil¡¯s Aura, it was understandable.These were regarded as one of the most precious armors in the Holy Land and were believed to be useful as a one-time consumable against the Devils, though only for a very limited time. Against an aura that was far more flimsy than the Devils¡¯, it was akin to a miracle cure to them. ¡°...You all don¡¯t seem to be Seras¡¯ subordinates.¡± After scanning the sight in front of him, Dowd muttered as such. ¡°So that means you guys are just hired hands who received equipment from the Holy Land. Am I right?¡± ¡°...¡± No one in their right mind would verbally confirm his assumption. Dowd, who brought it up first, only silently nodded instead of dwelling on the topic. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t part of the Oath of the Crescent Moon. Seeing the level of your skills¡­ The Apostle of the Sun, maybe?¡± ¡°ording to the information, the opponent can¡¯t use the Devil¡¯s Authority, but he can mimic it. Be extra careful.¡± ¡°Did Archbishop Luminol send you?¡± ¡°Everyone, get ready to attack. We¡¯re going in one go upon signal.¡± ¡°...C¡¯mon, listen to me.¡± Dowd said, seemingly desperate, but the people in the surroundings didn¡¯t even blink an eye to him. Then, their leader let out a sigh before answering him. ¡°...Do you think we wouldn¡¯t notice that you¡¯re trying to kill time? Such a pathetic trick.¡± ¡°...¡± The person¡¯s speech sounded rather aggressive, but it was obvious that he did that to ease Dowd¡¯s embarrassment. His empathy was unnecessarily high for an assassin. He was probably a nice person at heart¡­ ¡°If you knew, you should¡¯ve yed along. That¡¯s just too much.¡± ¡°...¡± In contrast, this one over here was someone who didn¡¯t even blink an eye while saying that even after receiving such thoughtfulness from his enemy. Iliya thought so while looking at Dowd with narrowed eyes. ¡°You see, if you don¡¯t give me enough time, I don¡¯t have the confidence to control myself.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°This is my first time using it and all.¡± Dowd put his hand on his chest with a sigh. ¡°Well, I guess it won¡¯t be my fault if you die if that¡¯s the case.¡± And said such a shameless thing. The grey and white aura engulfed the surrounding area in an instant. ¡°...!¡± The moment the group of people saw that, they simultaneously raised their armors. However, right after that¡­ -! Their Catalyst was instantly ¡®crushed¡¯ as the grey aura stuck onto them. Unceremoniously so. Just like an eroded rock shattering upon facing the smallest impact. ¡°What¡ª!¡± Before their shock even ended, the White Devil¡¯s Aura prated through the gap formed in the catalyst. And then¡­ -! A white sh covered the entire area.
¡°...Teach.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What was that?¡± Iliya asked, letting out a groan as she looked at the human bodies sprawled around them. ¡°...I was lucky.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing his answer, Iliya went silent. If the Holy Land knew about this, the whole country would definitely go ballistic. No, scratch that, the whole continent would. Although they were less powerful than the original, what this group of people had taken out were something that were made based on the Seraphim¡¯s barrier that had been containing the Devils in the void zone. The fact that he managed to shatter them all in an instant was unbelievable. It was widely believed that just by sessfully imitating any Seraphim-rted powers meant that they¡¯d possess an absolute protection from the Devils. But¡­ The fact that Dowd could break through such protective measures¡ªeven though they were far cut from the original¡ªsuggested a lot of things. It meant that he was someone who could handle the Devil¡¯s Aura in a more unconventional way. One could also take it as if he was of a higher status than those beings in question. ¡°...¡± ¡®This man might be a bigger monster than I thought¡­¡¯ Iliya thought as she looked at Dowd. The man in question himself was whispering something to the assassins who were standing around expressionlessly. He kept repeating the same words over and over, as if he was trying to indoctrinate them. ¡°...What have you been doing?¡± ¡°Brainwashing.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say that I¡¯mying down the stage forter. These people are still useful.¡± He serenely exined that he was using the White Devil¡¯s Authority, ¡®Enthrallment¡¯. His demeanor was calm and cold. It was as if he had already predicted that they would be attacked by these people. ¡°...¡± Then again, she had always felt like this man was on the level she couldn¡¯t even dream to catch up with. She assumed that she¡¯d be able to catch up to him a little after being trained by the Fist Saint and awakened the Eye of Truth, but before she knew it, this man had already acquired this kind of skill from somewhere, widening the gap between them once again. ¡°...Anyway, you¡¯re pissing me off, do you know that, Teach? Like, you could always finish everything that I found hard to do without breaking a sweat.¡± cing her hands on her hips, she scolded him teasingly. ¡°I was just lucky. If I made just a single mistake, I swear it would¡¯ve been disastrous.¡± ¡°...¡± Upon hearing his calm answer, Iliya narrowed her eyes. ¡®Uh?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know what it is, but it feels like he has changed somehow.¡¯ ¡®...Like, he used to be annoying sometimes. She thought while tilting her head. At this point, she knew that he was handling things in such a way that it felt like he had already known everything in advance. But, even though he was acting the same way as usual, she felt less ufortable. It didn¡¯t feel like he was being humble either. To put it in other words, his answer felt dry. As if he didn¡¯t feel anything from it. It felt like his emotions had be more faint than before. ¡°...Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Well, normally you¡¯d get all frustrated and go ¡®Of course I should do this much¡­¡¯ all while doing things that normal people found impossible to¡ª¡± ¡°...What on earth do you think I am?¡± He answered, as if he was dumbfounded, as Iliya kept her eyes narrowed when she looked at him. She was wearing an even more serious expression than before, to the point Dowd became taken aback by her. ¡°Teach.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t change too much, okay?¡± She didn¡¯t know why she said that. But, she had a vague feeling that parts of him were drifting away from being a ¡®human¡¯tely. -If it ever seems like I¡¯m about to do something strange again, make sure I don¡¯t cross that line. Knowing that he had said such words a while ago, he seemed to be aware of that fact. This uncertain anxiety over the thought that this might keep on going until hepletely changed into a different being overwhelmed her. ¡°...¡± Dowd, who had only been silently staring at her, suddenly burst outughing. ¡°...Thanks for your concern, but I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll live as cautiously as possible so that won¡¯t happen.¡± At his response, Iliya¡¯s lips twitched in dissatisfaction. She had heard such an answer before. But, it was still hard for her to understand or feel at ease. ¡°...I can¡¯t. As expected, I¡¯d need to put reins on you in advance so that you¡¯d listen to me¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Hearing her mutter, Dowd stared at her in confusion, but she didn¡¯t borate further and got up from her seat instead. ¡°...For now, let¡¯s move away first.¡± From her expression, it seemed like she had made up her mind. ¡°I had a ce in mind to set up our camp.¡±
System Message [ You attempted to synthesize the Demonic Aura of the ¡®Grey Devil¡¯ and the Demonic Aura of the ¡®White Devil¡¯. ] [ Synthesization results in a ¡®huge failure¡¯! ] [ The effect ends with the Aura of the ¡®Grey Devil¡¯ and the Aura of the ¡®White Devil¡¯ getting stronger in general! ] [ The Demonic Auras of the ¡®Grey Devil¡¯ and ¡®White Devil¡¯ can¡¯t be used until refilled. ] ¡°...Hm.¡± As I scanned the message window, I narrowed my eyes. When I told Iliya that ¡®I was lucky¡¯ earlier, I really meant it. While on the surface it seemed as if I beat them easily, it was actually a really close call. If those Catalysts were a little more powerful, there was no way I could destroy them like that. ¡®...But, why the fuck does the skill have a probability rate on it?¡¯ ¡®Seriously, that¡¯s just dumb.¡¯ If I knew such a thing existed, I wouldn''t have used it so readily in the first ce. If there was also a penalty that made itpletely unusable until somehow refilling the energy of the white and gray demons, it was all the more so. I didn''t even know how to refill it. ¡°...Sigh.¡± I closed the window while letting out a sigh. Well, it wasn¡¯t all bad, though. Like, the Authority was crazy enough to the point that I could neutralize those guys'' secret measures even when the skill failed. Which meant¡­ ¡®...If I seeded¡­¡¯ The result might be beyond anything I could imagine. It would be better if I were to think of it like this; I couldn¡¯t use this skill in every situation, but it was a good skill to gamble on as ast resort. And I guess I could just consider now as a form of trial and error in figuring that out. I threw another armful of dried firewood into the burning bonfire. Normally, doing this here, in this ¡®Forest of Dreams and Illusions¡¯ where the Second Ordeal was taking ce, would be considered suicide, but there were a few safe spots where you could do this. With a bunch of Trees of Illusion growing nearby, this ce could weaken your perception of the surroundings. It would be hard for Demonic Creatures of even the Hero Candidates to get here. That was why I could leisurely start a fire even though there were dangerous creatures prowling in the area. Still, it was this punk who managed to find this ce. I wonder why she took the lead and brought me here to stay for the night? ¡°...¡± Anyway, there was something else I was wondering about. ¡®...It¡¯s been a while since we saw each other, why aren¡¯t you saying hello to me?¡¯ I looked down at Soul Linker. Usually, whenever I regained my consciousness, this man just wouldn¡¯t stop talking, but now he was all quiet for some reason. ¡®Caliban?¡¯ [Be quiet.] ¡®...¡¯ Hearing his gloomy voice, I promptly shut my mouth up. For some reason, I could sense a strong rage toward me in his voice. If I were to guess the reason¡­ ¡®¡­What happened while I was away?¡¯ When I asked him that, he sighed before answering with the same gloomy voice. [Shut up.] ¡°...¡± Uh, hello? You¡¯re making me anxious, you know?! ¡°...Can you tell me the reason why at least¡­?¡± [...I have a lot of things to say.] He continued with a somber voice. [The situation tonight just feels like it''ll be hell.] ¡°Sorry?¡± [I¡¯ve been witnessing my sister behave nastily in all sorts of ways in the past few days. And I have a feeling that she¡¯ll reach her peak today.] ¡°...?¡± Why? We were only staying for one night here. ¡®...Wait?¡¯ Come to think of it, he could be right. Like, we would be sleeping together¡­ Just the two of us¡­ Just me and her¡­ ¡°...¡± I¡¯ve gotten involved with all kinds of women so far, but have I ever been in a situation where I needed to spend a long time together with one of them? Just the two of us like this¡­? As I was pondering over such thoughts¡­ ¡°...Excuse me, Teach.¡± I could hear a voice that sent shivers down my spine. It was Iliya¡¯s, who had been away for a moment to get us more firewood. ¡°...¡± But¡­ If she brought more firewood, that meant she must have worked quite a bit, no¡­? Since that was the case, why did she not reek of sweat, but instead smelled nice? Did she take a shower somewhere? Her hair seemed refreshingly sleek, as if she was getting herself ready for something. ¡°...Yeah?¡± ¡°You know, right now, it¡¯s just the two of us¡­¡± She looked strangely flushed when she said that. ¡°...Um?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is! Thanks to the Trees of Illusion, no one wille here and we''ll get to spend the night just by the two of us until tomorrow.¡± ¡°...A-And?¡± She let out a broad smile. At this point, the cold sweat had started appearing on my face. ¡°Teach.¡± ¡°...¡± And that was when I realized. The reason why Caliban had been so quiet. ¡°I hope that nothing happens. You too, right?¡± ¡°...¡± You¡­ Why¡­ Are you speaking in that tone, as if something would actually happen, huh? [Hey.] Caliban called out to me, it sounded like he was sniffling. [This is my only request. Please just do it somewhere I can¡¯t see. I¡¯m begging you.] ¡°...¡± It had been quite some time since Ist said this. Shut the fuck up. For the love of all that¡¯s good. /genesisforsaken Chapter 180: Second Ordeal (3) Chapter 180: Second Ordeal (3) Ever since I entered Sera, all kinds of crises had been happening. First, I fought with a Demonic Human, then the Boy King, who hadpletely mastered a forgotten sorcery. I even fought with an Ancient God from another dimension. In short, I had seen all kinds of things. But, I still didn¡¯t know how to handle this situation. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Silence enveloped us. ¡°...Hey.¡± ¡°Yes?¡±¡°Why are we in this position¡­?¡± Somehow, I managed to bring the topic up, but it didn¡¯t seem like Iliya, who was clutching one of my arms, had any intentions to let it go. The burning firewood was our only source of light, so her face was protected by the shades as she was resting her head on my shoulder. I could tell that she was wearing the cheerful smile she always wore. ¡°...¡± But, with the lighting, that smile of hers felt much more¡­ Um¡­ How do I put this¡­? Cunning? [She is.] ¡°...¡± [I thought you knew about it already?] I¡­ Did, yeah. There was no way I wouldn¡¯t know. Everyone with a functioning pair of eyes would notice how unusual she looked right now. She looked like a carnivore eyeing her prey right in front of her. [By the way, she¡¯s the third one.] ¡®...Sorry?¡¯ [I¡¯m talking about the girls who are sticking to you to take your first time.] ¡®...¡¯ [I can¡¯t believe that I¡¯d see my sister on that list.] What the hell happened when I was away? ¡°Hmm.¡± As I broke out in cold sweat with that question in my head, Iliya made such a sound as she dawdled around. Then, she hugged my arm even tighter. ¡°...You¡¯re too close.¡± I tried to point that out, but she responded with no change in her expression. ¡°Because it¡¯s cold.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And you¡¯re warming me up, Teach.¡± Let alone letting me go, instead she said that while sticking her body even closer to mine. After that¡­ ¡°Yap.¡± She shifted her body so she¡¯dy right in front of me, seemingly ready to dig into my arms. The back of her head touched my chest and the fragranceing from her orange hair tickled my nose. ¡°Teach.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You already know what I¡¯m about to do from now on, right?¡± ¡°...¡± At the sentence that she suddenly dropped without any pretense, I clenched my mouth shut. Of course, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t know. I could sense it in my skin, how both of us had been trying hard to read the atmosphere. Both of us had already known what this punk was aiming for and what I was going to say as a response. ¡°...You¡¯re going to say no, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± I looked at Iliya, who was wearing a bitter expression. ¡°...I do understand, Teach.¡± She said with a pout. ¡°I know it¡¯s dangerous. There are a lot of people around you who¡¯d go crazy the moment you hold a girl¡¯s hand even if it¡¯s by ident.¡± ¡°...¡± She was right. As someone the Devils were fiercely obsessing over, crossing that fine line between a man and a woman was like taking the suicide express train¡ªno matter who I did it with. However¡­ ¡°Yeah, but the bigger problem is you.¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°If we cross that line, the Devils will rush at you far more viciously than they will at me.¡± ¡°...¡± Yes, I wouldn¡¯t be the only one in danger, this punk would be too. She wasn¡¯t a Devil and she wasn¡¯t me, the subject those Devils fell in love with. If she crossed that line with me, this punk would be the sole target of rage of the seven Devils. ¡°...¡± There was no way I could let that happen. That was the kind of hardship that even I wasn¡¯t confident I¡¯d survive. ¡°I can''t just let you die. It might be another story if you approach me like this after the whole situation is over. But not now.¡± ¡°...Sure, sure. Whatever you say. All you¡¯re doing is putting it off again.¡± Iliya pouted again. ¡°Will it kill you to say something along the lines of you liking me even if it''s just empty words? You said I¡¯m precious before¡ª¡± ¡°I have no thought of lying about that.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya¡¯s body stiffened. Her expression froze with her lips still pouting. Briefly, she casted her pupils down. Then, she went silent for a while, as if thinking about what I had just said. And then¡­ ¡°...¡± She blushed furiously. It reached even her ears. Her face looked as if steam woulde out of the top of her head. After barely calming her rough breathing, she managed to let out something to say. ¡°...Sorry?¡± ¡°Those aren¡¯t empty words. I really like you.¡± Seeing her reaction, I calmly answered. ¡°...¡± She suddenly shook her hands and feet around, as if she was glitching. I was being sincere. All the other girls fell in love with me mostly because of my characteristics, saying fuck it to any sort of usibility or progress of plot. But this punk was feeling that way without any intervention from any kind of special power. With her ¡®own will¡¯. That set her apart from the others. It meant that her feelings were ¡®genuine¡¯, not influenced by other factors. That was why, I¡¯d need to convey my true feelings too. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°After the situation is settled, let¡¯s do everything. Sleeping together, marriage, everything. I¡¯ll listen to whatever it is that you want.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I, too, want to do all that stuff with you. I really do.¡± Iliya looked at me,pletely frozen. She seemed surprised that I answered so coolly. ¡°Because you¡¯re precious to me.¡± I didn¡¯t treat her like this solely because she was an important character in the scenario. Regardless of the process, it was true that she poured all her heart and soul to make a move on me. Even if I couldn¡¯t ept her now, I¡¯d return her feelingster. She was that precious to me as a person. Hearing what I said¡­ Iliya slightly lowered her head. Because of the lighting, I couldn¡¯t see her expression, but I could tell that she was still blushing furiously. ¡°...Teach.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You really should gain a better understanding of your own situation.¡± The next moment¡­ Heaven and earth flipped over. ¡°...¡± To be exact, Iliya turned my whole body upside down. Then, she climbed on my stomach with a swift movement, just like flowing water. ¡°...You punk, what are you¡ª!¡± I said in a panic. She gasped as she pushed her face close to mine. Only then did I manage to see her expression. Compared to before, it seemed like she had lost her ¡®reason¡¯ to an extent. ¡°...¡± Actually, that was if I put it nicely. To put it more bluntly¡­ She looked horny. Like, really fucking horny. ¡°Teach, do you know how¡­¡¯frail of a man¡¯ you are?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®I¡¯m not, you¡¯re just a monster for being able to say that to someone who interacts closely with the Devils!¡¯ Then again, without Desperation, I couldn¡¯t say anything even if she were to treat me like that. ¡°If you keep saying such¡­ such¡­ such things that make you look tasty, even though you¡¯re so frail¡­! I¡¯d have no choice but to eat you¡­!¡± ¡°...¡± The fuck was she saying? ¡°...You, did you even listen to what I¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± Iliya answered with a broad smile. ¡°About that, I just need to be able to defeat all the Devils, no?¡± ¡°...¡± What kind of batshit crazy dogshit was she spouting? I looked at her with a shocked expression as she continued in a stammer. ¡°I-I-It won¡¯t be impossible if I-I wield the Holy Sword and my qualifications to be the Hero is acknowledged, n-no?¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true, but¡ª!¡± She was out of her mind, but she still managed to hit the bull¡¯s eye. Like she said, she¡¯d grow into a monster capable of doing something simr after she grabbed the Holy Sword and became the Hero. But¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not even confirmed that¡¯s going to happen. Why are you already trying to take the risk¡ª!¡± ¡°We can do it first and deal with the consequencester!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve been doing all this time?¡± ¡°...¡± She was right, but- Her eyes had lost their focus. Which meant she didn¡¯t think about it deeply before saying it. As I pondered such thoughts, a powerful shout was heard from Soul Linker. [I SAID DO IT WHERE I CAN¡¯T SEE, YOU MOTHERFUCKKKKKKKKKKERS-!!!!!!!!!!!] ¡°...¡± Huh, have I ever seen him losing his mind like this? When I looked at the Soul Linker, Caliban continued talking. His voice sounded as if he had no desire to live anymore. [I wanna die. I¡¯m out. Gonna go faint. Don¡¯t talk to me.] That was thest words I heard from him before he cut off his connection from Soul Linker. This fucker actually turned off his consciousness. Well, technically, it was pretty much the same thing as fainting. ¡®...Wait, that¡¯s not the problem!¡¯ I turned to look at Iliya, who let out heavy pants with her eyes wide open. Her eyes were zed. Half of her breasts exposed as the front of her uniform was undone, making her look especially suggestive. However, she seemed so overtaken by lust that such things no longer mattered to her. ¡°...Let¡¯s calm down for now.¡± ¡°I''m calm¡­!¡± ¡°...¡± Nah. You¡¯re absolutely fucking not. Desperation. No, it¡¯s not that the skill activated; it¡¯s that this situation is actually just desperation. ¡®Since it hase to this¡­!¡¯ Time to exercise force against her. With such thoughts, I tried my best to push her off me, but¡­ ¡°...What¡¯s this? Are you trying to act cute?¡± ¡°...¡± The fuck, why was she so strong? She didn¡¯t show any indication of budging. Without Desperation, I could feel the power gap between us¡ªit was as if she could overpower me with a finger. I looked at her, who was shoving herself closer to me and breathing heavily with a flushed face. ¡°Just stay right there. Look up at the sky and count the stars or something.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°B-Because I¡¯ll finish it r-really q-quickly¡­!¡± I closed my eyes tightly after I saw her pressing down on my chest with unfocused eyes. Please. Somebody, save me¡­! Right as I was thinking this¡­ ¡°...Seriously?¡± A voice was heard from the sky. And then- ¡°What are you two doing?¡± A familiar red me¡­ Blew up the Trees of Illusion around us all at once.
¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Silence three times more terrible than earlier filled the camp. Only Talion, who was casually grilling the meat he had brought on the bonfire, seemed unperturbed by this. ¡°Senior Brother and Iliya, are you not going to eat?¡± ¡°...Forget it.¡± ¡°...Same.¡± Gloomy voices echoed at that time. Shame and awkwardness were mixed in the voices. The voices came from Iliya, who was barely able to be restrained before she went totally out of control, and me, who was found in an embarrassing situation that I would never show to anyone. But still, there were things I had to ask, regardless of how I felt. ¡°...By the way, how did you get here?¡± ¡°Miss Faenol brought me here. She said something about feeling Senior Brother¡¯s soul returning.¡± ¡°...¡± I turned to look at Faenol, who returned my stare with an expressionless gaze. ¡°...It¡¯s a relief that you look so healthy.¡± Though she said that with a smile... That smile of hers was incredibly unnatural. There was zero doubt of that. It felt like she didn¡¯t have any intention to hide the fact that she was angry. ¡°...¡± ¡®Hey.¡¯ ¡®I thought you said you couldn¡¯t feel any emotions.¡¯ ¡®So, why does it feel like you¡¯re skinning me alive with just your atmosphere¡­?¡¯ ¡°Rather than that, there¡¯s something I want to tell you, Senior Brother.¡± ¡°...Hm?¡± Talion said suddenly, so I turned to look at him. He shrugged before continuing. ¡°This is the information I got from the Chancellor. ording to her, the difficulty of the exam is going to drastically increase starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya and I smiled bitterly at the confidential information that he leaked so nonchntly. Seeing to how shameless they were, it actually made my mind go nk. ¡®...No, wait¡­ Actually¡­¡¯ It would be stupid to not do something like this, especially considering the privileges that came with the Hero title. Rather, it would be right to consider this as a part of the ordeal. It felt like it was also assessing the national power of each country and which could support their Hero Candidates best behind the scenes. ¡°Since I¡¯ll have to borate slowly, I¡¯ll start with the conclusion¡­¡± Talion paused as he looked around. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The heavy and devastating silence was still going on. No one seemed to be willing to talk to each other. Talion continued after clearing his throat. It wasn¡¯t like he could just stay silent after going this far. ¡°...I think you might need to go around with us tomorrow, so¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Let¡¯s get through the difficulties together. All four of us.¡± Ah. With these members? With the enraged Faenol and Iliya, who was ever so diligently engaging in a battle of nerves with her? ¡°...¡± Ah. Should I just go fucking /genesisforsaken Chapter 181: IF Side Story - What If They Didnt Get Caught? Chapter 181: IF Side Story - What If They Didn''t Get Caught? ¡ù The chapter in question is an IF Side Story! It has nothing to do with the main story, dealing with content that asks, ¡®What if this happened?¡¯.
Iliya, who was pressing down on Dowd¡¯s chest, crawled toward Dowd¡¯s lower body. ¡°...¡± To tell the truth, she didn¡¯t even know what she was doing. She was just following her instinct, going with the flow. So¡­ The first thing she did¡­ Was to smell him.Burying her head near Dowd¡¯s crotch, she started sniffing him. ¡°This punk?!¡± She could hear a panicked voice from above. All she could smell was his sweat, which was pretty much a given since they had been wandering around the forest filled with Demonic Creatures all day long. However¡­ ¡°...Ah, uu¡­¡± The smell was addictive. She hugged him tightly while repeatedly breathing in the smell that came from inside his clothes. For a moment, she became worried that her appearance, that she had worked hard to take care of, might be ruined, but when his smell entered her nostrils again, she frantically buried her head in his crotch again. She inhaled so deeply that Dowd¡¯s clothes were slightly pulled out. Anyone who saw her would think of her as a pervert. Actually, she herself would react the same way if she were to see other people doing this.. ¡°Hey, what are you¡­?!¡± And Dowd¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t so different. He blurted out those words with a flushed voice. Unfortunately, his voice was a little too loud. It was to the point that those prowling outside the area of the Trees of Illusion could hear it. ¡°Heh? Senior Brother?¡± At that moment, a certain someone¡¯s voice echoed. Unconsciously, Dowd let out a gasp. Talion¡¯s voice, faint because of the distance. Since he was there, there was a high chance that Faenol was also nearby. If a ¡®Devil¡¯ were to see them like this, well, they were pretty much doomed. He thought so as he tried to separate Iliya from him. ¡°Tea¡­ch¡­¡± At that moment, warmth spread over his lower body. When he looked down, he saw Iliya looking up at him while resting her chin on his chest. With one of her eyes looking drowsy, she let out a slight smirk. ¡°...¡± Seeing that, Dowd realized intuitively. This punk. Was going to do something batshit crazy. Her eyes lookedpletely zed as she continued to breathe out hot air. Without a sound, only moving her lips, she whispered. -...Would you please¡­ buy some more time? Her hand was gently caressing the area where his penis was. -I have a fun idea. As he looked down at her, his whole body stiffened. Once again, he realized. Right now, this girl¡­ Hadpletely lost her mind. ¡°Senior Brother? Can you not hear me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Strange. I swear I heard his voice¡­ Is he nearby?¡± ¡°...!¡± Dowd gritted his teeth. Talion¡¯s voice sounded a bit clearer than before. Which meant it was toote to pretend as if he did not hear him. After all, Talion was already so sure that they were nearby and it was only a matter of time before he found them as he seemed to be searching for them already. He couldn¡¯t shove Iliya away with force, so all he could do was to buy time just as she had suggested. ¡°U-Uh, I¡¯m a little busy right now!¡± As he blurted that out, Iliya ran her hands down his body like a crawling snake¡ªfrom his chest, belly, then down to his pants. She unbuttoned his pants before taking them down. Then, like water permeating into soil, she dug into his underwear. -...Haah.. Under the moonlight, under the beam of light emanating from the bonfire. Facing Dowd¡¯s penis, Iliya let out a deep sigh. She stared down at it, as if mesmerized by it. ¡°Sorry? What do you mean by busy? Is there something going on?!¡± ¡°D-Don¡¯te here for now, okay? Don¡¯t! Just don¡¯t!¡± ¡°...Huh? If you are in such danger, wouldn¡¯t it be better for me to go and help you, Senior Brother¡­?¡± Normally, Dowd would be more than happy to receive his help, but this time, that was the oue he wanted to avoid the most. While breaking out in cold sweat, he shouted out his answer. ¡°No, I¡¯m not in danger! You don¡¯t have toe! I¡¯ll take care of this by myself ande over after I¡¯m done, so just stay there and wait!¡± ¡°...Sure, if you say so, but are you sure you¡¯re feeling okay? I heard you¡¯ve been staying in the infirmary until a while ago.¡± -Well, you look healthy, alright. Iliya whispered with a chuckle. Her hand was gently caressing his balls as her fair long fingers went back and forth between the bottom part of his penis and his testicles, gently brushing past the surface as if tickling it. She seemed rxed, as if she knew where and how to stimte the thing in her hand so that he¡¯d enjoy the experience thoroughly. Slowly, she moved, as if savoring the prey in her hands Then, she used her tongue, licking the outer part of his earlobe slowly. Her hot breaths knocked on his eardrum, its sweet scent tasted like a sweet poison. ¡°I¡¯mpletely healthy! Like,pletely! So, please¡ª¡± When her tongue dug into his ear, he flinched, gritting his teeth, trying not to make any sound. ¡°¡ªWait there, just for a moment¡­¡± ¡°...Are you sure you¡¯re okay? You don¡¯t sound okay at all.¡± Unfortunately for Dowd, Talion was a quick-wittedd. As he broke out in a cold sweat, Iliya began to trace his body with her tongue, starting from his ear, slowly moving downwards, leaving a trail of saliva in its path. His cheek, chin, neck, shoulder de, corbone, chets, belly, lower part of his belly down to his thigh¡­ Andstly, his penis. She held his erect penis with both her hands before carefully kissing the ns. Her lips brushed past the surface of his skin, making a quiet sound. The movements that she made felt respectful somehow. ¡°By the way, where is Faenol? Is she with¡ª!¡± He tried to change the subject, but his words were ruthlessly cut off. Because Iliya took in his penis with her mouth, sticking her tongue out, trying to wrap itself around it. ¡°...!¡± The sensation made his whole body about to spring out, though he barely managed to suppress it. He was about to let out a moan, but he sessfully covered his mouth with his hand just in time. As he did so, Iliya was already moving to her next move. She rubbed his skin, as if stroking it, applying more pressure to her lips and gripped his penis with them without stopping to check on his reaction. This should be her first time, but there was no hesitation in her movements, as if she had already known everything about this particr act. She licked, sucked and let out a hot sigh against his penis in between her moves. It repeatedly entered her warm mouth, got exposed to the cold air outside, and got showered by her hot breaths. ¡°...Are you really okay, Senior Brother? I¡¯lle over right now!¡± ¡°...No, I¡¯m¡­ Okay¡­!¡± Every time he spoke, he felt the pleasureing up his spine, making his whole body flinch. He had to focus all his strength on his jaw joints to make his pronunciation sound stable. Meanwhile, Iliya was holding on to his waist, shoving his penis deep into her throat. When he felt this sensation, Dowd was barely able to fix his sentence that was about to break. ¡°I¡¯m, just, holding, something, in, right, now¡­!¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Between his words, he let out weird noises like ¡°Kha, hak,¡± as his breathing gradually became more irregr. He could feel the back of Iliya¡¯s neck, which was engulfing his neck, wriggled like a living creature. When he looked down, he saw Iliya continued without caring if she was choked or not as she shoved everything into her esophagus. He could tell that she was wholeheartedly trying to make him feel good, to pleasure him. ¡°...Are you coughing? Senior Brother, what is¡­¡± ¡°It is what it is, you punk¡­!¡± ¡°...¡± Forget about making excuses, everything was already in a mess. In truth, he had already reached his limit. Cramps that were almost like a seizure had seized his whole body. There was a tingling sensation, as if he was being electrocuted, in his whole lower body, not just near his penis. Meanwhile his already erect penis felt as if it was about to burst. He had been holding his urge to ejacte for a while and now all the feelings came rushing to him. ¡°Senior Brother, if there¡¯s something I can do to help¡­!¡± It took a very long time for Talion¡¯s worried voice to reach him through his eardrums. His brain felt hot, as if it was burning, due to the pleasure that had long passed what he could handle. He hung his head at the intoxicating sensation. At that moment, his eyes met Iliya¡¯s captivating eyes. Her usually cheerful and lively eyes were now filled with hot sexual desire. Seeing how she was choking, there was no way that the experience wasn¡¯t painful for her. But, her expression, with his penis in her mouth, made it look like she was the happiest person in the world. As if being able to ¡®serve¡¯ him was her biggest happiness. ¡°I¡¯m, really, okay, so¡ª¡± It felt as if he spoke slowly. Every sensation he felt was far beyond the level he could handle. ¡°...!¡± This was something he only recalledter¡ªat this point, he was covering his mouth with his hands following his instinct. And then, he reached an orgasm. It felt as if every organ under his spine suddenly overheated, to the point that he felt his soul was being sucked out of one hole. Like water bursting out of a copsed dam instead of flowing out of it. The white liquid was poured into Iliya¡¯s mouth, though she was unable to swallow all of them as they came out of her lips, dripping down her face before flowing down her body and falling into the dirt. It kepting out. Without stopping. ¡°...Umph, hmph¡­!¡± Moans escaped his covered lips. He was embarrassed, but the pleasure overwhelmed his reason, searing into his brain like molten iron. ¡°...Seriously¡­¡± Iliya took her mouth off his penis, which was still intermittently pouring out its load, spitting out that word with a dissatisfied expression. And then¡­ ¡°What a waste.¡± She collected the spilled semen with her hand while grumbling. Then, using her mouth¡­ She sipped everything up, savoring it as if it was honey. Lowering her head, she licked everything out¡ªthe semen that sttered on her face, her clothes even on the dirt. She tried her best to suck out all the semen that was still pouring out of his dick, as if cleaning it. After she was done, she looked up at Dowd, who was breathing heavily at this point. Then, she kissed his penis again. As if congratting it for its hard work. And when she was finished with it, she shouted. ¡°Talion¡ª! Sorry, but can you wait for five more minutes¡ª?¡± ¡°...Iliya? You were with Senior Brother?¡± ¡°Yeah! I just got here! It seems Teach is having a stomachache! I¡¯ll take him there after he recovers¡ª¡± ¡°...¡± That sounded like a strange excuse. But Talion probably realized that Iliya would humiliate him if he were to make another attempt here. ¡°...Alright, you do that after he recovers! I¡¯ll be waiting with Faenol!¡± ¡°Got it! Thank you!¡± After confirming that Talion was walking away as he said, Iliya soon flipped her hair while looking at Dowd. He was still gasping for air and because of what he just went through, he looked almost tearful. Maybe he was feeling quite distraught. As soon as she saw that. She let out another smirk. Ah, jeez. If you keep showing me this sight of you. How can I hold myself back, hm? ¡°Teach.¡± ¡°...You, you, what¡­¡± ¡°Do you think we can do it again within five minutes?¡± ¡°...What are you?¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re having a hard time.¡± She said while tapping on his penis, which was still standing firmly, with her hand. Maybe because he was still sensitive from hisst orgasm, just being touched already made him flinch. ¡°...¡± ¡°You can¡¯t meet someone else while looking like this, can you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°From now on, every time you¡¯re like this, I¡¯ll take the responsibilityproperly.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So, from now on, make sure toe to me first when you¡¯re like this, okay?¡± She said while sticking her tongue out again. Meanwhile, Dowd could only look at her with a pce face. His look suggested that he could already tell how his future would /genesisforsaken Chapter 182: Second Ordeal (4) Chapter 182: Second Ordeal (4) ¡°...Let¡¯s see.¡± First, I needed to sort out the situation. While everyone else was sleeping, I was the only one awake, holding my throbbing head while rummaging around the dying bonfire. There was a lot to think about. ...First, let¡¯s examine the situation. Since we were at the beginning of the Second Ordeal, it wasn¡¯t difficult to sort out the information about the situation. Like the fact that the location I was currently in was the Forest of Demonic Creatures near the Forge of Struggle, or that the immediate goal was to survive here for three days. Since I had defeated even the Rulers of Demonic Zones nearby, honestly, I doubted that it would be that dangerous here. But that was only if the ordeal proceeded ¡®normally¡¯.¡°...¡± While swinging around the poker with a frown on my face, I kept racking my brain. The Hero Selection wouldn''t proceed so easily. There was no way. In the first ce, the main focus of the event was to ¡®rank¡¯ the candidates. They wouldn¡¯t do that sort of thing in such a soft environment. Besides¡­ The goal to ¡®survive for three days¡¯ was only camouge. To be more exact, you should interpret it as ¡®survive as long as possible¡¯. When they said that they would be raising the difficulty drastically starting tomorrow, it meant that they were dead set on eliminating everyone. The main focus of the ordeal was to find out how long they could survive in such an environment. The main character is not me. That was one fact that I should keep in mind. At the end of the day, my role in this ordeal should be limited to Iliya¡¯s sidekick. I should not be the one who stood out the most like I was before. It didn¡¯t matter in the First Ordeal since all she needed to do was to get a high score, but the Second Ordeal was the bridgehead to the Final Ordeal. This was the time when they held the real evaluation on whether the candidates could stay unscathed after they grab the Holy Sword or not. In other words, they would be focusing on ¡®how¡¯ rather than the result. Iliya¡¯spetence was the thing they would examine, not mine. What I had to do was to strengthen what I had been carrying over. To improve her abilities by deliberately exposing myself to life-threatening situations. That wasn¡¯t a hard thing to do. I could do it easily. The problem was that there was a high chance that I¡¯d need to be away from her so that I got into that kind of situation to begin with. If that were to happen, she¡¯d be left alone with Faenol. Just the two of them. I wouldn¡¯t be there as the mediator. ¡°...¡± At a first nce, it didn¡¯t seem like a problem, did it? Like, Faenol was the most rational one among the Vessels and Iliya wasn¡¯t the type to pick fights with others for no reason. But¡­ The problem here was that Iliya did have a big ass reason to pick a fight with her. ¡°...What do you think, Caliban?¡± I asked Caliban, who had begun toe to his senses, in a gloomy voice. [About what.] ¡°The odds of Iliya staying sane when she meets the Red Devil.¡± [...] He went quiet for a bit before letting out a bitter smile. [...None. How can she?] ¡°As expected, huh?¡± I also let out the same bitter smile. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Faenol was literally the enemy of her family. Let alone Iliya, this person over here was adamant on being uncooperative with Faenol the first time he saw her. ¡°...By the way, your attitude toward her has been a lot better these days.¡± I didn¡¯t know why, but his attitude towards her had gotten a little softertely. After hearing what I said, he had only been trying to put up with it, but these days, even his grumbling about me getting involved with that punk had be less and less frequent. [I mean¡­] His voice was calm as he continued. [She seems to have a reason.] ¡°...¡± [I can feel it the more I watch her.] ¡°What exactly do you feel?¡± [She doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would misuse her power and recklessly harm others. Like, she doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person.] ¡°...¡± [The way she kept on saying that she wants to die as soon as possible. How she urged you to awaken her feelings quickly because the Red Devil¡¯s power would be weakened if you don¡¯t do it properly¡ªif anything she seemed to dislike that power in a lot of ways.] Caliban continued with a chuckle. [Quite the opposite, isn¡¯t she someone with a strong sense of self-hatred?] ¡°...¡± His analysis was urate. In her mind, someone like her should just disappear from this world as quickly as possible. Despite my deration that I would make her happy, chances were her feelings about that had not changed much. ¡°...She had her reasons in the past.¡± I said as I looked at Faenol, who was sleeping peacefully. She had a dark past¡ªall of the Devil¡¯s Vessels did, but Faenol had the darkest past among them. ¡°...¡± I recalled a few keywords, a few background stories from the game, shed through my mind. Maiden from a countryside vige. Mage of the Magic Tower. Inquisitor of the Heretic Inquisition. Even among the Devil Vessels, her background was the most colorful one. And there was a reason, which she could not say, why she became like that; her surroundings had beenpletely devastated. She probably believed that everyone around her was suffering ¡®because of her¡¯. That was why she thought that someone like her had to quickly disappear from the world. [It seems so, huh? Come to think of it, I think it can¡¯t be helped.] ¡°Excuse me?¡± [When I met her during the Crimson Night Incident, I never had a conversation with her. When I cut off her neck, she had already lost her mindpletely.] ¡°...¡± This was the first time that this person had spoken about his past without me asking him. The more shocking part here was that he directly mentioned Faenol. It was probably a kind of half-evidence that he had greatly reduced his repulsion towards Faenol. [Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t heard anything about ¡®how'' the Red Devil inside her ended up going out of control.] ¡°...¡± [Seeing all the Vessels around you, it seems like the Devils don¡¯t go out of control that easily. A lot of them might even live their life without knowing they had such a thing inside them if you weren¡¯t here.] Caliban continued calmly. [So, my rough guess is that she didn¡¯t cause the Crimson Night Incident after the Devil went out of control for no reason.] ¡°...¡± [Don¡¯t get me wrong. I still hate that Red Devil punk. She still has to pay for the crimes shemitted against those who were unjustly swept away by that catastrophe and died back then. But still, if there¡¯s one thing that I am aware of.] His voice still sounded calm. It was to the point that it sounded ridiculous, especially due to how upstanding his sentences sounded like. [The Devil is the bad one, not thatdy called Faenol.] I looked at the Soul Linker, still with surprised eyes. Surely I didn¡¯t hear it wrong, right? Normally¡­ You wouldn¡¯t even entertain that kind of thoughts against someone who incited a disaster that could straight out kill yourself and your family. There shouldn¡¯t be many people out there who¡¯d say what he had said without getting carried away by their emotions, even when they understood the circumstances. ¡°...You¡¯re a true Guardian, Caliban.¡± Those who were called the symbols of righteousness and justice. The exemr of the most ideal ¡®Knight¡¯. [...Then how do you usually think of me?] ¡°Uh, that one idiot from the neighborhood?¡± [...] ¡°Or a clown, maybe?¡± [Shut the fuck up.] A window suddenly appeared in front of me as I chuckled at Caliban¡¯s reaction. System Message [ You caused a psychological change in a soul imbued within ¡®Soul Linker¡¯. ] [ ¡®Synchronization Rate¡¯ with the target soul increases! ] [ The ¡®Second Memory¡¯ is unlocked! You can watch it by synchronizing with the soul when you wish! ] [ A Special Event will ur after you unlock thest memory, the ¡®Third Memory¡¯! ] I frowned slightly upon seeing it. This¡­was definitely that. Just like back when I strengthened the Soul Linker, this should be part of his memories that I could take a peek on. ¡°...¡± A Special Event, huh? I wasn¡¯t sure, but I had a strong feeling that this could be the key to this main quest. Call it a Sera sweat¡¯s gut feeling. Other than that, it felt like a lot of things that were rted to this guy would be revealed through this main quest. I thought so while quietly looking at Faenol¡¯s face, who was sleeping. She slept right next to Iliya¡ªon the surface, you might think they get along well. ¡°...It¡¯d be nice if they are.¡± This time, there was a high chance that a situation where only the two of them remained would happen. Since I had to troll around so that Iliya¡¯s chances of standing out would be higher. My only hope was that no emergency would ur while I was doing it [You¡¯re always so loose-lipped. Do you know that?] ¡°...¡± [Has there ever been a time when something didn¡¯t happen because you hoped so?] ¡°...¡± Don¡¯t cowardly hit me with facts. I sighed while scratching my head. But still¡­ If Faenol was there, at least I¡¯d be able to forestall ¡®idents¡¯ such as being suddenly attacked by Yuria like what happened during the First ordeal. I might be able to focuspletely on the main quest. ¡°...Well, at least fortunately, I think I¡¯d be able to manage to break through the ordeal itself with ease.¡± As soon as I thought so and said that¡­ -!! -!!!! ¡°...¡± I was certain of one thing. I did have loose lips. They came so viciously. Yeah, technically, ¡®starting from today¡¯, they¡¯d raise the difficulty. They definitely said that, yes. It was just, I thought they had the conscience to wait until the sun rose so that people could act properly. Not in the break of a dawn like this! Fuck, they really wanted us to suffer, huh? Sure, yeah, this was the Hero Selection, but dude. Most of these people were students. ¡°Pack¡­ They''re using troublesome punks. Are all those people in charge of the Ordeals sadists?¡± They were especially specialized in hunting and tracking even amongrge Demonic Creatures. I got up from my seat as I thought so. ¡°...¡± I suddenly noticed something strange. A blue ¡®shroud¡¯ descending from the sky. ¡°...¡± At first, I thought I saw it wrong. But seeing it again, it became more clear. It was definitely ¡®that¡¯. ¡°...Fucking hell.¡± As soon as I saw it¡­ All theposure was gone from my face. I immediately screamed in a high pitch. ¡°Wake up-!¡± ¡°Uh, eh, uh, w-what is it, Teach?¡± ¡°...Senior Brother?¡± ¡°Mr. Dowd¡­?¡± Upon hearing my scream, the punks, who were sound asleep, woke up simultaneously while panicking. ¡°Wake up and get your equipment, right now! If you dawdle even for a second, we¡¯re all gonna die!¡± As if sensing the urgency in my voice, they got their weapons and equipment amid their panic. Considering the situation, it was a very shrewd reaction. But when I watched the scene, I still couldn¡¯t ease my nervousness. [Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden? What¡¯s that?] ...It''s the Nullifying Shroud. A very high-level spell that could be called a maic field. An insane technology that incapacitated every single ¡®Special Power¡¯ inside it. [...What?] Caliban asked in bewilderment. [How is that possible?] In Sera, the source of all powers worked through Special Powers. In the material world, even the power of non-standard beings like Angels or Devils were bound by Special Powers, and that Nullifying Shroud could ¡®erase¡¯ it all. This was originally a gimmick that was asionally seen in challenges or contents with a hell level of difficulty. This kind of shit never popped up in Chapter 4. ¡°...¡± My blood was boiling. To release High-Grade Demonic Creatures in a situation where people couldn¡¯t use any of their power. That was the equivalent of them throwing all those people to their deaths. [Why did they suddenly release such a thing?! This is a Hero Selection Ordeal not an execution ground.] Don¡¯t ask me. As far as I knew, there was only one person who could artificially implement that. The Empress of the Empire. The Sword Saint of the time, who was next to her. In other words¡­ It was the Ruler of the Empire herself who pulled this crazy stunt. ...Let¡¯s think about itter. I could find out the reason why she was doing such a thingter. The releasedrge Demonic Creatures must have been looking for humans nearby right now. For now, I had to move. So I could save the lives of everyone here. ¡°T-Teach, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°First, don¡¯t panic and listen.¡± I said while holding Iliya¡¯s shoulders, who was obviously panicking. ¡°Not everyone here can survive.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So I¡¯ll die just once.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve done this a few times.¡± Unfortunately, she did not seem to stop /genesisforsaken Chapter 183: Second Ordeal (5) Chapter 183: Second Ordeal (5) Contrary to what was known to the public, the rtionship between Chancellor Sullivan and the Empress wasn¡¯t the one where they¡¯d growl to each other whenever they made eye contact. Rather, it would be more urate to say that they had no interaction with each other to begin with. Unlike their subordinates, who kept growling as if they were about to pounce on each other, those two¡¯s stance toward each other had never changed. Indifference. ¡®If you don¡¯t mess with me, I won¡¯t mess with you.¡¯ Sometimes, if they were forced to sh with each other, they¡¯d solve the matter quickly and fairly so that it wouldn¡¯t spiral out of control. Their attitude as the head of their own respective factions yed a significant role in preventing any rebellion or big fight from happening despite them effectively splitting the power structure in the Empire into two. That was why¡­ Their current confrontation was a very unusual situation. ¡°...¡±A terrifying silence filled up the room. Even the highlypetent bodyguards, who were present because this was essentially the gathering of two high-ranking state guests, gulped dryly at the tension. The source of this tense atmosphere was probably Chancellor Sullivan, who was sitting in the center, not even bothering to hide her hostility. Her eyes, which had been closed for a while, were slowly opened. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, why did you do that?¡± Her voice was so sharp that it felt as if it could cut through the flesh of the listeners. One of the people around, feeling the pressure emanating from her, couldn¡¯t help but gulp dryly. ¡°I heard that you ordered the Sword Saint to create a Nullifying Shroud.¡± Cecilia the 11th quietly looked at her over the veil hanging around her. Sullivan also looked at her over the veil with a cold stare. Her hostility was clear as she seemed ready to start a fight. Just when everyone in the surroundings thought that the tension-filled silence was going tost longer¡­ ¡°Though the Nullifying Shroud looks omnipotent at a nce,it isn¡¯t aplicated skill to counter.¡± A clear voice, as clear as a ss, without any hint of emotion. ¡°...¡± In that instant, Chancellor Sullivan furrowed her brows. Her eyes turned to the giant who uttered such words. The Empress'' Personal Guard. A huge sword strapped to his back. The middle-aged man exuded gentlemanly elegance from every inch of his body¡ªcontrasting his massive build, two to three heads taller than adult men. Radu Alexander Varphon. The Sword Saint of the current era. He was the most powerfulbatant the Empire had. Even Duke Tristan and Margrave Kendride were inferior to him. His prowess was known even outside the Empire, as one of the strongest even among individuals who had gained the title of a Saint, the powerhouses who were regarded as people who had reached the pinnacle of their respective fields. In the current time when the Fist Saint had lost most of her power due to her limbs getting cut off, it was safe to say that no humans wereparable to him, unless they were at the level of the Master of the Magic Tower or the Pope. ¡°...I am not asking you, Sir Radu.¡± Though the Chancellor responded with a subdued voice, there was no hesitation in his next reply. ¡°They only need to walk out of the range of effect. Nothing is preventing them from doing so.¡± ¡°...¡± Of course she already knew that. This was the clear reason why despite it being a powerful piece of technology, it had never been used openly in actual battles. However¡­ ¡°...As far as I know, they will be disqualified from the ordeal once they get out of the range of the effect. Are you sure you didn¡¯t purposely set it up this way?¡± ¡°Those who do not want to die will do it. Is there any problem with that?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If anything, it would be strange if the Hero title doesn¡¯t carry such weight. Other countries¡¯ higher-ups have acknowledged this as well.¡± The Sword Saint calmly said while letting out a gentle smile. ¡°...But this is still too harsh for the participants. They¡¯re literally risking their life to face such a¡ª¡± ¡°Chancellor Sullivan.¡± The Sword Saint cut her off with a soft voice. ¡°You are being very emotional. That¡¯s so uncharacteristic of you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Indeed, in regards to how humane this method is, I admit that it¡¯s wed, but in regards to how suitable it is for the ordeal, it¡¯s beyond impable. In the first ce, if this method was considered problematic, the other countries¡¯ higher-ups would have prevented it from happening.¡± ¡°...¡± Obviously, Her wordscked any persuasive power. Not only that, she was also getting too emotional over it, not befitting her reputation as the ¡®Iron-Blooded Chancellor¡¯. However, ...That man definitely. Would risk his life to give the person called Iliya Krisanax the Hero title. That was what he had always done. From the outside, he looked like a trashy yboy, but when one got to know him better, they¡¯d notice how dedicated he was to people around him. His devotion was so intense that one might find it stupid. In her memory of the past, he was also like that. ¡°...¡± Sullivan clenched her fists under the table. She hated how he was thrown into unexpected ¡®variables¡¯. How his life was being threatened in situations that were beyond her expectations. Because what she could do in the ordeal became very limited. The Empress was chosen as the host of the ordeal, so she couldn¡¯t just intervene with it willy-nilly. ...I let my guard down. She didn¡¯t expect the Empress to dirty her hand directly like this. The Empress and that man had nothing to do with each other, so she should have no interest whatsoever with that man. This kind of thing never happened in the ¡®previous round¡¯ she went through too. Why is she doing this? It had be the norm for them to read the room and avoid each other as possible whenever they ran into each other. Probably because they both shared the same interest, to not turn the Empire into a mess through a power struggle. She also knew that the Empress never tried to stand out. That was why she never expected her to do something like this all of a sudden. ¡°Is this because of that man, Chancellor?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± The Sword Saint said that out of nowhere, prompting Sullivan to narrow her eyes. Her head cooled down. Since they had already known about that, she was able to roughly summative how the situation came to be. ¡°...Your Imperial Majesty.¡± She said in a t tone. ¡°So, you did it on purpose.¡± There was a faint hint of anger in her voice. ¡°Were you thinking of using that man as an excuse to put pressure on me?¡± ¡°You are wrong, Sullivan.¡± This time, it wasn¡¯t the Sword Saint who replied. The voice sounded so weak and faint, one needed to concentrate to even hear it. But undoubtedly, this was the voice of the Empress. ¡°I did not do this to put pressure on you as there is no reason for me to ruin our rtionship. Although, it is true that the reason I came to know about that man is because of how much interest you have towards him.¡± ¡°...¡± The corners of Sullivan¡¯s eyes twitched. It had been so long since she heard the Empress speak in her own ¡®voice¡¯. Considering the curse the woman had, such an asion was a rarity. The Curse of Dragonblood. It was a rare disease that, with an extremely low chance, affected people who inherited the ¡®Dragon¡¯ Factor, which was known to be passed down in the Imperial Family. There was a high chance that the current Empress'' insides must have rotted so badly that just by talking with her own voice had already put too much strain on her body. In other words¡­ She was serious. And to show that seriousness, she went out of her way to use her own voice to speak despite her being in such a condition. ¡°The reason I did it is to get a little bit more information about him, as I am in the middle of observing him closely. I will not let anything that you are worried about happen, so you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°...What do you mean by watching him closely, Your Imperial Majesty?¡± Sullivan asked, her eyes were narrowed still. Why would the Empress have interest in him? While it was true that considering what he had done so far, he was a promising talent, even on a continental scale. However, the Empress was already surrounded withpetent people. She didn¡¯t need to put him in her sight at all. As Sullivan thought so. ¡°It is nothing big. I am just doing it for fun.¡± The Empress said jokingly with a smile.. However¡­ When Sullivan felt the ¡®mood¡¯ mixed in her words. And the faint ¡®presence¡¯underneath them¡­ ¡°...I feel a connection with him. Fate, you can call it that. I¡¯m doing this for such ame reason.¡± Sullivan¡¯s eyes opened wide in horror. ¡°...¡± She unconsciously covered her mouth. That was the best she could do to prevent herself from losing her self-control. Though the feeling was very faint. Like a weak hunch that she¡¯d normally be able to forget in a second. The sensation she felt wasn¡¯t something she could forget. Because it was the same one who had given her the nightmare that made her suffer countless times before. ¡°...¡± She was barely able to suppress the shock that was about to appear in expression as she tried to calm her breathing. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Sullivan?¡± ¡°...Nothing, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± She could sense it strongly since she could handle the ¡®Devil¡¯s Aura herself. Brown. She blurted out that word as she clenched her trembling fists tightly. Needless to say, she hated all Devils without exception. Because in all her encounters, she had never met a Devil who did not harm Dowd Campbell out of their selfishness. The frequencies were different, but Dowd Campbell was likely to be killed by every Devil at least once. At least that was what she ¡®had seen¡¯. ¡°...¡± However¡­ Brown was the biggest¡­ ¡®exception¡¯. In a sense, even more so than the Grey Devil. ...So the Empress is the Brown Devil¡¯s Vessel. This was something she didn¡¯t want to even imagine. Unlike other vessels whom he could endure, avoid, or ¡®handle¡¯ whenever they approached him out of their selfishness. This person was the most powerful person in the Empire alongside Sullivan herself. In other words, she had the strength to destroy everything that he possessed if she willed it. And¡­ If it was really the Brown Devil¡­ Thest master of the Six Thrones that ruled Pandemonium¡­ The Brown Devil. The illegitimate child of Angels. The most lowly of the Devils¡­ It was the one who had killed Dowd Campbell the most times ¡®in all the wordlines¡¯. ¡°...¡± Once again, she was reminded of that sight. When Dowd Campbell begged her to kill him. As the horrific scene shed across her mind, the Chancellor lowered her face, Because she did not want to show the other person her pale face. ¡°...Sullivan? Are you okay?¡± Everything¡­ Had ¡®happened¡¯ because of the Devil inside that woman. ¡°...¡± Sullivan barely managed to repress the killing intent that was about to emerge from her expression. Right now. She really wanted to tear that woman apart. To kill her. Break her soul and scatter it everywhere. However¡­ It was not the time. Not yet. Based on the sign, it would take quite a long time before the first Fragment would be awakened. Devil Fragments were sensitive to the Vessel¡¯s mental state, so there was no need for her to provoke it and awaken it early. Since the Devils were immortal, it was impossible to kill them in the first ce. If anything, the one thing she should do first was to ¡®dy¡¯ that awakening as much as possible. ¡°...Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. I am okay.¡± Sullivan calmly answered, without letting out any expression. Various ns, countermeasures, and schemes ran through her head. But she didn¡¯t need to show that in her face. Only idiots would ever reveal their true intentions to someone who¡¯dter be their ¡®enemy¡¯ after all. However¡­ ¡°...But, Your Imperial Majesty. If you did it knowing I am coveting him, you need to take responsibility.¡± She thought that it would be fine if she were to express this much displeasure. ¡°Responsibility?¡± ¡°If that man gets hurt even a bit,¡± Sullivan¡¯s golden eyes shone. ¡°You will have to pay the price, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± ¡°...¡± As a Chancellor, saying those words to the Empress was beyond mutiny. But no one in the room stepped in to stop her. Because they were excellent enough to read the room. They clearly realized that those two were people who had ¡®bisected¡¯ the Empire into two. In other words¡­ If anyone recklessly stepped in and worsened the situation¡­ Chances were, a huge disaster that could mess up the entire continent would happen. That was how important the positions those two women possessed. The wisest thing for them to do was act as if they didn¡¯t exist. As long as neither of them got violent, they wouldn¡¯t move. ...Who the hell is that punk called Dowd Campbell¡­?! Though, they were cursing under their breath that these women created such an atmosphere because of a man. ¡°...I¡¯ve told you, haven''t I? You do not have to worry.¡± As the people around them were sweating profusely due to the tension¡­ The Empress only waved her hand while letting out a bitter smile. Seeing her gesture, one of the servants who was waiting nearby quickly came with a crystal ball. ¡°This is the screen that shows the location of the ordeal. From now on, I will be observing the ordeal through this. If that man gets into any kind of danger, I will dispatch Radu immediately.¡± The Empress said so while making another hand gesture. While bowing their head, the servant activated the crystal ball. Soon after, a real-time video was transmitted inside. And on the screen¡­ ¡°Kill me gently, you bastards¡ª!¡± In the middle of where the Nullifying Shroud was set up. Where every kind of ability was nullified. Dowd Campbell could be seen, rushing into a group ofrge Demonic Creatures with his bare body. Yes. Bare body. He took off all his clothes, only wearing his underwear. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone fell into silence. Nobody could say a word. Not a single /genesisforsaken Chapter 184: Second Ordeal (6) Chapter 184: Second Ordeal (6) Pack, was known as arge Demonic Creature, but it actually couldn¡¯t be considered as that in terms of size. Of course, those wolves were still as big as a family house, but considering how most of therge Demonic Creatures I had encountered so far seemed like they would be able to undertake a siege whenever a couple of them gathered, it felt like a reach to put Pack in the same category as them. Still, these punks were categorized as such for a reason. Because they always worked in groups, theirbat power was beyond that of medium-sized Demonic Creatures. They were natural hunters, perfectly fitting with their wolf-like appearance. Their ws could easily tear up even hard steel. They were swift and durable enough to chase their pursuers until hell froze over. Not only that, they had a strong sense of smell that could easily locate their hiding prey. To fight against these things while my abilities were fucked over by the Nullifying Shroud wouldn¡¯t be easy. ¡°Kill me gently¡ª!!¡± Not to mention that I¡­ Was rushing into them naked.To those Demonic Creatures whose staple food was human blood and flesh, I probably looked like a well-butchered meat served directly into their mouths. ¡°...?¡± Because of the absurd situation, their eyes went nk for a moment, but they still ultimately followed their instinct. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] Not long after, they showed their aggression. One of them, with yellowish saliva dripping out of its mouth, immediately charged at me. Wearing a fierce look, it swung its front paw at me with a strong enough force that could smash rocks to pieces. -! -!! Alright. As I was smacked by its front paw and flew into the air, I let out a sigh of relief. Half of my n waspleted the moment these fuckers werepletely focused on me. The worst case scenario here would be if theypletely ignored me and ran toward the others. In that case, I¡¯d need to retreat immediately or die after failing to. This might sound strange, but, thank God I charged at their asses after taking off all my clothes. If I was an ordinary person, I¡¯d be split in two as soon as they hit me, but thanks to Desperation, my durability was increased significantly. [ Mastery Info ] Mastery: Iron Man èFÈË Grade: Common Proficiency: 0% Description: Warriors of the Tribal Alliance repeatedly put themselves in extreme situations in order to constantly train their ability to react to such situations. It is very risky, but effective. [ ¡ö Endurance to various injuries and pain is increased. Reduces the intensity of pain and allows for easier movement even when severely injured. ] [ ¡ö Recovery bes much better than when in a normal state. ] [ ¡ö In cases of fatal injuries, sensation of pain are blocked, increasing survival chances. ] [ ¡ö Effects are proportional to the Endurance stat. ] System Message [ Fatal injury detected. ] [ ¡®Mastery: Iron Man¡¯ blocks the sensation of pain. ] And there was also this Mastery. Like I said, at the moment, Desperation enhanced my durability. Unlike the others, Desperation and Mastery wasn¡¯t considered as Special Power. In other words, though I couldn¡¯t use Law or Divine Power, I could still fight with my physical power. ¡°...Hmph!¡± Also, all I needed to do was to hold on for as long as I could. While deflecting the wolf¡¯s attempt to strike again with its front paws, I took its attacks as ¡®gently¡¯ as possible. If I continued to hold out for a long while like this, other Demonic Creatures would likely join one by one to help theirrade who seemed to be struggling alone. And that was precisely what I was aiming for. So that a bunch of theme at me all at once. [...So, why are you doing this, again?] No time to exin. Later! [Is there even a way to survive in the first ce?!] ¡°...¡± Come to think of it, this person also had a side where what he said differed from how he actually felt. On the outside, he might have seemed like he was criticizing me, but he was actually worried about me inside. Of course there is. I believed in this world. Well, to be more precise, I believed in this world that was built upon the foundation of the game system that was Savior Rising. Because both this world and the game always used the same ¡®rules¡¯, at least in the weird parts. That was why¡­ My n was going to work. As I thought so, I looked at the Pack who wasing at me. ¡°...¡± The longer I held on, the less parts of my body that retained its senses. System Message [ HP below 1% ] [ You are on the verge of death! ] Even though such a message popped up¡­ Even though I was scared¡­ I will hold on. Until all of the Demonic Creatures around gathered here. And¡­ As soon as I was sure that they had all gathered¡­ ¡°Now!¡± I shouted. That was the ¡®signal¡¯ I told the others that I would let out before I came here, As I did so, I activated the built-in skill of the Soul Linker. < Item Info > [ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ] [ Enchantment: Epic ] [ ¡®Hero Shard¡¯ Fusion ] [ ¡®Evil Essence¡¯ Fusion ] ¡ò Built-In Skills ¡ò ¡ö [ Image World ] [ Skill Grade: A+ ] [ Summon a Spirit Body to create a unique domain in the surrounding area. Within the domain, certain abilities possessed by the Spirit Body can be used. As further levels of consciousness unlocks, the range of the domain and the number of abilities that can be used increases. ] { Current Avable Abilities } [ Mastery: Solidarity ] [ To a knight,rades are family. You can partially share the buffs applied to yourself with nearby individuals.] It had been a while since Ist used this skill. In any case, it was the perfect skill to use here. As Desperation was applied to others, Caliban¡¯s Image World was disyed in that instance. System Message [ HP 0%! ] [ Entering a state of suspended animation! ] As such a message popped up in front of me due to the injuries I received¡­ And as my eyesight slowly became dimmer¡­ -! -!! -!!! My entire field of vision was engulfed by the sword wind swung by Iliya.
The first thing I saw as soon as I came to my senses was the sight of Iliya pouring potion on me with teary eyes. ¡°...Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°...¡± Stop shouting. My head hurts. I struggled to get up before examining my body. Even after all those injuries, I became able to move again just from her spraying me with a recovery potion. Vive Iron Mastery! This kind of recovery is inhuman, sheesh. That aside, Iliya was ring at me with a really, I mean, REALLY fierce look. ¡°Why did you suggest us to do that?! You almost died from that!¡± ¡°...U-Um¡­ J-Just because?¡± Completely flustered, that was the only answer I could say. Well, technically, I died once, since you know, I entered the state of suspended animation and all that because my HP dropped to 0%. ¡°I mean, I already nned on doing it from the beginning.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I told you that I¡¯d probably die once, no?¡± ¡°...¡± I went through all that effort of gathering every one of the Demonic Creatures in one ce, thus creating a golden opportunity. So, how did it make any sense to miss such timing just because I got swept up? Nah, you have to seize the moment I made, right? Like, that was the reason why I charged at them naked and attracted their attention in the first ce. To create the ¡®opportunity¡¯ for Iliya and Faenol as they gathered in one ce to attack me. ¡®So that it would be easy to defeat¡¯ those guys. You gamers would know the strat. It was called ¡®aggroing¡¯. Those fuckers were agile, so if we didn¡¯t gather them in one ce and deal with them at once like that, they¡¯d be really hard to deal with. Furthermore, no matter how strong my stats were, the situation was urgent. I had to risk my HP dropping to the brink so that my simple, yet foolish scheme of keeping them in one ce while getting them to attack me could proceed sessfully. [...I don¡¯t think you¡¯re supposed to defeat those guys in the first ce, though.] ¡°...¡± [Just think about it. Fighting them head on is equal to suicide. What they wanted you to do was probably for you to hide and avoid those guys to the best of your abilities. I don¡¯t know why they went this far, but if we think about the Ordeal, chances are they want you to avoid those guys.] He was right. But as I said earlier, I needed to make Iliya stand out to send her to the Last Ordeal. Just hiding while focusing on our survival would be a little¡­ You know¡­ That wouldn¡¯t guarantee us to stand out. Because it wouldn¡¯t be cool. [...You crazy motherfucker¡­] ¡°...¡± [I swear you¡¯re the only motherfucker in this entire continent who¡¯d risk his own life to make someone look cool. Seriously, are you actually just suicidal?] ¡°...¡± [The worst thing is that you wouldn''t even make her stand out that much. You¡¯d gather all the attention, you crazy motherfucker.] Wait a fat moment. How the fuck would it even work out like that? As I was flustered by what Caliban said, Iliya, Talion, and even Faenol who were in front of me, looked at me in shock. ¡°...¡± Why are you guys looking at me like that? We seeded, so it¡¯s all good, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Y-You know,st time I did this, I found out that...¡± I blurted out, forcing a smile to liven up the bizarrely dark atmosphere. ¡°It was okay to be dead for 10 seconds in a state of cardiac arrest.¡± This was something that I experienced a few times in the game. I learned that it could also be applied here when I was split into two by Yuria. Apparently, even though my HP dropped to 0, I coulde back to life as long as I could breathe before I died for real. Since I survived this time, that rule had been proven once again. ¡°...So,¡± Iliya said with a groan. ¡°Are you saying that it is A-OK as long as you don¡¯t die? Even if you end up being no different from a corpse? What if, by a one in a thousand chance, something goes wrong?¡± ¡°Why would I even think of failure? It¡¯s something involving you, you know?¡± ¡°...¡± I put a thumb up while grinning. ¡°Even if I die, I¡¯ll make it a sess.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing me saying it as if it was a natural thing to say, Iliya grabbed her own head. She looked like she was agonizing, not knowing where to start. ¡°...Excuse me, Teach.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°We have talked about how you used Lana like an object before, have we not?¡± ¡°...Yeah, we have?¡± She approached me, who was staring at her confused, and held my shoulders. ¡°Sorry for what I said back then.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Your humanity hasn¡¯t been worn away. You¡¯re just a true lunatic who thinks that anyone who is capable enough could be used as an object like that.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you are someone who believes that can somehow work and even willingly put yourself in such a situation, it¡¯s reasonable to think that you would use others the same way. After all, if you can do it, why can¡¯t they? I guess it does at least seem fair.¡± ¡°...¡± I unconsciously stepped backwards in response to Iliya¡¯s paradoxically murmured shouts. Her eyes looked lifeless. I felt chills run down my spine as I watched her firing off such words with nk eyes. ¡°...U-Um, f-first, why don¡¯t you calm down?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Teach. Have a seat.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°Because I need to knock some sense into you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You need to realize how important you are to others, Teach. So, you need to fix that habit of yours, the one where you kept on saying things that put fire to people¡¯s hearts. It makes me feel good, but hearing it at this moment is making me frustrated!¡± ¡°...¡± Was that apliment? ¡°Listen carefully. I¡¯ll fix you.¡± ¡°...¡± It did not seem so. This was the first time I saw her speaking harshly to me like this. Uh, could it be¡­? I was being scolded by her? [You are.] ¡°...¡± [And hell yes, you deserve it. Actually, no, you shouldn¡¯t just get scolded, she needs to make you shed tears until you¡¯re on the verge of death.] Seeing them like this, I could see why they were siblings. Because by the time Iliya stopped her nagging, I really was almost on the verge of /genesisforsaken Chapter 185: The Empress Edict (1) Chapter 185: The Empress'' Edict (1) ¡°...You didn¡¯t have to go that far and say all that.¡± Dowd sniveled as he said that. Seeing his reaction, Iliya finally let out a deep sigh. After hounding him for a while, she felt better than before. ¡°So don¡¯t do something like that ever again. Got it?¡± ¡°...Got it.¡± Only after obtaining his affirmation did she back off while letting out a sigh of relief. It was the first time she had ever hounded on someone this harshly, but then again, he totally deserved it. ...But still, how could he do that? She already knew that he wasn¡¯t someone who cared much about his own well-being. Oftentimes, even she felt that it was too much.So much so that she felt like the extent of his ¡®change¡¯ was far faster than she expected. As she thought so, Faenol, who had her hands behind her back, approached Dowd with quick steps. ¡°It seems you got scolded pretty hard back there, Mr. Dowd.¡± ¡°...Shut it.¡± On her face was a yful smile thatpletely matched her teasing words. Iliya could sense that she seemed very relieved, though. ¡°...¡± Thinking back, Iliya realized that when Dowd was practically trying to off himself back then, she was panicking even more than Iliya was. -We need to help him right now! -Wait, Teach told us to wait¡­! -But, at this rate, that man might die¡ª!! The way Faenol cried out such words were still clear in her memory. Since the woman almost never expressed her emotions in the first ce, the sight left a strong impression on her mind. Faenol was someone who always seemed to put on a facade, as if she never meant the words she said while always masking her expression. But back then, Iliya could tell that her feelings were genuine. ¡°...¡± Iliya remembered that scene once again. The red me Faenol used to sweep away the Demonic Creatures was quite the remarkable one. It seemed like she was in such a rush that it gave Iliya the impression that she was ¡®pushing herself to use¡¯ something she wouldn¡¯t normally use in front of others. Except there was a problem with that. The me specifically¡­ Iliya could have sworn that she had seen the me with that color somewhere. ...It was red. Memories of that day, she couldn¡¯t forget them even if she wanted to. A pir of me, setting the ck night sky red, as if the whole universe was burning, shed through her mind. Her father, mother, friends. On that day, everything was burnt to ashes. The Crimson Night Incident. That was the day when the Red Devil took those she hold dear away from her. ¡°...Iliya? What¡¯s wrong?¡± As she was drowning on such memories, Talion, who was nearby, asked her in confusion. Perhaps he could tell with a nce that Iliya¡¯s face had turned unusually pale. ¡°...N-Nothing.¡± She forced the word out, letting out her usual smile. Of course, inside, she was thinking of the ursed being¡¯s name. ...The Red Devil. She didn¡¯t really have an interest in Devils in general. But the Red Devil was different. After all, it was an ursed being who had turned her past into ashes. ¡°...¡± And, even though she wasn¡¯t sure¡­ The person in front of her, Faenol Lipek, had a scent that resembled that being strongly. While she couldn¡¯t detect it even while she was using her ¡®Eye of Truth¡¯... ¡°...¡± She kept staring at her quietly. Her gaze was filled with suspicion.
Last night was a total disaster. Her head was dizzy from all the screams echoing around her and the scent of blood that permeated the forest all day long. She heard that the majority of people were fatally injured while trying to hold on until the end with only their bravado. They didn¡¯t end up dying, but they¡¯d have to deal with the PTSD for the rest of their lives. Well, for her, Lana Rei Delvium, all of that didn¡¯t matter at all. Aftereffects or whatever, everything was just words to her, nothing more, nothing less. Even though her clothes were in tatters because of the wolves that were biting her wildly, she couldn¡¯t care less about anything else. She was so sure that no one could have scored higher than her when it came to ¡®surviving as long as possible¡¯. No one, except for this one guy in particr. ¡°...Hmmm.¡± Lana looked around while stroking her chin. There were dead bodies of the Demonic Creatures that Dowd and his colleagues had struggled to carry piled up nearby. ¡°... Did you kill all of this?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing him casually answer her like that, she could only stare at him speechless. Killing all of these Demonic Creatures? The ones who were specialized in hunting and tracking inside the Nullifying Shroud? She was confident that she had the chance to score the highest, but when herpetitor was like this¡­ Now she was sure that he and Iliya would be in the lead. Overwhelmingly so. ¡°...Where did such a monster like you came from, Mr. Dowd? Are you sure you aren¡¯t the one who¡¯s supposed to wield the Holy Sword instead of Miss Iliya?¡± ¡°...I can¡¯t wield the Holy Sword.¡± For some reason, he insisted on that point specifically. As if it was a given that the Holy Sword would belong to Iliya. Even though anyone with eyes could see that he was the one who showed extraordinary feats, not Iliya, who was supposed to be the Hero Candidate. ¡°...By the way, what¡¯s with those people?¡± Lana asked another question. The reason being because she noticed several bulky-looking adult males standing idly around Dowd. Their eyes were nk, as if they had downed a bowl of drugs each, scaring her a little. She couldn¡¯t understand why such people came to the Hero Selection Ordeal in the first ce. ¡°Ah, well.¡± Dowd answered while letting out a bitter smile. ¡°...They are gifts for Archbishop Luminol, I guess.¡± ¡°For my father?¡± Lana tilted her head as she scanned the nk-eyed people. She could tell at a nce that they were a group of people who had done dirty work more than once. What she couldn¡¯t tell was that, how exactly could they be a ¡®gift¡¯? ¡°...I¡¯m asking just in case, but are you going to do something bad to my father using these people?¡± ¡°...If I were, do you think I¡¯d let you see them, Lana?¡± His answer was reasonable enough for her. But, if that wasn¡¯t the case, then what the hell was he going to do exactly? As Lana thought so while tilting her head¡­ ¡°I am sure he will like it.¡± Dowd said those words with a chuckle. ¡°He¡¯ll appreciate it by the time the Last Ordeal begins.¡± ¡°...¡± There wasn¡¯t a hint of emotion in his voice. But even Lana, who had often heard from people how slow-witted she was, could feel the frighteningly dark intention behind his words.
Obviously we had the highest score after all that. It was worth going through all that to see Archbishop Luminol look as if he had eaten shit. [...But, you were the one who started it first.] ¡°...Yeah, I guess.¡± I agreed with Caliban¡¯s words without even trying to deny it. As Lana¡¯s father, he literally had no reason to see me in a good light. Still, he did try to recklessly kill me at any cost, so I had some justifications in my self-defense. Therefore, I nned to do something to that personter without feeling much guilt. ¡°...Eugh.¡± As I thought so, I let out a low cry from the throbbing sensation all over my body. While it was nice that Iron Man blocked my sense of pain, I still needed to deal with the aftereffects of my injuries. The pain was not lethal enough topletely disappear due to such a Mastery, so it seemed I still felt it. And despite the somewhat marginal dulling of pain, it still hurt like a bitch. ¡°...I need toe up with the next n¡­¡± While dragging my feet to my assigned amodation, I blurted out such words. Now that the First and Second Ordeals were over¡­ The only thing left to do was the Last Ordeal that would be held in the Holy Land and the Session Ceremony of the Holy Sword, which was stuck near the Sanctuary. In other words, the highlight of the entire Chapter 4. ¡°...¡± Also¡­ There was a high chance that it would be filled with variables. The Prophet. This person had been abnormally quiet all this time. During the First and Second Ordeals, she hadn¡¯t made any move. Rather, she helped me by sending the Cursed Speech User back in the First Ordeal. I couldn¡¯t guess what she was up to, but I could tell that she was going to do something this time. So, I¡¯d need to run over everything to ensure that Iliya could wield the Holy Sword and be the Hero. As I thought so while walking down the corridor¡­ I ran across someone unexpected. ¡°...Uh, Your Excellency?¡± As if waiting for me, the Golden Chancellor, leaning against the wall, slowly looked up. I looked around. There were no entourages or bodyguards in sight. She was all alone. ¡°Congrattions on your outstanding achievements in the ordeal. You are amazing, Dowd.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± Well, getting the congrattions from her was good and all. But there was no way the most powerful person in the Empire would visit me alone, without bringing any guards, just to congratte me. ¡°The Last Ordeal will be held next week, so I¡¯m here to deliver something to you before it starts.¡± Sullivan said as she stepped closer to me. She took out a letter and handed it over to me. ¡°-This is an invitation from the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Cecilia the 11th has requested to have a private meeting with you.¡± I looked at the letter the Chancellor was holding out while listening to the words that she said while gritting her teeth. A dark brown seal engraved with the Imperial Household¡¯s logo was stamped on the outer cover of the letter. ...What? The Empress? Cecilia the 11th? Why would she? ¡°...¡± I knew that she was interested in me somehow, but for her to directly summon me to the Imperial Pce through an ¡®Empress¡¯ Edict¡¯ was a whole different matter entirely. This was none other than the Empress¡¯mand. I could end up hanging on the gallows if I refused it. ...But, like, why? I started racking my confused brain. Why would she want to see me in such a hurry? Honestly, I wasn¡¯t very interested in meeting with her at the moment. Cecilia the 11th. She was someone who had the most influence on Eleanor¡¯s corruption, along with Gideon. Considering Eleanor¡¯s corruption urred at the point when her own mental state copsed, I could tell easily that this person didn¡¯t have a positive psychological impact on her. ¡°Dowd.¡± As I fell into deep thoughts, Sullivan called me quietly. ¡°...You can refuse if you want to.¡± As soon as I heard that¡­ I turned my gaze at her. Surely I heard it wrong, right? ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you with all my might. By any means necessary.¡± That was when I realized¡­ The reason why Sullivan hade to deliver this letter on her own despite iting from the Imperial Household. This person¡­ Wished to say that to me privately. ¡°...¡± I looked at her with a dumbfounded expression. Seriously, was she for real? Did she really say that I could just ignore the ¡®Empress¡¯ Edict¡¯? Given the level ofpelling power it held politically¡­ It was terrifying to hear the person who held half the power over the entire Empire said that. After all, ¡®refusing¡¯ to follow the Empress¡¯ Edict meant that she wasn¡¯t acknowledging the Empress¡¯ dominion. In other words¡­ This person¡­ Had just said¡­ That she would put the Empire, no, the entire continent, into a fiery pit of chaos for me. Just for me. It didn¡¯t matter if dozens, hundreds, thousands or ten thousands of people died. She¡¯d take all the responsibilities for it. ¡°...¡± Understanding the depths of her words, I looked at her. My whole body stiffened. Sullivan continued her words, her gaze was firm. It was as if¡­ ¡°...Something might happen to you, Dowd.¡± She was confident that she could bear that much burdenpared to what she was ¡®expecting to happen¡¯. ¡°Please.¡± And from her words, I knew¡­ ¡°Please do not leave my side this time.¡± That she was pleading /genesisforsaken Chapter 186: The Empress Edict (2) Chapter 186: The Empress'' Edict (2) After I returned to my room, I looked at the letter Sullivan delivered to me with narrowed eyes. Looking back¡­ In Sera¡¯s original story, despite Iliya being one of the chief executives of the Empire, which was the nation she was most deeply involved with, she rarely had the opportunity to step into the Imperial Pce. Mostly because the Empress herself was more deeply connected to Eleanor than Iliya, also the way she appeared in the main story wasn¡¯t particrly pleasant. I had mentioned this a few times before, but the Empress held the most significant role in causing Eleanor¡¯s mental breakdown in the main scenario. That was why¡­ Cecilia the 11th could be considered as Eleanor¡¯s enemy. Because in the game, the Chancellor was the viin for Iliya, meanwhile it was Cecilia the 11th who had sent Eleanor on that express train to hell. ¡°...Why did she summon me at this timing, though?¡±I mumbled while lying on the bed. The letter stated that she was summoning me to the Imperial Pce to congratte me on my exceptional achievements during the Hero Selection Ordeal. Just the content is already strange. She shoulda called Iliya instead of me. The event was called ¡®Hero Selection¡¯, so the focus should have been on the Hero Candidate not on the entourage who was nothing more than an assistant. But, the Empress mentioned me by name in the letter, which meant that it was me who she had a business with. Basically telling me to be obedient and not consider running away. ¡°...¡± What was she up to? It was strange enough that she was interested in me in the first ce and now she summoned me before the Last Ordeal started? I could understand why the Chancellor tried to stop me, as something might just happen to me. But still¡­ [Are you going?] ¡°...I have to.¡± Because something worse might happen if I didn¡¯t. Sullivan begged me to not go while gritting her teeth, but it was still better for me to walk into the enemy¡¯s camp¡ªeven if I had an ominous premonition about it¡ªthan to cause a civil war or something along that line. ¡°Caliban.¡± [Hm.] ¡°...What kind of threats do I need to expect?¡± Caliban went silent for a moment before bursting outughing. [Did you really just ask about what lies inside the Imperial Pce to an Imperial Guard who had pledged his allegiance to Her Imperial Majesty the Empress?] Hearing that, I also let out a chuckle. Yeah, technically speaking, he was right. The Guardians belonged to the Imperial Guards, technically. But¡­ ¡°It''s an abode of demons inside, after all.¡± He really was the perfect person to ask for this. Because he would have known the evil behind the Imperial Pce the best, given he was the one who was closest to it. I had mentioned this a few times before, but in terms of power, the Empire was the most powerful among the Three Superpowers. Like, there was a reason why the Empire was the main camp for Sera¡¯s MC. Despite that, there was a reason why the three countries were evenly bnced. ...Because its leader is a fucking mess. Setting aside the Pope¡¯s morality, at the very least, the Holy Land was stable due to him ruling it with an iron fist. The Empire, on the other hand, though its leader supposedly held the majority of the authority, its affair was the most chaotic among the three and it was practically on its way to destruction. Amazing bnce, I gotta say. [...The problem is the Major Nobles who are at the Upper-Grade. Duke Tristan and Margrave Kendride are decent people, but don¡¯t even think to involve yourself with the others. Hell, don¡¯t even try to meet them. They¡¯re like a bunch of venomous snakes.] That confirmed what was in my mind. As I listened to him while letting out an inward sigh, he continued. [Her Imperial Majesty herself is¡­ A nice person. She¡¯s gentle, for one. Some people think she¡¯s weak, but that¡¯s only because they¡¯re starving demons who could only be satiated by bringing other people down.] Caliban continued calmly. [However, there¡¯s one thing that she would jump into no matter what the cost.] ¡°...I think I know what it is.¡± This was something every citizen in the Empire would have heard at least once. Well, no one would talk about it out in the open, but everyone knew about the terrifying curse that afflicted the Imperial Household, who called themselves the ¡®Descendants of Dragon.¡¯ [She¡¯d do anything to survive. The reason why she¡¯s interested in you is probably rted to that.] ¡°...¡± I already knew what he was trying to say. Dragonblood. More specifically, the curse derived from it. It was simr, yet different from the Curse of Severance that was eating Yuria¡¯s body. In Yuria¡¯s case, her lifespan was reduced because she touched the Severer, a cursed object. Meanwhile, with Empress, it was because her human body could not tolerate the ¡®Dragon¡¯s blood flowing in her whole body. Because the Dragon, known as the purest Mana Lifeform, was one of the most powerful species in Sera. The Dragon Emperor, the one who stood at the pinnacle of the species, could bepared to a Vessel holding three Fragments¡ª [...Looking at it that way, it feels like the Devils aren¡¯t so strong, are they?] ¡°Sorry?¡± [I mean, you know, there are too many things that areparable to them. Like, the Cursed Speech User, the other day. Then, there¡¯s also this Dragon Emperor fucker or whatnot. Seriously, why are there so many beings that can match them?] I let out a bitter smile at his words. ¡°...You can think of it like that, but¡­¡± I shifted my gaze outside the window. Since my private room was on a pretty high floor, the Void Zone, beyond the barrier set by the Seraphim, was visible from here. ¡°The Vessels and the Fragments serve to gather the Devil¡¯s ¡®power¡¯ together in one ce. They aren¡¯t the Devils ¡®themselves¡¯.¡± [What?} ¡°They could only really be called Devils after a Vessel holding three Fragments came into contact with the Devil¡¯s ¡®body¡¯ in the Void Zone. Gathering three Fragments isn¡¯t the end of it.¡± Once that happened¡­ The whole world would be destroyed right away. No, I wasn¡¯t joking. This was why I was keeping a close eye on Faenol. Because she was currently the most likely to result in an ending scenario where the world explodes. This was also why there seemed to be a bunch of beings who could match the Devils despite them being dubbed as the most powerful. The truth of the matter was, they weren¡¯t even in theirplete forms. [...How did you know about all this shit? You fascinate me every time.] ¡°...From things, I guess.¡± I left those ambiguous words before letting myself lose in thoughts once again. The Curse of Dragonblood, is it¡­ As Caliban said, the Empress was a gentle person. That curse would be the most usible reason if she were to take an interest in something unexpected. ¡°...¡± But, I still couldn¡¯t understand. Yes, I did something so extraordinary that made me stand out every so often, but at the end of the day, I was still a student. It was still unthinkable that one of the most powerful people on the continent, alongside the Chancellor, was this obsessed with me. ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡± Whatever, I¡¯d know once I got there. It wasn¡¯t like things would work out the way I wanted to anyway. I just needed to cope with whatever it was that I¡¯d get to face.
¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The Chancellor¡¯s gaze was sharp. Inside the carriage, on its way to the Imperial Pce, I broke out in cold sweat because Sullivan, who was seated across from me, red at me with narrowed eyes. The carriage was spacious, as expected of a carriage worthy to be used by the Chancellor, but even that didn¡¯t stop me from feeling suffocated. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The silence went on for a while. And the one who broke it first was the Chancellor. ¡°...You do not have to be so wary of me.¡± She said, letting out a deep sigh. ¡°I knew you would do this anyway.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Considering how you¡¯ve been sacrificing yourself for others and all. Honestly, I doubt there¡¯s anyone else in this world who¡¯d go to the same length as you did.¡± ¡°...Thank you.¡± What an overwhelming over-evaluation. I didn¡¯t know what to say to that. Like, was I really that amazing¡­? ¡°However.¡± While I let out a sour smile, the Chancellor continued her words with a firm expression. ¡°...You¡¯ll still need my help in the Imperial Pce. If something happens, please do not hesitate to rely on me.¡± ¡°...¡± Actually, I was thinking of doing exactly that if things became too dangerous. By the way, I realized once again¡­ This person was acting a little too familiar with me. It hadn¡¯t been long since we first met, yet she stared at me with a sweet gaze, as if we were a married couple on a honeymoon or something. - Please do not leave my side. I recalled what she had said to me when she tried to dissuade me before we left for the Imperial Pce.. ...It sounded weird. Asking me not to leave her side like that. The way she said it made it sound like we used to have an ¡®intimate¡¯ rtionship prior to all this. My hunch kept telling me that something was a little off. It felt like my experience with her and the experience she had with me werepletely different. As if she knew a side of ¡®myself¡¯ that I did not know. ¡°Speaking of, I didn¡¯t expect this.¡± While I was pondering such thoughts, the Chancellor brought her face closer to me. She smiled uncharacteristically, as if amused. ¡°I thought for sure that you¡¯d bring Lady Tristan to the Imperial Pce with you. For you to choose me instead of her, that¡¯s really something I didn¡¯t expect.¡± ¡°...¡± Well, that was because something might happen if I put the Empress and Eleanor together in the same room. I had said this a few times already, but the Empress was the catalyst for Eleanor¡¯s meltdown, and unlike Gideon, I didn¡¯t have the slightest reason to improve their rtionship. ¡°...I just thought it would be way better to visit the Imperial Pce with Your Excellency. For several reasons.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing my answer, the Chancellor went silent. She quietly looked at me. With her eyes wide open. ¡°...¡± What is it? Did I say something wrong? As I thought so¡­ ¡°...Does that mean¡ª¡± The Chancellor brought her face even closer to me. Her smile grew bigger and there was a slight blush in her cheeks. ¡°¡ªThat I am more dependable than Lady Tristan?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Of course I am, right? You think so, right? I am way more reliable than that young whelp, right?¡± I never said that, though. Please, stop saying things that could make Eleanor split me in half if she were to find out about this¡­ As I forced myself to smile while breaking out in a cold sweat, the carriage gradually slowed down. I guess we had arrived at the Imperial Pce. ¡°...Haa.¡± I got off the carriage with a sigh. There was a magnificent building right before my eyes. I couldn¡¯t see the top of it even if I bent my neck back the best that I could. ¡°...¡± I was overwhelmed. While I could still remember the buildings made of concrete and steel that I had seen before, this was the first time I¡¯ve seen such a massive, opulent, and majestic building. ¡­And they built all this for one person. Of course, it was symbolic as an official residence with the country''s prestige at stake. However, it was widely known that the main purpose of the building was to be ¡®the Empress'' house¡¯. And next to me stood someone with the same level of power as this house''s owner. Now once again I could feel it in my skin how enormous the power both the Empress and the Chancellor had. They lived in apletely different world from me, whether in this or previous life. At the end of the day, I was a son from a Baron¡ª ¡°...¡± Ah, right. It was a Viscount Household now. ...By the way, is my father doing well? I handed the viscounty I had received to my father and had not paid interest on it since. You know, maybe I should go there to check on its condition during the vacation. ¡°Are you Dowd from Campbell Viscount Household?¡± Suddenly, when I was looking around after getting off the carriage, someone called out to me. I turned my head. There was a man, resembling a giant bear, looking down at me. Behind his back was a massive sword that was as tall as him. He had an unforgettable appearance. Radu Alexander Varphon. He was the current Sword Saint. ¡°...¡± What the fuck? This person, in terms of physical power, was one of the strongest people in this entire continent. And you were telling me that this kind of person came out to greet someone like me? A mere student from a Viscount Household? ¡°...What brings you here, Sir Radu?¡± Sullivan asked with a stiff voice after seeing him. ¡°I am here as an escort, Chancellor Sullivan. Her Imperial Majesty personallymanded me to do so.¡± ¡°...¡± Sullivan narrowed the corners of her eyes. Seeing how she was even frowning, she seemed to be in a bad mood. ¡°...This is the first time that this man ever came here. He is tired from the journey, so let¡¯s reschedule the matter for tomorrow.¡± ¡°...¡± Actually, nope. It only took us two hours to get there since we used the Teleportation Transference Stone first to get all the way here. Sullivan growled in his face, as if telling him to not mess with us, but the Sword Saint didn¡¯t even bat an eye as he continued his words in a gentle tone. ¡°However, Her Imperial Majesty wishes to see this man right now. We can consider it as an Empress¡¯ order.¡± ¡°...¡± Sullivan¡¯s frown grew deeper. Seeing how insistent he was seemed to throw her in a worse mood. ¡°...It¡¯s already evening. Even considering that it is the Imperial Household, it¡¯s still not polite to call in guests at this time. It¡¯smon sense to provide the guests a ce to sleep and let them rest¡ª¡± This time, her voice had practically turned into a growl. It was as if she was telling him ¡®Stop ying tricks and get lost already¡¯. But, he still replied in a calm tone. ¡°You do not need to worry about that.¡± Hell, he didn¡¯t even sound bothered at all. Even though his tone didn¡¯t fit what came out of his mouth next. ¡°We can just let him sleep in Her Imperial Majesty¡¯s bedroom tonight.¡± ¡°...¡± Sorry? Uh, Wh- What? ¡°...W-Where, you said?¡± ¡°Bedroom. The ce with a bed to sleep.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Her Imperial Majesty wants to spend the night with you, Dowd Campbell.¡± Sullivan¡¯s mouth opened wide. And so did mine. ¡°...¡± Shit. Dude, I just got here. What the /genesisforsaken Chapter 187: The Empress Edict (3) Chapter 187: The Empress'' Edict (3) People who were like water and oil always existed in the world. Those people who¡¯d go ¡®I¡¯d never get along with this person¡¯ the moment they met each other and it went on ever since. And there was a very high chance that Iliya and Eleanor felt that way when they looked at each other. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Sickening, as expected. Inside the shaky carriage, both Iliya and Eleanor thought so almost at the exact same time. Technically, they could get along well with each other if they wanted to. After all, they had quite a lot inmon. Both of them grew up wielding swords from an early age, so they were both really interested in swordsmanship and physical training in general. They also had difficulties making many friends because they were in positions where their peers would look up to them.The problem was in one of the things they had inmon. The fact that these two liked ¡®the same man¡¯, a definite deal breaker for sure. ¡­I¡¯m fine with Riru, but this person is kind of¡­ Unlike Riru, who she came to know as they had grown so close, Iliya¡¯s dislike towards the Tristan Duchy had not subsided. It was the kind of dislike that was deep enough to get two close friends on bad terms, so considering that they had never been on good terms with each other in the first ce, there was no way that she could look at Eleanor favorably at all. ¡°...So.¡± Unable to withstand the silence that had gone on for a while, Iliya finally broke it. ¡°Why are we going to the Imperial Pce so suddenly?¡± She had no problem with this arrangement. As the adopted daughter of Margrave Kendride, one of the very few Major Nobles in the Empire, visiting the Imperial Pce was like an annual event for her. Eleanor, the Lady Tristan herself, would feel the same way as her in this case. The problem was, even with that thing considered, the Imperial Pce was obviously not a ce she could go visit thoughtlessly as if going on a pic. Even Margrave Kendride, who normally acted like a wild beast, would act all obedient and courteous in the Imperial pce, to her surprise. - This ce is an arena ofpetition for starving demons, Iliya. That warning he indoctrinated her with, decorated by the edge to his voice, was still fresh in her memory. - Don¡¯t ever do anything that can be held against you. Never. Hell, don¡¯t even think to stand out. ¡°...¡± Even one of the most prestigious Major Nobles in the Empire said so. So, there was no need to borate further about the scope of the danger that was lurking inside. ¡°Well, you have probably guessed the reason already.¡± As Iliya was lost in thoughts, Eleanor answered in a calm voice. ¡°Because I heard Dowd entered that ce.¡± ¡°...¡± Yes, Iliya guessed that. Because nine out of ten times, whenever Eleanor was unusually driven, that man was involved in it somehow. ¡°...No wonder he suddenly disappeared.¡± After the Second Ordeal was over, Iliya had gone to his room in the evening, bringing a bottle of alcohol to hold a celebration party together with him. She remembered how taken aback she was because she didn¡¯t find him there. But then, the inside story of how he was suddenly summoned to the Imperial Pce was- ¡°No, wait.¡± Eleanor cut her off, her eyes narrowed. ¡°...You went to his room alone with a bottle of alcohol in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Did you really go there under the intention of throwing a celebration party with him?¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya avoided Eleanor¡¯s eyes while scratching her blushing cheek. While forcing out a friendly smile, she spitted out a response. ¡°...Aren¡¯t you the one having weird thoughts, President? I really just wanted to throw a celebration party, nothing more.¡± ¡°...¡± Sadly for her, that excuse didn¡¯t seem to work. Eleanor was still sending her a very cold gaze. So, she opted to change the subject, then again that was her only option in this situation. ¡°S-So, Student Council President! D-Do you know why Teach was summoned to the Imperial Pce?¡± ¡°...¡± Fortunately for her, Eleanor seemed to have decided to let it slide this time. It must be the case since she actually turned her ring gaze away while sighing. ¡°...I do not know. All I have heard is that Her Imperial Majesty has personally named that man.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya let out a frown. The Empress personally named him? Why the hell? ¡°...I do not know the reason either. Her Imperial Majesty must have her own reasons, therefore, I am not so worried about that.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The problem is those ursed Upper Nobles.¡± Iliya chuckled, quietly agreeing. It was the first time she had ever seen Eleanor openly curse on something like that, but those people deserved it. Both the Duke and Margrave, who were Major Nobles, boasted great authority¡ªthey shared 30% to 40% stake in the politics. However, the ones who upied the political scene of the Empire were the old noble households who were represented by the ¡®Upper Nobles¡¯. They were the five prestigious families who were right below the Major Nobles. The group of people who only thought of increasing their source of profit by clinging to both the Empress¡¯ and the Chancellor¡¯s sides. To quote Margrave Kendride, they had the heart of a snake. ¡°So, there might be a situation where you and I have to work together.¡± Eleanor continued in a low, subdued voice. ¡°...Since Dowd would need to block possible attacks inside. But, it won¡¯t be hard on him if the Margrave Household and the Duchal Household join forces.¡± ¡°...¡± In a way, Eleanor seemed admirable in Iliya¡¯s eyes, at least in this situation. She must have not been so happy to work with Iliya, but as soon as Dowd was involved, she immediately threw away such personal feelings and even offered a cooperation like this. ¡°...Normally I would have just refused.¡± That was why¡­ Iliya had to at least disy sincerity that matched Eleanor¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°...I will help you just this time. Only because Teach is involved in this, though.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Iliya continued while grinning. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ¡®give up¡¯ one thing to whichever one of us who is more helpful?¡± ¡°...¡± She remembered this. Before, during the vacation. This was the bet both of them made when they turned a certain Count¡¯s territory upside-down. ¡°...That does not sound bad.¡± Eleanor answered with a grin. ¡°Are you saying we should see the conclusion of the bet we made then?¡± ¡°Well, I have no n to lose.¡± Eleanor and Iliya exchanged fierce smiles as they said so. Like that, they strengthened their determination and will as they arrived at the Imperial Pce. ¡°...He went into Her Imperial Majesty''s bedroom? Dowd? At this time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard.¡± ¡°...¡± As soon as they heard that from the Tristan Duchy''s informant inside the Imperial Pce, Shock filled their expressions at the same time.
To put it short¡­ Right now, I was standing right in front of the Empress¡¯ bedroom. ¡°...¡± Before I got here, the Sword Saint literally broke out in a cold sweat while he was trying to calm the Chancellor down, who seemed as if she was about to spit out fire from her mouth. ¡°Is this her way of dering war? I must see Her Imperial Majesty in person no¡ª¡± ¡°...Please don¡¯t use such words recklessly, Chancellor Sullivan. If you¡¯re the one saying it, not many people could dismiss it as anything but empty words.¡± To some extent, I could rte to those words. Like, hearing the word waring out of THE Chancellor¡¯s mouth, yeah, I couldn¡¯t see it as an empty word. ...Fuck, that was scary. It was even more so because she really seemed about to throw hands with the Empress. Given that she had always kept her calm in the game, I wonder how much of her reason that had lost for her to go that far with her words. Anyway, she only calmed down, albeit barely, after the Sword Saint himself asserted dozens of times that ¡®the thing that would make her angry would never happen¡¯. Even then, she still gave me a Mana Stone for emergency contact, in which she insisted that I had to press if something were to happen. - You have to press it if something happens, Dowd. Until the veryst moment, she still looked very reluctant, but given that this was an Empress¡¯ Edict, there was nothing any of us could do. Like, if I didn¡¯t obey it, a whole civil war could happen. That was why I obediently let myself be dragged here. ¡°Her Imperial Majesty is waiting inside.¡± The Sword Saint, who escorted me here. bowed his head politely before continuing. ¡°Considering this is your first time visiting her, Her Imperial Majesty wouldn¡¯t care about your manners, so please make yourselffortable.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I knew those were just empty words, but I thanked him anyway. Chances were he was trying to say that I shouldn¡¯t disregard mannerspletely. ¡°I mean it.¡± ¡°...Sorry?¡± The Sword Saint continued, still smiling gently. ¡°This is what Her Imperial Majesty had said herself; By the honor of the Imperial Household, she would not punish you when ites to manners. And she said that you should treat herfortably.¡± What? Why? ¡°...T-Thank you¡­?¡± I barely managed to squeeze out that answer. That didn¡¯t mean I understood why she made such an exception for me. So, she was telling me, a member of a Viscount Household at best, to make myself fortable¡¯ in front of herself, the Empress? She even emphasized that point by slipping in the honor of the Imperial Household there. Even though I was someone whose neck she could cut off with a flick of a finger if she wanted to¡­ ...Seriously, what the hell is going on? Too much. Can¡¯t understand. While thinking as such, I entered the Empress¡¯ bedroom. As soon as I went inside, ¡°...Wee, Dowd Campbell.¡± The Empress greeted me. Buck naked. ¡°...¡± What the fuck? What is this? ¡°Thank you for epting my invitation, considering howte it is right now.¡± As she said so in a low, whispering voice, a window popped up before my eyes. System Message [ Devil¡¯s Aura detected. ] [ The ¡®Fallen''s Seal¡¯ reacts! ] ¡°...¡± For a second there, I felt nauseous. I knew that there was one Devil left. The Brown Devil. The Devil of Avarice. But, I didn¡¯t know that the Empress was its Vessel! ¡°...¡± Fuck, I got stuck with a Devil¡¯s Vessel inside a bedroom? With just the two of us? Not to mention that she was in the position where I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to say no to! This fucking¡­! ¡°...I¡¯m not in my formal appearance, but I ask for your understanding.¡± While I was racking my brain desperately... The Empress said that while chuckling as shey in bed and wiped herself with a towel. Uh. Wait. It doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s going to ¡®eat¡¯ me immediately. ¡°...¡± The dim candle was the only source of light in this spacious bedroom. Thanks to that, her naked body was only visible under the pale moonlight, making it seem more dreamy. Honestly, it was the first time I¡¯ve ever seen a woman¡¯s body that was close to being nude. Fuck, she looked so pretty. They had often described Cecilia the 11th as someone who possessed an ¡®inhuman¡¯ beauty, even among Sera main characters who were already extremely good-looking on average. The beautiful curves that made up her entire body. Skin fair enough that it resembled cut ss. Her body resembled a sculpture which seemed to have been made with one''s heart and soul. However, inside such a beautiful body¡­ It was also noticeable how the blood vessels in her whole body were turning ck with necrosis because of the ¡®Dragonblood¡¯ flowing in her veins. It looked as if ck blood was flowing in her body. ¡°...¡± The Curse of Dragonblood. Seeing it in person, it actually looked horrible. Even the Curse of Severance that was eating Yuria¡¯s body was not this bad. ¡°Would youe closer? My eyesight isn¡¯t very good.¡± ¡°...Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± As I approached the bed, Cecilia the 11th reached out for my face¡­ Slowly, as if she was trying to appreciate it. There was a dark look in her eyes as she groped my face all over. ¡°...So, this is¡ª¡± With a chuckle, she continued. ¡°¡ªThe face of the best heartthrob in Elfante. You look interesting.¡± ¡°...¡± Words that could stop my brain from working entered my ears. ¡°...Hm? What¡¯s with your reaction? Are you trying to deny it? From the brief period of time when I was keeping an eye on you, I lost count on how many women clung to you.¡± ¡°No, I am not.¡± This was the equivalent of me admitting with my own mouth that I was an unhinged yboy, but I had no choice, since the Empress said so. If she told me to speak frankly, I guess I had to. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so polite. Although, I understand your anxiety due to the vast difference in our status.¡± She said so while smiling yfully. ¡°I need to know your ¡®usual self¡¯, I¡¯d rather not see you acting all polite like this.¡± ¡°...My usual self?¡± ¡°Mhm. So that it would be easier for me to convince the others.¡± ¡°...¡± Convince? About what? As I thought so, the Empress continued with a sigh. ¡°I heard that you¡¯re pretty knowledgeable about international affairs, Dowd Campbell.¡± She continued again. ¡°What do you think about the Empire¡¯s situation right now?¡± ¡°...¡± Feigning ignorance would be meaningless since she had asked me to show her my usual self. But, that question wasn¡¯t one that I could answer straight away. Why was that? Because, if I have to be frank, the Empire is a fucking mess. Even though the Chancellor and the Empress were trying their best not to sh against each other, the nobles under them were busy choosing sides and starting gang fights. It was a strange situation when those who had higher social status were actually clean and possessed goodmon sense, while those with lower status were filthy rotten. ¡°...I can already tell what you¡¯re thinking about just by looking at your expression.¡± She said, letting out a bitter smile. ¡°Indeed, the Empire is in chaos right now. Sullivan and I are still working hard to prevent it from deteriorating and to keep maintaining the status quo, but nobody knows how long this fake peace wouldst.¡± The Empress looked down at her body with a bitter smile. ¡°Now, can you imagine¡­¡± Her body, which was being eaten every hour, every minute by the Curse of Dragonblood. The weak body that seemed so close to death. ¡°How big of a chaos would erupt if the throne was empty?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Truth to be told, I don¡¯t know how much longer will I be able to hold on with this body.¡± ¡°...¡± The Empress said to me, who kept my silence. ¡°That¡¯s why I need you.¡± ¡°M-Me?¡± ¡°Mhm. Seeing you gave me a little idea. There¡¯s a way for you to be a big help in solving this situation.¡± The Empress continued in a voice with dignity. ¡°Under normal circumstances, I should be summoning Iliya Krisanax, the Hero Candidate¡­ However, there¡¯s a good reason why she isn¡¯t qualified to handle this matter.¡± ¡°...She isn¡¯t qualified?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she a woman?¡± ¡°...¡± I had an ominous feeling. I could feel it through my spine. So, this person was a ¡®Devil¡¯s Vessel,¡¯ she stated that a ¡®woman¡¯ wasn¡¯t qualified to help her and the matter had something to do with me, a ¡®man¡¯... From my experience, I couldn¡¯t sense that anything good woulde out of this. ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± The Empress continued with a grin. ¡°Are you willing to be my consort for just a month?¡± ¡°...¡± Wait. Hold up. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty.¡± I had to squeeze out my vocal cords just to say those words. ¡°...Can you borate?¡± ¡°To put it simply, be my husband for a month.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Is that still hard to understand? So, you will live together as my partner for a month¡ª¡± Miss. Exin the reason why you¡¯re doing /genesisforsaken Chapter 188: The Empress Edict (4) Chapter 188: The Empress'' Edict (4) Fortunately, Her Imperial Majesty wasn¡¯t someone without sympathy. I could tell because she bothered to borate, even though she was giggling at me, who was clearly intimidated by her. ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you¡¯d be confused to suddenly hear me saying the word consort.¡± She said as she affectionately stroked the back of my hand. Her gaze suggested that she found me, who was flinching and flustering, cute. ¡­This is different from the game. Did this person have such a yful personality? In the original game, Cecilia the 11th never really came to the spotlight. She only asionally appeared to interact with Eleanor. That was why I could only remember her being all formal while carrying out her official duties.If anything, she left a strong impression that she¡¯d cause a lot of trouble throughout the main quest. ¡°...¡± Unlike Faenol, the boss of Chapter 4, Cecilia the 11th was pretty much set to dieter on in the story. As for how she ended up dying, it was rather diverse. She could either die after failing to find the cure for the Curse of Dragonblood, lose in a power struggle and get incarcerated somewhere, or end up being executed. But, the worst out of them all was¡­ ¡­The civil war and the ensuing coup d¡¯ ¨¦tat. It was the national insurgency, a turmoil of war which happened because of the ¡®Upper Nobles Association¡¯, consisting of prestigious families except for Tristan Duchy and Margrave Kendride, as the key role. The event where Gideon and her ended up dying at the same time. This was also the worst quarter in the ¡®Empire''s Great Turmoil¡¯ scenario in Chapter 5. Pretty much an instant-death event that appeared if the yer chose a few wrong options in the ¡®climax¡¯ at the end of Chapter 4. ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡± As I was mulling over those thoughts, the Empress suddenly said those words. ¡°During the Second Ordeal of the Hero Selection, what were you thinking when you did what you did back then?¡± ¡°...Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about how you casually put yourself in a near death state. You did such a thing without a hint of hesitation, without faltering even a little.¡± The Empress said with slightly sunken eyes. ¡°Think of this as a test from me, so please give me a serious answer. Why did you do such a thing?¡± ¡°...¡± She talked so seriously all of a sudden, so I involuntarily went quiet. Also, a test, huh? Who knew what would qualify as the right answer for her. But, if she wanted a straight and honest answer from me¡­ ¡°Because that was for the best.¡± ¡°For the best?¡± ¡°Yes, since I¡¯d be the only one getting hurt. Besides, I have survived such situations countless times before.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I was confident about it, so I did it. That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°...In other words¡ª¡± Cecilia the 11th let out a smile. ¡°You made a cool-headed judgment that you were the most appropriate ¡®tool¡¯ to solve that situation. And you have the courage to be certain that you can pull it off, even though that was the situation where your life was on the line.¡± She made it sound like it was the right answer. ¡°...I had thought you might be that kind of person. After observing you closely, you indeede up with the most extraordinary and bold methods.¡± The Empress continued with a sigh. ¡°Someone like you, is the one I need.¡± ¡°...Someone like¡ª¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell, I¡¯m going on a hunt.¡± She continued in a calm voice. ¡°...As you must¡¯ve guessed, the Empire is holding arge spark. The rtionship between Sullivan and I is somewhat amicable, but I often heard that the Upper Nobles Association¡¯s movement is unusual.¡± ¡­As I thought. Considering how Chapter 5 would progresster, now would be around the time when those guys would be conspiring something. ¡°If an insurgency were to happen in this situation¡­ Calling it a disaster is an understatement. Especially when we¡¯re pretty much certain that the Pope of the Holy Land is also nning something big.¡± ¡°...¡± That was a really sound concern. As she said, the Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil that happened in Chapter 5 would immediately lead to the main quest of Chapter 6 in the Holy Land. In other words¡­ What this person wanted to say was¡­ ¡°I want to prevent that from happening by ¡®using¡¯ you.¡± So she said. ¡°I cannot tell you my n in detail, but¡­ I feel like you will be able to pull it off. I have a hunch that you would be able to help me get a chance to crack down on the Upper Nobles Association with one fell swoop.¡± ¡°...How¡­exactly did you expect me to do that?¡± ¡°You just need to do what you¡¯re best at.¡± Letting out a gentle smile, the Empress continued. ¡°Please, survive.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Your role is to be the bait. This is why I am conferring you the status of consort.¡± Consort. In other words, the Empress¡¯ partner. The current Empress was neither married nor had any children. If I were to take the position of consort, I would be ced closest to the legitimate session to the throne. Without any background, prelude or anything¡ªthe son of a Viscount Household, suddenly bing the Empress¡¯ consort. For those who wanted to start a civil war because they were blinded by power, there wouldn¡¯t be any other target that ¡®stood out¡¯ more than me. There was no way to be sure, but I assumed that the Empress was nning to wipe out the Upper Nobles Association with this. ¡°A month will do. If things work out as nned, that will be the end of our rtionship. I guarantee you.¡± The Empress spoke... In a calm manner. ¡°...Obviously, nothing will be more graceful if Imand you to do this for free. You¡¯d be forced to risk your life, after all.¡± Seeing me staying silent, she added those words. ¡°I will grant you a reward that you¡¯d be satisfied with.¡± ¡°...Did you say¡­ Reward?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She continued and casually¡­ ¡°I will give you all my being.¡± ¡­Made such a statement. ¡°...Sorry?¡± That was a statement that could instantly stop my brain from working, but I barely managed to let out a response. She went on, though. Without dropping her casual tone at all. ¡°Cecilia Ark Bailey Dieudonn¨¦. The Empress of the Empire. Otherwise known as Cecilia the 11th. ¡®I¡¯ am going to give my everything to you. You may use me as you wish for a month. My body, my heart¡ªeverything.¡± ¡°...¡± What the fuck? Seriously, what the fuck was she on about? What? Body? Heart? ¡°...¡± To a moron from a Viscount household, whose neck she could cut off with a simple hand gesture¡­ She, THE Ruler of the Empire¡­ The fuck did she just say? ¡°You may even hit me for fun. Just treat me as a doll to fulfill your desires. But, considering my body is in this state, it¡¯ll be hard for you to get too violent, but you can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°...Wait. Your Imperial Majesty, what are you¡ª¡± ¡°This is the only ¡®reward¡¯ I can offer you.¡± She cut off my words with a bitter smile. Didn¡¯t seem she was going to ept any kind of objection from me. ¡°...I will leave it up to you to decide.¡± It seemed like her decision was final. And the rest was entirely up to me.
¡­Ugh, my head. That was the first thing that came out to my mind after my conversation with the Empress was over. [...Can I be honest with you?] ¡°Fuck no.¡± [...] ¡°Can¡¯t you just console me? Please.¡± I didn¡¯t need to hear any facts out of your mouth. Because I knew best that I was surrounded by this shitty situation. [You¡¯re probably fucked.] ¡°...¡± This fucker still made an honest statement after all that. I quietly looked at the Soul Linker. [...Tell me honestly. You seem to not understand how this came to be, right?] ¡°...¡± Of fucking course. Isn¡¯t it obvious? Okay, look, I understood that she was trying to use me as bait in some kind of ¡®scheme¡¯ of hers. But, the reward she offered¡­ - I will give you all my being. That was practically a deration of very. The Empress herself dered that she would give up her ¡®human rights¡¯ and be my ¡®property¡¯. Hearing that, it was only natural that the first emotion I felt was confusion and horror. The situation was way too bizarre for it to be real. ¡­Like, why? Why would she do that? This wasn¡¯t the first time that a Devil¡¯s Vessel saw me in such a favorable way out of a sudden. But¡­ Whether it was Eleanor, Yuria, Seras, Riru, or even Faenol, all of them didn¡¯t show their interest in me ¡®without any reason¡¯. They¡¯d only feel that way when my skill was activated, after they saw my face, went through something or had some kind of interaction with me. She was the first person to say something so perplexing like this when we had never even met before. Moreover, considering her status, she could just ¡®force¡¯ me to y such a role. She didn¡¯t have to offer me such a perplexing ¡®reward¡¯. ¡­There was no trace that my Gift was activated either. No matter how much I scoured through the System Logs, there wasn¡¯t any trace of my Skills being activated against the Empress. There was noprehensible reason for her to act like this. [...There¡¯s something going on behind this. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good or bad, though.] ¡­Yeah, I agree. I answered as I pulled the doorknob to my amodation, after being guided by a servant. And as soon as I entered the room. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± I was weed by Iliya¡¯s and Eleanor¡¯s angry re at the same time. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The fuck? How did you two get here? ¡°Come and sit here, Dowd.¡± The atmosphere made that sentence sound like I was about to get scolded by my mom, who somehow found out that her kid had done something bad. Except that instead of my mom, the one who said that was Eleanor, whose eyes were shining coldly. ¡°...I heard you had a private meeting with Her Imperial Majesty the Empress. Is that correct?¡± ¡°...¡± How did they know that so quickly? I literally just came out¡­ ¡°...What happened inside? Tell me.¡± ¡°Just be honest, Teach. I won¡¯t get angry.¡± Who are you kidding? There¡¯s no way you won¡¯t. I know you¡¯re nning to chew me until not even powder of my bones are left¡­! As I was looking at the two of them alternatively while breaking in a cold sweat, a different voice came from behind me. ¡°Would it not be faster for you to ask me that instead of him?¡± Everyone in the room turned to look at the person in panic. ¡°He is innocent, Eleanor, don¡¯t harass him. All he did was listen to me.¡± The voice came from none other than Her Imperial Majesty the Empress. She seemed to be waiting in front of the room while holding something simr to a staff. ¡°...¡± God¡­ Why is she here? Considering the timing, she definitely followed me almost immediately after I left her room. ¡°...Your Imper¡­¡± Iliya¡¯s whole body stiffened with her mouth hanging open, meanwhile Eleanor barely managed to let out a response, bbergasted. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty¡­?!¡± ¡°My, Eleanor. It has been a long time, hasn¡¯t it? Have you been well?¡± The Empress said. Well, to be exact, she said through a magically engineered ¡®speech synthesizer¡¯¡ªa device that reacted to the user¡¯s intention and let out the user¡¯s voice on their behalf. ¡°...¡± That was when I realized¡­ This person¡­ Had been using her ¡®real voice¡¯ when she talked with me¡­ As if treating me like someone special. ¡°You too, Dowd. We just met, but nice to see you again.¡± As expected. Once again, she used her real voice to talk with me, not with the speech synthesizer. As if ignoring how weak and unstable her voice was. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya and Eleanor looked at me and the Empress alternately with horror in their eyes. Their gazes felt like they were asking me what kind of rtionship I had with the Empress. ¡°Hm.¡± Meanwhile, the Empress casually walked into the room and perched on the sofa. Surprised, both Iliya and Eleanor got up from their seats at the same time. ¡°So.¡± Due to her body being unable to movefortably, her movements were rather awkward, but the air around her was cheerful. She was definitely enjoying this. The atmosphere in the room continued on to be like this until she opened up her mouth again. ¡°What are you going to order me to do today, Dowd?¡± As soon as she said that, the atmosphere was shattered into pieces. ¡°...¡± A heavy silence permeated the room. Everyone just stared at the Empress in a daze. Everyone including me. ¡­What is she talking about? Didn¡¯t she say that she¡¯s letting me decide? That means she would be waiting for me to make my decision. But, why is she talking as if it¡¯s already confirmed that I¡¯ll be her consort and she¡¯ll be my ¡®property¡¯? ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong. What I said about it being up to you to decide is still valid.¡± Her Imperial Majesty the Empress said, as if reading my mind. ¡°However, I¡¯m afraid that you took my words as mere lip-service, so this is my way of giving you assurance. You maymand me to do anything you want.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya¡¯s face, which seemed as if she couldn¡¯t turn even more surprised than before, immediately went pale. Actually, no, it just turned blue. As for Eleanor, she looked even worse. She struggled to open her mouth, as herplexion actually darkened. ¡°...What do you mean bymand, Your Imperial Majesty, what, kind-¡± ¡°Well, I have made such a contract with that man, so¡­¡± ¡°Did you just say¡­ Contract¡­?¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± The Empress grinned as she continued. ¡°Think of it as a gift from me to him. Though, ultimately, he is the one who will make the decision.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°He canmand me anything, even if it¡¯s something erotic, I won¡¯t mind. I have heard for a long time that my body and face are fine.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya almost seemed like she was choking on air. It wasn¡¯t any different with Eleanor. Me too, having to deal with my wobbly body due to the dizziness that overtook me. You¡¯re a fucking assassin, aren¡¯t you? The Prophet sent you to kill me, right? Is that what it is? That was the only usible exnation why she would casually say such things to me. ¡°...¡± Iliya and Eleanor turned their gazes back at me. Their heads made squeaky movements, like an unoiled machine, as they did so, which made them look even more scary. ¡°...Exin.¡± ¡°...Quick.¡± Right after that. Two murderous voices came out of their mouths, one after another. ¡°...¡± Shit. I¡¯m /genesisforsaken Chapter 189: Social Gathering (1) Chapter 189: Social Gathering (1) ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Somehow, I managed to exin everything, but the awkward atmosphere didn¡¯t seem to subside at all. All of the people sitting around the table kept their mouths shut. Meanwhile, the Empress, who had borated on her n of using me as her ¡®consort¡¯, was smoking with a pipe in her mouth. ¡­A pipe? I knew that Saintess Lucia also smoked sometimes, but unlike this person, she didn¡¯t let out such a thick smoke. Quite bold of her considering that she was someone bearing a rare curse in Sera.¡°...Your Imperial Majesty, are you okay?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± It seemed like I wasn¡¯t the only one thinking that. Eleanor asked so with a hint of worry in her voice. The Empress¡¯ stared at her, as if wondering what she was trying to say, though. ¡°...Ah, are you talking about this?¡± She took the pipe out of her mouth for a moment and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°...Pardon me?¡± ¡°If anything, I¡¯ll die if I don¡¯t smoke.¡± ¡°...¡± She said before putting the pipe back in her mouth. Eleanor just clutched her head at the sight. She didn¡¯t seem to understand what the Empress was trying to say. Well, gotta say that it was a rare sight. Usually, it was me who¡¯d suffer from a headache because of her, after all. As expected from the Empire''s Supreme. [...How could you hyping up her dignity in that regard?] Caliban grumbled, but I wasn¡¯t joking. This scene literally showcased her dignity, that wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. Like, Eleanor had a ¡®nobody¡¯s more precious than me in this whole universe¡¯ kind of mentality, to the point that she even tried to go up against Chancellor Sullivan. But even that Eleanor would give in to the Empress. Maybe the fact that she had grown up with Cecilia the 11th ever since she was still the ¡®Imperial Princess¡¯ yed a big part in this. ¡°...¡± But, as close as they were to each other¡­ As I¡¯ve said many times before, Cecilia the 11th¡¯s death had a huge impact on Eleanor. Enough to cause a cataclysm in the whole scenario. ¡°...Speaking of, you said that you¡¯re going hunting?¡± As I let my thoughts wander, Eleanor asked that question after struggling for a bit. Unlike Iliya, those two were acquaintances. That was why, even though she looked doubtful, unsure if the Empress was trying to do the right thing, she at least tried to ask a question. Meanwhile, Iliya couldn¡¯t even try to say anything. ¡°I am. Is there anything you are curious about?¡± ¡°...Are you sure it is safe?¡± There were two other questions behind this question of hers. First, was it okay to do this, considering the current situation of the Empire? Second, she was trying to ask about ¡®my safety¡¯. I was going to be used as bait, after all. Guess she was worried about it. ¡°...Hmm.¡± As she tried toe up with something to say, the Empress exhaled a thick smoke from her mouth. Her dreary, brown irises, were soon fixed right on Eleanor. ¡°Let me be honest here. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Eleanor quietly closed her eyes. ¡°...I am aware that you are not someone who would risk someone else¡¯s life meaninglessly, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± She continued in a subdued voice. ¡°However, that man¡ª¡± ¡°First of all, thank you for your appreciation, Eleanor. It really makes me feel that I did not live a useless life.¡± The Empress said as she exhaled another dense smoke. ¡°But that man has already been involved in the matter, even if I do not take him with me.¡± ¡°...Pardon me?¡± ¡°The moment Chancellor Sullivan showed her interest in him, my interest was also drawn to him. There¡¯s a high possibility that the Upper Nobles Association is also keeping an eye on him.¡± She continued her words in a calm tone. ¡°I don¡¯t know what they are plotting, but I know that it won¡¯t be good for this man. Pulverizing them for good would benefit both of us.¡± ¡°...¡± The Empress said to Eleanor, whose eyes were open wide. ¡°Moreover, the bastard who leads them¡­ Seems to be very interested in this man personally.¡± Is that how it is? Thinking back, I was always connected to anything ¡®Devil-rted¡¯ so far, not to mention that recently, I received a great deal of attention at the Hero Selection Ordeal. Which meant that even if I didn¡¯t be the consort or whatever, I was already standing out. I was pretty much vulnerable to dangers. ¡°That¡¯s why I think it¡¯ll be in your best interest for him to ept this offer, if possible¡­¡± The Empress nced at her. ¡°...But, the fact that you still have that sour look on your face, it means that there¡¯s another reason.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It would be better to put away your jealousy.¡± Cecilia the 11th said to Eleanor, who stayed silent. This time, she also looked at Iliya, who had been silently listening to the conversation. ¡°I have no intention of taking him away from you two. Even a blind person knows how precious this man is to you two.¡± ¡°...¡± Eleanor''s eyes widened as she looked at the Empress, who wore a bitter smile. ¡°...In the first ce, I do not have much time left.¡± ¡°What do you¡ª¡± Before Eleanor could even ask, a knock on the door cut her words off. ¡°...Your Imperial Majesty, are you inside?¡± A familiar voice. It was the Sword Saint. ¡°My, Radu? What brings you here?¡± ¡°...Could you please stop entering external personnels¡¯ amodations without bringing any servants? Please consider how you¡¯d put many people in an awkward position by doing this.¡± ¡°Surely they can bear with that for a bit. Payback for nagging me all the time.¡± ¡°...¡± Really¡­? This is the Empress¡­? This shameless, brazen woman¡­? ¡°...Anyway, I came here because I have things I need to take care of with this man.¡± Exhaling a sigh, the Sword Saint spoke out. ¡°The Upper Nobles Association contacted us. They want to meet Dowd Campbell in person. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone in the room fell silent at that sentence. ¡°...See?¡± Cecilia the 11th inhaled the smoke that came out from her pipe while smiling. ¡°They immediately took the bait.¡± Her attitude suggested that she had been waiting for this.
The Upper Nobles Association was founded mainly by the prestigious noble families of the Empire, save for the Tristan Duchy and the Kendride Margravate, who were the two Major Nobles in the Empire. Compared to the Empress or the Chancellor, their authority was way weaker, but they were a united force and they still had a considerable influence in state affairs. To put it simply¡­ The Empire was divided into two, Empress, supported by the two Major Nobles and the Chancellor, who reigned over the bureaucrats and working groups. ¡­Honestly, they half-assed this setting. Like, it didn¡¯t make any sense whatsoever. The Empress and the Chancellor, the two stately people with the most authority, holding both the regime and the real power of the state, that one was already established. But, the other nobles, instead of joining either one, banded together as a third force and tried to ride both instead. Anyone with a brain could tell how strange this was. But there was bound to be someone who¡¯d add such a crappy concept, ridden with holes, into the plot. ¡°Are you Dowd Campbell?! THE Dowd Campbell himself?!¡± When the man held my hand with a twinkle in his eyes, I forced out a smile. He had neatly-cut ck hair, his eyes glinted with intelligence and his formal clothes were perfectly tidied up to match the pce¡¯s standards. But even those clothes couldn¡¯t hide his well-trained body. Honestly, he didn¡¯t seem like a noble at all. Rather, he looked like a young athlete who put in effort on self-care. ¡°Aiyaa, I¡¯ve always wanted to see you! It¡¯s such an honor to meet you! I saw your performance at the Hero Selection Ordeal! Actually, I¡¯ve been keeping my eyes on you even before that! Since the time when you cruelly provoked the Pope!¡± But, this person who said such words with a twinkle in his eyes was definitely one of the upper-ss nobles of the Empire. Marquis Bogut. A.k.a the ¡®Lionheart¡¯. He was a war hero who had never lost a battle against Demonic Creatures, heathens, or even other countries. ¡°...¡± Even Margrave Kendride, the Empire¡¯s best shield himself, must¡¯ve experienced defeat in a battle against someone, so was Gideon, and Caliban, who was sleeping in the Soul Linker. But, this man¡­ He had beat all of his opponents with such an overwhelming gap that no one would question if he was called a genius. Of course, this only happened because he had no conflict with someone on the level of the Sword Saint, but then again, if he did sh with the Sword Saint, a whole civil war would actually start. In any case, this man was the most promising young noble in the Empire. ¡­It¡¯s like this in the game too. They even went on and said that if the few ¡®constraints¡¯ didn¡¯t exist, this man would be the first person to wield the Holy Sword in this generation. That was how much ¡®talent¡¯ that he had. Too bad that those constraints were deal breakers. ¡°Wee to the Imperial Pce! When did you arrive here? Have you eaten yet? Where are you assigned to stay?¡± ¡°...Excuse me.¡± Being showered with those questions, I let out an awkward smile. Even in the game he was one of the most rowdy bastards, but he was even worse in person. ¡°...Um, My Lord, it seems like the guest is feeling a little awkward.¡± One of the men apanying him intervened with a bitter smile. Marquis Bogut smiled widely while raising his forehead. His actions were so exaggerated that it felt like a y. [...He looks chaotic on the outside, but he doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person.] ¡­That''s exactly the problem. [Huh?] Because it¡¯s hard to tell what his intentions are. Come to think of it, it was strange. In the original game, the Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil in Chapter 5 happened because of Sullivan, a key character whopletely opposed the Empress. But, Sullivan didn¡¯t seem to have made any contact with the Upper Nobles Association. Cecilia the 11th originally would¡¯ve been preparing a political aggression to match Sullivan¡¯s moves, but she was quietly focusing on me. The back ground conditions for the ¡®Great Turmoil¡¯ to happen like in Chapter 5 were too insufficient. ¡°...¡± But¡­ After getting into this world, there was one thing that I¡¯ve learned. Every bad thing that was set to happen, would happen, no matter what. ¡­Since the Civil War is set to happen, then it will happen. The problem here was¡­ ¡®Who¡¯ would start it. The perpetrators in the original game, the Empress and Sullivan, seemed unlikely to start it. Both of them were Devil¡¯s Vessels, and they were focusing on me. Which meant¡­ Since those two were out of picture¡­ There was one remaining candidate, that bastard¡­ ¡°Sorry, I talked too much! The reason why I called out to you is because of this!¡± He said, still with his chaotic vibe, as a letter, sealed with wax, appeared before my eyes. ¡°...This is?¡± ¡°An invitation! The Upper Nobles Association will be holding a social gathering in the Imperial Pce!¡± The punk said while sping the letter into my hand. His eyes were sparkling. Receiving such a passionate gaze felt burdensome. ¡°I''m your number one fan, Dowd Campbell! I really hope that you¡¯lle! Alright, I¡¯ll be going!¡± ¡°...¡± He was such a chaotic guy. Judging by how he only said what he wanted to say and stormed out, this felt especially true. ¡°...¡± All of his followers were taken aback for a moment before following him. I looked at the letter in my hand. Considering Marquis Bogut¡¯s position, I couldn¡¯t treat this invitation lightly. Because nobody knew what kind of butterfly effect would ur after I dealt with this thing. ¡°...A social gathering, huh?¡± I¡¯ve never been to one before. There was no reason for someone who was once a member of a Baron household and currently a member of a Viscount household to go to such an event exclusive to high-ranking nobles. However¡­ ¡­Making a shocking appearance. As I recalled what I had been told beforeing here, I let out a sigh. -Bogut will probably give you an invitation to the social gathering that will be held in the Imperial Pce. Since it was obvious that he was interested in you. I still remembered how the Empress puffed up smoke as she said so. -Then, what if you make a shocking appearance? As shocking as you possibly can. -...Sorry? -I think you might need to. -...Why is that exactly? -The Upper Nobles Association is a group of punks, they¡¯re all upromising prestigious families. The social gathering isn¡¯t a mere social event for them. Their impression of you will change as long as you stand out. It will also increase the scope of information you can ¡®gather¡¯. I remembered how the Empress answered me while grinning. It made a lot of sense¡­yeah¡­ But how do I do that? For someone from a Viscount household to attract attention at an event where high-ranking nobles gathered, it obviously wasn¡¯t easy to do that. [Actually, I have a good idea.] Suddenly, Caliban said that to me. [What if you go there together with the three of them, including Her Imperial Majesty?] ¡°...¡± [Being an absolute trash is the thing you¡¯re best at. Surely that¡¯ll attract enough attention, right?] He said while snickering. This guy waspletely making fun of me, wasn¡¯t he? Are you really trying to make me bring the current Hero Candidate, Lady Tristan and the Ruler of the Empire herself with me? Let alone attracting attention, they would think of me as a crazy bastard. ¡°...Shut it with you non¡ª¡± As I was about to retort to him¡­ I shut my mouth. ¡°...¡± [...] ¡°...¡± [...Why are you being all quiet?] I ignored him and quietly thought about it. For a while there, I was lost in thoughts, wearing a serious expression on my face. [...] ¡°...¡± [...] ¡°...¡± [...Hey.] ¡°...¡± [You¡¯re not thinking what I¡¯m thinking, right?] Actually¡­ About that idea¡­ ¡°Caliban.¡± [You crazy motherfucker, don¡¯t.] ¡°...¡± [I said don¡¯t.] But, I haven¡¯t even said /genesisforsaken Chapter 190: Social Gathering (2) Chapter 190: Social Gathering (2) ¡°...Do you think he¡¯s worth using, Sir Bogut?¡± The lively smile that was always stered on Marquis Bogut¡¯s face changed in an instant. Because there were special guests from various ces gathered inside the banquet hall, the atmosphere was noisy. That was why there wouldn¡¯t be any problems if they were to openly hold a private conversation like this. ¡°What are you talking about, Count Ravel?¡± ¡°...That guy, Dowd Campbell.¡± Hearing the lively answering from him, Count Ravel barely managed to keep himself from showing a frown. I can¡¯t believe such a bastard is the leader of the Upper Nobles Association. He wasn¡¯t fond of this flippant young Marquis at all. While he was aware of the Marquis'' outstanding nickname, Lionheart, that came from his immense achievements in wars, the man himself looked like a clown instead of an invincible knight.Being born to a prestigious family with a long history, Count Ravel grew up prim and proper, both in manners and etiquette, so he grew to dislike this type of a person. This was especially the case with the person from the Viscount Household that the Marquis was keeping an eye on. ¡°It isn¡¯t hard to find such promising talent throughout the Empire and for us Upper Nobles Associations, it isn¡¯t difficult to recruit such people.¡± The Count uttered, trying to control his voice. Marquis Bogut received pretty much full support from the other Upper Nobles Association executives, so if anything, he shouldn¡¯t risk getting on his wrong side. But... He felt the need to openly utter this opinion of his. ¡°Do we really need to pay attention to someone with such a humble background?¡± Hearing his words, Marquis Bogut tilted his head. ¡°Count Ravel, did you not receive the document?¡± ¡°What document are you talking about?¡± ¡°I was talking about the result of the Upper Nobles Association¡¯s investigation on Dowd Campbell¡¯s personal information! Anyone who had read it would know that he isn¡¯t someone you could dismiss as a dreg from a Viscount Household or something simr!¡± Marquis Bogut continued with a grin. ¡°Well, provided that they aren¡¯t an idiot, that is!¡± ¡°...¡± Receiving the words that were the equivalent of him being told to stop talking crap, the Count¡¯s cheeks twitched slightly. He wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with Marquis Bogut¡¯s personality¡ªwhich sometimes felt as if he had no sense of decency at all rather than simply being innocent¡ªwhat he was unfamiliar with was this kind of straightforward conversation. ¡°...I admit that the record was impressive.¡± Needless to say, he was already aware that what was written on the aforementioned document were a series of amazing feats. Overpowered a Demonic Human, quelled arge-scalemotion in Elfante, overpowered an Ancient God from another dimension. Because of Atnte, Elfante¡¯s Headmistress, it was impossible to obtain the details of his feats since she used all her power to hide the information, but the fact that he still survived despite being involved in all those mayhem suggested a lot of things. Add that to his performance in the Hero Selection Ordeal, which was extraordinary to say the least, even the Count could tell that this man was easily the best talent among the best¡ªa gem. But¡­ Despite all that¡­ ¡°I heard that he is a tool used to put ¡®leash¡¯ on the Devils.¡± He uttered in a half-disdainful voice. In fact he didn¡¯t deny the man¡¯s effectiveness. If anything, he acknowledged that Dowd was ¡®worth using¡¯, more than enough, since there was a possibility that he could control the Devils. By the fact that not only the Empire¡¯s leaders, but also the Pope of the Holy Land had got their eyes on him, this matter was pretty much undebatable. However, it waspletely another story to keep such a person as an ¡®ally¡¯. Especially since he was deeply involved with the enemy of the whole human race themselves.. ¡°What¡¯s so good about getting such a person on our side? The burden on us is too great.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a man who has caught the eyes of both Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and Chancellor Sullivan! I believe there must be a reason for that, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Them having an eye on him and us personally inviting him to an social gathering are two different things. You, of all people, should know that.¡± Ravel continued with a sigh. ¡°...This is like we¡¯re giving them an excuse to attack us. No, they definitely will attack us. The Empress, the Chancellor, even the other small factions wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take the lead to condemn us for being close with someone who¡¯s connected to the Devils." Not only that, there was another implication to invite such a person ¡®personally¡¯ to a social gathering. It was like announcing that ¡®this is my people¡¯ to the people around them. ¡°And that is a problem, Count Ravel?¡± ¡°...?¡± Ravel looked at Bogut as if finding him strange. Of course it is. It¡¯s nothing but a problem! As for why, it was because not only would they turn the Empire into their enemies, but the entire continent too. Even those lunatics Mages of the Magic Tower, who had pledged that they were simply schrs dedicating themselves to advance the technology and swore that they wouldn¡¯t interfere with the shift of power on the continent, would take an active part when it came to eliminating Devils. Yet, this man¡¯s dismissive attitude of ¡®as long as we can make him an ally¡¯, as if¡ª ¡°...¡± Suddenly, Ravel realized something as a chill ran down his spine. ¡°...Sir Bogut.¡± No way. There¡¯s just no way. But¡­ With his cheeks twitched, Count Ravel asked. ¡°Than man¡¯s value, how high are you setting it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to get at, Count Ravel!¡± ¡°...¡± This sly fucker. He knew what I was talking about, but he still acted like a fool on purpose. Ravel red at Bogut while slightly biting his lips. ¡­In any case, this person¡­ Whether it was about Devils, bing the public enemy of the whole human race or whatever. Ravel believed that the man in front of him thought that those things wouldn¡¯t matter as long as he could make that person into an ¡®ally¡¯. Which meant, he regarded that man¡¯s value exceeded the risk of bing the public enemy of the entire continent. ¡­What the hell is with that punk¡­? As Count Ravel wondered such, Marquis Bogut threw another question at him. ¡°Have you tried to think about it, Count Ravel?¡± ¡°...Pardon me?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since the Campbells were promoted to be a Viscount Household. Prior to this, they were only a Baron Household, anymoner with a little wealth could afford to buy such a title.¡± ¡°...?¡± Of course Count Ravel had known about this since it was written in the document. The question here was why did the Marquis bring this up now? ¡°It¡¯s weird that people don¡¯t seem to be as curious as I thought about this matter!¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°How could someone without any exceptional background managed to enroll at Elfante, the best academy in the Empire?¡± ¡°...¡± The first thing that came to the Count¡¯s mind was that they must have worked it out one way or another. After all, from the result of his performance that was stated in the document, someone like him could have easily entered the academy. Elfante provided a fair opportunity for education. Even if one wasn¡¯t from a prestigious family, as long as they were talented or had proved themselves in one way or another, whoever they were¡ª ¡°...¡± Huh? Wait a moment. Suddenly, Count Ravel recalled part of the document that he had read. He wasn¡¯t an executive of the Upper Nobles Association for nothing¡ªhe could tell that something was off right away. That man only began to stand out ¡®after¡¯ he was enrolled at the academy. Before that¡­ ¡­That punk had nothing¡­ He had no talent in Unarmed Combat, no remarkable result academically, and never stood out much in Spell Composition or Divine Power Mastery. Even his scores in thepetency evaluation done before his admission were all in the lowest rank. And Bogut had just stated that he wasn¡¯t from a prestigious family. To put it simply, he was someone with no ability, no potential to grow and no noteworthy background to speak of. At this point, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for anyone to wonder; ¡®How¡¯ the hell did this punk get enrolled at Elfante in the first ce? ¡°Humans are born of women, Count Ravel!¡± ¡°...¡± Now, what the hell is he talking about, huh? As Count Ravel thought so while staring nkly at him, Marquis Bogut soon continued. ¡°The document recorded the name of that man¡¯s father, but there¡¯s no information about his mother anywhere! Did you notice that?¡± ¡°...¡± ording to the Count¡¯s memory, the Marquis words were right. The information about his father, Viscount Armin Campbell, was written in a lot of details¡ªthough it didn¡¯t mean much since the investigation was conducted by the Imperial Central Intelligence Agency, which was said to be able to dig up even the most embarrassing memories of the target¡¯s childhood if they wanted. ¡°...Are you saying that him enrolling at the academy has something to do with his mother?¡± ¡°Half a guess, half positive!¡± ¡°...¡± What is he even trying to say? As he silently looked at Bogut while thinking so, Bogut continued. ¡°Well, I¡¯m just guessing, but if the person I have in mind is really his mother, then it¡¯s just right that Dowd Campbell would show this level of a performance!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Besides, you¡¯re a strange man, Count Ravel! Just think about it! Investigations done by the Center Intelligence Agency would dig up everything about the target¡ªeven the most useless information! But, they still didn¡¯t have anything on his mother and you aren¡¯t even questioning it!¡± That¡¯s¡­true¡­ But, it was the fact that he didn¡¯t care much at first. Count Ravel replied while stroking his chin. ¡°...I did think that his mother might¡¯ve died when he was little. Or that she is too trivial of an existence to even include in the document.¡± ¡°Or.¡± The Marquis¡¯ voice sounded lively like always. However, somehow¡­ ¡°It might be someone hidden behind such a veil that the Central Intelligence Agency, the best intelligence agency in the Empire, could not find a clue even though they had used full force.¡± There was also a hint of dangerous ¡®malice¡¯ in his voice. Due to the angle of the light shining from the chandelier above, shadows were cast exquisitely across Bogut¡¯s face, and Count Ravel, who had posed the question, couldn''t help but flinch at the sight. With his smile hidden in the shades, his eyes shone frighteningly, as if they held zing mes. ¡°Someone those paranoiacs, who could even dig up dirt about the Empress, can¡¯t approach.¡± The light atmosphere Bogut usually carried had gone. Instead, he exuded such an overwhelming presence. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± Bogut asked as Ravel swallowed dryly. ¡°...A bet?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After moving back to a well-lit spot, the Marquis nodded enthusiastically. ¡°If that man does something so great that it convinces you during this social gathering, Count Ravel, I¡¯ll win. And if he does not, you¡¯ll lose. What do you think?¡± ¡°...¡± Instead of agreeing to do a bet where he could never win, the Count let out a sigh. ¡­There¡¯s no way that bastard could pull off something so great anyway. As he thought so. The orchestra, who kept ying outside the banquet hall, suddenly stopped ying. As everyone looked around puzzled¡­ ¡°Her Imperial Majesty the Empress ising in!¡± ¡°Everyone stand up!¡± As such a shout echoed, the inside of the banquet hall began to stir in an instant. ¡°...Her Imperial Majesty? ¡°Her Imperial Majesty came in person?¡± The Empress was known to rarely go out because of her physical constitution. It felt like it was the first time that she showed up in the banquet hall at all. ¡°The eternal Ruler of the Empire, passionate, intelligent and charming! Cecilia the 11th¡ª¡± ¡°No, no. I do not need that.¡± ¡°...¡± The servant, who raised his voice to dere the Empress¡¯ entrance, closed his mouth. Because the Empress¡¯ exhausted voice was heard in the banquet hall. ¡°Today¡¯s special guest is not me. Could you please focus on the other person instead?¡± ¡°...?¡± Such words came from the Ruler of the Empire. The person, who was nearly at the height of authority on the continent. What the hell is she talking about? As everyone thought so while staring nkly in her direction. Following behind the Empress, Someone made an entrance. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone fell silent. It was because¡­ There was a young man. Walking in with the Chancellor in one of his arms, while the Empress clung on the other. Inplete peace, the three of them clung close to each other. Walking in together. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± As the banquet hall was thrown into a frightening silence. ¡°Look at that!¡± Bogut¡¯s cheerful voice was heard. ¡°He went even beyond my expectations!¡± Ravel could not say anything. Because that was the only reaction he could even let /genesisforsaken Chapter 191: Social Gathering (3) Chapter 191: Social Gathering (3) The nobles who belonged to the Upper Nobles Association, to put it nicely, came from long-standing prestigious families who ced importance on dignity and etiquette. To put it badly, they were ssists who had be inured to pure elitism. It was obvious to tell just from the conversation going on at a table. ¡°Do you know the name of the man Marquis Bogut has personally invited, Sir?¡± ¡°I don''t quite remember¡­ Was it Campbell? That should be his family¡¯s name, so I heard.¡± ¡°...This is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of such a name. By any chance, their rank¡­?¡± ¡°They are a Viscount Household, I believe.¡± The men who were having such a conversation managed to maintain their dignity, but failed to conceal the sneer on their faces. Meanwhile the people from other prestigious noble families who were sitting near that table also expressed their mockery in their own ways.Some of them even took a step further and expressed something close to contempt. ¡°A Viscount Household¡­ Then he must¡¯vee from a family who works in industries like farming or mining. He must have not been ustomed to¡­ high society.¡± Someone said as such. Though he spoke those words with a concerned tone, he wore a dubious smile that didn¡¯t match such a tone. It was as if he was trying to show how a country bumpkin, who did not know their ce and stepped into a ce like this, would be treated. ¡°For inviting such a mannerless person, don¡¯t you think Sir Bogut is also being excessive? Hopefully, that person won¡¯t end up embarrassing himself. I¡¯m genuinely worried for him.¡± "Hardships do help people grow." One of the men replied gently. However, his following sentence was one that even discarded thest vestiges of dignity they had maintained. ¡°He must think he is a hotshot since he managed to associate himself with Her Imperial Majesty and the Chancellor without knowing his ce as a member of a Viscount Household.¡± ¡°...You somehow sound resentful?¡± ¡°Well, I often think that I cannot hold Her Imperial Majesty or the Chancellor¡¯s hands from a political standpoint¡­ But, I do admire both of them as individuals. After all, they are the two pirs that supported the Empire.¡± ¡°I¡­ Cannot deny that. Both women are also beautiful enough to cause the downfall of a country.¡± ¡°Her Imperial Majesty has the beauty that is akin to a bunch of roses blooming on a cliff, while the Chancellor has the elegance of an ice sculpture, always proud and cold¡ª¡± When the conversation turned to the Chancellor and the Empress, the atmosphere changed in an instant¡ªit was as if the grown men were discussing their first love. It was as if they were being sincere when they said that they ¡®admired¡¯ the Empress and the Chancellor earlier. And so, the conversation, which was filled withpliments on the two women¡¯s beauty, continued. Until that person from a Viscount Household¡­ Showed up with the two women who held the most power throughout history in his arms. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Both the Empress and the Chancellor. The two of them. Were clinging to one man. As if they did not want him to be taken away by the others. Each of them iming ownership over the man. ¡°...Her Imperial Majesty?¡± ¡°...Her Excellency the Chancellor?¡± The men uttered in disbelief. Since they had just been extolling the Empress¡¯ and the Chancellor¡¯s beauty and noble purity just now, they seemed more shocked than they should be. The Empress, who usually exuded a noble aura like a ss doll with her expressionless face, looked lively as she clung to the man¡¯s arm. Both the women whom they had just praised as overwhelming beauties... Were clinging to a man, trying to win over him. As if they were trying to make him love them even for a bit. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± As the men''s expressions stiffened upon feeling an unknown sense of defeat¡­ ¡°How have you been, members of the Upper Nobles Association?¡± In the silence that felt as if even the sound of someone swallowing dryly could be heard loudly, the Empress¡¯ voice made through the Speech Synthesizer softly echoed. ¡°I came here because I heard my male ¡®close friend¡¯ is making his debut in society. No need for unnecessary formality, so enjoy your evening.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Close¡ª what? After she made such a statement that made the listeners doubt their ears, the ce was filled with silence once again. The fact that the Empress, who was of marriageable age, used the term ''close friend'' to refer to someone of the opposite gender suggested a lot. Because she was practically dering that he was a ¡®consort candidate¡¯. At that moment, someone interjected with a cold voice, clearly affected by that statement. ¡°...Your Imperial Majesty.¡± Sullivan, whose cheeks were twitching uncontrobly, said, sounding as if she was suppressing something. ¡°Please mind your choice of words. I implore you.¡± ¡°Is there any problem, Sullivan?¡± ¡°This situation itself is a problem.¡± It was obvious that she was being ¡®wary¡¯ of the Empress. ¡°I am the first one who ¡®has an eye¡¯ on him, your words could cause misunderstandings.¡± Those words sent everyone into a shock once again. Even the Chancellor? Has her eye on him? ¡°...Hmm.¡± Hearing that, the Empress stroked her chin for a moment. ¡°What kind of misunderstandings exactly?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I was being sincere, Sullivan. This man is indeed my close friend.¡± At the same time as Sullivan''s expression stiffened very quickly¡­ People around them began to turn pale. One thing came to their mind. The Empress. And the Chancellor. Over one man. ¡­They''re fighting over him? Surely enough. Such a thing was a topic that could turn the society and politics of the Empire upside down.
¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone was gazing at me silently. It was so burdensome. Some had dted pupils, some had their mouths open, some even pped themselves to see if they were dreaming. Keep in mind that they were the nobles who belonged to the Upper Nobles Association. This whole ¡®getting the drop on them¡¯ thing, seemed to be working better than expected. The problem was¡­ ¡°...Do you have to go this far?¡± I asked Her Imperial Majesty the Empress first, who upied my left arm. Honestly, I broke out in a cold sweat. The way she held my arm made it look as if she was sticking to me instead of hugging my arm. Seeing how she even rested her head on my shoulder, we looked like a couple on a date more than anything. ¡°Were you not the first one who suggested we do this?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Why are you acting like this over something this trivial? After all, it was your first mand¡¯. It is only right that it should be celebrated as a momentous day.¡± ¡°...¡± That was when I realized once again. This person loved to put me in a difficult position while teasing me. ¡°...Your Excellency the Chancellor. At least you, Your Excellency¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...¡± Her response came out less than a second, making me shut my mouth promptly. With how her eyes were aze with anger as she red at the Empress while replying to me, I figured that saying anything to her would be meaningless. Seriously, things weren¡¯t this bad before we entered the banquet hall¡­ I just want to make a cool and dignified entrance¡­ My n was to try and y the role of ¡®someone who knows both these women¡¯ by following behind or next to the Empress and Chancellor as they made their entrance first. And at first, they really were just standing next to me as the three of us walked side by side. Then the Empress stealthily held my hand¡­ -...Your Imperial Majesty. -Yes, Sullivan? -What are you doing? -My hands are cold. Isn¡¯t it normal to seek someone''s warmth when your body is in this kind of state? -... Following that, the Chancellor also held my hand, as if dering that she wouldn¡¯t lose to her. After that, the Empress took it a step further by linking our arms and the Chancellor followed suit. Then it developed further in that direction until the moment when both of them stuck close to me with no intention of getting off me. By then, things had already strayed far from my ns. Dignified entrance, my ass. This is just¡­ [You¡¯re an absolute professional at seducing women. One that even attracts the leaders of the country.] ¡­Mister, please. [Prove me wrong, then.] ¡®...¡¯ I couldn¡¯t even retort. As I went quiet after being smashed by Caliban, I could hear whispersing from here and there. ¡°...Scum¡­¡± ¡°...He needs to be hanged...¡± ¡°¡­Crazy fucker¡­ Cancer of the country¡­¡± ¡°...¡± What do I do? I was just here and my enemies were multiplying for some reason! ¡°Actually, if viewing you only from an outside perspective, it might not seem entirely wrong.¡± Holding a pipe in her mouth, the Empress spoke, seemingly aware of the atmosphere. ¡°It appears that, soon enough, someone might actually intend to cause you harm.¡± ¡°...¡± As I stayed silent, the Empress grinned and continued. ¡°Do not worry, though. I¡¯ll protect you when it happens. Afterwards, I canpletely capture your hea¡ª¡± At that moment, she promptly shut her mouth. Maybe she felt what I was feeling as well. This auraing from my other side. ¡°...Sullivan, I was kidding. You don¡¯t need to exude such a threatening attitude.¡± ¡°Are you really joking, Your Imperial Majesty?¡± ¡°...¡± Instead of answering, the Empress took a whiff of the pipe while grinning. Seeing this, Sullivan¡¯s frown grew deeper. It¡¯s a mess. A total fucking mess. While walking into the banquet hall, I broke out in a cold sweat. To be exact, I was walking to a certain table. There¡­ ¡°As expected of you! This is why I¡¯m your number one fan!¡± Despite all this fuss. Marquis Bogut pped his hands while still wearing his usual expression. ¡°...¡± He didn''t even seem flustered. As if he had predicted ¡®of course he¡¯ll do this much¡¯. ¡°However, our esteemed guests here, please forgive me, but¡ª¡± His gaze lingered on the Empress and the Chancellor respectively before going back to me again. As if I was more important than the two of them. ¡°I have something to say to you privately. Can you spare me some time?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± He said with a wink. Hearing that, the Empress¡¯ and the Chancellor¡¯s expressions turned serious at the same time. They seemed to be trying to figure out what he was up to. ¡°...Your Imperial Majesty, Your Excellency the Chancellor.¡± But I held them back. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± Not sure why¡­ But, I had a feeling that I needed to have a private conversation with this bastard right now. The feeling was so strong. Because I could sense something that was close to conviction in his gaze.
¡°Aiyaa, I was so surprised!¡± That was what he told me when we got outside, at the terrace. ¡°So, when did you manage to seduce the two of them, Dowd Campbell? That was amazing¡ª¡± ¡°...What do you want to tell me, Marquis Bogut?¡± I cut him off before he could continue his cheerful words. Now I could feel it. The Empress said that this bastard had been interested in me. But, even so, there was something that felt off. There was just this weird anxiety. As if this bastard knew something I didn¡¯t. ¡°Ahaha, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little bit too much and cold if we just get to the point immediately? Why don¡¯t we talk about our lives first and¡ª¡± ¡°...If you¡¯re just going to talk about weird things, I¡¯ll just leave.¡± Well¡­ If he refused to say what he wanted, then he wasn¡¯t worth dealing with. I turned back towards the direction of the banquet hall. With that, I shoulda made my intention clear. However¡­ ¡°...Is Armin doing well?¡± After I heard those words¡­ My footsteps halted. ¡°...¡± This bastard. What did he just say? I looked at the Marquis with a stiff expression. This was only our second meeting, but his usual grin was missing from his face. Instead, he was wearing a rather serene smile. As if he was recalling ¡®nice memories''. ¡°...You.¡± However¡­ When I saw that face, a chill ran down my spine. I unconsciously let out a growl. ¡°Do you know my father?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± The Marquis let out a grin. ¡°How could I forget about my dearest friend in this world?¡± And such a sentence¡­ ¡°After all, we used topete over the same woman.¡± Was what followed /genesisforsaken Chapter 192: Social Gathering (4) Chapter 192: Social Gathering (4) ¡°Ah, you look like you have a lot of questions, but hear me out first!¡± Such a sentence flowed out, still looking as chaotic as ever. He took out something from his inner chest pocket. ¡­A key? It was a key luxuriously decorated with jade. The mark engraved on it indicated that it was used to ess internal facilities in the Imperial Pce. "This will allow you to enter anywhere in the Imperial Pce! It is an item managed by the Upper Nobles Association. I will give this to you!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And, also¡­¡±Marquis Bogut winked as held the key out to me. ¡°Since the Imperial Pce is crowded with people and full of things for you to y with, it won¡¯t be a problem if you take a few things you like!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you¡¯re caught, just tell them that the Upper Nobles Association told you to do it!¡± From his words, this key didn''t seem to be something that could be casually given away like this¡­ What he said afterwards made it sound even more so. ¡°...Why should I do that?¡± ¡°Because you will be able to pass the Last Ordeal of the Hero Selection that way!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You must be well aware of the thing that is ¡®sleeping¡¯ inside the Imperial Pce, right?¡± Marquis Bogut continued while grinning. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll definitely find something that you could use for your n!¡± ¡°...¡± Something¡­ Felt off¡­ His intention behind him suddenly giving me such a favor aside¡­ This bastard seemed to be very aware of the ¡®principle of my actions¡¯ and my ¡®goals¡¯. Before the incident, I had to collect the items to solve it easily before nning in advance He seemed to be aware that I ¡®already knew¡¯ about this world. ¡°...I assume that there¡¯s something I need to take there.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Marquis Bogut¡¯s gaze fell onto the amulet tied to my arm. ¡°...Along with the ¡®Guardian¡¯, it will definitely help you out!¡± ¡°...¡± This bastard¡­ He knew about Caliban too? My expression stiffened as I stared at him silently. Where the hell did this bastarde from? What the hell was it that he wanted?. ¡°...Why are you doing this, Marquis Bogut?¡± I asked in a low voice. ¡°You seem to know well that I could turn into your enemy at any time. Also, I am associated with your political opponents¡­¡± I could not help but ask. This bastard¡¯s existence was mysterious enough to make me had the urge to force him to tell me his intentions. ¡°...Is that really something you want to ask me the most?¡± Not only that. His words made it sound like he knew everything. ¡°If you ask, I think I could exin why I¡¯m doing this to some extent.¡± ¡°...¡± I gritted my teeth slightly. It felt like I was dancing on his palm, so I felt really reluctant about this¡­ But, I had no choice but to ask him the most important question in my mind. ¡°...Do you know my mother?¡± If it was about my father, Viscount Armin Campbell, it wouldn¡¯t be strange even if he knew about him in detail. Given the cunning habits of the Empire¡¯s nobles, it was safe to assume that they had investigated my personal information from A to Z since I began to receive their attention. However¡­ If it was about my ¡®other¡¯ parent, it was apletely different story. ¡°Of course I do.¡± Bogut answered, shrugging his shoulders. He asked me another question, still looking rxed. ¡°What about you?¡± That question stabbed me deep in my heart. ¡°...By the look of it.¡± He continued. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know ¡®everything¡¯, hm?¡± Instead of replying, I just red at him.¡± ¡°Thought so.¡± Marquis Bogut continued again with a grin. ¡°Armin is not the kind of person who¡¯d tell you stories about her so easily. He has always been like that ever since he was little.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That bear-like pink. So diligent and hardworking. Guess that was why Astrid liked him.¡± I clenched my fists. Astrid. Astrid Campbell. That was my mother¡¯s name. And the only information about her that I knew ¡®for sure¡¯. ¡°And I respect Armin¡¯s decision.¡± Marquis Bogus continued in a soft tone. ¡°If he didn¡¯t tell you, then I won¡¯t be telling you anything about Astrid.¡± ¡°...You¡¯ve already told me a lot, Marquis.¡± I said coldly. Why is he trying to y dumb after making it so obvious that he was deeply rted with my parents? Is he trying to make fun of me or something? However, despite my reaction¡­ He only shrugged his shoulders as if it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°...Then, since I¡¯ve told you so much already, why don¡¯t I be generous and tell you one more thing?¡± At that moment, the grin on the bastard¡¯s face vanished. He continued his words expressionlessly. This was the first time I¡¯ve seen him looking so grave. ¡°...Astrid had asked me for a favor.¡± This was getting really annoying¡­ ¡°You''ve been talking in circles¡ª¡± ¡°The reason why you¡¯re here is to sound me out, right? Both the Empress and the Chancellor must be thinking of checking on me.¡± ¡°...¡± I narrowed my eyes. He didn''t say ¡®Her Imperial Majesty¡¯. As a vassal of the Empire, this was a vition that could get him punished for a l¨¨se-majest¨¦. In other words¡­ He was openly expressing his ¡®hostility¡¯. ¡°...What are you thinking, Marquis Bogut?¡± I didn¡¯t know the reason why he suddenly did this. There was no way that he wasn¡¯t aware of the fact that both the Empress and the Chancellor weren¡¯t pleased with him. Then, why would he say something that would clearly make him earn my disapproval? I was someone who was deeply connected with them both. ¡°Currently, the movement of the Empire¡¯s Upper Nobles Association is suspicious. In this situation where the Empire¡¯s power is divided between the Empress, the Chancellor, and the Upper Nobles Association, a civil war will definitely break out and get out of hand if one side sets up a big fire. Am I right?¡± ¡°...¡± This was something that I was also aware of. Because this was the background of Chapter 5. ¡°That¡­ is correct.¡± ¡°...¡± I looked at him as if doubting my ears. It felt as if I had one done over me. Currently, this bastard was the only one who was capable of causing a ¡®Great Turmoil¡¯ in Chapter 5, but the problem here was the fact that he admitted to it calmly. ¡­But why? In the end, I went back to that question. What would he gain by bringing this up now? ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± As I pondered such thoughts, he called out to me. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about what kind of favor Astrid asked me for?¡± ¡°...Sorry?¡± ¡°Because of my promise with her, I can¡¯t say it outright¡­ But I guess I can give you this much as a hint.¡± Marquis Bogut said while sipping the wine in the ss he had taken with him. ¡°Astrid had entrusted me with ¡®you¡¯, the greatest masterpiece she had created.¡± ¡°What does that mea¡ª¡± ¡°To put it simply, I¡¯m thinking of making you ¡®great¡¯.¡± ¡°...¡± He was just saying words at this point. This bastard was the first ¡®variable¡¯ that rivaled even the Prophet since I came to Sera. I frowned hard as I looked at him. Then¡­ He continued without waiting for my reply. ¡°You may pass this on to the Empress and the Chancellor as it is. Listen carefully.¡± Surely enough. What he said next was also something that was beyond my ¡®expectations¡¯. ¡°I am going to burn down the Empire. All of it.¡± ¡°...¡± He said those words so calmly that they failed to register for a while. ¡°I¡¯m not going to start somethingme like a civil war or something. Because my goal is not the throne.¡± As if he was saying an obvious fact, his tone was so light. ¡°I will kill every imperial citizen over the age of ten. Men, women, kids, elderly¡ªeveryone without exception. Fairly. Hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions. All of them. Every single one of them.¡± As if telling me he would go for a walk the next morning. ¡°I am going to restore this whole country to nothing.¡± ¡°...¡± Then¡­ When those words finally registered, my breathing grew ragged. ¡°...You.¡± If he was a madman or a viin, thus dering the huge conspiracy he was plotting¡­ I would¡¯ve at least understood. But this punk¡­ Was fucking sober¡­ And he told such a ridiculous and lunatic n¡­ In such a dry tone¡­ As if this was something that he just had to do. ¡°And I want you to prevent that from happening.¡± No kidding. ¡°I beg you.¡± He said all of that ever so calmly.
¡°...Haaah¡­¡± After parting ways with Marquis Bogut. I was walking outside on the terrace, down the corridor. A deep sigh, the kind I¡¯ve never let out even once since I first came here, ever so naturally came out of my mouth. In my hand was the key that I had received from Marquis Bogut in the banquet hall. ¡­What the heck is that bastard? I didn¡¯t get it. It was the first time I had ever felt so hopeless since I met the Prophet. Especially since he knew something about my mother that I didn¡¯t know. It seriously gave me the creeps. [...Come to think of it, you said that it¡¯s better not to know about your mother not too long ago.] That voice came out of the Soul Linker. [Did you say that because you knew about her to some extent?] ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± [What?] Caliban responded as if he was dumbfounded. Then, I forced myself to continue. ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen her face and there¡¯s only one thing I know about her.¡± Back when I was little. When I was very little. Before I became ¡®Dowd Campbell¡¯. When the original owner of this body was so sick that he couldn¡¯t even move properly. [Ah, is that so? You said that you were cured miraculously when you were seven, no?] ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t cured.¡± I replied with a sigh. ¡°What happened was, I died once.¡± I had looked it up in my father¡¯s library. When Dowd Campbell was six, lost his battle against a chronic disease and died. There was even a record of them calling an undertaker to hold a funeral. If anything, I came back to life ¡®miraculously¡¯, not cured. ¡°...And the one who caused that miracle was my mother.¡± [...What does that mean?] ¡°She resurrected the dead.¡± Of course I had yed tricks ofing back alive from death several times before, but I had never pletely¡¯ died, so her feat was on another level. Astrid Campbell. Had resurrected herpletely dead son. [...What?] Caliban asked again, he sounded lost. [Even the Great Priests of the Holy Land who could perform all kinds of miracles can¡¯t do something like that. No, even the Pope himself will never be able to do that! It¡¯s something you only see in fiction¡­!] ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now because she did exactly that.¡± [...But how?] I know, right? Honestly, I don¡¯t know how either. ¡°...¡± Right. Even though I was in a fantasy world, this was the shit that came out of a fantasy. Resurrecting the dead¡ªit was a kind of miracle that couldn¡¯t be found even in the Devils¡¯ Authority. The most likely exnation was that I didn¡¯t actually die in the first ce and they had mistaken me for dying when I was just in a state of suspended animation. But there was no way that my father would make that kind of mistake. ¡­I know nothing about my mother. Nothing. How the hell did she resurrect a dead person? What happened to her afterwards? Where was she now? How did she meet my father? Where did they get married? What kind of life did she live? I knew nothing. Because that was all my father had told me about my mother. As Bogut had said earlier, my father was terribly reticent when it came to my mother. ¡°...Whatever.¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°If I don¡¯t know, then I''ll find out.¡± That was the only way. In order to find out what that bastard was up to and how he knew about my mother. I¡¯d have to get into it myself. ¡°Anyway, I guess I should ask Her Imperial Majesty and the Chancellor for their permission and get away from this social gathering immediately, Caliban.¡± [...Where are you going?] ¡°There¡¯s a ce I have to drop by.¡± I turned the key I received from Marquis Bogut in my grip once. ¡°This has something to do with you as well.¡± To be exact¡­ I can¡¯t go there without /genesisforsaken Chapter 243: Mirroring Treatment Chapter 243: Mirroring Treatment Currently, Victoria Evatrice was lying down stunned inside her room. She regained her consciousness not too long ago. ¡°...¡± Of course, even though she had just regained consciousness, she could remember everything clearly. In a daze, she touched her lips. J-Just now¡­ W-What did I do, with these lips¡­? ¡°...¡± The scene of the event from before was ying behind her eyes that she directed toward the ceilings.To be exact, the unbelievable scene where she begged Dowd Campbell to not abandon her while looking as if she was out of her mind. Then, she¡­ To that man¡¯s hand¡­ ¡°...¡± Ah¡­ T-That was¡­ ¡°...!¡± Her eyes widened. She could feel her face heat up¡ªan unusual thing for her since she rarely expressed her emotions. ¡°...What kind of trick did that man pull on me¡ª!¡± She muttered as such, but¡­ Her cool-headed judgment denied her words almost instantly. After all, she didn¡¯t get her Grand Assassin Title by ying around. She was confident that she was familiar with all kinds of Mental Intrusion Spell. And from her experience in that regard¡­ She could tell that the man didn¡¯t pull any tricks on her. Well, he actually did something, but it wasn¡¯t something that could control her actions and ¡®forcefully¡¯ bring her into submission. At best, it was just something that could make her more ¡®honest¡¯. ¡°...Eek.¡± Before she realized it, she let out such a sound. T-That means¡­ I-If¡­ A-A simr situation were to happen again¡­ A-Am I going to do that again¡­? ¡°...Eeeek¡­¡± Even when she tried to look back on it¡­ She didn¡¯t feel disgusted, unpleasant or even a little bit of shame. On the contrary, she felt satisfaction and pleasure from deep down¡ª ¡°Eek, eeek¡­!¡± Her blush grew even deeper as she began to clench her teeth and punch her pillow. Though she knew that the pillow had just been innocently serving its owner and didn¡¯t deserve to be treated this way, her rage didn¡¯t show any sign of subsiding. At that moment, she could remember someone simr to a¡­sage¡­once said that the most frustrating thing in the world was when something bad happened and one couldn¡¯t me it on other people. Because oneself was the only one to me. Who knows if that could be applied to Victoria, but the fact that she did such a shameful thing while putting aside her ferocious desire to kill her sister ¡®willingly¡¯ still wouldn¡¯t change. ¡°...I swear, I''ll teach him a lesson¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d do it or what¡¯d she do to him¡­ But what she knew was that, if she didn¡¯t at least say something like that, she¡¯d definitely go insane. ¡°Dowd Campbell¡­! I swear, I¡¯m gonna teach you a lesson¡­!¡± That furious shout¡ªwhich was filled with a very strong feeling of grudge and no-less strong feeling of shame¡ªof the young Beastkin girl echoed through the room. ¡ñ [You know, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­] ¡°Yeah?¡± The next morning. When I was wiping my fingers, which were slightly swollen after those punks licked it so much, a certain someone¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in my ears. [Those things happened, sure, but in the end, you still didn¡¯t kill her, right?] ¡°...¡± [That means, the match is still going on¡­] Ah¡­ Is it though¡­? [I mean, your thing about how you¡¯re going to kill her with pleasure or something is just pure bull¡ª] ¡°No, wait, let me exin! You see, my n was to massage her to the best of my abilities and make her say something like ¡®At this rate, I might die¡­¡¯ and make that count!¡± [...] ¡°No need to worry if it makes sense or not! As long as I push it, it¡¯ll work out! ¡­Maybe¡­¡± Well, if Victoria didn¡¯t like that, I¡¯d just me her for not specifying the ¡®dying¡¯ part. Anyway! ¡°She won¡¯t pounce at Seras recklessly from now on, so that should be enough for now!¡± Since she had been humiliated once, she¡¯d try to examine the situation from a distance for the time being instead of just charging towards Seras like she previously did. After all, that girl was even more cautious than I was. If she wanted to do something, she¡¯d prioritize safety over everything else. ¡­That¡¯s why it would be okay if I were to make a more dramatic preparationter. When I saw those two meet each other, I noticed something rather quickly. The gap between those two was further than I thought. Even though both of them were influenced by the Devil¡¯s Fragments, it was still outrageous that the younger one would ¡®actually¡¯ pounce on her older sister like that. I thought their rtionship was a simple love-and-hate rtionship at best, but it was clear that it was worse than that. [So, what are you going to do?] ¡°I need to arrange for a reconciliation between those two.¡± That was my new goal; To make those two reconcile by Elfante¡¯s School Festival. It would be hard for me to pay attention to them after the school festival since by that point, we¡¯d be entering the Main Quest, The Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil. Considering that the System Message said that both of them would be key figures in the Main Quest, I couldn¡¯t just let their rtionship stay like that. [...But, won¡¯t you have to get along well with both of them first before you could try to get them to reconcile?] [I mean, if I were that girl, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d even think of liking you after what you did.] Hearing him said so, I furrowed my brows. Like he said, that was definitely something I had to solve first regardless if it would make my headache worsen or not. Or so I thought¡­ Before this window popped up. < System Message > [ ¡®Skill : Fatal Charm¡¯ activated! ] [ Target¡¯s favorability level has been upgraded to ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯! ] [ Rewards avable! ] [ Target-rted events will ur soon! ] ¡°...¡± It had been a while since I¡¯ve seen this window, so I unknowingly blinked my eyes. Well, actually, rather than it had been a while since it appeared¡­ It was more like I just stopped caring about such a window since the time it appeared before my eyes were too many to count. Anyway, the surprising part about the window was thest sentence. ¡®Rted event¡¯. In other words¡­ ¡°...There¡¯s still another woman I have to seduce?¡± [...You sounded like an actual yboy when you said that.] I let Caliban¡¯s words go in one ear and out the other as I looked at the window before my eyes. ¡°...How many of them are left again¡­?¡± [So, the blue one, the red one, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and the Lady.] ¡°...¡± All of them were terrifying women. Especially thest one since I couldn¡¯t even guess what she would do to me. But¡­ ¡°It should be fine. Everything¡¯s gonna work out somehow¡­¡± I mean, I¡¯ve gone through shit like this countless times by now. Me surviving so far was the testament of my ability and the basis of my confidence that I¡¯d be able to get through all the hurdles I¡¯d face in the future. [You know, I¡¯ve been thinking about something these days.] ¡°What?¡± [I think I began to understand why the Headmistress encouraged you to create a harem.] ¡°...What exactly did you understand?¡± Was he just trying to diss me over the fact that all those evil-natured women were head over heels for me¡­? Or was there something else¡ª? [World peace¡­ You can achieve it with your lower body¡­] ¡°...¡± [I¡¯m not joking here, give my sentence some thoughts¡ª] ¡°Shut the fuck up.¡± I snapped at him as I finished getting ready to leave. My body felt a little tense. Even if I managed to put off Seras¡¯ and Victoria¡¯s ¡®match¡¯ until the School Festival, it wasn¡¯t so for the rest of them. I wouldn¡¯t know when they¡¯de to challenge me, so I had to keep my guard up at all times. I left the room with that thought in mind and as soon as I took a step outside¡­ Someone I was very ufortable with approached me. ¡°Oh my, Senior!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡­ Um, I¡­ Uh, follow me!¡± That wasn¡¯t how you¡¯d talk to a senior, Your Imperial Majesty the Empress¡­ I almost said those words out loud, but I suppressed the urge and let myself get dragged away by the wrist by her. Her face was full of smiles for some reason. ¡°Wait, Your Imp¡ª!¡± ¡°Cecil.¡± ¡°...Pardon me?¡± ¡°Call me Cecil. I¡¯m just amoner who somehow managed to save some money to get enrolled at Elfante, after all.¡± ¡°...¡± What the hell was she on about? I wanted to ask her that, but I shut my mouth due to how serious she looked when she said that. Even though her smile hadn¡¯t left her lips, it felt like she¡¯d split my head right here and then if I were to mess with this ¡®concept¡¯. ¡°...Alright, Cecil.¡± ¡°I came here to tell you the content of our match!¡± Upon hearing that, my expression also turned slightly serious. ¡­Huh,e to think of it¡­ I haven¡¯t heard her ¡®real purpose¡¯ to join our club. Like, she even made up such ame concept so suddenly while infiltrating the Academy like this. She definitely has a hidden agenda or something. ¡°No need to worry, I won¡¯t try to risk my life and pounce on you just to win against you. Rather than that¡­ I just want to enjoy this moment~¡± ¡°So, um¡­ Where are we going?¡± ¡°To a ce where the referee who could give a biased judgment towards me is waiting~¡± ¡°...¡± I thought you said you want to enjoy the moment¡­? You¡¯re still thinking about winning, though?! ¡°Well, if I were to lose the match and have to hopelessly obey you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do half of the things I wanted to do.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So, can¡¯t you just let yourself be defeated by me?¡± ¡°...Please let me hear what the match it first, Your Imp¡ª¡± When I saw her ring at me, I immediately changed my words. ¡°...Cecil.¡± Hearing that, Her Imperial Majesty smiled. Anyway, the ce she was taking me to was the Advisor¡¯s office. Originally, Percy, the one who was in charge of advising our club, should¡¯ve been there. Is she the so-called referee? As I thought so while letting out a sigh inwardly, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress entered the office without hesitation. At that moment¡­ Both Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and I froze at the same time. ¡°Wee, student Dowd, ¡®student¡¯ Cecil.¡± A certain someone greeted us from inside, emphasizing on the second ¡®student¡¯ as if trying to say, ¡®Stop doing something so ridiculous¡¯. After seeing this person, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress¡¯ expression¡ªwhich had been full of smiles¡ªstiffened up. ¡°...Chancellor Sullivan. What brings you here?¡± ¡°Oh my. Chancellor? I¡¯m not sure I can follow you.¡± Sullivan, who had added a bright brooch and a headband on her silken blond hair, said as such while smiling widely. It was such a hopelessly cheerful style, to the point that it looked ridiculous, considering her age and all. But, she just fluttered her hair¡ªas if trying to show off¡ªwhile grinning. ¡°My name is Sulli. I¡¯m a new teacher here.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°As of today, I¡¯ll be the one in charge of advising the Exorcism Club. I look forward to your cooperation.¡± At that moment, Her Imperial Majesty¡ªno, Cecil¡¯s face, turned into a frown, as if she had just seen something that disgusted her. It was as if she had seen a cockroach crawling out of her lunch or something. ¡°...Have some semnce of honor and dignity, Sullivan. You¡¯re being ridiculous.¡± ¡°...Says you. How could the Empire¡¯s stateswoman run all the way here to hide from her duties, hm?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about me, it¡¯s about you. Seriously, Sulli? What a disgusting name. I just want to entertain myself for a bit, why can¡¯t you just cooperate¡ª?!¡± ¡°If this entertainment of yours didn¡¯t include that man, I wouldn¡¯t have cared¡ª!¡± As the two women kept on exchanging harsh words in front of me while sending each other vicious gazes, something suddenly came to my mind. So, uh¡­ Is this what people call a mirroring treatment? [I don¡¯t know. /genesisforsaken Chapter 193: Citadel Of Lions (1) Chapter 193: Citadel Of Lions (1) ¡°...Excuse me, Student Council President.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Could you please rx your expression?¡± ¡°I will consider it.¡± Sure. You won¡¯t be taking it into consideration at all, will you? Iliya held her head with both of her hands as she felt a throbbing pain in her temples. ¡°...That personage is none other than Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, you know? If you keep sending her such a gaze, she might find fault with it.¡± ¡°I will keep it in mind.¡±¡°...¡± I¡¯m just trying to tell you! Stop ring at the Empress and the Chancellor as if you¡¯re going to kill them! You have bloodshot on your eyes, you know?! ¡°...¡± Seriously. It¡¯s scary! ¡°...They¡¯re just pretending. So, please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± Iliya said as if scolding Eleanor. She had already heard that Dowd was going to purposefully make his entrance with the Chancellor and the Empress on both his sides to draw attention. In truth, she didn¡¯t want toe here because that wasn¡¯t something she particrly wanted to see, but she ended uping anyway because she was worried that Eleanor might cause trouble again. ¡­So much happened in a short time. After receiving training from the Fist Saint, she was able to apply ¡®deterrent force¡¯ to this person to an extent, which made her feel good. She had grown from the time when they first met, when her body froze, unable to take out her sword properly. ¡­Well, still. As she let her mind wander like that, Eleanor called out to her. ¡°...Do they look like they¡¯re just pretending to you?¡± ¡°...¡± Actually, she did find it strange¡ªas if those two were doing it for real instead of pretending, to some extent at least. Especially seeing how the Empress and the Chancellor started having an argument after Dowd left with Marquis Bogut. ¡°...Let¡¯s worry about thatter.¡± In any case, she decided to change the subject first. ¡°What we should be worried about is how to not stand out so we don''t get caught red-handedter." Iliya said so while fiddling with her dress awkwardly. She knew this wasn¡¯t considered good manners. Of course, someone at the level of a Hero Candidate or Lady Tristan would naturally know all the proper etiquettes required at a social gathering held in the Imperial Pce. People might say something about her if she did something bad here, but she felt incredibly awkward in this kind of dress, so she ended up doing it unconsciously. ¡°...Were you not originally amoner?¡± ¡°A lot of people think so, but I¡¯m not really amoner.¡± ¡°...? Were you a noble, then?¡± ¡°That''s not what I mean.¡± Eleanor looked at her, blinking her eyes. She didn¡¯t seem to understand what Iliya was talking about.¡± ¡°If your family or rtive is a knight that belongs to the Imperial Guard, you¡¯ll usually ascend in status to be a quasi-noble! While you can¡¯t possess a fief, you¡¯ll still be able to enjoy the privileges of a noble under the Imperial Law!¡± ¡°...¡± At those sudden words, Iliya turned her head. There, she found a man, grinning so widely to the point that his eyes seemed nted. ¡°Nice to meet you, Iliya Krisanax! This is the first time I¡¯m seeing you in person!¡± ¡°...Who are you?¡± Usually, she was always acting kind and friendly, but this time, her voice had an unusual edge to it. It was so out of character of her to the point that even Eleanor looked at her with wide eyes. ¡°I would appreciate it if you call me Marquis Bogut!¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya silently red at him. She was obviously trying to look for information she could get about him. Meanwhile, Marquis Bogut continued. ¡°Your expression tells me you want to ask how I knew about your brother!¡± ¡°...¡± As soon as she heard him saying that, her face went slightly nk. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you, though!¡± ¡°...¡± After that, he continued without giving her time to respond. Her face stiffened as she looked at him. For some reason, she felt a bizarre sense of incongruity. From the way he suddenly popped out and babbled on¡­ Moreover¡­ ¡­He feels familiar. As if¡­ He¡¯s simr to Teach. The way he talked¡ªhow he seemed to be able to know everything she was thinking. How it felt like he was trying to control people the way he wanted to fit his own ¡®n¡¯. As if he ¡®knew everything in advance¡¯ and led the situation the way he wanted. Other than Dowd, he was the first person who gave her such an impression. ¡°Though, I could probably tell you something that might help you find out what you are looking for. The whereabouts of your brother.¡± Marquis Bogut said, his grin was still stered on his face. ¡°So, are you interested?¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya¡¯s reply was a silent re. Every single part of him seemed¡­ abrupt; his actions did not seem to have any clear order. How he appeared before them, how he hit a nerve deep inside of her. There was this feeling of uneasiness as she was talking with him. However¡­ ¡°...Nice to meet you, Marquis Bogut. I haven''t even said hello yet.¡± The thing here was¡­ ¡°Can you borate what you meant by that?¡± For her¡­ It sounded like he didn¡¯t give her any other choice.
The Imperial Pce¡¯s building was old, as old as Elfante was. ¡°Umph¡­¡± I struggled to climb up the exterior wall of the building. Originally, this ce was surrounded by a barrier that blocked all ess so that people couldn¡¯t evene nearby, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for me because of the key Bogut gave me. Seeing the guard went pale when I showed him the key was quite something. [So, where are we?] ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, somewhere I can¡¯t enter without you.¡± The thing surrounding the exterior wall was like the yellow police-line in modern times. It screamed ¡®Off Limits!¡¯. Which meant that the inside of this ce was ¡®not currently used¡¯. I crossed over it andnded on the courtyard of the building. [What I¡¯m trying to say is, why would we go to such a ce? I thought you said you¡¯re going to look for something useful?] ¡°You''ll know when you see it.¡± I replied while looking around. An abandoned building that exuded a bleak atmosphere came into my view. [...This ce.] ¡°It''s a familiar ce to you, right?¡± I had stopped by this ce once when I entered Caliban¡¯s memory before. This was the headquarters of the Guardians,monly known as the ¡®Citadel of Lions¡¯. [...] The Soul Linker was filled with silence. Behind that silence, Caliban seemed to be trying hard to suppress something. As if he was being weighed down by his memories. ¡°...¡± To that, I didn¡¯t say anything. Just from that, I could already tell that this man must¡¯ve held some kind of¡­ deep sorrow. The crumbling building, weeds growing here and there, spiderwebs forming all over the ce¡­ All those people who were sacrificed to protect the Imperial citizens, following their own convictions¡­ Seeing the state of this ce, it was clear that they didn¡¯t seem to honor those who they had thrown to their deaths. Instead, they were forgotten, abandoned, and ignored by them. That was how it was. [...Why did wee here?] ¡°I¡¯ve told you already. There¡¯s something only you can do for me.¡± As I said so, I opened up the system window. < Item Info > [ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ] [ Enchantment: Epic ] [ This equipment is inhabited by a Grand Soul Spirit. Increasing the Synchronization Rate can awaken the Soul Spirit¡¯s Consciousness. ] [ Due to the influence of the Grand Soul Spirit, it always contains Mana. ] [ Currently Charged Mana Rate: 100% ] [ Current Synchronization Rate: 40% ] After reading everything on the window, I checked the skill at the end. < Item Info > ¡ö [ Defender¡¯s Soul ] [ Skill Grade: S ] [ Guardians have always been recognized as the defenders of justice and morality. Every time you suppress someone with malicious intent, you gain Special Stacks. If you fill up the Stack, you can summon the soul to the current world for a certain period of time. ] [ Avable Usage Time: 5 Minutes ] This was the skill I had unlocked after increasing this guy¡¯s synchronization rate. Originally, I couldn¡¯t use this skill, but thanks to me defeating the assassins in the Second Ordeal, the usage time had been charged a little. System Message [ Would you like to use the skill ¡®Defender¡¯s Soul¡¯?] [ Y/N ] I touched Y without hesitation. As I did so, a certain someone¡¯s body came out of the Soul Linker. Well, actually, it wasn¡¯t really a body. Let¡¯s say that it was simr to a genieing out of themp. Like, a Soul Spirit, I guess? ¡°Uh, huh? What''s this?¡± Caliban, looking taken aback as he looked down at his body, came into my view. His orange hair looked exactly like Iliya¡¯s and there was a huge scar across his face. And most of all¡­ ¡°...¡± Fucking hell, why is he so handsome? Iliya was a rare beauty that you wouldn¡¯t find just anywhere, and this guy was like the male version of her. In other words, he was so handsome that it pissed me off. ¡°...Hello, Caliban.¡± That was probably why my voice sounded particrly rough when I called out to him. ¡°What the¡ª How did you do this?¡± ¡°You can think of it as something simr to necromancy but temporary. Also, you should be able to meddle with the Material Realm to some extent.¡± It could be seen as a state simr to that of the Demonic Creature of the Soul Spirit Realm. Though he was able to touch or move something himself. ¡®Possession¡¯ was possible, albeit in a limited way. ¡°You might be able to ¡®enter¡¯ my body and move to some extent.¡± And as far as I knew¡­ There was definitely a challenge that would require me to get help from such an ability in the Citadel of Lions. ¡°...There''s something you have to do with such an ability¡ª¡± As I walked while saying so¡­ I could hear the sound of someone gasping. ¡°...¡± I flinched and looked around, but couldn''t find anything. Did I hear it wrong? ¡°...Why? What''s wrong?¡± Caliban, who had just materialized, said, while tilting his head. ¡°...No. Nothing.¡± Right. Just think about it for a second. How could anyone follow me all the way here? As I thought so, I continued walking.
¡°...¡± Iliya covered her mouth as she gasped for breath. Oppa. Just now, she unconsciously hid herself because of how shocked she was. Marquis Bogut told her to ¡®search here¡¯, so she immediately came here, but she never thought that she would see himin this ce. Caliban Krisanax. Her only family was here. ¡­Necromancy? It was also known as the sorcery to summon the dead. And Dowd said that he had summoned Caliban through ¡®something simr¡¯ to that. Which meant¡­ Her brother¡­ ¡­No. No way. She closed her eyes tightly as she shook her head. But, she still couldn¡¯t be so sure. There was still a possibility that Dowd was just summoning her brother from somewhere far away. So, she decided that it would be better to stop having such ominous thoughts. ¡­But, still. That left the question, what kind of rtionship did Dowd have with her brother? Why did he look so close to the person she had been looking for so hard? And, most of all¡­ ¡°...¡± Why did he not tell her? Iliya bit her lip hard. As she thought so¡­ She suddenly heard her brother¡¯s voice. ¡°By the way, can other people see me in this state too?¡± ¡°They¡­should be able to. Why do you ask, though?¡± ¡°So, can I hit Iliya when I meet her?¡± ¡°...¡± Dowd fell into silence. So did Iliya, who was watching them while holding her breath. ¡°...What are you on about all of a sudden? That isn¡¯t the right thing to say about your family.¡± ¡°So what? I want to hit her.¡± To Dowd¡¯s voice, who sounded as if he found his question ridiculous, Caliban scratched his head before continuing. ¡°Just think about it. Wouldn¡¯t you also be pissed off if you see your younger sister lying to a man about being their fianc¨¦e or something just to seduce him?¡± At the same time as he said that, Iliya¡¯s face instantly reddened. ¡°...Ugh.¡± She unconsciously let out a sound, sounding embarrassed. In her head¡­ She recalled the things she had done in order to ¡®win¡¯ Dowd''s heart so far. If she had to choose the highlight among them, it would be what Caliban had just mentioned. -You and I are actually engaged. She remembered telling Dowd that lie when he lost his memory. Since he had never mentioned anything about the time when he lost his memory after he got them back, she had been thinking that she sessfully got away with it. However¡­ Her brother¡­ Actually saw that¡­ Since that was the case, there was a high chance that Dowd also knew about it. ¡°...¡± Iliya gulped dryly. Maybe¡­ Just maybe¡­ ¡­Her brother had seen everything she did to flirt with him. Including when she said they were engaged or whatever. ¡°...¡± Iliya stroked her chin with a serious look on her face. Hmm. I see. ¡°...Can I just die now?¡± Surprisingly, she felt that dying wouldn¡¯t feel so bad /genesisforsaken Chapter 194: Citadel Of Lions (2) Chapter 194: Citadel Of Lions (2) Looking back on my memories of the game, the Citadel of Lions was one of the most intuitive ¡®mini dungeons¡¯. The dungeon¡¯sposition itself was simple. Most of Sera¡¯s main dungeon captures were divided into three phases; key items exploration, breaking through gimmicky traps, and boss hunt. Calling it simple wouldn¡¯t be so far off, since the only other feature it had was a restriction on their ess that they had put up with heart and soul, to prevent anyone from entering it by ident. However, though theposition itself was simple, the structure of the trap was brutal. I could already tell just by looking at the lights that were pouring over my head. Those bright lights poured from all directions,pletely filling up the surroundings. They were spells set up to automatically track and attack the ¡®intruder¡¯ that they spotted. The route wasid down densely so that their attacks would hit their target instead of wandering off randomly. ¡°You know, it¡¯s strange.¡±¡°Uh, sorry?¡± ¡°I mean, why would they need to install these things on such arge-scale here? The punks who used this ce are all dead already.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°They don¡¯t even maintain this ce properly.¡± Considering that he was talking about his own death, that was a he cynical remark. Then again, he wasn¡¯t wrong. After the Guardians who were deployed into the Crimson Night Incident were annihted, they became quickly forgotten. They didn¡¯t even get a proper posthumous treatment because they didn''t belong to any faction. Looking back on the time when I yed Sera, the posthumous measures they took for the Guardians weren''t that good. The reason behind it, well, like I said, was because they didn¡¯t belong to ¡®any faction¡¯. Such a phenomenon clearly reflected the current situation of the Empire¡ªthey might seem as if they were the most powerful of the Three Superpowers on the surface, but internally, everyone only cared about their own forces. ¡°...By the way, you.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°How can you be so calm in this kind of situation¡­?¡± That was definitely an appropriate question to ask him here. Because, uh, you see, right now¡­ I was standing in the center of the trap I mentioned earlier, tanking all the attacksing from all directions. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? This is some doable shit.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The training I went through back when I was active was way worse than this.¡± Caliban, who was ¡®operating¡¯ my body, replied. As I asked him prior to this, he was moving my body for me. Despite the spells¡¯ overwhelming presence of malice and murderous intent, he moved swiftly and deftly, finding and navigating through the narrow gaps barely wide enough for a needle to pass through. Well, since it was a life-threatening situation, he was buffed by the EX-Grade Desperation, but that didn¡¯t make him any less skilled. He moved my body, walked a step forward, slightly lowered my head and moved sideways a little. Just like that, he broke through the murderous trap with the least amount of movement possible. Fucking ridiculous. This was pretty much the equivalent of dodging bullets from all directions by seeing the triggers being pulled. Some absurd shit, but he managed to do it so easily. ¡­Now I can see where Iliya¡¯s monstrous sense came from. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that Iliya¡¯s potential skyrocketed after she grabbed the Holy Sword. She wasn¡¯t the ¡®main character¡¯ of this world for no reason. From that point on, she became the only being who could match the Devils, the most powerful beings in the universe. And the thing that allowed her to showcase such a power was her ¡®battle sense¡¯ which was like a second nature to her, popping out at every moment. It allowed her to make the closest move to the correct answer at all times, just like what Caliban was doing right now. ¡­And there are still punks that are stronger than this guy¡­ Those were beings who had been given titles like Saint Â}ÈË¡ªsuch as the Master of the Magic Tower or the Sword Saint. Of course someone at the level of Margrave Kendride or Duke Tristan would be able to rival him to an extent, but still. It came to a point where I realized how different the strong people¡¯s perspectives on the world were. ¡°Nice. We passed this trap too.¡± He said as we left the killing range of the lights that were pouring from all directions. ¡°By the way, your body¡¯s good. You should be able to survive with this body.¡± ¡°...¡± Of course it was. It was buffed with EX-Grade Desperation. This OP skill literally enabled me to match the most powerful beings in the universe with my trashy stats. Not sure what he meant by his words though. Survive from what? ¡°From those women who are trying to eat you of course. Not long ago, my sister¡ª¡± A cough echoed from somewhere. At that moment, Caliban stopped talking. ¡°...Hey, Caliban.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I didn''t hear that wrong, right?¡± ¡°You didn''t. I heard it too.¡± Every time Caliban, who had this strange feeling to hit his sister, said something about her, a strong reaction kepting from somewhere. I looked around with a serious look on my face. Maybe, just maybe¡ª ¡°...Could it be that there''s another Spirit Form nearby?¡± There was a possibility that the Spirit Form of the other Guardians was still around nearby. But, from Caliban¡¯s expression that seemed as if he was pitying me, it didn¡¯t seem like he was agreeing with me. ¡°Sometimes you just somehow turn into a dumbass, do you know that?¡± He continued with a sigh. ¡°Like, with all those reactions, it¡¯s weird that you couldn¡¯t tell¡ª¡± Suddenly, he abruptly stopped speaking mid-sentence, as if realizing something. Then, he alternately looked at my face and the direction where the sound wasing from. ¡°¡ªHmmm.¡± Hearing his hum, I suddenly felt an ominous feeling creeping up my back. ¡°...What is it?¡± I asked, wondering why he had let out such a sound. Instead of answering me, he only let out a smile. ¡°You know, if I¡¯m being honest with you, while I hate to see it happening right in front of me, I¡¯d like it if you were to get more intimate with Iliya.¡± ¡°...¡± What the heck is he talking about all of a sudden? ¡°Well, it¡¯s only natural, I guess. She¡¯s my only family and all, I do want her to have a happy future. You¡­won¡¯t be so bad as her partner, I think.¡± ¡°...Thanks for¡­thepliment¡­?¡± This came from the person who usually called me trash, casanova, yboy and so on. What the hell was he even on about? Maybe he had been thinking of me in such a positive light all this time? ¡°Well, you are trash, casanova, and yboy, but at least you aren¡¯t the kind of guy who¡¯d make her cry.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re also a loser. You can¡¯t even resist if a woman is asking you out first.¡± Okay, now I really had no idea what he was trying to say.. His gaze kept on lingering behind me as he continued. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy for them to catch you. You¡¯re really weak when someone makes advances on you ¡®sincerely¡¯ instead of when they¡¯re forcing themselves on you.¡± It felt as if he was giving a ¡®hint¡¯ in that direction through his words. ¡°...What the hell are you even talking about?¡± ¡°Just things. Now that I think about it, I¡¯m also a ghost, huh?¡± ¡°...¡± Anyway, this was something I felt after getting him to materialize in this world. The expression he made was simr to mine. Did he get it from me? ¡°Do you have an idea who the Spirit Form is?¡± ¡°Maybe, maybe not.¡± Caliban continued, twisting the corners of his mouth upwards. ¡°Anyway, since we¡¯re at it, I want to ask you something. What do you think of Iliya? Be honest.¡± ¡°...¡± When I saw his grin as he asked that question, I could feel my head throb. ¡°...Why so suddenly?¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t answer me, I¡¯ll stop helping you.¡± ¡°...¡± That was a fucking scary thing to say when we were still trying to break through these traps. I answered with a sigh. ¡°...I do feel the most at ease around her.¡± ¡°borate.¡± ¡°Like, she¡¯s the only one who said she¡¯d ¡®protect¡¯ me. I actually rely on her to some extent and I¡¯ll probably continue to do so.¡± She was the main character of this world, after all. The fact that she liked me aside, there was also the fat that she was the most important person in this world. I had to rely on her, if anything. ¡°Does that mean you like her?¡± Once again, I heard a gasp from nearby. ¡°...God, why do you keep¡ª¡± ¡°Because a certain someone needs a little courage. People need that to make advances on someone, you know?¡± "What the hell are you saying, Mister?" ¡°I won¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t answer.¡± "..." Seriously, this guy¡­ Though I felt embarrassed, I ended up answering him anyway. ¡°...Well, I guess, yeah, I like her.¡± ¡°Nice. One more time. Say it clearly this time.¡± ¡°You crazy fucker, what the fuck are you¡ª¡± ¡°Alright I won¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°...¡± I repeated my words with a sigh. ¡°Yes, I like Iliya.¡± A coughing sound, followed by the sound of someone struggling for air could be heard nearby. ¡°Again. A little more romantically.¡± ¡°...Dowd Campbell likes Iliya Krisanax.¡± Whatever. I¡¯d just give up and do everything he wanted. Though I didn¡¯t know why, since he kept threatening me that he wouldn¡¯t help me, I had no other choice. As soon as I said those words, the sound of someone not knowing what to do, while they were making sounds like ¡®ah¡¯, ¡®auuh¡¯, came from the same ce. ¡°Ah. Haah, haah¡­¡± ¡°...¡± A little bitter¡­ Lively breathing sounds, one that ghosts could never make came out of that ce. The voice sounded excited, almost felt like the person''s entire body was filled with lust. To put it bluntly¡­ It was the voice of a horny woman. ¡°...¡± Is it really a Spirit Form? Shit felt more and more off to me. ¡­Ah, whatever. However strange it was, we had arrived at our target after we went through all those traps. ¡°...This ce is¡ª¡± When he saw where we were at, Caliban¡¯s expression turned stiff. This was the deepest part of the Citadel of Lions. The Hall of Fame for all Guardians who died while on duty. Originally, it should¡¯ve been a solemn memorial site, lined with urns and tombstones. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Both Caliban and I went silent at the same time. The scene in front of us was sickening to say the least. Destroyed tombstones. The Guardians'' possessions, which had been ¡®purified¡¯ through mes. No respect or courtesy tomemorate the deceased''s eternal rest could be found here. ¡°...I kinda expected it to be like this.¡± Caliban said bitterly. All the Guardians died in the Karmic Fire created by the Red Devil. Which meant her stubborn Demonic Aura was also stuck to all of their possessions and bodies. The Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura in itself could be considered as a deadly poison, and it was even more so in the Red Devil¡¯s case, as the Devil itself held such a deep hostility towards the ¡®lifeform¡¯ of the Material World. ¡°...It still isn¡¯t very pleasant to see this after we went through so much trouble and threw our lives for them, though.¡± ¡°All of you have aplished a great thing, Caliban.¡± ¡°Doubt that the Empire thinks so.¡± Sadly, he was right. Whatever the reason was, to treat them like this was unbelievably unfair. The Guardians were heroes. Despite their human bodies, they threw themselves at the Devil and even miraculously managed to seal it in the end. And yet¡­ Let alone honoring the people who had sacrificed their lives to protect the people by evoking such a miracle, they did this inhuman act instead¡ªit was as if they treated those heroes¡¯ bodies as victims to a gue, they burned them without any regards to what they had achieved. ¡°...¡± After passing through such a scene in silence. I went up the altar to find the ¡®target item¡¯. In the altar, the name ¡®Caliban Krisanax¡¯ was engraved on it. I went up and collected one item. The full-body armor he wore throughout his life. What I was aiming for was the lion breastte embedded in the middle. ¡°...We came all the way here just to get that. That¡¯s literally nothing, though.¡± Caliban said while tilting his head. Yes, he was right, this thing on its own would be useless. Because this was nothing more than an essory of an armor, it didn¡¯t have any extraordinary abilities. However¡­ ¡°...Nah¡± I answered calmly. ¡°That¡¯s the point.¡± As I thought so, I opened a window. System Message [ ¡®Main Quest¡¯ has updated! ] [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Chapter 4 ¨C Crimson Night ¡½ [ Block target ¡®Faenol'' from going berserk! ] The Demonic Human in Chapter 1, the Boy King in Chapter 2, the Ancient God in Chapter 3. And now¡­ ¡­A Devil''s Vessel going berserk in chapter 4. One with three Fragments at that. In the Final Ordeal of the Hero Selection held in the Holy Land, Faenol would definitely go berserk. Because that was the ¡®boss battle¡¯ of Chapter 4. It was set to happen no matter what. It was a relief that she didn¡¯t get to meet the Devil¡¯s ¡®body¡¯, but considering the mess that happened in Forge of Struggle because Eleanor, who only had two Fragments, went berserk, it was stillughable to consider this a relief. Well, at the very least, there was still some good news¡­ Since the future was already ¡®determined¡¯, I could take preventative measures. Faenol herself had been very on guard not to make the Devil go berserk. There was also the fact that the Red Devil had been ¡®overpowered¡¯ before. By the Guardians who wore this lion breastte. If Ibined the two characteristics, I would also somehow find a way to calm down the Vessel with three Fragments when she went berserk. ¡°Caliban. I¡¯m sorry to do this when you¡¯re in the middle of witnessing such a sight, but¡­¡± This¡­ was a very small, secret dagger. A form of hidden card. One that would work because Caliban and the Guardians had once seeded in sealing the Devil, giving up their lives. One that could result in a ''phenomenon'' that wouldn¡¯t have been possible without such a miracle. It might seem small, worthless, and meaningless, but¡­ ¡°...This?¡± ¡°You can look forward to it.¡± It was a dagger that would absolutely pierce through the Heart of the Great Evil called the Red Devil. ¡°I¡¯ll prove that what you guys did wasn¡¯t in vain.¡± As I said so, I put the breastte into my inner chest /genesisforsaken Chapter 195: Train (1) Chapter 195: Train (1) In truth, the Empress quite enjoyed the social gathering. Due to the Curse of Dragonblood that was damaging her body, she couldn¡¯t really attend many external events except for a handful of them. The only reason she recently attended the Hero Selection Ordeal was due to the significance of the event. Or else, she would have stayed in the Imperial Pce, following her doctor¡¯s suggestion. That was why, even though the social gathering was practically filled with starving demons harboring dark intentions, she was still having fun from attending the event. The orchestra''s performance, strong alcohol, greasy food, and the sound of people talking. As someone who had been restricted from all kinds of simtions, these things brought her the joy of experiencing the unknown. There was no way that she¡¯d feel reluctant to experience them. ¡°Did you enjoy the party, Your Imperial Majesty?¡± Well¡­ She had been enjoying it until this very moment.When Cecilia the 11th heard the voiceing from the side, the subtle smile on her face waspletely gone. ¡°Bogut.¡± ¡°Sorry for borrowing your new friend like that.¡± Forget etiquette, he tantly spoke to her in a friendly manner, as if she was treating her as a friend. His tendency to be ¡®informal¡¯ was so evident from how he casually sat in the front seat of the Empress. While this was enough to get him punished for l¨¨se-majest¨¦, neither of the party involved cared about it. After all, he was the core of the Upper Nobles Association. The leader of the Empire Faction, ¡®everyone¡¯ who wasn¡¯t a part of the Chancellor¡¯s and the Empress¡¯ faction. Both the Empress and Bogut knew that each of them had enough authority to divide the Empire into pieces if they really were to openly go against each other. ¡°This is my gift for you, Your Imperial Majesty. It must¡¯ve been tough on you toe all the way here.¡± Bogut said as the Empress looked at him silently. ¡°This is the Breath of Mistletoe. The liquor is dubbed the Empire Far East''s Treasure. Even if it¡¯s not to your taste, it¡¯s going to, at the very least, alleviate your pain.¡± ¡°...¡± On the outside, it looked no different from wine, but unlike other liquors, it had this mysterious blue color. The liquid pouring from the wine bottle''s uncorked tip gradually filled the ss in front of the Empress. ¡°So¡­¡± Bogut continued in a peaceful tone. ¡°When are you going to fight?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I''m talking about the civil war. You see, I¡¯m nning to start one soon.¡± Hearing that, the Empress¡¯ expression grew distorted. ¡­This crazy bastard. She already knew that the Upper Nobles Association, led by this man, had been making unusual moves. It was just, she never expected that he¡¯d reveal such a thing so calmly. ¡°Huh? Why do you look so surprised?¡± Marquis Bogut asked, tilting his head. ¡°You¡¯ve already known about it anyway, no?¡± Hearing that, Cecilia the 11th¡¯s face twitched. ¡°...I¡¯m not sure what you''re talking about.¡± ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, I know you¡¯ve wiretapped Dowd or something simr. You''ve been thinking of using him as a chess piece from the beginning.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You didn''t approach him with a pure intention either, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± As Cecilia stayed silent, he continued. ¡°It¡¯s quite the excellentposition we got here; The pitiful Empress, and the leader of the Upper Nobles Association who¡¯s conspiring a wicked n to devour the country. If anyone who doesn¡¯t know anything saw it, they¡¯d end up getting fooled.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That man is particrly vulnerable to people who are treating him kindly. Once he recognizes you as someone close to him, he¡¯ll definitely do anything to protect you. This is what you are aiming for, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s just like squeezing in his weakness. What a cunning woman.¡± With a grin still stered on his face¡­ Abusive words kept pouring out of his mouth. Words that went beyond even l¨¨se-majest¨¦, that could get him hung immediately if the Empress wished to. ¡°...You¡¯re just like me. A monster who moves for the sake of your ¡®goals¡¯.¡± Cecilia the 11th did not respond. Instead, she emptied the ss Bogut had given her. Seeing that, Bogut continued. ¡°As expected of you, Your Imperial Majesty! Brave! Your spirit befits that of the Master of the Empire!¡± ¡°...¡± What kind of reaction is that?The Empress narrowed her eyes and looked at him. He continued. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯d drink something your political enemy gave you without any suspicions. What if I had poisoned it with something that could actually kill you?¡± ¡°...Well.¡± To that, Cecilia the 11th replied with a deep sigh. ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll even do such an evil¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± But, before she could even finish her sentence, Bogut cut her off. The smile on his face had disappeared¡­ Reced by an expressionless face¡­ Save for the glint in his eyes, which made the air feel heavy just by looking at it. Using his gaze, he scanned part of her skin that was exposed out of her clothes. To be more specific, he was seeing what was beneath her skin. The curse that eroded her blood vessels, turning them dark. ¡°You drank it because you are that desperate to get rid of that curse.¡± ¡°...¡± Cecilia the 11th didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Just be honest with me. You won¡¯t care even if it was poisoned, since your body can only hold on for a month at most.¡± ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t give out any response until the end. As if she didn¡¯t feel the need to deny his words. ¡°...Thank you for the gift, Bogut.¡± Instead, she said those words and got up from her seat. ¡°Well, let me give you a piece of advice, Your Majesty the Empress, who cares about self-preservation so much.¡± As she was about to turn her head around and leave, Bogut said those words. ¡°Do you know the biggest factor in how the Upper Nobles Association was able to grow in power like this, Your Imperial Majesty?¡± ¡°...Pleasant evening for you.¡± The Empress tried to ignore him and walked away, but Bogut kept on talking, seemingly not having any intention to stop. ¡°It was the Crimson Night Incident.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The Imperial Household back then handled the situation in the worst possible way. It was so bad that if Duke Tristan himself hadn¡¯t bowed his head and begged the Guardians for their assistance, the Red Devil might¡¯ve just burned down the Empire right then.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Due to such a show of ipetence in leadership, a significant number of nobles grew to distrust the Imperial Household. And those people joined the Upper Nobles Association.¡± It didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d let her go easily. The Empress let out a sigh inwardly. ¡°What is it that you¡¯re trying to say, Bogut?¡± ¡°No, I am just truly curious what would be differentpared to that time, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± Bogut continued with a smile. ¡°A red night will being again soon. It¡¯ll be¡­much more splendid than before.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°If I were to start a civil war, it¡¯d be around that time. Just like before.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing him confidently dering his rebellion, the Empress¡¯ expression turned nk.n. ¡°...¡± A crazy bastard. Those were the only fitting words to describe him. At the stunned Empress, Bogut sent her a light wink. ¡°I truly hope you can deal with it well.¡± He said so as he gulped down the wine. There was elegance in his gesture. It was definitely¡­ A gesture that only a sane madman could pull off.
[...So, why did youe out alone? Are you running away from something?] Inside the carriage, Caliban whispered those words to me as the carriage left the Imperial Pce. Considering that I grabbed it and left as soon as the social gathering was over, he wasn¡¯t exactly wrong. ¡°I have things to prepare for¡­it won¡¯t be long before everything starts.¡± [But still, there are people who have followed you all the way to the Imperial Pce. Shouldn¡¯t you also consider them?] He was probably referring to Eleanor and Iliya. I¡¯d definitely get in troubleter for acting separately without saying a word to those two. But, I had my reasons. ¡°First of all, the schedule is tight. It¡¯s impossible to tell those two to follow it¡­¡± I had to stop by Elfante and in two days, I needed to go to the Holy Land immediately. First, I had to ask the Dean of the Theology School, Walter, a favor. Second, I had to go see Archbishop Luminol in the Holy Land. Anyway, the tight schedule aside¡­ ¡°...Iliya is avoiding me for some reason.¡± Since she was the main character of this main scenario, I wanted to get her ready properly. But, it felt like she stubbornly refused to meet me. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve done anything wrong to her, so why? ¡­It doesn¡¯t matter much, but still. Honestly, it was a little bit iffy to call the Third Ordeal an ordeal. Unlike the previous ones, which involved terrifying activities like getting crammed into a dungeon or being ced in the middle of a forest filled with Demonic Creatures, the Third Ordeal was entirely about ''examination''. To be more specific, a thorough examination of whether the punks could stay alive even after touching the Holy Sword. There really was nothing I could do to help her. [...Well, not really surprised here since she saw itwith her own eyes.] ¡°Sorry?¡± [She¡¯s probably not in her right mind at the moment since she saw something that would¡¯ve made her feel good¡­and a heart-wrenching sight at the same time. Just leave her be.] ¡°...¡± Okay, I had no idea what he was talking about. Seeing me tilting my head, Caliban threw me a smile, as if telling me not to worry, before saying¡­ [So, what are you preparing for this time?] ¡°...Well, there are a few things.¡± Archbishop Luminol yed quite the pranks throughout the ordeal, no? I was going to prepare to take revenge for that¡­ as well as set up a ¡®stage¡¯ for the Final Ordeal. As I thought so, I fiddled with the lion breastte inside my inner chest pocket. It''d be quite difficult to stick this to the Red Devil without herhelp. [...] ¡°...What¡¯s wrong?¡± He went silent looking all brusque, even when I answered him sincerely. Caliban then replied in a voice filled with dissatisfaction. [Seeing how you answered the second question first, it seems like you don¡¯t want to talk about the first question, huh?] ¡°...¡± [I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re nning to do something to my breastte, that¡¯s why you brought it all the way here from the Imperial Pce. Since you¡¯re going to meet that weirdo, Walter or something, it means you¡¯re trying to add something to it.] ¡°...¡± [Say it. What are you nning to do with my thing? Tell me, what is it that you¡¯re nning that you refuse to share with me?] ¡°...¡± Seems like it¡¯s true that you learn what you are exposed to. He was well aware of my tendencies, I guess it was expected from someone who had spent the most time with me. That¡¯s scary. Seriously scary. ¡°...¡± Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to talk about it. Because it felt as if I was asking this person to do something heinous. Just like how I put Valkasus and Caliban into the Soul Linker, I also needed someone to y the role of a ¡®catalyst¡¯ inside the breastte so that I would be able to use it as intended. The problem here was the prerequisite condition I had to fulfill. < Item Info > [ ¡ø Tatiana Grachel ] [ Processed ] [ Specialty: Curse ] [ Form: Soul Spirit ] [ Processing Options ] ? Subordinate as a familiar ? Use as an enhancement material for an item ? Resummon in full form (Bes annihted after one use) ¡°...¡± Looking at the window before my eyes, I let out a sigh. ¡°Hey, Caliban.¡± [Hm?] ¡°...Have you ever trained a woman before?¡± After I said that the Soul Linker was filled with silence. That didn''t faze me, so I went on. ¡°...I need to, uhm, uh, what''s a better word to use? Um, ¡®educate¡¯ her?¡± [...] ¡°Please help me.¡± [...It¡¯s this feeling again.] Caliban replied in a subdued voice. [You truly seem to be drifting further away from being a human fucking being.] ¡°...You know, I¡¯m always on guard against the Fallen¡¯s Seal effect¡ª¡± [No, that¡¯s not it.] ¡°...¡± [You¡¯re not a fucking human even without that.] Please, stop with the harsh /genesisforsaken Chapter 196: Train (2) Chapter 196: Train (2) Tatiana Grachel was a priest who worshiped the Ancient Gods of another world. Given that she served such mighty beings harboring ancient curses, it was only natural that her mind did not easily yield to ordinary challenges. Such a strong mental fortitude also increased her adaptability to sudden situations. ¡­Where is this ce¡­? She struggled to look around. Around her was a pitch dark ce. While still fighting her dizziness¡­ She tried to remember herst memory¡­ "...!"She immediately covered her mouth. Because she remembered the sensation she had felt when her head fell off and rolled on the ground. It was a scene that she remembered for sure. The ck monster before her eyes, as it detached her head in one strike. She was killed. By Dowd Campbell. ¡°Umph¡­Heuurk¡­¡± As the nauseating feeling rose from within her, she immediately covered her mouth again. Fortunately, even in such a state, her strong mental fortitude still allowed her to analyze her current situation. Is this¡­the Image World¡­? That was the conclusion she reached after looking around for more. She felt as if she was floating around, a sensation that could never be felt in the Material World. All the physical stimtion that she should feel all over her body also felt faint to her. This was something that she was familiar with, albeit only theoretically, as the feeling one would feel when they entered the Image World as a ¡®Spirit Form¡¯. "..." But that begged the question, why exactly was she here? Especially since she was someone that had died not too long ago. ¡°Hm, I guess the processing went well.¡± As her mind wandered like that, she heard an odious voice. The voice she would never be able to forget. ¡°As expected of Dean Walter. It¡¯s my second time asking him for a favor, but he did a really neat job.¡± Since it was the voice of the culprit who took her life away! ¡°Dowd Campbell¡­!¡± She called his name with a growl. A wicked Killing Intent began to flow through her body. Even though she became a Spirit Form, the power she had built throughout her life seemed to be intact. There was no catalyst she could use to refine such a power, but she could still use the forbidden knowledge she had umted about the curse even if she was a Spirit Form¡ª ¡°There you go, you¡¯re better off like that.¡± Dowd said with a yawn. ¡°Otherwise you won¡¯t be worth using.¡± As he said those words, he flicked his finger. At that moment¡­ A strong twinge, so strong that it felt like it was burning her mind nk, traveled throughout her whole body. It felt as if her legs were being cut off, her skin was being ripped out, and her body was being torn apart by the things ¡®inside¡¯ her as they threatened to burst out. ¡°Ah¡­Aack¡­! Aaaargh, aaack¨C!!¡± She let out a desperate scream as she wrapped her arms around her head and entire body. Her throes caused her to unconsciously lose control over her body and roll on the ground like a writhing bug. It was¡­ As if she was experiencing ¡®death¡¯ while being alive. And Dowd¡¯s next words proved that such an assessment was urate. ¡°This is exactly what you¡¯ve done to Riru¡¯s family.¡± The Garda n. People who she sacrificed for her ¡®ritual¡¯, sparing nothing including their dead bodies. ¡°I asked Valkasus to render it as simr as possible.¡± Basically, what Dowd did was to get her to ¡®experience¡¯ what those people had gone through in the moment of their deaths. He exined as such in a calm tone. ¡°You bastard¡­!¡± She gritted her teeth again. Her eyes were bloodshot as she red at him. She wanted nothing but to tear him down to death. However, before she even threw another curse at him, Dowd flicked his finger again. This time, she felt a different sensation of pain from before. Her body felt as if it was burning, as if her limbs were bursting apart, as if her head broke after falling from a high ce and hitting the ground. ¡°Ah¡­ha¡­ah¡­-!!¡± She had the urge to vomit. Drools already slipped out of her mouth. But, all she could do was to moan in pain with a pale face. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to recreate and inflict every sensation that the people you killed had experienced on you.¡± Even after seeing her like this, Dowd continued peacefully. He didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by the sight, as if it was ¡®natural¡¯ that she was treated like this. ¡°If you want me to stop this, you need to promise me one thing. So, will you?¡± ¡°...What?¡± Though she showed him a vicious look, Dowd continued without a change in his expression. ¡°Instead of the Prophet, submit to me.¡± "..." ¡°No, rather, instead of her, worship me.¡± Even when her whole body was suffering from the terrible pain. Sparks shot out of Tatiana¡¯s eyes. Because those were something she would never let go. She sent him a re, there was a spiteful look on her face. ¡°Try making me do it yourself¡­!¡± If it was anything else, she might have reacted differently. But, even if he were to kill her hundreds, thousands, or even ten thousands of times¡­ Her loyalty towards the Prophet would never waver. Because the Prophet was the greatest benefactor in her life, she was the equivalent of her mother. Yet this man, the man who had killed her, was telling her to betray the Prophet and worship him instead? She¡¯d rather let her whole soul suffer from this kind of pain for eternity instead. ¡°As you wish, then.¡± However¡­ As if mocking her desperation¡­ Dowd continued, the peaceful expression didn¡¯t leave his face. ¡°Let¡¯s see how long those words willst, shall we?¡± She told herself that she¡¯d never waver. Then, she closed her eyes tightly. Even if this man kept on doing wicked things to her¡­ No matter what kind of terrible things she had to suffer through¡­ She¡¯d never let wills give in! ¡°Alright.¡± At that moment, when the sound of a finger flicking dropped¡­ A terrible sensation took over her whole body again. It felt as if there was a tentacle wringing inside the blood vessels all over her body. "...!" A scream that she failed to let out came from her vocal cords as a moan. ¡°Ah, keu, heuuk¨C!¡± ¡°It¡¯s n Ba-Thor¡¯s death this time, so it¡¯s going to hurt a bit more than before.¡± Dowd Campbell continued. ¡°I learned it just a little while ago; The Image World¡¯s rules are different from the Material Realm. Well, to put it simply, I can keep doing this to you without worrying about time and physical limitations.¡± Saying such a scary thing without batting an eye. ¡°By the way, I wasn¡¯t joking about being curious to see how long you can hold on.¡± As he said that¡­ He flicked his finger again. Again, and again. And again. "---!!!!" Tatiana¡¯s scream endlessly echoed in the Image World, as if responding to his actions.
How long had it been since she started to suffer from the terrifying pain? Tatiana''s sanity was being submerged into greater depths. ¡­Prophet¡­ Her consciousness was sinking. To somewhere far away, to the ce where she had kept the most precious scenes in her memory. The scene that had created the ¡®willpower¡¯ that let her endure this ongoing torture. -Oh, is she a survivor? She''s still breathing. -...Leader, are you interested in this person? Looking at her injuries, it seems like she¡¯ll die soon. -Come on, everyone from the n from the bottom of the sea is a powerful Curse User. She won''t die from this. It was her memory of the first day she met the Prophet. She could remember the warmth that touched her bare body which was swept out to the seashore. And she could remember the face behind that bizarre-looking mask, which strangely made her feelfortable despite how it looked. -...Who¡­? She could also remember how that person, while carrying her, answered the question that came out of her mouth like a moan. -Hm¡­ I can¡¯t tell you my name since everyone who knows it would die. -...Mm¡­? -Call me the Prophet. That will do. That day, she became the sole survivor of a certain n that lived under the sea. The n whose members worshiped the Ancient Gods and were purged by the Tribal Alliance Hunters because they deemed the n as ¡®sinister¡¯. With her body ridden with wounds, with no ce toe and go, her young self could only wait for her certain death. Yet, the Prophet had epted her unconditionally. She fostered her power and provided her the conditions where she could enact her revenge. Her consciousness sunk even more. With the memory of the day she began to truly worship the Prophet as her ¡®new master¡¯, a turning point¡ª ¡°Ah, finally.¡± Amidst that¡­ A voice intervened. ¡°I found it.¡± Suddenly. Tatiana felt shivers running down her spine. There was no way that she could hear that voice here. Because this was the memory of the Prophet and herself. There was no way that anyone would be able to enter her ¡®conscious memory¡¯. Yet, she really had heard someone else¡¯s voice here. ¡­What the¡­ Upon hearing the voice that echoed in her head, Tatiana looked up, clearly horrified. Then, she saw him, Dowd Campbell, looking down at her, who was lying on the ground. There was a subtle smile on his face. Though there was a cunningness in his smile that sent shivers down her spine. ¡°You see, among the people I¡¯m close with, there¡¯s someone who¡¯s very familiar with going around in a ghost-like state. There¡¯s also someone who¡¯s a master of sorcery. One who isn¡¯t any worse than you, if not more talented than you are.¡± As he said so, Dowd reached out and grabbed her head. At that moment¡­ The memory of her first meeting with the Prophet was ¡®erased¡¯. "...!" She wrapped her arms around her head in horror. It was an unsightly gesture, but the shock she received was so great that it didn¡¯t even cross her mind. ¡°What¡­!¡± She could not remember. The warm touch, the face she saw for the first time, the first conversation they had¡­ Anything about her at all¡­ As if everything was painted white. ¡°Indeed, precious memories are something to rely on. It¡¯s the one thing that allows humans to have such an endless mental fortitude.¡± Dowd rambled on as he took his hand off her head. Meanwhile, her eyes shook frantically. ¡°I figured you¡¯d recall such memory if I torture you for long enough. Then again, everyone would do the same. In this Image World, I cany my hands on you as long as you recall such a memory.¡± He calmly exined. ¡°To put it simply, the torture is just a means to get to this part.¡± It was at that moment¡­ Tatiana finally realized this man¡¯s intentions. Her eyes were filled with horror. ¡°You¡­you¡­you¡­evil fucker¡­¡± She said in a trembling voice. Her expression that had never been shaken even by the cruel torture, copsed instantly. Tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°Me¡­ Me¡­ My ¡®existence¡¯...! You tried to throw it all away¡­!¡± Mind maniption. Brainwashing. His goal wasn¡¯t just to give her pain. But to take away all of her ¡®memories¡¯! ¡°No, not really.¡± At her cry, Dowd replied mockingly. ¡°I¡¯m only doing this so that ¡®I can use you¡¯. You did the same thing when you killed Riru¡¯s family, no? I mean, you even pulled the dead into something when you didn¡¯t have to.¡± As he said that¡­ He grabbed her head again. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± Once again¡­ Another memory of hers was erased. ck ink was sprayed on her memory of the day the Prophet wished her a happy birthday for the first time. Again, he held her head. ¡°Stop¡­¡± And there went another memory. This time, it was her memory of the Prophetplimenting her. And the memory of the Prophet hugging her tightly, telling her that she was her family. ¡°No¡­! Please¡­! Stop¡­!¡± Then, another memory was gone. And another one. All of it was erased. This continued. Until everything was gone. "...!" Thissted for so long that she couldn¡¯t even scream out anymore. Suddenly, she realized a terrifying fact. She could not remember anything. Just like the food she ate for dinner a long time ago. She knew that someone precious, so precious that she¡¯d wholeheartedly give her soul to her and worship her existed. But¡­ ¡­Who¡­was it¡­? Her face went pale as she fell on the ground. She had stopped caring about the physical torture she was suffering from. Instead¡­ She felt such an emptiness that felt as if it took her ¡®soul¡¯ away. That feeling filled up her whole body. ¡°...No way.¡± Tatiana crawled as if wriggling on the ground. Her head, that hadn¡¯t dropped lower even once when she was being tortured, sank deeply. She repeatedly bowed her head to the man in front of him, kneeling down, as if she was going to lick his feet if he were to tell her to. ¡°...Please¡­¡± Her voice sounded weak as she begged. ¡°I¡¯ll do anything¡­you want me to¡­ If you want me to be your ve, I¡¯ll do it, if you tell me to be your toy, I¡¯ll dly serve as your toy¡­¡± With such sincerity, she swore to give him anything she could give him. ¡°Just¡­please¡­don¡¯t take this away from me¡­¡± The memories she truly cherished¡­ All the things that served as her ¡®foundation¡¯... She begged for him to not take them away. Again and again. Though her vision was blurred by her tears, she prayed that her voice could touch his heart even for a bit. ¡°Okay.¡± Then, he dropped such a casual reply. ¡°I won¡¯t erase it. That isn¡¯t my intention from the beginning, anyway.¡± "...!" Hearing those words, Tatiana looked up at him with a bright expression. ¡°Instead.¡± But, when she heard what he said next¡­ ¡°I''m going to rewrite it.¡± That bright expression turned into despair. ¡°...Excuse¡­me¡­?¡± ¡°I said, I¡¯m going to rewrite it.¡± Dowd reached out again, holding her forehead as light vanished from her eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t erase your memories, but¡­¡± To Tatiana, who was crying with an expressionless face, like a doll. He dropped a stern deration. ¡°I¡¯ll rewrite the target of your loyalty from ¡®the Prophet¡¯ to ¡®me¡¯. This is why I¡¯m doing all this.¡± Over the memories of the Prophet, which had been painted ck¡­ The memories of someone called ¡®Dowd¡¯ were painted. It took over the Prophet¡¯s position, which basically meant that he brainwashed her in this way. As he did this, Tatiana, who was looking at him finally realized¡­ That this man, from the very beginning¡­ Had never thought of giving her mercy even a little. ¡°...Devil.¡± At the same time such a word came out of her mouth like a moan¡­ Tatiana''s consciousness was cut off.
A while after that¡­ Inside the Image World, Tatiana Grachel was trying hard to lick my feet. "..." "..." "..." Both Valkasus and Caliban alternately looked at her and me, astounded. All that shit might have felt like forever for this bitch, but only 15 minutes had actually passed. That was how the Image World worked. The time axis workedpletely differently from the Material World. Entrusting Walter to take care of the details was the right thing to do. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Ah, aah¡­Master¡­¡± ¡°No, I said, wait.¡± ¡°Ah, euh, aah¡­¡± She looked up at me with a desperate look in her eyes. From her eyes, it seemed like she was begging me to let her lick my feet just once. As nned, I managed to ¡®overwrite¡¯ the loyalty she had for the Prophet onto loyalty toward me. It was just¡­ The n worked a little too well. ¡­Wait. Does that mean she had been treating the Prophet like this? Not only is she a lunatic, she¡¯s also a pervert? ¡°...Do you think you have any right to say that?¡± ¡°...Agreed to that.¡± "..." The gazes they sent me actually hurt me. ¡°...But, why?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll say that, at this point I¡¯m genuinely considering this as an art. Hats off to you.¡± ¡°I agree, Boy King.¡± "..." Honestly, I knew that I deserved to be treated like that this time. But, it wasn¡¯t like I had another choice. < Item Info > [ ¡ø Tatiana Grachel ] [ Processed ] [ Specialty: Curse ] [ Form: Soul Spirit ] [ Processing Options ] ? Subordinate as a familiar ? Use as an enhancement material for an item ? Resummon in full form (Bes annihted after one use) Adding her soul into an item as a reinforcement material wasn¡¯t a good option. She was too good of a bitch to not be used extensively. That was why I didn¡¯t consider summoning her in her full form either, since I could only do that once. Using her as a Familiar would be better in this case since I¡¯d get to use her more than once. The problem was, if I wanted to turn her into my subordinate, as a Familiar, without ¡®her own consent¡¯, I¡¯d have to deal with a penalty; Most of her abilities would be reduced in strength. To put it in another word, unless I gained her consent, the option was useless. ¡°...Is that why you brainwashed her? So that she¡¯d consent to submitting herself to you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± "..." ¡°I mean, she¡¯s a bad person anyway. Feels nice that I didn¡¯t feel guilty after doing all that to her.¡± Like, she deserved all this being done to her, considering the things she had done to Riru. Compared to when I used Lana, when I actually felt guilty for doing so, I really didn¡¯t feel anything because this woman was such a bitch. ¡°...Well, you do have the tendency to be so merciless when handling your enemies. You¡¯ve always been like that and the tendency feels like it¡¯s gotten stronger now.¡± "..." Well¡­ Maybe that was because I¡¯ve been influenced by the things that I used to do for a bit. To be exact, the things that I did before I transmigrated into this game. Then, Caliban said with a sigh. ¡°Anyway, what are you going to use her for? You even went out of your way to turn her like this.¡± Huh? I thought I told him about it already? ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you about it before I did all these things?¡± I put the lion breastte with Tatiana¡¯s soul in it into my inner chest pocket before continuing. ¡°I have someone to see in the Holy Land after this.¡± Archbishop Luminol. He was someone I needed to deal with before the ordeal /genesisforsaken Chapter 197: The Last Ordeal (1) Chapter 197: The Last Ordeal (1) Lately, Archbishop Luminol¡¯s day had rarely started off well. If he were to say what was the reason for that, a certain bastard woulde to his mind. ¡­That fucking bastard¡­ He was already frowning, but when he recalled the guy he saw at the Hero Selection Ordeal a while ago, his frown grew deeper. Dowd Campbell. That was the name of the person who greatly contributed to his deteriorating quality of life. It was to the point that he couldn¡¯t even concentrate facing the mountains of documents that he had to work on. Where did such a ridiculous punk pop out from¡­? He was already aware that Dowd was someone that even the Pope was keeping an eye on, but he didn¡¯t expect him to be this unpredictable.The punk¡¯s resilience always left him dumbfounded¡ªgiving him the impression that the punk would survive no matter what kind of situation he was forced to be in. The Last Ordeal is going to start soon¡­ Actually, calling it an ordeal didn¡¯t really sound right. Because all they had to do was to let the people who had proven themselves capable in the previous ordeals to grab the Holy Sword. Ironically though, this was the most dangerous ordeal among them all. The Holy Sword. It was the weapon that was dubbed as the most powerful Holy Relic in human history. The weapon that the First Hero used when he sealed the Devils ¡®bodies¡¯ in the Void Zone. An extremely dangerous item that could kill anyone who touched it if it were to deem them unqualified. ¡°...¡± In other words, they had to let Lana touch it once. Though his dear daughter had an unusual constitution that would prevent her from dying no matter what, as a father, he still didn¡¯t want to witness that spectacle. ¡°Father, are you there?¡± As he was pondering such thoughts, a cheerful voice called out to him from outside the office. Hearing that voice, Archbishop Luminol unconsciously let out a soft smile. It was his daughter¡¯s voice. His purpose for living, the sole reason that pushed him to make the world a better ce to live, even if only slightly. ¡°Wee, Lana¡ª¡± He was about to greet her when his words were suddenly interrupted. ¡°Mm, is that all, Mr. Dowd? Just like we agreed on, I brought you here to meet my father in private¡­¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, Lana.¡± ¡°Then, as promised, you have to buy me that popr huge cake in Holy Cityter! Promise me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy as many as you want.¡± While he was his daughter and all, he still thought that she really had a lot of nerve. How could she introduce the very same person who had put her in a dangerous situation so nonchntly like this? As the Archbishop thought so while trembling, Lana left the office and the other man strode towards him. Without waiting for his permission, the punk pulled the chair across his desk and sat on it as if he was at his own home. No manners nor respect were shown. ¡°Nice to meet you, Archbishop Luminol.¡± ¡°...Tell me a reason I shouldn¡¯t use Offensive Miracle against you here.¡± ¡°Here, it¡¯s the confession I got from the assassins you sent to me. I¡¯ve recorded it.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°They said that you are their client, and the reason why they sneaked into the Hero Selection Ordeal was to assassinate me. Say, if I were to leak out this recording to the public, a great chaos would ensue, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°...¡± Refusing to believe him, Archbishop Luminol grabbed the crystal. And he found out that the punk was telling the truth. In the recording, the assassins confessed everything with drowsy eyes¡ªfrom the details of their n to the ¡®evidence¡¯ that he was indeed the one who hired them. ¡°...¡± Just like that, Archbishop Luminol¡¯s face turned pale. How? More than anyone, he knew that those assassins were trained professionals. The kind of people who¡¯d rather bite their tongues and kill themselves instead of disclosing such crucial information like that. As he pondered so, he suddenly noticed something. There was a white aura in their eyes. Though their eyes had lost their focus, he could feel their ¡®desire¡¯ for someone. As if they were captivated by that someone. ¡°...¡± The reason why the Archbishop of the Holy Land even entrusted those people with this job was because he deemed them as trustworthy. They were able to bounce off any kind of Mental Magic. Not only that, the equipment they were provided with was among the best of the best. ¡°...You.¡± Despite all that, they still ended up in this state. If there was a mental-rted ability that could do this, it would be¡­ ¡°Did you use a Devil¡¯s Authority?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Prior to this, the Pope certainly had warned him that this bastard in front of him might do something like this. But, it was only a ¡®might¡¯. He never expected that the bastard was able to use it so freely like this! ¡­Monster¡­! It was simply unbelievable that the bastard could use a Devil¡¯s Authority by ¡®controlling¡¯ them. No one in history could ever aplish that. Because if there really was someone who could do that in the past, an upheaval that would have changed the way the history book was written would have happened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just here to have a ¡®conversation¡¯ with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any shit to talk with y¡ª¡± ¡°No, you do.¡± Dowd cut off Archbishop Luminol¡¯s words. ¡°If you don¡¯t want your shady shit to be exposed in front of your precious daughter in detail, that is.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Sending assassins to kill me shouldn¡¯t be everything that you did. With the way the Holy Land works, you definitely have done a lot of dirty things to work your way up to your current position, right?¡± Hearing his words, Archbishop Luminol instantly became nervous, his body stiffened. ¡°...You, how much do you know?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Dowd replied indifferently. His attitude was still calm and collected. ¡°Well, that depends on your attitude from now on, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°...¡±
Meanwhile, the two Souls were watching him from inside the Soul Linker. They rarely had the chance to encounter each other, but they¡¯d try to meet ¡®face to face¡¯ like this whenever the opportunity came up. In other words, they were able to look at each other¡¯s slightly concerned faces when they witnessed the sight of Dowd Campbell making Archbishop Luminol¡¯s face go pale like this. Threatening someone to control the situation to his advantage was something this man had done several times before. However, now¡­ Compared to before, his current action bore a different ¡®feeling¡¯. ¡°...What¡¯s going on?¡± Valkasus asked with aplicated feeling while sweeping his hair back. It was the first time the two of them had met in the Image World, but as soon as they saw each other¡¯s faces, they immediately knew what kind of topic that they would talk about. ¡°Let¡¯s have an honest talk here, Boy King.¡± And the topic that Caliban brought up wasn¡¯t much different from what Valkasus expected. ¡°Has that punk ever been that evil?¡± ¡°...¡± To that question, Valkasus didn¡¯t answer and just let out a frown. His gaze was fixed on Archbishop Luminol, who was breaking in a cold sweat. Then, he shifted his gaze to Dowd Campbell, who was looking at the Archbishop with an expressionless face. ¡°...¡± Valkasus spent most of his time sleeping in the Soul Linker, so he didn¡¯t know the details, but he managed to get the gist of what was happening to that man recently. From what he heard, the man had been growing further from being a human after asking the Gray Devil to give him the Fallen¡¯s Seal. ¡­He¡¯s the person who saved my Kingdom, the person who had granted my wish. The Boy King remembered¡­ Of the day he was ¡®locked up¡¯ by him. The day he saved his people and promised him toplete the revenge Valkasus himself couldn¡¯t achieve. What did he say back then? ¡°...¡± He said that they were simr¡­ And that he wanted to show him such kindness because he resembled him¡­ Someone with such a nature¡­ The person who was so humane¡­ ¡­Had changed into that. Seeing it did not evoke any pleasant emotion in him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s using his daughter to threaten that guy. No matter how bad of a person he is, don¡¯t you think he¡¯s being out of line?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And there¡¯s also the thing he did to that Tatiana woman.¡± ¡°...Chief Priest Tatiana hasmitted something undeniably evil. That¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°All the more reason for him to not act like someone like her, am I wrong?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I think that punk doesn¡¯t seem that different from that woman now.¡± Valkasus went silent at that, meanwhile Caliban continued in a somber voice. ¡°That bastard is changing faster than I thought.¡± He went on. ¡°That punk tends to look at things as a big lump¡ªhe¡¯d n in advance with the uing result in mind and work to achieve that using any means possible.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s just how he is, no?¡± ¡°But, he never did anything that crossed the line.¡± After hearing Valkasus¡¯ reply, Caliban refuted in a sharp voice. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that his way of thinking had changed in such a way that he ended up not caring about the means that he chose to achieve his goals.¡± ¡°...And what do you think we should do, then?¡± This was something that Dowd himself was already aware of as well. And yet it was him who pushed himself deeper in that direction. ¡°It¡¯s a trap of goodwill.¡± Valkasus let out a sigh. ¡°He must be thinking that such a self-destructive sacrifice is good for himself too.¡± What an idiot. How could he try to save everyone yet doesn¡¯t care about being buried there? Valkasus could tell it better than anyone since they resembled each other. As someone who once held the funeral for everyone who used to serve him, he could understand ¡®why¡¯ Dowd was going this far. It was like Dowd was afraid. While Valkasus didn¡¯t know the details¡­ He was sure that Dowd must have once lost someone that was precious to him right before his eyes. And that experience left a terrible trauma in his heart and mind, to the point where this kind of defense mechanism was established. If that was really the reason why he was doing all this, then, whatever words they were going to tell him, it would never work.. ¡°No. There¡¯s a way.¡± As Valkasus pondered such thoughts, Caliban said those words. ¡°You see, that guy needs to keep his word.¡± ¡°...Hm? What do you mean?¡± Hearing that question, a smile formed on Caliban¡¯s face. ¡°That guy asked Iliya to help him to get a grip if it seemed like he was about to cross the line.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So, what we need to do is to create the opportunity for that to happen.¡± ¡°...¡± Valkasus suspected that his eyes were ying tricks on him, but¡­ There was this joyful look on Caliban''s face. As if he was enjoying the fact that he could bully Dowd Campbell for once. ¡°...So, how do we do it?¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been a little frustrated with that guytely.¡± The punk always got swayed by the women he could not deal well with. And yet, even though he was the one who said that those women were dangerous, he still tried to protect them. Ignoring how much he got hurt, how much he became tattered in the process. So¡­ There was one thing they needed to show him at this point. ¡°Honestly, I think he needs to put himself in others¡¯ shoes.¡± ¡°...What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°We just need to let him know for sure that as much as he wants to protect the others, they also hate to see him getting hurt.¡± He continued. ¡°In other words, let¡¯s show him how much he¡¯s ¡®loved¡¯ by those women around him.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And show him that he doesn¡¯t always need to deal with everything by himself.¡± Indeed, that was a usible n. But, for some reason, Valkasus had a terrible premonition about it. ¡°You only need to do one thing, Boy King.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Please contact the Devil¡¯s Vessels I have in mind. One of them is, hm¡­¡± A certain someone came to Caliban¡¯s mind as he let out a smile. ¡°...I don¡¯t think she¡¯s in her right mind now because of the guilt, but you should be able to reach her somehow using your Forbidden Sorcery, even in your Spirit Form.¡± That was indeed something that Valkasus might be able to do. Because, even when he was only sleeping inside the Soul Linker withoutmunicating with anyone, including Dowd, his Forbidden Sorcery was growing stronger. He was now able to convey his thoughts autonomously even when he was in Spirit Form without having to go through his ¡®self¡¯. The problem here was¡­ Why should he do that? ¡°Don¡¯t worry and just leave it to me.¡± To that, Caliban only replied as such with a grin on his face. ¡°...You, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯d like it if I were to tell you about this or not, but¡­¡± Narrowing his eyes, Valkasus continued. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel that you somehow are bing more and more like him?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°From your bizarre way of thinking to that sly smile¡­ You¡¯re exactly like him¡­¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Caliban¡¯s face to stiffen up. He looked as if he had heard an offensive /genesisforsaken Chapter 198: The Last Ordeal (2) Chapter 198: The Last Ordeal (2) The Krisanax Household was a small herding family who lived at the edge of the most remote part of the Empire. It had the most striking resemnces to the Campbell Barony that she had visited before. The region was ruled by a Baron who gave off a peaceful impression,pletely the opposite of Dowd Campbell, who would cause a stir everywhere. Iliya''s parents also gave a simr impression. With friendly neighbors, respectable adults, and the one and only, the most precious, the best family a person could ever have. If there was one thing that immediately came to her mind when she thought of her hometown, it was the clear blue sky above the endless green grasnd. The next thing that woulde to her mind was the endless shade of blue and green that glowed under the soft moonlight. ¡­Ah, this. ¡­Was a dream.Just seeing the view in front of her made her aware of the fact. The nts and trees on the hill, swaying in tune with the breeze, the crying sound of a newly born calf, the friends she used to y with, the voice of her mother, calling her from the hill, reminding her to eat¡­ Such recollections. Such memories. ¡°...¡± Iliya looked at her house on the hill with dead eyes. Because she knew all too well¡­ Of the thing that was going to happen after this. ¡°W-What is that?¡± ¡°mes?¡± Over in the next vige, which was half a day away, something was burning. A red aura rose from the sky in that direction. Karmic Fire. Even from a long distance, a huge column of fire could be seen. She could vividly remember the heat that made her peach fuzz bristle up, the zing me that seemed as if it was going to turn the sky into ashes, causing shadows to envelop the surroundings. And she clearly remembered the word that she had uttered back then. ¡°...Brother?¡± She didn¡¯t know why she said that word. Perhaps, her childlike innocence allowed her to notice it. The wickedness surging from that column of fire and the ominousness that wouldpletely twist her life. Perhaps¡­ That was why she unconsciously called the person she had depended on the most in the world. ¡°O-Ooh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting bigger!¡± If the column of fire was caused by an explosion, it usually would only soared up high once and subsided quickly if they were fortunate. But, even her young self sensed something was off, and that itchy feeling eventually turned into anxiety¡ªeven horror¡ªwhen she saw the people inside the vige pouring out of it one by one. Instead of subsiding, the column of fire went on strong. Red lighting up from the me was spread to the dark surroundings. As if trying to paint the sky red. Giving off the impression that the entire night was engulfed in red me. ¡°Iliya!¡± Then, she remembered how her parents, who were also watching the scene, moved at the same time. There was a clear confusion on their faces, but they were still rushing towards her to take her to safety. Though they didn¡¯t understand what was going on, they understood that they had to protect the young Iliya first and foremost. They threw away their curiosity over what was going on and rushed down the hill as quickly as they could. Her sick mother tripped over again and again, yet she paid it no heed. ¡°...¡± Meanwhile, Iliya still looked at the sight with dead eyes. ¡°Iliya!¡± Because¡­ The moment when her parents called out to her desperately like that¡­ Was the moment when it ¡®began¡¯. It was always the most excruciating moment for her. Because she couldn¡¯t even close her eyes to avoid seeing it since this was just a dream. -! -!! Something popped out of the column of fire, making a ¡®pong¡¯ sound. Then, everything in front of her was engulfed in the fire. The nts and trees, the other kids that didn¡¯t even have the time to scream; From Daisy, who was building a sand castle the other day, to Hans, who had confessed to her that he liked her, wearing a stupid expression. Even the adults like the bakery owner who always smiled nicely while giving her extra bread was embraced by the raging mes. Everyone. Disappeared into ashes. ¡°...¡± Those who disappeared in a blink of an eye without being able to scream could count themselves as fortunate. Because they didn¡¯t need to smell the thick scent of burning flesh, hear the echoing ear splitting screams that would make anyone¡¯s legs feel weak. Parents died. Children died. Those same children cried out, begging for their mommies to save them. Those same parents desperately begged for their children to be saved. Misfortunes poured down like heavy rain. In a matter of seconds, the pastoral and peaceful vige was destroyed. ¡°...¡± Though it was a dream. Iliya felt the urge to throw up. Unconsciously, she sank to her knees, wrapping her arms around her shaking body as she looked up at the sky. The column of fire. The huge disaster that had painted the entire night red. ¡°...¡± And inside it¡­ Although it was so far away¡­ She could see a human shape in the middle of it. Their blood-like red hair, long nails, and yellow eyes with slit pupils resembling that of reptiles. When their eyes met, one word came to her mind. ¡°...Devil.¡± The Crimson Night. To be exact, it was the moment when the night began. Her memory of the scene was always cked out by that. ¡ñ She woke up soaked in cold sweat. The fancy bed inside the amodation, which was provided by the Holy Land, near the location of the Last Ordeal, was soaked by her sweat. With ragged breaths, Iliya swept her face. She sweated so much that it looked like a transparent film was swept out of her face as she did so. Her heart was beating quickly, meanwhile her eyes were unfocused. ¡°...I haven''t had this dream recently.¡± Ever since she met Teach, she had rarely experienced the dream again. Because, strangely enough, she felt reassured in many ways when she was with him. A strange experience for sure, since she used to dream about it every single day back in the Kendride Margravate. ¡°...¡± She knew exactly why she dreamed of this again, though. Because she had seen something that had reminded her of the Karmic Fire she had seen back then. Faenol. Faenol Lipek. The woman that gave off a simr feeling to the Red Devil. ¡°...¡± If that woman was actually the Devil¡¯s Vessel¡­ That meant her sworn enemy was nearby. It wasn¡¯t hard to find out if she was a Vessel or not. She just had to look at her using the Eye of Truth that was awakened by the Fist Saint. It was an ability that allowed her to see through the existence of a Devil more urately than anyone else. With it, she¡¯d be able to tell at a nce what exactly was sleeping inside Faenol¡¯s body. Yet she hadn¡¯t done it. The reason for it was because¡­ ¡°...¡± Iliya looked at her trembling hands. Yes. She was still¡­ Afraid of the Devil. Of the being that had twisted her whole life in a single day. ¡°...It¡¯s okay, Iliya.¡± You¡¯ll be able to ovee it soon. Because the Last Ordeal would start soon. As long as she could grab the ¡®Holy Sword¡¯, she should be able to stand up against such a being somehow. She got up with a determined look on her face. There were only a few hours left before the conferment ceremony. She had to get ready. ¡ñ [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Chapter 4 ¨C Crimson Night ¡½ [ The rted event will ur soon! ] I swiped to another window. [ Gift-Rted Character Alert ] ¨‹ Faenol Lipek [ Trust Level 3 ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] ¡°...Hmmm.¡± Stroking my chin, I scanned through the messages, one after another. I knew that this would happen eventually, so I wasn¡¯t particrly surprised that this punk would go berserk, as it was guaranteed to happen. The problem here was¡­ ¡­Why is it tomorrow? In the original game, she would go berserk today, on the day of the Conferment of the Holy Sword. As I raised the favorability with Faenol, the event got dyed more and more, but today was the Maginot Line. It shouldn¡¯t happen tomorrow, there was no reason for it. [Why are you like this? It isn¡¯t like anything ever goes as you nned anyway. All you need to do is to y it by ear like always. Just treat this as a variable like usual.] ¡°...The thing is, it won¡¯t be that easy this time.¡± A Devil with three fragments going berserk was on a different level entirely. I could tolerate variables if they were still within reason, but this time, I couldn¡¯t even tell why the time of the urrence changed. ¡°...¡± If I were to guess though, a certain someone came to mind. [The Prophet?] ¡°As always, I guess.¡± Every time I faced a difficult situation, it was all because of her forcefully raising the ¡®difficulty¡¯ for me. This time, it was definitely because of her that the progression had deviated much from what I knew. I sighed as I looked around the busy surrounding. Originally, inside the Great Temple of the Holy Land¡­ ¡­They must be plotting something. That fucker, the Pope, was originally someone like that. In terms of wickedness, he wasparable even to me. The reason why they didn¡¯t let people in was definitely because they were conspiring something. ¡°...¡± Well. Let¡¯s think about thatter. There was something else that was bothering me currently. ¡°...By the way, Caliban.¡± I narrowed my eyes and red at the Soul Linker. ¡°Are you plotting something?¡± [Huh? No, of course not.] ¡°...¡± [Why are you using me like that? Do you have a persecutionplex or something?] At his nonchnt answer, I silently red at the Soul Linker. Nothing felt off. He was just the usual Caliban. However¡­ ¡°...You know that our minds are connected, right?¡± [And?] ¡°I can sense your state of mind to some extent, just as you can know mine." [...] ¡°Yours feels much¡­different than usual. You¡¯re hiding something from me, aren¡¯t you?¡± [It¡¯s just you.] ¡°...¡± [I said it¡¯s just you. Do you have evidence?] Well, I don¡¯t. I was only suspecting him without proof. ¡°...Ssssssp¡­¡± I sharply inhaled in exasperation as I got up from my seat. Whatever, the main quest was just around the corner. It was more important to prepare myself for what the Prophet was about to do than dealing with this shit. ¡°...Just don''t do anything too strange, please.¡± [Okay.] ¡°...¡± I thought you said you weren''t plotting anything. You crazy motherfucker. ¡ñ Seras Evatrice could only look at the person standing in front of her in a daze. Actually, it was her first time seeing the person at all, as she never even saw a glimpse of him before. Although, calling him a person was a bit of a stretch. Since he introduced himself as someone who had died. ¡°...So, your name is¡­¡± [Valkasus.] ¡°Hiiiik¡ª!¡± When he saw Seras jumping with eyes filled with tears, Valkasus narrowed his eyes. [...You, don¡¯t they refer to you as a Grand Assassin or something impressive like that?] Though he criticized her for showing such a pathetic look, Seras didn¡¯t care and instead responded to him while trembling. ¡°I-Is it wrong for a Grand Assassing to be scared of ghosts?!¡± [...I mean, I¡¯m sure you¡¯d be able to fill up a whole cemetery with all the people you¡¯ve killed¡­] ¡°But I can¡¯t kill you!¡± [...So you¡¯re scared of everything that you can¡¯t kill?] ¡°Yeah!¡± [...] Though she was trembling, her answer came out very clearly. ¡­Such a simple and clear standard. So she¡¯s saying that she isn¡¯t scared of anything that she can kill with a knife, but scared of those she can¡¯t. No wonder she had been obediently listening to him well since the first time they met. [...Anyways.] Valkasus let out another deep sigh and continued. [I have a simple matter to tell you. Well, it¡¯s simple but it¡¯s still a serious matter.] ¡°What?¡± Then, Valkasus told her Caliban¡¯s ¡®n¡¯. ¡°...¡± The more content of the n he ¡®delivered¡¯... The more fear on Seras¡¯ face that had disappeared. In ce of it, she wore a serious look. ¡°...That¡¯s definitely a serious matter.¡± Seras muttered with narrowed eyes. ¡°You¡¯re telling me that the Red Devil is going berserk?¡± [Yes.] ¡°...¡± Then they should prevent it from happening. [The others beside you must¡¯ve been informed about it as well.] ¡°The others?¡± Obviously he was talking about the Devil¡¯s Vessels. But, Caliban imed that there was a better way to call them, which was¡­ [The other women around Dowd Campbell.] ¡°...¡± [Like they said, opportunities are found in times of crisis. As you can tell from what you have heard, this time, things have gotten way too dangerous for that man to make it out alive. That¡¯s why we want you guys¡¯ help.] ¡°...Hm, so you¡¯re hiring me?¡± [Judging by the form, it¡¯s going to be like that. Although, the payment will be something different from what you have in mind.] ¡°What?¡± [This is a battle of possession. The most helpful person in the scene will get to do something nice with him.] ¡°...Something nice?¡± [You are allowed to do whatever you want with him, whether it¡¯s to sleep together with him or whatever.] ¡°...¡± She wished he would not say crazy things while looking as if he had given up. But, let¡¯s think about it a little more. Seras¡¯ face was filled with question marks instead upon hearing what he said. She sensed that something was off. Was Dowd the type that would agree to do something like that easily? ¡°...Did he agree to this himself?¡± [Let¡¯s just say that I¡¯ll tell you his weakness that would make him agree no matter what.] ¡°...¡± [Of course it isn¡¯t the way to overpower him physically, rather, it¡¯s the way to win his ¡®heart¡¯, which is what you all are aiming for anyway, no?] It was a lengthy speech. But he had definitely left out Dowd''s own opinion. ¡°...Uhm, doing that without listening to the person''s opinion is kind of¡­¡± [Does that mean you don¡¯t care if another woman were to take him away?] ¡°...¡± [Even if he were to say no, those women would put the method into practice right away once they heard what his weakness is. For example, the daughter of the Tribal Alliance¡¯s Chieftain that you argued with recently.] ¡°...Are you trying to provoke me?¡± [Yes. Just imagine, are you going to be okay if such things were to happen?] His intention was way too obvious. This was merely a cheap provocation. However¡­ ¡°...¡± Seras closed her eyes and imagined the scene for a moment. The sight of that blue girl hugging Dowd while smiling in triumph before her eyes. And the sight of her shaking as she was looking at the scene. Then, those two would start to kiss, hug and eventually lead to mixing each other¡¯s- ¡°...Alright, who am I supposed to kill?¡± Needless to say, the cheap provocation was very effective on /genesisforsaken Chapter 199: The Last Ordeal (3) Chapter 199: The Last Ordeal (3) Chancellor Sullivan stared at Faenol with a serious gaze. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± Faenol forced a fake smile while replying. Thanks to the fact that she had lived half her life faking her emotions ever since she was forcefully ¡®brought back to life¡¯ because of the Red Devil, the smile came out so naturally. Of course, even such a superb acting skill couldn¡¯t suppress the ¡®phenomenon¡¯ she was going through. Red me surrounded her body, this was the thing that she had failed to suppress. Though she managed to erase the me right away¡ªas expected as a prodigious talent when it came to Magic¡ªFaenol knew very well the identity of the phenomenon. ¡°...¡±Demonic Aura. In other words, the Devil¡¯s Fragments that she had, leaking out of her body. It was getting harder and harder for her to control it. ¡­So suddenly? She asked in her mind as she tried to soothe the overflowing aura, letting out ragged breaths as she did so. Thanks to her increased affinity with Dowd Campbell, she was gradually getting better at ¡®controlling¡¯ the Devil¡¯s Power. It was to the point that she became hopeful that she¡¯d be able to calm down the Devil¡¯s Aura and achieve eternal rest. But, at some point¡­ She felt as if the Fragments were trying their best toe out of her body. As if they ¡®reacted¡¯ to something and went wild. But why¡­? She couldn¡¯t tell why that was the case. The one month time limit she had given Dowd in the beginning hadn¡¯t ended yet, and her feelings for him also hadn¡¯t faded yet either. ¡°...I¡¯ll just have to hold on until the end of the Hero Selection Ordeal.¡± Faenol said while struggling to put up a smile. ¡°Because that man said that he would help be by any means necessary after the Last Ordeal ends.¡± That was what he had told her just before the Last Ordeal began. Even if it gets difficult, hold on the best you can. She genuinely believed that if she were to hold on, he¡¯d reallye to save her. ¡°...Faenol.¡± Hearing those words, the Chancellor called out to her, still weaning a serious look on her face. ¡°Eat this first.¡± She said so while giving something to Faenol. The moment thetter saw what it was, her eyes widened. Rejuvenation Pills¡­? It was some kind of medicine, which, ording to what she had heard, was used in the East. The medicine was rolled and clumped to a bead shape. Medicine with such a form was something that couldn¡¯t be seen often in this continent. ¡°...Hm.¡± In any case, since the Chancellor was the one who handed it to her, she figured that it would be safe. So, she gulped the medicine down. ¡°...Huh?¡± As soon as she did, the pain that was hurting her whole body subsided in an instant. A ridiculous oue for sure. It was hard for her to believe that a medicine that could suppress a Devil¡¯s Aura existed in this world. ¡°...How does this kind of¡­medicine exist?¡± ¡°The Cursed Speech User gave me. He said that you¡¯d be needing it at around this time. Also, he said that the medicine is extremely valuable because he can¡¯t make the same thing again, so you¡¯ll need to handle it with care.¡± However¡­ As Faenol heard who it was that gave the Chancellor the medicine, she let out a frown. ¡°Your Excellency the Chancellor.¡± She worded her next words carefully. ¡°...I am genuinely grateful that you have epted me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You are aware of the being that resides inside my body, yet you still epted under the Heretic Inquisition. Yourpassion is something that I¡¯ll always feel grateful about.¡± Then, she looked at Sullivan right in the eye. ¡°But I think I''d need to say this.¡± She continued with a serious look on her face. ¡°No matter how I look at it, I don¡¯t think forming a rtionship with the Prophet is a good idea.¡± That person, the one who was called the Prophet. She was like a ck lump of death. That was the feeling that Fanol felt every time she saw her. ¡°After all, she¡¯s the leader of those Devil Worshippers.¡± ¡°...¡± Actually, it wasn¡¯t only that. The Prophet seemed as if she knew a lot of things about this ¡®world¡¯, even more so than the Chancellor, who often felt as if she knew the future already. It was to the point that she felt simr to Dowd Campbell, who, in Faenol¡¯s opinion, was the best person in that regard. ¡°But, you can¡¯t deny that you need these right now, no?¡± Sullivan said as she put down a few more of the Rejuvenation Pills that Faenol had taken earlier. ¡°Dowd says¡­that he has a n¡­so I¡¯ll trust him. Because that man has never failed before.¡± Sullivan continued with a sigh. ¡°But, you still need these right now. Or else, something bad might happen if you keep this up.¡± ¡°...¡± Bearing an anxious look in her eyes, Faenol looked down at the Rejuvenation Pills in front of her. The thing was rted to that woman, so she felt especially uneasy about it. But¡­ ¡­I wish the Last Ordeal would end quickly. But, at the moment¡­ It wasn¡¯t like she had any other choice. So, she reached for the Rejuvenation Pills while letting out a sigh. ¡ñ ¡°...Hey, Caliban.¡± [Hm?] He replied indifferently to me again. ¡°Look, I get that you¡¯re plotting something.¡± [Yeah, so?] ¡°...¡± This fucker didn¡¯t even try to hide it anymore, huh? I could feel my head start to ache. ¡°...What the hell are you trying to do?¡± I thought as such while ring at the window before my eyes. System Message [ ¡®The Red Devil''s Vessel is nearby! ] [ ¡®The Purple Devil¡¯s Vessel is nearby! ] [ ¡®The White Devil''s Vessel is nearby! ] [ ¡®The Blue Devil''s Vessel is nearby! ] [ ¡® ???????????????C???????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????¡±s Vessel is nearby! ] I could understand the first line. Like, Faenol was nearby, so it made perfect sense. ¡°...¡± But, the others? Since the Fallen¡¯s Seal didn¡¯t react, it seemed like none of them had been emitting any ¡®Demonic Aura¡¯. Which meant, at least I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Faenol suddenly going berserk now. But that didn¡¯t mean I could feel relieved about it. ¡°Have you lost your mind?¡± Because the fact that all these Devils had gathered in one ce was a big enough of a disaster already. There was a good chance that one of them would go berserk. If that were to happen, the situation would definitely be ruined¡ªespecially when they were all gathered in one ce like this¡­! [They won''t go berserk.] ¡°...Sorry?¡± [Look, the reason why the Vessels go berserk is mostly because of you, no?] ¡°...¡± [Most of the time, they lose their mind because you stir up their emotions like a torrent.] That was¡­true. But, so what? [That¡¯s why, this time, they won¡¯t ever go berserk, even if all of them are gathered in one ce. I made it so that it won¡¯t happen.] ¡°...What made you so confident about it?¡± [You don¡¯t need to know. Just trust me.] ¡°...¡± [Unlike you, I can¡¯t n out as if I knew everything that would happen in the future, but, I¡¯m the person who made the punks, the most experienced sword wielders in the Empire, struggle for more than ten years. There is a reason why I feel so confident.] Now that he had said it like that, it¡¯d be ridiculous of me to force him to talk. In the first ce, if something went wrong when all of them were gathered in one ce like this, everyone here would be swept away. Including Iliya, who was out there looking nervous right before being conferred the Holy Sword. ¡°...Fine, I¡¯ll trust you just this once.¡± As long as Iliya received the Holy Sword, the majority of situations would be able to be dealt with. ¡­I¡¯m worried about that bastard the most, though¡­ Like, if the Prophet intervened before Iliya got acknowledged by the Holy Sword. The problem was¡­ [ Gift-Rted Character Alert] ¨‹ Faenol Lipek [ Trust Level 3 ] [ Rted Event urs in D-1 ] ¡°...¡± Seeing it again, it still looked strange. Why tomorrow? She¡¯s supposed to go berserk today, no? _¡­Well, it''s not a bad thing. _ Anyways, it wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that this chapter could be considered finished as long as Iliya received the Holy Sword. I¡¯ve said it again and again, but thebination of the Holy Sword and Iliya would be so powerful to the point that she¡¯d be a match for even the Grey Devil. The power that came from their synergy would be guaranteed to a certain extent. [You seem to be very sure about this, huh?] ¡°Of course I am.¡± The Holy Sword would only belong to the current Hero. No other punks would be able to touch it. As far as I knew, no one in Sera even came close to earning the title Hero except for Iliya. Even if I were to put myself, who came from another world, into the equation. [So, that¡¯s the Holy Sword?] ¡°Yes.¡± I replied while looking at the ¡®rock¡¯ that Archbishop Luminol was carrying as he wore a nervous expression. [...A rock?] ¡°Well, people who aren¡¯t qualified will die the moment they touch the Holy Sword, or at least, suffer a serious injury that would put them close to death.¡± I answered Caliban with a shrug. ¡°That¡¯s why they¡¯re transporting the rock the Holy Sword was stuck on instead.¡± [...Is that also why those people are on standby?] I looked at the direction Caliban was pointing at. At the end of my gaze were the Priests Corps, who¡ªI wasn¡¯t joking¡ªcould save people as long as they didn¡¯t die in an instant. The Archbishop, who was transporting the Holy Sword, was also part of them. They were staring at the people transporting the rock with an extremely nervous expression. A natural reaction, I guess, since they must¡¯ve seen plenty of people who got severely punished aftering into contact with the Holy Sword. [...What an absurd treasure.] Caliban said as soon as he saw the Holy Sword, which was stuck on the top of the rock. Honestly, the shape of the sword was unconvincing. It looked like something that you could find lying around in the middle of a warehouse somewhere. Of course, its appearance was deceptive. ¡­That thing is the most powerful offensive item in this universe, after all. I thought so while looking at the worn-out sword thatcked any kind of decoration whatsoever. The thing was made of Starsteel, the same thing that I put on Yuria before. Except that the purity of the Starsteel that was used to forge the Holy Sword couldn¡¯t even bepared to that little trinket. And¡­ Even someone who was unaware of that could acknowledge that the sword had a different ¡®presence¡¯. It was as if it was ¡®isted¡¯ from the world and stayed detached. And if the person observing it was someone who had reached the stage where they were able to recognize a ¡®Special Power¡¯, whatever the type, with their naked eyes, they would moan as soon as they saw it. The sword possessed the ability to disperse all kinds of ¡®Special Power¡¯. From Divine Power, Law Power, Magic Power, Curse, any other Special Power in all dimensions. Every single one of them. This automatically included ¡®all Aura¡¯, which meant that it could even strike the Devils effectively, even though they stood at the pinnacle in all dimensions. Because that meant it could disperse even the ¡®Demonic Aura¡¯ they used, and even attack their main body. ¡°Well, let''s wait and see.¡± I said so while observing Lana, who got the opportunity to ¡®try to grab¡¯ the Holy Sword before Iliya. She was the one with the most excellent scores beside Iliya and me, so she was more than deserved to be called here. Of course, as soon as she grabbed the Holy Sword. Her entire body ¡®exploded¡¯. It swelled before bursting out, as if a bomb had exploded from inside her body. I caught Archbishop Luminol¡¯s face as it went pale due to the scene. [...Wow.] Seeing that, Caliban let out a hollowugh. Seeing someone getting ¡®crushed¡¯ like that as soon as they grabbed that item was shocking even for him. [It makes people turn like that just because they¡¯re not its master? That Holy Sword?] ¡°Well, they said it got the blood of all the Devils on it. I think it''s normal that it has the same characteristics as a Demonic Sword.¡± [It''s easy in theory¡­] As we were chatting like that, Lana, who had burst out, jumped up. She didn¡¯t seem to care much even after dying like that, like always. ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess it''s not me.¡± Hearing that, Caliban let out a sigh. [...Will it really be okay? There¡¯s no guarantee that Iliya won¡¯t end up like that¡ª] ¡°...If, by any chance, things go wrong, the medical staff over there will take care of her, so it won¡¯t be a big issue. Of course I¡¯ll also risk my life to protect her.¡± [Then I''ll watch for now, but¡­] While we were talking like that, Iliya slowly approached the rock and climbed it up. I could tell that she was scanning the Holy Sword with a nervous look. ¡°...Okay.¡± After saying that, she brought her hands closer to the handle of the Holy Sword. Lana nonchntly touched it since she wouldn¡¯t die either way, but Iliya was different, she was touching it very carefully.. As if she was introducing herself. Slowly. Her fingers touched the grip of the Holy Sword. ¡°...¡± One thing for sure. It didn¡¯t seem like she was going to burst like Lana did earlier. But, the strange thing here was that nothing happened. Nothing. Like, literally nothing happened. ¡°...What?¡± Even after someone said that and time passed for a good while. ¡°...¡± Seeing that¡­ My blood cooled down. I broke out in a cold sweat. My vision became blurry as I struggled to breathe. _No. _ No. _No. _ Don¡¯t fuck with me. _There''s no way. _ [...What''s going on?] ¡°...She got rejected.¡± [What?] ¡°The Holy Sword decided that she isn¡¯t its master.¡± My answer came out as a groan. Seeing how she didn¡¯t die immediately like Lana, it meant that she was ¡®qualified¡¯ enough. She was capable of being the Hero. But, even if that was the case¡­ Even if¡­ That was the case¡­ The Holy Sword dered that Iliya wasn¡¯t its master. How it didn¡¯t emit any bright light served as a proof. ¡°...¡± What did this signify? Practically speaking, the Holy Sword¡­ Dered that Iliya was not the ¡®main character¡¯ of this /genesisforsaken Chapter 200: The Last Ordeal (4) Chapter 200: The Last Ordeal (4) Inside the conference room of the Great Temple, where the Holy Land¡¯s leading figures were currently at, the sound of tense conversation could be heard. ¡°...No one expected this situation to happen.¡± It was quite the strange sight¡ªpeople, ranging from middle-aged to elderly, possessing the kind of authority that they could take pride in, were gathered in one ce, looking distressed. But, considering the situation, it wasn¡¯t that strange. Especially after hearing the words of one of the Archbishop. ¡°I can¡¯t believe the Holy Sword rejected the candidate with the best scores. What¡¯s the meaning of holding this event then¡­?¡± ¡°Nothing happened even after she grabbed the Holy Sword. Maybe they just need a little more time?¡± ¡°No, it can¡¯t be the case. We know that anyone who can¡¯t prove that they¡¯re qualified will die immediately upon contact. The problem here is that there was no ¡®bright light¡¯ that always came out when the previous Heroes came into contact with the Holy Sword. This means it didn¡¯t recognize her as its master.¡± Exactly. That was the root of all the problems.The person who showed the best performance in the ordeal wasn¡¯t chosen as the master of the Holy Sword. Considering this happened in an event hosted by the Three Superpowers¡¯ leaders, this couldn¡¯t be just a simple ident. "How about giving the opportunity to other candidates?" ¡°...That would give birth to another problem entirely. People will make a fuss over who should be given the opportunity and they will definitely start various dirty fights over that.¡± ¡°Is it really the time to consider such things? If things go wrong, chaos will be spread all across the continent!¡± It would be the worst case scenario if people came to think that ¡®this generation didn¡¯t give birth to any Hero¡¯. In the first ce, the event was intended to calm the chaos that would ensue as a result of the Devils¡¯ signs being discovered across the continent. If the worst case scenario were to actually happen, even the people present didn¡¯t dare to imagine what kind of chaos would ensue. However, since the Holy Land was the one who first suggested carrying out the Hero Selection Ordeal, they had to proceed with it, even if they had to do it forcefully. ¡°The Holy Sword¡ª¡± As soon as the voice echoed throughout the room, the room descended to silence. These people were the leading figures, they had every right to use their voice in this ce, but the person who just spoke had the highest authority in the room. ¡°If we look at the past records, it was said that ¡®it harms everyone upon contact except the Hero¡¯. Judging by the fact that she survived after touching it, we can safely say that candidate Iliya Krisanax IS the Hero of this generation. Besides, giving the opportunity to other candidates will only end up killing them.¡± ¡°...¡± He was the only person who yed the role as the ¡®counterweight¡¯ of the countries, even in the situation where the Holy Land was objectively less powerful than the Empire, while being many steps behind the Tribal Alliance in regards to technological advancement. The Absolute and also the dictator of the Holy Land. He was the strongest priest in history, the Pope himself. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Befitting his authority, everyone in the room stayed silent. As if everything he said was the sole truth that had to be epted. This sight perfectly demonstrated his level of authority inside the Holy Land. His grip on the country was overwhelmingpared to the Empire¡¯s higher-ups, where there were factions with each of them holding the same amount of authority. ¡°However, it¡¯s also a fact that there was no ¡®bright light¡¯, which is proof of the ownership of the Holy Sword¡­ There are only two possible reasons for this.¡± The Pope continued with a gentle smile. ¡°One, the Hero herself has a ¡®w¡¯. This is the most likely reason, if we were to usemon sense. Although it¡¯s hard to deduce what exactly the w is since it¡¯s the first time in history that this has ever happened¡­¡± This was something that definitely came to everyone¡¯s mind the first time. It was simply difficult to believe that the problemy in the Holy Relic itself, since nearly a thousand years had passed and the relic hadn¡¯t caused any incident ever since. However, the people in this room were not so stupid to miss the fact that the Pope explicitly mentioned that there were ¡®two¡¯ problems. Which meant that he implied there was another possibility other than themon probable cause. ¡°And the second one¡ª¡± The Pope curled up the corners of his mouth. ¡°-is that her qualification has been stolen in a ¡®butterfly effect¡¯ someone has created.¡± ¡°...Pardon me? Butterfly effect¡­?¡± ¡°What does that¡­? At the questionsing out from them in a daze... The Pope continued his words with a meaningful smile. ¡°...It means that there must be someone who stole the ¡®hardship'' that was originally given to the Hero.¡± To the point that the Holy Sword, which only recognized one person as its master, had a ¡®malfunction¡¯. As everyone else looked puzzled, the Pope silently closed his eyes while resting his chin on his hand. _¡­Is it happening soon? _ The start of the ¡®Red Night¡¯ that the Prophet had told him about, was just around the corner. And in that situation¡­ Toward the person who had set up ns to deal with such a situation, a huge variable hade to twist all of the said ns. _Now what are you going to do, Dowd Campbel? _ One thing was for sure. Just was the Prophet had said, the situation would definitely be a ¡®fun spectacle¡¯. ¡ñ ¡°...Haaaaah¡­¡± [...The ground won¡¯t copse even if you were to blow on it like that, you know?] Caliban scolded me, but I couldn''t help it. I was so out of it that I spent tens of minutes pacing around outside without any sense of purpose whatsoever. Even though I had no time to waste¡ªhell, I didn¡¯t even have enough time toe up with a solution. ¡°This is really bad¡­¡± Faenol would go berserk tomorrow. Since Iliya failed to get the Holy Sword, there was no way I could deal with her now. ¡°...¡± And that wasn¡¯t even the end of this. Iliya Krisanax = Main Character = Hero¡ªthis was the key element that ran through the game. Even if we somehow managed to pass through this chapter, the uing events would get all twisted. ¡°...¡± And the worst thing was I didn¡¯t even know the reason why this happened. [...Really?] ¡°...What?¡± Caliban asked with a meaningful tone while I replied with a sigh. I could imagine him tilting his head as he continued. [Like, are you sure you don¡¯t know?] ¡°...¡± [You¡¯re acting a little too calmly for someone who apparently has been checkmated, no?] ¡°...I don''t know.¡± Those words left my mouth as I opened the door to my room. Anyway, whatever happened, I couldn¡¯t just give up and let myself die. The previous chapters also didn¡¯t progress the way I wanted it to. This time was the same. It wouldn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯d need to survive by any means necessary, including using up all of my remaining cards. As I thought so while entering my room¡­ My whole body froze. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Because there was a punk sitting on my bed while swaying her legs. She clumped up the nket, using it to support her back, even hugging my pillow¡ªshe looked like a girlfriend who came to her boyfriend¡¯s house and weed him with a ''you¡¯re home''. Obviously¡­ More than anyone, I knew that this woman wasn¡¯t the type of person who¡¯d have such a soft sentiment. ¡°You.¡± A whileter, I called out to her. It took me quite some time to form a sentence because I was so dumbstruck by her presence here. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± In contrast to my low tone, she answered me with a cheerful tone. ¡°To say hello to you?¡± This woman who always wore a mask¡­ The Prophet. She was sitting on my bed while giggling. ¡ñ ¡°How did youe¡ª¡± ¡°-here, howe nobody knows, what do you want that makes you go all the way here¡ªforget about such boring questions. We¡¯re the only ones here, no?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡¯re ignoring me now? What a killjoy. Are you really that anxious just because Iliya Krisanax failed to be the hero?¡± I closed my eyes before letting out a silent sigh. ¡°...Was it you who did that?¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± Suddenly. Her expression changed. Well, I couldn¡¯t exactly look at her expression since she was wearing a mask, but I could feel the ¡®malice¡¯ that I had felt from her thest time we met. ¡°You know that it''s not something I did. In fact, I don''t even care about such a maggot.¡± Her wicked voice entered my ears. ¡°Still ying dumb even though you know about all this already, huh? Kind of pathetic, don¡¯t you think? Is this appropriate for someone of your stature to do?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Everything happened because of you.¡± ¡°...¡± The malice. Permeated the air damply. ¡°Your existence itself is a variable that ¡®originally¡¯ shouldn¡¯t have existed in this world. The very thing that caused everything to be twisted is the butterfly effect you¡¯ve created. You know this already, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because ¡®you¡¯...have taken all the ordeals that Iliya Krisanax should¡¯ve gone through. She is undoubtedly the ¡®Hero¡¯ by ¡®nature¡¯, but her spirit¡¯s ¡®status¡¯ was far from enough to hold the Holy Sword. She ended up bing someone inadequate to carry out the fate she was given. ¡°...¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong, I have no intention to condemn you. You only did your best to survive, after all. Don¡¯t feel so guilty about it.¡± Her words urately turned my head upside down. Those words were all the things I had deduced about the current situation¡­ Things that were always in my mind¡­ In any case, this made it certain that this fucker knew a lot about me. Way too much, actually. ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t refute her words and just stared at her silently. Because if she really was who I thought she was¡­ Then she¡¯d really known ¡®everything¡¯ about me. It would¡¯ve been easy for her to know about what I was thinking now. ¡°So, do you think there¡¯s a way to overthrow this situation? The Red Devil is going to awaken soon, no?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s really a checkmate this time, huh? You¡¯ve been running around while going all in to give Iliya Krisanax the Holy Sword, no?¡± Honestly¡­ I couldn''t think of anything right now. Though the other Devil¡¯s Vessels were nearby, in order to suppress the Vessel bearing three Fragments from going berserk, it would be inevitable for them to also go berserk as wel as a deterrence. It was like the tail wagging the dog, but in a level of detonating a bomb to extinguish fire. ¡°...So, did youe all the way here just to mock me?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± The punk grinned. ¡°I came to offer you a deal.¡± ¡°...A deal? With you?¡± This fucker had been putting my life at risk countless times before, what the fuck was she on about? With that thought in mind, I red at her. Meanwhile, she rolled around in my bed while continuing. ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon, why are you so mean to me? I¡¯ve been treating you kindly and sincerely so far!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I send Talker to you during the ordeal? Just to protect you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Also, who do you think was the one who dyed the Red Devil¡¯s going berserk by a day?¡± ¡°...¡± I shut my mouth and slowly stared at her. Meanwhile, she stretched herself on my bed and continued. ¡°I promise, it won¡¯t be something bad for you.¡± ¡°...Spit it out then. Not that I¡¯m going to listen.¡± Upon hearing what I said, she let out a light smile. Well, that was what I felt when I saw that mask of hers, at least. ¡°Then.¡± She continued in a peaceful voice. ¡°Wanna fuck?¡± ¡°...¡± After a long silence. After a very long silence. I was barely able to say something. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Was that not clear enough? You know, reproduction? Making a baby¡ª¡± ¡°Wait. Shut the fuck up for a sec.¡± Holding my throbbing head, I let out a deep breath. I felt dizzy for a moment due to hyperventtion, so I couldn''t help but do so. ¡°What the fuck are you talking about?¡± ¡°Huh, you really are weak at things like this. For a casanova who¡¯s been going around seducing women, why are you so weak when facing dirty talk like this?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don''t make such a scary expression. I''m just joking. It was a joke.¡± ¡°...¡± Yeah, sure it fucking was. From the way it looked, if I were to ept her offer, she¡¯d eat me right there and then. As I thought so, the Prophet continued again. ¡°Well, Mr. Dowd.¡± Her voice was light, just like when she made a crazy remark earlier. But the words that she uttered next weren''t light at all. ¡°Why don¡¯t we kill the Gray Devil together?¡± She dropped those words¡­ Ever so lightly, as if she was making small /genesisforsaken Chapter 201: Crimson Night (1) Chapter 201: Crimson Night (1) I stared at the Prophet nkly, only moving to blink my eyes. It took quite a while for me to understand exactly what kind of bullshit she was saying. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I''m saying let''s kill the thing inside Lady Tristan''s body. It won¡¯t be a bad deal for you too, no?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing her saying it so casually once again confirmed that I didn¡¯t hear it wrong. ¡°What are you on about?¡± ¡°...¡± If she didn''t know what a Devil was, then I would''ve assumed that she was just ignorant.However, considering what this punk had done so far, there was no way in hell that she didn¡¯t know jackshit about the Devils. ¡°...¡± If anything¡­ Compared to me, who only knew about the Devils because of my knowledge of the game, it felt like she knew a lot more than I did. As if she had ¡®experienced¡¯ them herself. ¡°We can kill Devils, you know that much, right?¡± ¡°...¡± What she had just said proved it. She was right. Well, you might be aware of it since the Final Boss of Sera was the Gray Devil herself. This heavily implied that the Devil could be ¡®cleared¡¯. And the implication was correct, you could kill the Devils, as long as you met the conditions, that is¡­ As I silently red at her, she continued with a shrug. ¡°Besides, the ones you¡¯re trying to protect are the Devil¡¯s ¡®Vessels¡¯, no? Not the Devils.¡± And¡­ Just like that, she casually talked about the most important part. She knew exactly the driving force behind why I always prepared for the uing incidents, even when I had to wreck my body here and there. ¡°Just think of those Devils as parasites that stick onto those Vessels. Ultimately, those dregs will only have a negative impact on the Material World anyway.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Also, because of your actions¡­the Vessels, the Hero, everything really, isn¡¯t proceeding the way you thought it would. I¡¯m just giving you the option to make the story ¡®unfolds¡¯ in the direction you want. Shouldn¡¯t you thank me for that?¡± I silently stared at her for a while. Then, I said with a sigh. ¡°...Tell me, why are you trying to kill the Gray Devil?¡± Right, this fucker had been particrly obsessed with Eleanor, hadn¡¯t she? She even went out of her way to use a whole chapter boss to divert my attention just to kill Eleanor back at the Forge of Struggle. "If you know the reason, what are you gonna do with it?" Laughter was mixed in her voice as she replied. There was a heavy tone of sarcasm in thatugh, as if to say, ¡®What can you do in this situation anyway?¡¯ ¡°You can¡¯t use the Holy Sword and the Devil¡¯s Vessels¡¯ help won¡¯t be able to solve the problem perfectly, considering the opponent is a Vessel bearing three Fragments. Do you even have another option if you were to reject my¡ª¡± ¡°I¡ª¡± Before she could finish, I cut her off in a low voice. ¡°¡ªAsked ¡®why¡¯ you want to kill the Devil.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that those words even came out of your mouth?¡± At my words, she went totally quiet. For the first time, a crack formed on her rxed demeanor. ¡°You said the other punks were changed because of me, right?¡± This punk¡­ Said that Iliya, nor, and the other punks were all affected by the butterfly effect that I had created. ¡°But, the same goes for you, doesn''t it?¡± ¡°...¡± I continued as she stayed silent. Actually, seeing her moves so far, there were a lot of things that I thought were strange. Her title was the leader of the Devil ¡®Worshipers¡¯. In the original game, her moves were purely focused on trying to resurrect the Devils. Her cunning tendency to move secretly was the same. But seeing how she was trying to openly coax me into killing a Devil, her disposition was extremely different from the Prophet in the original game. And, if I were to guess¡­ There was a very simple, very basic reason for such a difference. ¡°You.¡± I continued calmly. ¡°Are not the original ¡®Prophet¡¯, aren¡¯t you?¡± I could feel her breath stop at once. Which meant I hit the bullseye. ¡°I don''t know how you got to your position, there are so many possible scenarios that I could think of, however¡­¡± I could sense her widening her eyes behind that mask. From the atmosphere around her, I could feel that she waspletely taken aback by my words. ¡°However it was, you aren¡¯t the ¡®original¡¯, am I wrong?¡± ¡°...¡± This punk, somehow, got to her position after she got rid of the ¡®original Prophet¡¯. She wasn¡¯t someone who existed in this world from the beginning, rather, she was one of the elements that changed as I entered this world. ¡°...¡± And there was a high chance that¡­ This punk was one of the people I knew. Although I wasn''tpletely sure who she was yet. ¡°...Back to the topic.¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°First of all, I refuse your suggestion to kill the Devil.¡± ¡°...But why? Is there even a way for you to solve this situation?¡± ¡°Honestly, no.¡± I could probably guess why she had made such a suggestion in the first ce. It was most likely¡­ Because something bad might happen to me in the future because of one of those Devils. Since Sullivan and this punk¡­ Had shown several times that they were morbidly wary of the ¡®other Devils¡¯. However¡­ ¡°You said that the ones I want to protect are the Devil ¡®Vessels¡¯, right? Not the Devils themselves.¡± And that their existence would only bring negative impacts on the Material World. Well, that part was true. They were so powerful that they could twist the world just by showing their faces. That was something that Eleanor¡ªwho only had two Fragments at the time¡ªcould do, let alone the Devils themselves. However¡­ ¡°But, the Devils have their own personalities, no?¡± ¡°...What?¡± After the Prophet asked that bewilderedly, I continued in a calm tone. ¡°Just like humans, they are able to think, they have memories, they feel emotions. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°They said they like me. All of them did.¡± Then¡­ My answer was already set in the stone. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, all of them are my women.¡± ¡°...¡± I could feel the Prophet opening her mouth wide as she found my words ridiculous. Then, I continued with a grin. ¡°So, don''t touch them, or I''m going to kill you, okay?¡± Silence. The ensuing silence continued. The Prophet stared at me silently. She didn''t seem dumbfounded or angry, justpletely bewildered. [Oy, Boy King. Mister. Wake up!] [Uh, oh, ooh? W-What''s wrong?] [Apuse time! This bastard¡¯s yboy level is peaking!] ¡°...¡± _Caliban. _ _Please. _ Shut the fuck up. ¡°...Well then.¡± I left the Prophet be as she was sitting there stunned and looked at the window popping up before my eyes. It was about time. System Message [ Updating the Main Quest! ] [ Entering the Final Chapter Branching Route! ] [ Main Quest ] ¡¼ Chapter 4 - The Crimson Night ¡½ [ Stop the ¡®Red Devil¡¯ from going berserk! ] ¡°I have to do anything I can about it.¡± If the wind will not serve, take it to the oars. As always, it was the time to wreck my body again. ¡ñ ¡°...So.¡± Iliya awkwardly muttered while looking around. Until just now, she had been feeling quite dispirited. All day long, she had been stuck in her room, depressed, since the Holy Sword did not choose her to be its master. But now, she couldn¡¯t afford to feel that way anymore¡ªthough, she didn¡¯t know if it was a good thing or not. Because¡­ ¡°Why are you all here¡­?¡± ¡°Why are you all here¡­?¡± She asked with a trembling voice, but nobody answered her. Eleanor, Riru, Seras¡­ Surely, she had seen this lineup before somewhere. ¡­All of them are the Devil''s Vessels¡­! The air felt really heavy because every one of them wore stiff expressions and were all tense. ¡°Please, someone, say anything¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on them. Everyone is preparing themselves here.¡± Eleanor, who was sitting on the sofa while wiping her sword, said that. While she looked the most rxed among them all, her expression was also pretty stiff. ¡°...Preparing for what?¡± ¡°...Did the spirit note to you?¡± Spirit? What kind of bullshit is she talking about? As Iliya thought so with a perplexed expression, Eleanor only shrugged and replied. ¡°Whatever. Forget it if you don¡¯t know. That¡¯ll be one lesspetitor for me.¡± ¡°...¡± The other women didn¡¯t say anything, but they all seemed to agree to her words. They were all nodding quietly, with stiffened expressions. ¡°But why did you alle into my room¡­!¡± ¡°...That is probably because you are the only person they are quitefortable with. They seem to think this is the only ce to kill time.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Just look at them. None of them has any social skills whatsoever, they don¡¯t even have any friends in the same year as them.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And you are the only person they can talk to quitefortably.¡± ¡°...¡± That¡¯s true. Iscking in social skills one of the requirements to be a Devil Vessel, I wonder? ¡°But, I still don¡¯t understand anything here¡­¡± Still, it did not make sense for them to do this without any exnations. Especially¡­ Since one of them looked as if she was in an extremely serious condition. ¡°...¡± Iliya looked at Yuria, who was sitting quietly in a corner of the room, with worried eyes. It was actually Iliya¡¯s first time seeing her after she caused Dowd to lose consciousness a while back. On the outside, there seemed to be nothing wrong with her. She was only quietly reading the atmosphere, as always, without making her presence known. However¡­ As someone with the Eye of Truth. Someone who could see through someone else¡¯s ¡®nature¡¯. Iliya could see Yuria''s exact condition. _¡­It looks like she''s almost on the verge ofmitting suicide. _ She was empty. The girl who used to live the world properly even though timidly, was now perilous like a candlelight in the wind. ¡°...¡± It got Iliya to think again. What exactly was it that they were ¡®waiting¡¯ for to the point that even a girl in such a condition was here? ¡°At least give me a hint¡ª¡± Iliya was about to continue her words¡­ But, she stopped, since she didn¡¯t need such an exnation anymore. Because before her sentence even finished. -!! -!!!!!!!!!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A huge me. Apanied by a roar rang out in all directions, as if it were tearing the whole night apart. ¡°It has begun.¡± As Eleanor said so with a low voice. Iliya''s eyes trembled as she red outside the window at the column of fire rising up. It was definitely¡­ A sight that was etched in her memory. ¡°...The Crimson Night?¡± The night sky. Was dyed red by the crimson /genesisforsaken Chapter 202: Crimson Night (2) Chapter 202: Crimson Night (2) Faenol could feel her body burning. She gasped for breath as she hugged herself. The Red Aura jolting inside her body was too much for her to handle at this point. ¡­I¡­ What am I doing here? With her clouded mind, she could barely ask that question to herself. Thest thing she remembered was her taking the Rejuvenation Pills and rolled it inside her mouth before she fell asleep. Then, she remembered the ¡®Demonic Aura¡¯ pouring out of her body. As if it had ¡®held it in long enough¡¯.Beyond her fading consciousness and her dimming vision¡­ A familiar figure came to her view. The same figure she had seen back when she faced the red night for the first time. ¡°...¡± A woman, d in red aura with a pair of horns on top of her head. Her appearance made Faenol wonder if she would look something akin to her if she was ever substituted as a red soul. ¡°...You.¡± Faenol said nkly. Her consciousness was faint. She didn¡¯t even know why she was in such a ce. While she was in such a state¡­ A voice interrupted. -...The world¡­ Such words¡­ -Had hurt you. Came out of the Red Devil¡¯s mouth¡­ Her voice was so calm and peaceful despite the fact that she was the one who had used Faenol¡¯s body to kill so many people. It was¡­ To the point that Faenol felt an affection that was simr to maternal loveing from her. As if the Devil actually cared about her. -That¡¯s why I¡­ And, she definitely¡­ -Will turn everything anew. Had heard those words before. ¡ñ There were uproars everywhere.. Near the vast field outside the Great Temple of the Holy Land, there were only hurriedly built facilities there. This was the result of the Pope''s insistence on never allowing people to enter the Great Temple. It was probably because unlike how everyone at least used the facilities inside the Academy or the sites nearby¡­ The Holy Land¡¯s academy, the Great Temple, was built near the ''Sanctuary'', which was the core of the Holy Land. ¡­This is annoying, but¡­ Honestly, it was a huge relief that at the very least, this incident happened in this kind of ce. It was as if they already knew that the second Crimson Night Incident was about to ur in advance and chose a ce where there were no other people around. ¡°...¡± Seriously, this is so annoying. I bet that the Prophet had told them this. [...Right, about her, is it okay to leave her just like that?] Caliban was talking about the Prophet, who had been in my room until just now. Because, you know, as soon as the red column of fire soared up high, I just left her there and ran outside ¡°...She won¡¯t mess with me for the time being.¡± What I knew about her was that her movements were pretty consistent. There were a few times where she arbitrarily made the problems bigger, but at the end of the day, she never attempted to take my life. It¡¯d most likely be the same during this main quest. Like I said earlier, there was a high chance that she had told the Pope about this, which led them to use such a deserted ce as the location of the Last Ordeal. That way, this quest¡¯s difficulty would be lowered and I would be able to ¡®survive¡¯. ¡°...¡± The problem was¡­ Even though the punk who had been openly raising the difficulty level had ¡®cooperated¡¯ with me and lowered it instead this time, this was still a hell-like situation even without her meddling. It would¡¯ve been a bit better if Iliya had the right of control over the Holy Sword, but she didn¡¯t, so the situation was actually worse than it should have been. I stared at the huge column of fire soaring before my eyes¡ªit looked like a mushroom cloud that you¡¯d see in a nuclear explosion. That fire was a long distance away, but I could feel the heat from where I was. My skin felt like it was melting. The heat wasn¡¯t the end of it, of course. Considering the vicious Demonic Aura contained in it, the physical phenomenon that came out of that me was insignificant. There was a heavy air, as if malice had filled the entire area. Simr to back when I encountered the Ancient Gods in the Forge of Struggle, except this time, the sensation was on a different level. ¡°...¡± I silently fiddled with the lion breastte I had in my inner chest pocket. If I hadn¡¯t put Tatiana inside the breastte as a ¡®Familiar¡¯, there was no way I could survive that. I would¡¯ve definitely been crushed by it. What was more ridiculous was that this was only the ¡®prelude¡¯, the beginning. The Crimson Night Incident. That incident when a Devil went berserk, one of the worst disasters throughout the long history of the Empire. This whole thing only served as a ¡®sign¡¯ to tell you that the incident was starting. [So, any solution to this?] ¡°...I have a n for it, from the beginning up to the middle.¡± Trying to recall the ¡®progression¡¯ of the event that followed from there up until the end, I replied as such. The first thing I had to do was to get to where Faenol was, of course. Since the details on how to attack the boss and stuff started from there. And I had thought of a way to get there in advance. ¡°...¡± The problem was, I didn¡¯t have a way to deal the finishing blow. That was something I¡¯d do by any means when the time came. Though, it wasn¡¯t like I waspletely clueless in this regard. ¡°Oh, Mr. Dowd?!¡± As I was lost in my thoughts, a voice came out from right next to me. I turned my head to the familiar voice to find Lana there with her eyes wide open. What a coincidence. ¡°What on Earth is going on?! What''s that column of fire?!¡± ¡°...¡± It would be kind of awkward to be honest with her and tell her that it was the sign of the Red Devil going berserk. I mean, she would hear everythingter anyway. If I were to tell her now, it would only add to the chaos rather than anything. For now, it would be better for me to look for ways to use her since I ran into her somehow. ¡°Lana, I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± "Can you run away with as many people as possible nearby?¡± After hearing what I said, she looked at me while blinking her eyes. Though this was a deserted ce, there should still be some people who hadn¡¯t been able to flee the ce. If I left those people to this punk, she should be able to guide them out of here somehow. In the meantime, I would¡­ ¡°Mr. Dowd.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You know, Mr. Dowd¡­¡± Lana called out to me while tilting her head as I looked at her even though I couldn¡¯t waste even a single minute here. ¡°Your expression now is very scary.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t know what she was on about, so I just stared at her. While looking right into my eyes, she continued. ¡°Are you okay? You look way, way scarier than back when you treated me inhumanely before¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...At that time it only felt like you were riskily walking on a tightrope, but now you don''t feel like a human at all.¡± [...This girl¡¯s nose is amazing.] Caliban said, agreeing with what Lana just said. ¡°...Let¡¯s talk about thatter.¡± With a sigh, I vaguely tried to change the topic. I had no time nor the reason to care about such a thing right now. ¡°Can you do me that favor?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s not difficult. Besides, it¡¯s something I have to do.¡± ¡°Then I''ll leave it to you!¡± I said so and continued to run again. If she were to help me evacuate the other people, things would be so much easier for me. My current destination was the hurriedly built campsite far from where my amodation was. On the way there was an open field with only trees and nts. I just had to walk right across this ce to reach the campsite, the ce where Faenol was at. That¡­ Was my original n. As the soaring red me rose up high enough to touch the sky¡­ ¡®Cracks¡¯ formed in the surrounding space. ¡°...¡± Of course, I had expected this much to happen. This was a simr phenomenon like back in Chapter 1, when I met Marquis Riverback who had be a Demonic Human¡ªa life form of the Pandemonium that was summoned to the Material Realm. It was nothing new, since it was the fixed pattern of the boss battle that happened as the impact of this punk''s Demonic Aur¡ª [...Are you sure?] ¡°...¡± [Do you really think this isn''t new¡­?] As I looked at the ¡®dozens¡¯ of gates being opened, I couldpletely understand why Caliban had said that with a trembling voice. Well, this mighte as a surprise, but the life forms of the Pandemonium were monsters who could match the life forms that came from the Astral World, where Angels were. If there¡¯s one or two of them, it should probably be okay, but with this number¡­? I might actually die¡­ ¡°...Hey¡­¡± Cold sweat trickled down my forehead. At the same time, mumbled words came out of my mouth. ¡°This is a little too much, don¡¯t you think¡­?¡± As the gates opened, several slimy life forms suddenly rose from the ground that was covered by soggy and sticky ck Demonic Aura. Those were the janitors of the Pandemonium. Life forms at the bottom of the food chain. It seemed like the most simple among the life forms woulde out first before the others. Of course, since there were dozens of gates, though these guys were among the most simple ones, there were roughly hundreds of them slowly getting up. ¡°...Haa¡­¡± I looked around while wiping my cold sweat. Honestly, if I had to, I¡¯d fight. The fact that I was already here meant that my specs were enough to have an all-out war with these things. However¡­ ¡­It''d be better to save my strength as long as possible. The boss battle with Faenol hadn¡¯t even started yet. I shouldn¡¯t use my power in a ce like¡ª ¡°You...¡± Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out nearby. ¡°You always try to handle things on your own. That¡¯s a problem.¡± At the same time¡­ -! -!!! Dozens of Sweepers were shattered into pieces in ¡®one blow¡¯. A phenomenal Sword sh and a familiar sword swing. ¡°...Eleanor?¡± As I hurriedly muttered the name of the person that felt like I hadn¡¯t met for a long time, Eleanor smiled and stepped in front of me. Not only her. Seras, Riru, Yuria, and Iliya, who was in a daze, were following right behind her. Even after seeing those life forms of Pandemonium swarming around, none of them looked scared or showed any sign of backing down. Well, except for Iliya. She was the only one among them who looked unmoored. Also, how should I put this¡­ With such a disaster unfolding in front of them, instead of being scared, or at least give a fuck about it, those guys were focusing on their rivalries for some reason. As if it was much more important than the disaster itself. ¡°...¡± Mister. What the fuck did you put on the line to make these punks working so damn hard? [The right to take your virginity.] ¡°...¡± [I told everyone except Iliya that¡¯s what they¡¯re going to get.] ¡°...¡± [Look, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s the time for you to just give out your virginity to someone?] ¡°...¡± [Honestly, I don¡¯t give a damn which one of them would get it, as long as it¡¯s not Iliya.] Motherfucker. What did you just say? ¡°Alright, everyone.¡± As I thought so¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t get in each other¡¯s way.¡± Eleanor said. At the same time. -!!! -!!!!!!! The massacre began and spread into all /genesisforsaken Chapter 203: Crimson Night (3) Chapter 203: Crimson Night (3) ¡°...Did you get stood up, Boss?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Talker, the Spinning Fire Wheel, snickered as he said that. He had been serving the Prophet for a long time, but this was the first time he ever saw her being this pouty. After Dowd left, she stayed seated inside the room, resting her chin on her hand while ring at the door. ¡­This is the Leader of the Devil Worshipers that are spread all over the continent? Seeing her like this, calling her a pouty cat would suit her better than that. While he couldn¡¯t see her face behind the mask, pouting seemed like it was going to fit the atmosphere around her. ¡°What did I tell you? He isn¡¯t someone who¡¯d easilye to our side even if we bait him.¡±¡°I said shut up.¡± At her brusque reply, the Spinning Fire Wheel barely managed to hold back theughter that was about to burst out. Oh my, the burn. This woman was amazing, that was for sure. There was a reason why a man of his level respected her and called her his boss. Since she was the only person who could create variables in this world, along with Dowd Campbell, who was the variable that made the whole world ¡®twist¡¯. As he thought so, the Prophet continued, still in a sulky voice. ¡°...That man¡­ He¡¯s going to die soon because of a Devil.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t be sure that the Gray Devil¡¯s the one who¡¯d do it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certain that she¡¯s the one with the highest probability of doing it.¡± Hearing the Prophet said that in a low voice, the Spinning Fire Wheel scratched his head. This woman was the leader of the Devil Worshippers, but ironically, she harbored hostility towards those Devils. And among them, her hostility towards the Gray Devil was especially strong. It¡¯s not even guaranteed that Devil would end up doing it, but she¡¯s already out for her blood. Is this normal? ¡°I get that you have a lot of knowledge about ¡®the other worldlines¡¯, Boss.¡± That was probably the reason why she wished to kill the Devils so much, especially the Gray Devil. Perhaps, the Gray Devil was the one who had killed Dowd Campbell ¡®the most¡¯ in the countless wordlines the Prophet had been observing. ¡°But things simply never go the way you thought they would. You know, just like when that man engraved the Fallen¡¯s Seal onto his body.¡± Hearing that, the Prophet clenched her fists. It seemed that just by hearing those words was enough to evoke her anger. As if she was seeing someone who should originally have been ¡®hers¡¯ being taken away by something else. ¡°...Whatever. This time, he¡¯ll need my help anyway.¡± She continued in a low voice. ¡°A Vessel bearing three Fragments could change their surroundings just from their awakening. The life forms of the Pandemonium would already be quite hard for him to handle.¡± It felt as if she was reciting those facts to calm her anger that had hit the roof. ¡°And that¡¯s only the first hurdle he has to face. What¡¯sing up next would be even harsher than that, so there¡¯s no doubt¡ª¡± However, about that specifically¡­ There was something he needed to say to her. While wrapping his hands around the Catalyst, the Spinning Fire Wheel opened his mouth. ¡°Well¡­¡± He continued, holding the Catalyst in his hand. ¡°I won¡¯t be so sure about that.¡± He formed a few words using his True Speech, making them linger in the air. At the same time, the Catalyst began to project a transparent ¡®window¡¯. In that window, a video of the battle that was happening nearby was reflected. ¡°...What¡¯s this?¡± The Prophet said in a dumbfounded voice. A natural reaction to have after seeing the scene that was reflected on the screen. ¡°Boss, you said that the Devil¡¯s Vessels won¡¯t be able to give him significant help, no?¡± Someone who knew the details about the Devil¡¯s Vessels would know very well how ridiculous the scene in front of them was. Whether they liked it or not, Vessels would be influenced by their Devils. Which meant most of them wouldn¡¯t get along well with each other, as most of the Devils themselves didn¡¯t get along with each other. The White Devil and Gray Devil, the Blue Devil and the Purple Devil, the Red Devil and the Brown Devil¡­ Conflicts between them had evolved into a long-time enmity,sting since the Pandemonium itself began to exist. But¡­ ¡°...Seeing this, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, no?¡± In the open space, where the Gates of Pandemonium were opened on all sides by the Red Devil¡¯s awakening¡­ Sword shes containing Gray Aura appeared here and there. At a nce, they looked like simple shes, but in it contained the aura of ¡®weakening¡¯. Time and space froze. The movements of everything there became extremely slow. Eleanor, who had drawn her sword with a fluid movement, soon got ready for her next move. She aimed to end the things that became slow after getting caught in the range of her attack at once. However¡­ A ¡®Blue Aura¡¯ intervened and crushed the slowed Sweepers in one blow. ¡°5 points! Thank you!¡± Riru said with a wink. She then flung another group of Sweepers as if throwing them around. ¡°...That thieving bitch.¡± As Eleanor muttered so while narrowing her eyes, the screen shifted. Someone seemed to have not been ustomed to the Devil¡¯s Aurapletely yet¡ªAs she didn¡¯t bring the Purple Devil¡¯s power out and fought with her bare body instead, holding daggers in both her hands. If Eleanor was crushing the Sweepers with fancy movements akin to dance moves, this person was doing it by using clean and efficient movements. Every time she extended her hand, a life was lost. Even when they weren¡¯tpletely dead, she would have done enough to neutralize thempletely. She didn¡¯t seem to consider keeping her distance or retreating, instead she demonstrated the fighting style of an assassin, bearing power that was beyond imagination within each of her blows in the best way possible. Though these creatures were the life forms of the Pandemonium, their gut was in a different location, they had different ways to move their muscles, and different vital points and weaknesses, she was able to stick to such a style¡ªbefitting of her title as a Grand Assassin. Of course, just like Eleanor, her hunt didn¡¯t go that smoothly. At that moment, someone ¡®walked in¡¯ between the Sweepers she had just neutralized. And just like that, all the Sweepers within the range werepletely destroyed. Just like fruits after being stuffed into a mixer. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Seras looked at the other person in a daze. Her expression looked like that of a child whose all snacks she had hidden to eatter got stolen. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± ¡°3 points.¡± ¡°But, I let them be so that I could finish them all at onceter¡­!¡± Yuria looked away, not even pretending to listen to her. Soon after she continued to walk silently. Just by doing that, the Sweepers who were within three steps of her range werepletely destroyed. Seeing her continue her ughter with nk eyes, without saying anything, while exuding an extremely depressed atmosphere like that was terrifying to say the least. ¡°...Is that nerd for real?¡± Seras, who unknowingly felt overwhelmed by her, grumbled as she swung her daggers. There was also a hint of bewilderment in her movement due to her realization that Yuria participated despite her being in that state because she didn¡¯t want to give up that damn ¡®first night ticket¡¯. ¡°...You know, Talker.¡± Just like that¡­ The life forms that came out of the gates were ughtered without being able to do much. As she saw the sight while swiping back her hair, The Prophet called out. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Those are the life forms of the Pandemonium, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°...Those things could create an actual disaster in the Material Realm even if only dozens of them were released, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°...¡± And yet, such beings were ughtered without even being able to resist. It was to the point that she felt bad for them. The Prophet was at loss for words. Seeing that, the Spinning Fire Wheel continued with a chuckle. ¡°So, has this ever happened at least once in the ¡®worldines¡¯ that you¡¯ve seen, Boss?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You know, this moment when the Devil¡¯s Vessels are ¡®cooperating¡¯ with each other all for the sake of one single fucker?¡± Seeing each one of those Vessels, they didn¡¯t seem like they got along with each other. Even when they were gathered like this, their battle styles, though powerful, were very individualistic. If anything, they looked like they would stab each other in the back. However¡­ Even despite all that¡­ The thing that was currently happening was already beyondmon sense. Those were the beings who were at the top of all dimensions, phases and rulers, along with the Seraphim. ¡°...¡± And those beings¡­ Though they didn¡¯t show their ¡®real personality¡¯ and those Vessels only borrowed and used a small part of their authority¡­ Those Devils¡­ Every single one of them¡­ For the sake of one man¡­ ¡°It seems like he¡¯s going to pass the first challenge easily thanks to these guys, no?¡± ¡°...¡± Indeed¡­ She couldn¡¯t refute those words at all. ¡ñ ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± This situation is urgent, but¡­ Ugh, it¡¯s awkward¡­ That was what Iliya Krisanax thought when she saw Dowd, who was running next to her. Normally, in this kind of urgent situation they¡¯d talk to each other at least, trying to strengthen their friendship, but now, they only ran without saying anything to each other. She heard that while the Devil Vessels were blocking the life forms that wereing out of the gates, she and Dowd had to get to where Faenol was. -You¡¯re the most important person in this incident. Did he really say that? Normally, she¡¯d be in so much joy that she wouldn¡¯t know what to do, but now it wasn¡¯t the case. The awkwardness that was going on between the two was proof of this. ¡°...¡± No, actually, he was just being himself. It was her who was avoiding him. Her gaze constantlynded on the amulet on Dowd''s wrist. She had never looked at it carefully before, but when she looked at it with the Eye of Truth, she could feel a ¡®familiar¡¯ presence for sure. The presence of the person she had been looking for. At least once. Just once, she wanted to see him. She had been in denial so far, but the moment she saw it with her own eyes, everything became clearer to her. Her brother was already dead. He was ¡®stored¡¯ there, in the shape of a soul. ¡°...¡± Her hands were trembling. The Crimson Night incident that urred so suddenly, her biggest trauma¡­ Her brother¡¯s death that she had confirmed with her own eyes¡­ And Dowd, who had never revealed it to her, despite him knowing about it all this time¡­ Just one of those things was hard enough for her to take in. She wanted nothing more than to hold her head and sink it to her knees right now. What the hell is going on? ¡°The Holy Sword.¡± Suddenly, Dowd, who was running with her, said those two words. ¡°...¡± That¡­ I¡¯m important¡­ That was what he said¡­ She began to think that it wasn¡¯t her who was the most important, but ¡®Iliya who was chosen by the Holy Sword¡¯. As she thought so, Iliya replied in a sullen tone before she realized it. ¡°...I brought it with me.¡± Hearing that, Dowd nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Once again, silence fell between them. Their surroundings were eerily quiet. The sounds of their footsteps were the only thing she could hear. ¡°You¡­¡± Suddenly, Dowd opened his mouth, breaking the silence. ¡°...I¡¯m guessing you have a lot of questions you want to ask me.¡± ¡°...¡± It was as if he had read her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything after this is all over, I promise, so please, bear with me now.¡± ¡°...¡± And that¡­ Was when Iliya realized¡­ The fact that she was extremely weak for this person that she came to like. When she heard him say that, she felt as if all of her negative emotions were released. She wondered how weak she was for him that what he said was enough to cause her to unknowingly keep her head down and only nodded despite her pent-up emotions. ¡°Anyway, what I was saying¡ª¡± ¡°...That''s enough.¡± Iliya mumbled in reply as Dowd was about to continue his words. ¡°You must¡¯ve had your reasons. I don¡¯t mind as long as you can exin everything properly.¡± ¡°...Is that so? Thank you, but I still have to¡ª¡± ¡°No. It''s really fine.¡± Iliya said with a smile. ¡°...Honestly, I want to hear everything from you, Teach! Even if I needed to beat it from you! But still! I¡¯ll forgive you for everything!¡± ¡°No¡ª¡± Dowd said while reaching out his hand to Iliya, who was smiling brightly. A slight frown was formed on his forehead. His face suggested that he had no idea what she was talking about. ¡°Actually, I wanted to ask you to give me the Holy Sword.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll give it back to youter.¡± Huh. Actually, I should just beat him up right /genesisforsaken Chapter 204: Crimson Night (4) Chapter 204: Crimson Night (4) ¡°...What an unpleasant night.¡± Talion Armand muttered as such while narrowing his eyes. This was supposed to be the time to celebrate the birth of a new Hero and he should¡¯ve toasted to his heart''s content with Iliya, considering that he hade here to cheer for her. But, sincest night, they had been idling away without announcing the winner of the Ordeals. Of course, Talion didn¡¯t know what happened exactly. And now¡­ Somehow, everyone had turned mad and started attacking each other. Retrieving his spear, he took a deep breath. Around him were rows of people he had knocked down prior to this. All of them were ordinary people who weren''t trained in Magic, Divine Power¡ªanything at all.They seemed to have lost control of themselves and began to disy extreme violence, as if they had been brainwashed. As for the reason, he guessed that it was because of that. He turned his gaze to see a column of fire soaring magnificently towards the sky. Its heat wave had even reached the ce where he was at, even though it was quite the distance away. A sight that all of the Imperial Citizens couldn¡¯t help but recognize. The Crimson Night Incident. The worst disaster that turned several cities into ashes in a single night. The exact same incident as back then was happening right now. ¡­So many people just straight up lost their mind just by looking at it. Crazy. ¡°...You¡¯ve got some amazing skills, huh?¡± Suddenly, someone called out from behind him. He turned his head while resting the spear on his shoulder. Warrior Luca, Mage Falco, Archer Grid, and Priest Trisha. They were familiar faces. Iliya¡¯s friends, the ones who were called the ¡®Hero Party¡¯ back in the town. ¡°Did you overpower this many people by yourself?¡± ¡°...You admitted it so coolly.¡± Falco raised his sses before looking around dumbfoundedly. There were at least dozens of people scattered around here. Even though they were ordinary people who hadn¡¯t trained in any kind of special abilities, they were still in a state of madness due to the thick Demonic Aura in the air. Their physical abilities should¡¯ve been amplified several times than normal, but he was still able to overpower so many of them? ¡°...Well, I¡¯ve gone through more absurd things than this. Too many of them at this point.¡± Talion replied with a bitter smile. In hindsight, he really had gone through all sorts of things while hanging around that man. From Demonic Humans to Ancient Gods. That was why, even though the Crimson Night Incident happened for the second time, it felt natural for him to think of how to deal with it rather than panicking. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve found a way to deal with this thanks to you. We¡¯d like to express our gratitude.¡± ¡°You found a way? What did you mean?¡± Hearing what Warrior Luca said, Talion tilted his head. ¡°The way to resist the Demonic Aura. You know, the thing that you¡¯re wrapping around you right now.¡± ¡°...¡± Yes, Dowd did tell him that ¡®there would be a day to use it someday¡¯. Still, for them to copy it and utilize it the moment they see it? ¡°...You guys aren¡¯t ordinary monsters either, huh?¡± Now he knew why Dowd and Iliya had their eyes on these guys. Though they didn¡¯t possess amazing power or anything, their potential was absurd enough for even Dowd to watch them carefully. But, still¡­ ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know about being called that¡­¡± Falco¡¯s gaze turned to the thing that was far away from them. To be exact, towards the ce where the ¡®Dimension Gates¡¯ were opened thanks to the Demonic Aura. Even from this distance, it was clear that it was the ce with the thickest Demonic Aura and they could see those ominous life forms¡ªthey didn¡¯t know what those guys¡¯ identities were¡ªkept pouring out of the Gates. ¡°...That term suited them more than us, don¡¯t you think?¡± Also¡­ They could see a few people leisurely blocking such beings, which numbers wereparable to an army. Actually, calling it blocking wasn¡¯t entirely urate. Talion wasn¡¯t sure if it was even the right way to put it. In fact, he almost pitied those beings when he saw them get crushed into powders as soon as they came out of those Gates. ¡°What the hell are those guys? Are they really students like us?¡± ¡°...Yes and no, I guess.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Like, they¡¯re definitely students, but whether they could be considered humans or not, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Hm. That was a little harsh of an evaluation, but seeing the unfolding scene, anyone should be able to understand. ¡­There are only people like that around Senior Brother. Also, once again he realized that he wouldn¡¯tst a single month if he was in Dowd¡¯s position. All those people clung to him alone. When considering that, how many people could bear such a burden? ¡°Still, things had calmed down to some extent thanks to them at least, no?¡± It was Grid, who always wore sleepy eyes, who said those words. ¡°...Grid. Please stop saying such ominous words, I beg you.¡± ¡°I mean, just feel it. The Demonic Aura is decreasing¡ª¡± -!! -!!!!! ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Before Grid could even finish his words, the column of fire grew bigger, as if it was letting out an ear-splitting scream. Everyone narrowed their eyes as they red at Grid. ¡°...What did I tell you?¡± Falco said while gripping his head. In the meantime, the red column was expanding its force even more fiercely. The Demonic Aura that was pouring out an extremely red color, just like blood, covered the whole sky. Seeing that, Talion unknowingly let out a voice that resembled a groan. ¡°...Oh my God.¡± A mysterious and terrifying aura, filled with curses, was steaming out there¡ªit made the Demonic Aura they had been dealing with so far felt like a child y. And the night¡­ Was gradually turning blood red¡­ It was as if this was just the beginning. ¡ñ ¡°244 of them.¡± ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Seras and Riru exchanged such a conversation with their backs facing each other. The atmosphere around them made them look like they got along well after all this time, but it wasn¡¯t actually the case. Rather than them actually getting along, it was more like they were forced to act that way since the number of ¡®enemies¡¯ approaching around them had be overwhelming to them. ¡°...I¡¯m asking this again as a confirmation.¡± Riru said while stroking down her shoulders, which were starting to throb. She couldn¡¯t even tell how many of those beings she had destroyed. While she had trained her body to an extreme level, she¡¯d still be exhausted if she were to fight for so long. Her exhaustion must have influenced her to have the friendly conversation she had with this woman, who she beat each other with a while ago, putting half their lives on the line. After all, you would have a mixture of both bad and good feelings for each other when you fought with someone. ¡°You¡¯re saying that the number of Dimension Gates that ¡®have just been created¡¯ is 244, right? Not the number of monstersing out of those Gates?¡± ¡°Yes, you muscle-headed bitch.¡± ¡°...¡± Correction. She felt like she would not get along well with this woman until the end. ¡°Why can¡¯t we just crush these things and leave?¡± Riru asked while shaking off the ck scraps of flesh that were on her hands. The sticky feeling didn¡¯t feel very pleasant to her. Those life forms of the Pandemonium didn¡¯t die easily and it was hard to hurt them. They would barely stop moving after shepletely beat them to pulp. Of course, she would have been able to grind them all to dust if she were to use all the aura of the ¡®blue thing¡¯ inside her body. But, a certain someone always precisely stopped not only her, but everyone here, whenever they were about to let out the colored aura from their bodies. ¡°Seriously, this is slowly bing too much even for me! I¡¯ve been following your orders even though we''re a ragtag group of people, but I can¡¯t keep enduring it like this!¡± Facing Riru, who was confronting her as if she was screaming, Eleanor quietly swept her hair while letting out a sigh. Then she said in a quiet voice. ¡°...You.¡± There was a sharp re on Eleanor''s eyes. Her red eyes shone terrifyingly. ¡°Did you put on makeup?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I asked, did you put on makeup? Your face looks brighter than usual.¡± ¡°...¡± That question did not fit the asion at all. However, after she heard that, Riru started blushing furiously. It seemed like Eleanor had hit the nail on the head. ¡°W-What does that have anything to do with¡ª!¡± ¡°...Wait, you really put on makeup?¡± Even Seras turned to look at her in bewilderment upon hearing Eleanor¡¯s question. ¡°Really? For real? The Warrior of the Tribal Alliance? In a fight?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Are you crazy¡­?¡± Oh God. It was hard for her to believe that a female warrior of the Tribal Alliance would enter a battle after cutely putting on makeup on her face. After all, those people regarded that fighting was almost as sacred as a religious ritual. This was like her basically saying that instead of the battle, she was more interested in ¡®something else¡¯ from the very start. ¡°The answer is clear from the excitement you express throughout your whole body. Just say it straight that you didn¡¯te here to fight, but to do things with Dowd tonight as soon as you receive the First Night Ticket.¡± ¡°...¡± Riru¡¯s body started to tremble as she pursed her lips. Seeing how she was blushing up to her ears and her eyes were filled with tears due to the shame as they wandered around, it was clear that she couldn¡¯t deny those words. ¡°Also, just be honest. You didn¡¯t say all those things because you¡¯re feeling overwhelmed, rather, it¡¯s because you want to be in the lead.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Were you thinking that you are carrying some sort of secret weapon? Incredible.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Also, in the first ce¡­¡± Eleanor continued with a sigh. ¡°This is not really a battlefield for us.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That Ghost had told me something before. Using this¡­¡¯Authority¡¯ too many times around here would be dangerous, and that man wouldn¡¯t be happy if we were to do so.¡± Hearing that, Seras, who was listening quietly, sighed while sweeping her hair. ¡°...Even if our lives would be in danger if we don¡¯t use it?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°...¡± Seras bit her tongue, looking sick of it upon hearing the answer that Eleanor gave her without any hesitation. Her blind ¡®possession¡¯ of this man was so great it was terrifying. To the point that she sometimes thought it didn¡¯t make any sense. ¡­Well, not that I can say anything since I also went out of my way toe here. The feeling she harbored towards that man wasn''t exactly a positive one. But, at the very least, she¡¯d feel ufortable if another woman were to take the ¡®First Night Ticket¡¯ or something else away from him¡ª ¡°Speaking of, you¡¯re also wearing quite the impressive underwear.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Frills,ces, and hmm¡­ It¡¯s too embarrassing to put the details of the design into words.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°In any case, you are not in the position to berate the Tribal Chieftain¡¯s daughter. What kind of cunning thought did you possess to wear such underwear out here on the battlefield?¡± With that, Seras also went silent. Her face instantly turned red. ¡°...¡± I got caught. She thought so while stammering her words out. ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you the same as us?! T-There¡¯s no way you came here purely to help Dowd¡­!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I did my makeup perfectly and wore lingerie. I move as simply as possible when I deal with the enemies so it does not ruin all my effort into dressing up.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If I may speak honestly, I came here with the intention to suck out his everything from the start.¡± ¡°...¡± What a crazy bitch. No, wouldn¡¯t calling her crazy pervert suit her better instead? Seras and Riru looked at Eleanor dumbfoundedly at the same time. Meanwhile, however¡­ Please finish it as quickly as possible, Dowd. Eleanor muttered as she adjusted her grip on the sword. We won¡¯t be able to hold on for that long. Though they seem to be able to talk leisurely now¡­ The number of Dimension Gates opening around them was unusual. It definitely felt like more powerful creatures would be summoned in arge number in the near future. If Dowd and Iliya were dragging it out for too long¡­ ¡°...¡± ¡®This thing¡¯ inside her body. She would have to think of using it. Even if she would have to pay the price for it. As she thought so. -! -!! Not too far from where they were, a ¡®bright light¡¯ soared up. It was not too far from the column of fire that had turned the sky red. ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Amidst the exmations of surprise and wonder, Eleanor narrowed her eyes and whispered to herself. ¡°The Holy Sword?¡± Someone¡­ Had been chosen as the Holy Sword¡¯s master. It was definitely the phenomenon that proved /genesisforsaken Chapter 205: Crimson Night (5) Chapter 205: Crimson Night (5) ¡°So, what''s the n?¡± The one who started up the conversation was Iliya. It was the question she couldn¡¯t help but ask Dowd every time things like this happened. Everyone who hung around him to some extent would be able to rte to this due to his personality. But, this time, he didn¡¯t really have a decent n for the situation. The best thing that he could do was think of something close tomon sense or basic principle. ¡°Defeat them all and advance.¡± ¡°...What a nice and easy n to understand.¡± Iliya said while ring in the direction in front of her. ¡°Teach.¡±¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Those Devils¡­ Are they originally that brutal¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Dowd let out a bitter smile as he stared in the direction she was looking at. Aside from the column of fire that burned the surroundings and the heat it produced, there was one other thing that stood out. Influenced by the red me, ¡®ck Souls¡¯ emerged one by one from the ground. Those things weren¡¯t the life forms that came out of the Dimension Gates. They were only ¡®byproducts¡¯ of the Red Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura. However¡­ The Spirit Forms were beings that were powerful enough to leave a mark on the Material World even after their deaths. So, the fact that such beings were showing their ¡®true form¡¯ just because of the Demonic Aura just showed the degree of the threat the Aura possessed. To put it in other words¡­ The Devils¡¯ status was high enough to cause such a phenomenon just by the sign of their ¡®awakening¡¯. Just by seeing dozens to hundreds of those Spirit Formsing out already made people feel nauseous, since even one of those could cause a whole catastrophe if it was released in a popted area. ¡°...This is just the beginning of phase one. Still bearable¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± As she saw him muttering something puzzling while seeing the scene, Iliya let out a sigh internally. This person could not be more calm even in this situation. Actually, she wondered if she could call it as him being calm. Because nowadays, it felt like he had lost any human-like emotions. ¡°...You said to defeat them all and advance, right?¡± Iliya muttered, looking nervous. The Spirit Forms that were growing in number red at them with hostility. Seeing how their eyes were bright red, it was safe to assume that they had gone crazy due to the Demonic Aura. Which meant that those beings would be hostile towards them even if they didn¡¯t provoke them. ¡°I don¡¯t think we can achieve that with any ordinary means. There are not many ways for a living human to cause damage on Spirit Forms¡ª¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± Dowd said while pointing at the Holy Sword that Iliya was holding in her hands. ¡°I can¡¯t do this a lot of times, so watch carefully.¡± ¡°...Huh? What does that¡ª¡± Before she could finish her question. Dowd snatched the Holy Sword from her hands. In that instant, Iliya started freaking out. ¡°W-Wha¡ª! T-Teach! H-Have you gone nuts¡ª!¡± Her words were cut off as she let out a ¡®Heup¡¯. The fact that his body didn¡¯t ¡®explode¡¯ right away shocked her. He is¡­okay¡­? Does that mean he is the master of the Holy Sword? ¡°...¡± Wait. No. Just like her a while back, the bright light that was supposed toe out when the Hero held the Holy Sword was nowhere to be seen. Besides, he wasn¡¯t even okay in the first ce. The great power that came out from the Holy Sword actually tried to travel around his body, but it was ¡®blocked¡¯ by something in the way. On his chest, the seal that was engraved there was shining darkly. It was a strange exnation, but there weren¡¯t many ways to express such a scene. Like a sticky ck soot that stuck on the bottom of a dark abyss. Like the darkness of rotten things that melted together as they were clumped up together. Such an insidious aura was flowing out of his chest. The aura of the Holy Sword and the aura that came out of the seal collided with each other in the arm that he used to hold the handle of the sword. As if it was under the stress of holding such power, his arm turned ck from necrosis. ¡°Normal humans would explode as soon as they hold this thing, but as long as you know the ¡®principle¡¯ behind it, you¡¯d be able to deal with it to some extent.¡± Even though his body began to rot before he could tighten his grip on it with his left hand, he kept on exining it in a peaceful voice. ¡°The aura of the Holy Sword came out from its core. By extension, its ¡®purifying¡¯ properties that could cut off all kinds of special powers alsoe from there.¡± After that¡­ -! -!! Towards the Spirit Forms that were rushing towards them with ear-splitting screams¡­ ¡°Even without the bright light of the chosen one, it¡¯s still possible to ¡®utilize¡¯ that property.¡± He swung the Holy Sword. After that¡­ -!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The area. Waspeletly ¡®purified¡¯... The aura that came out from its core, which was embedded in the center of the sword, emitted a light that brightened everything nearby. This was the bright light that could only be emitted by the one who was acknowledged as the Hero. That same light was scattered around them.. And that was enough to make all the Spirit Forms surrounding them disappearpletely. Without leaving a single trace. ¡­Oh my goodness. Iliya watched the scene with her mouth wide open. The Holy Sword of the First Hero, mankind''s most powerful weapon among the things that a human being could touch¡­ She was well aware of the sword¡¯s reputation, but she did not expect it to be this powerful. The bright light of the Holy Sword was an ¡®always-on effect¡¯. What Dowd did was only a crude imitation of it. Yet, such a crude imitation held this much strength. It allowed him to easily draw the power that was only possessed by the humans who were called Saints. ¡°...¡± Yet, the most ridiculous thing about this whole thing was¡­ The existence of this man, who had arbitrarily created such a phenomenon. Iliya looked at Dowd while gulping dryly. Those who were not qualified would die once they touched the Holy Sword due to its transcendental power that was bestowed by the Seraphim. This was almost like aw. To only ¡®partially¡¯ suffer damage and even ¡®utilize¡¯ its properties like this was almost miraculous. Her Eye of Truth made it possible for her to see through the principles behind all kinds of phenomenons, so she could analyze what exactly had happened just now. ¡­No way¡­ What she saw was¡­ This man in front of her contracted the Holy Sword¡¯s power with the ¡®other power¡¯ nted inside his body. With the ¡®Devil''s power¡¯ that was umted inside the seal engraved on his chest. He used the other Devil¡¯s power that he had been gathering so far. To put it in different words¡­ ¡­How far has he gotten? This person had already be something that was far from a ¡®human¡¯. She gulped dryly as she looked at Dowd. And from now on, how far is he going to get? Greater, further, higher. This man was constantly changing himself that way. Someone who stored ¡®several¡¯ powers of the Devils inside his body. This was unheard of in history. This alone could already exin why the higher-ups of the Holy Kingdom, Tribal Alliance and even the Empire expressed their big interest in each one of this man¡¯s actions. But... Even so¡­ ¡°...¡± In truth¡­ She was afraid. There was no way he could gather the powers of such transcendental beings inside his body without experiencing any side effects. The viciousness of the aura that she saw just now was beyond imagination, and if he were to continuously keep such things inside his body¡­ She knew that was how he grew his strength. But at one point¡­ The side of him that she ¡®liked¡¯ was gradually fading away. His upright selflessness¡ªhow he used to do things in favor of people around him. To the point he looked like a fool. The emptyughters he used to let out at times, his unique and awkward way of evading things whenever he was taken aback. Those things that made her fall for this man¡­ The things that used to make her heart flutter as if she was choking up whenever she heard his voice¡­ The coziness and warmth she used to feel from the human called Dowd Campbell. All of those were gradually bing faint, fading away. It felt as if he was changing into ¡®something¡¯ mechanical and purpose-driven. ¡°...Um, Teach.¡± That was why, even after witnessing the miraculous exploit that had just unfolded before her eyes¡­ Her vocal chords produced words that were filled with anxiety. Because she felt that at this rate¡­ She would bepletely distant with this person. That was what she felt. ¡°Let me ask you something, Iliya.¡± Dowd said as if cutting off her words. He tossed the Holy Sword in her direction to return it. ¡°Do you know why you didn''t get ¡®acknowledged¡¯ by the Holy Sword?¡± There was one obvious fact. Dowd was not the master of the Holy Sword. She had just seen how the Holy Sword attempted to burst his entire body while rejecting his existence. The master of this sword was Iliya. It was just that she had not been acknowledged by it yet. While receiving the Holy Sword, she replied in reluctance. ¡°...Is it because I''m weak?¡± ¡°No.¡± Dowd answered while letting out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s because you''re dependent on me.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya''s eyes shook greatly. ¡°Because everything that has happened so far, every crisis¡­ You¡¯ve only been solving it under mymand.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But this time, it won¡¯t be the case anymore.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to finish it yourself.¡± In that instant, Iliya choked on her breath. Her shaking eyes were fixed right on Dowd. Most of the things that happened so far had been solved by this man himself. However, this time, he seemed to be drawing a clear line. As if this time was an exception. ¡°It''s okay. You can do it.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Iliya looked down at the Holy Sword in her hands while biting her lips. She definitely looked anxious. ¡ñ [...She''s feeling burdened. It¡¯s obvious.] Caliban said with a chuckle. He was probably talking about Iliya. ¡°Not that she has any choice, though.¡± I replied with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯ll be over for me too if she can¡¯t use it.¡± If Iliya can¡¯t wield the Holy Sword, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to clear this chapter. Even if a miracle happened and I somehow cleared the chapter, it would be practically impossible to proceed afterwards. At the end of the day, this was a necessary measure for the both of us. [Are you okay?] ¡°...Do I look okay to you?¡± My whole body felt as if it was crushed. I wasn¡¯t a stranger to pain, but holding the Holy Sword while my body was being eroded by the Demonic Aura was quite the experience, I gotta say. The Iron Man Mastery couldn¡¯t even block the intense pain, so it felt like my whole body was being chopped off. [No, not that.] ¡°...?¡± [I was asking about your mental state.] ¡°...¡± [You also feel how your sense is different from usual, right?] That¡­ I couldn¡¯t refute that. Because I knew best that my ¡®emotions¡¯ were gradually bing faint. ¡°...I''m okay, for now.¡± However, it was still bearable. For now, at least. It did feel as if I was barely holding on to thest of my ¡®human nature¡¯, though. ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I believe in myself.¡± [I believe in something too.] ¡°...Pardon?¡± [Why do you think I brought all of the Devil¡¯s Vessels although I knew you wouldn''t like it?] ¡°...¡± I didn''t know what he was talking about. As I tilted my head, Caliban replied with a smirk. [Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll find out soon that you don¡¯t need to do everything.] ¡°...What the hell are you even on about?¡± I replied with a sigh. The enormous column of fire was gradually growingrger. ¡°Let''s go, Caliban.¡± I used the torn clothes and wrapped it tightly around my arms as a bandage. This wasn¡¯t enough even as first aid, but it was better than nothing. Because if I didn¡¯t do this at least, I might not be able to hold on at all from now on. ¡°This is the real beginning.¡± Phase 1, Column of Fire. Dimension Gates summoned. Spirit Forms summoned. From this point onwards¡­ It would be the part that made all the yers screaming towards the developers, asking if they were crazy. This was the main reason why the Crimson Night Incident was repeatedly referred to as the Empire¡¯s worst disaster. ¡­Phase 2. The part where the ¡®Devil''s main body¡¯ would be /genesisforsaken Chapter 206: Crimson Night (6) Chapter 206: Crimson Night (6) ¡°Its force¡­ is a little different from before though?¡± Iliya said as Dowd, who was standing next to her, quietly nodded. There were injuries here and there on his body due to him clearing out all those Spirit Forms on their way here, but he didn¡¯t seem to care much about them. It was as if this level of injuries weren¡¯t noteworthypared to what was toe. ¡°From now on, the real thing is going to start.¡± Phase 2, the phase where the Devil¡¯s main body was summoned, was a nightmare for most Sera users. There was a reason for this; To give the yers a clear impression of the Devil¡¯s powers. Now, the column of fire before their eyes wasn¡¯t only spreading Demonic Aura, it was also ¡®changing¡¯ its surroundings. It went beyond only dying the surroundings red. The scent of sulfur, the scent of burned nts and trees.Apanying those, a ck aura emanated from the burned objects began to engulf the surroundings. It changed everything, from the ground to the atmosphere, into ¡®something else¡¯. Into an environment that felt like apletely different world. ¡°...This is¡­?¡± ¡°Terraforming.¡± Dowd said with a sigh. ¡°A Devil¡¯s mere existence could change its surroundings to look exactly like the Pandemonium.¡± Needless to say, it was a ridiculous trait. If one were to judge it by its ability to kill, the Devil could kill the world just by breathing, since only Spirit Forms were able to survive in a Pandemonium-like environment, as they were originally beings that existed there. And this was merely a ¡®default passive'' of those beings called the Devils. ¡°...¡± Fortunately, the scope of this phenomenon wouldn¡¯t extend all across the continent for the moment, since the Devil¡¯s main body had not descended directly yet. However¡­ This was enough to call forth the ¡®powerful beings¡¯ that were not supposed to exist in the Material Realm. -! -!!! Another Dimension Gate was created nearby. Except that this one wasn¡¯t on the same level with the ones that were created before. It had an ¡®aura¡¯ that could overwhelm any human who dared to steal a nce at it. -!! -!!! At that moment, a humanoid Demonic Creature walked out of the Gate. Magic power wrapped around its whole body like an ¡®armor¡¯ and it carried a ¡®weapon¡¯. ¡°...A knight?¡± Iliya muttered. When Dowd heard that, he let out a chuckle. He didn¡¯t seem to refute her words. ¡°You know how Kings are usually apanied by a single guard at least, right?¡± He muttered. The Devil was also called the King of the Pandemonium. Which meant, there must have been at least one living being that was drawn to their power. ¡°It''s simr to that.¡± To put it simply, that being was a Hell Guard, the Royal Guard of Hell. One of the most powerful creatures in the Pandemonium. It seemed simr to the Automaton that the Angels of the Astral Realm used, but itsbat power and killing ability were in apletely different level. ¡°...¡± The moment Iliya saw it, she realized¡­ ¡­I can¡¯t win against that¡­! The gap between their power made her feel hopeless. Thanks to being with Dowd, she had met all kinds of crazy things, but even when considering those things, the being in front of her was¡­! ¡°Iliya.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Just before Iliya¡¯s mind drifted away, Dowd''s low, subdued voice knocked on the rim of her ears. ¡°I¡¯m repeating myself, but you¡¯re the one who¡¯d need to end this whole thing.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Whatever happens to me, don¡¯t ever look back. You must go till the end. Got it?¡± ¡°...¡± The fact that he said that¡­ Meant that this person was going to throw himself into a terrible situation. ¡°...That thing¡­ How strong is it?¡± ¡°...¡± Dowd went silent. As if he could not bring himself to answer her. ¡°Let¡¯s say that neither of us can defeat it. At least for now.¡± He let out a deep sigh. ¡°Anyway, one of us has to march forward.¡± ¡°No way, are you saying that you¡¯re going to deal with it alone?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gritting her teeth, Iliya forcefully spit out her words. ¡°...Teach.¡± This time¡­ She could say these words with absolute certainty¡­ ¡°You¡¯re going to die.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...I¡¯m being serious, you¡¯re going to die.¡± She could feel it clearly. This time, he was charging ahead recklessly without any ns. He was doing it just ¡®because he had to¡¯. Because he had no other choice. ¡°...But.¡± His reply came, apanied by a bitter smile. ¡°I have to do it.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Quickly, go ahead. I¡¯ll take care of it here.¡± Iliya looked at him with shaking eyes. ¡ñ Cecilia the 11th sent Marquis Bogut a sharp re. An unusual gesture from her, since usually she¡¯d ster a gentle smile on her face, but she knew all too well that she did not need to keep up such a pretense around this man. ¡°...First of all.¡± The next words that came out of her mouth drove the point even further. ¡°You are well aware that it is a l¨¨se majest¨¦ for a mere Marquis like you to suddenly visit the Empress¡¯ Residence, no?¡± ¡°By the way, Your Imperial Majesty!¡± Of course, he did not even pretend to listen to her words properly. The Empress¡¯ expression had gone terribly sour, but Marquis Bogut continued his words while grinning. ¡°What do you think?¡± They sat face to face, with a table ced in between. On that table, there was a crystal ball, projecting a video. From the way it looked, it was a live video of the area near the ce where the Third Ordeal took ce. ¡°...¡± Cecilia the 11th looked at the screen. The sky, the ground¡­ Everything was on fire. Perhaps, if there was an ocean nearby, the fire would also burn it as well, she thought. The Crimson Night. The night when the Red Devil went berserk. The international disaster that this man had pointed out would happen one day. ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, don¡¯t you think that column of fire...¡± As the Empress was lost in her thoughts, Bogut asked. ¡°Keep going stronger and stronger as time passes?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If we let it be, maybe it¡¯d break the Seraphim¡¯s barrier.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It will go like, the Devil¡¯s Vessel, with three Fragments, going berserk, crushing the barrier, then the Vessel meets up with the Devil¡¯s main body inside the Void Zone¡­ And boom, the world is doomed.¡± The way he casually said such a thing as if it was a joke irritated her. However, he wasn¡¯t wrong at all. This was certainly an unprecedented crisis. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that an apocalypse could happen anytime soon. If the Devil¡¯s main body and the awakened Vessel met, that would trigger a ¡®Devil descent¡¯. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the entire continent ended up getting destroyed if only one out of the seven Devils seeded in doing so. ¡°...The Empire has already dispatched some manpower to deal with the situation.¡± The Empress said in a stiffened voice. ¡°They¡¯re among the best we could dispatch, to make sure that the scenario you said would never happ¡ª¡± ¡°No.¡± Bogut cut off her words. ¡°That¡¯s useless. A mere waste. You know it well too, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°In the first ce, why do you think the Holy Land chose this ce as the location for the ordeal, Your Imperial Majesty?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Because this is their way to express their intention to bury this incident quietly. In such a ce where ideally none of their manpower would be wasted. They know no matter what kind of power they exert, all of it will be meaningless when the opponent is a Devil.¡± Marquis Bogut continued, not dropping the grin on his face. ¡°This is an incident where a Devil is going berserk. Everything in the realm of the ¡®human¡¯ standard is meaningless against them.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Even the country with the highest authority when ites to the Conquest of the Devil is treating this incident as such. It¡¯d be a miracle if the manpower of the Empire could do anything at all.¡± He was right. Of course despite him stating the truth clearly, it didn¡¯t quell the Empress¡¯ anger at all. As she red at him without saying anything, Bogut continued, still grinning. ¡°Now, if the Guardians, the group that consists of those who had evolved to their peak form among the humans, it might be possible¡­¡± There was a sly glint in his eyes. ¡°But, you killed them all with your own hands, didn¡¯t you?¡± The Empress bit her lip to the point it almost bled. ¡°...¡± ¡°You were the one who gave them orders through Duke Tristan, driving them all out to quell the Devil incident, to kill themselves in that ce, just like that.¡± The Empress, who had been staying silent, barely opened her mouth again to speak. ¡°...I don¡¯t think that has anything to do with what¡¯s happening now.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so? Please forgive me.¡± The Empress sent Bogut, who had shamelessly agreed to her words, a fierce re before growling out her next words. ¡°Why are you showing me this?¡± ¡°Because I thought it¡¯d be good for you to properly see what kind of power it is that you have set your eyes on, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you not interested in Dowd Campbell because you¡¯re curious how powerful he could be in rtion to the ¡®Devils¡¯?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°In order to remove the ¡®dead blood¡¯ circting in your body that you inherited from your parents¡ª¡± [You.] Bogut quickly shut his mouth. He was someone who knew very well how to tread around someone¡¯s line. Just like he did now. If ¡®scales¡¯ began to form on the Empress¡¯ body, her eyes were split like reptiles, and dense Magic Power began toe out near her body¡­ Then it meant provoking her further wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. [I suggest you watch your mouth if you want to live long. There¡¯sa limit to what I could tolerate.] With just the pressure that was contained in her voice, Bogut''s body was squashed t. She did not exert any Magic Power¡ªthis was a natural reaction from his body since they were simply on a different ¡®level¡¯ from each other. The air trembled, all the sses in the surroundings cracked. Even the ground cracked, every fragile thing around them was all crushed. What made this sight ridiculous was the fact that this all happened due to her ¡®Sign¡¯. Dragonblood. She had the exceptional majesty of a ¡®ruler¡¯ mixed in her Sign. The most dignified among the living creatures in the Material Realm. The origin of all magic power. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry. Please think of it as a slip of the tongue.¡± As he replied obediently, the Empress only red at him as she took back her aura. She could sense that at the very least, he wasn¡¯t ying around this time. ¡°Anyways.¡± The Empress looked at Bogut, who was already grinning again as soon as she withdrew her aura, with a dumbfounded look. She even came to wonder what this person''s tendons were made of. ¡°Since the situation is like this, we can¡¯t help but leave it to this man to stop the Devil from descending.¡± Following his words, the screen changed. It now showed a woman with orange hair and a man, covered in wounds, running next to her. ¡°...¡± The Empress¡¯ eyes widened. Because she recognized those faces. ¡°The Hero Candidate, Iliya Krisanax. And the forever popr guy among the Devils, Dowd Campbell. A nicebination, don¡¯t you think?¡± His flippant voice fell onto the Empress¡¯ deaf ears as she tried to examine the video in detail. If nothing else, there was one thing that caught her eye. ¡°...His body.¡± She muttered in a low, subdued voice. It was obvious that Dowd¡¯s body wasn¡¯t in a good condition. She couldn¡¯t even describe his body with the word ¡®injured¡¯, because it seemed like his whole body was being ¡®corroded¡¯ instead. ¡°...¡± And in front of him¡­ Stood an overwhelmingly powerful enemy. Even though she was watching through the video, she could clearly feel its intimidating presence. ¡°That¡¯s a Hell Guard¡­ Jeez, I guess it makes sense that something like this woulde out since a Devil is about to descend.¡± ¡°...Are you familiar with that creature?¡± ¡°Not really. I just know what it''s called.¡± Bogut continued with a grin. ¡°Everyone who has seen this creature has mostly died, so there aren¡¯t many records of it. I assume that there must have been a Hero or two back then who died fighting that thing, though the record about that would¡¯ve been lost to time.¡± ¡°...¡± For some reason, he was talking about a lost record as if he had ¡®seen it himself¡¯. As the Empress let out a dumbfounded sigh, Bogut nonchntly continued. ¡°In any case, this is a crisis for sure. There aren¡¯t many humans who could stay sane under the influence of the Demonic Aura that once created the ¡®Crimson Night¡¯, so he can¡¯t even expect any kind of reinforcements at the moment.¡± ¡°...¡± The Empress bit her lip again. ¡°...At this rate, he¡¯ll die. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s able to fight against such a powerful enemy while in such a state.¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who said that nobody could help him? There¡¯s a very little chance of him surviving¡ª!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not someone who¡¯d die easily.¡± Marquis Bogut replied in an indifferent tone. As if dismissing the Empress¡¯ concern. ¡°Chancellor Sullivan, the annoying masked woman¡ªeveryone is strangely worried about him dying. That¡¯s not something to be worried about, they should worry about something else instead.¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°I''m saying that although the majority of cases in which this world is doomed are under that man''s control, there''s a lot of possibilities for what ¡®shape¡¯ it will take.¡± ¡°...¡± One thing about this man was that sometimes he¡¯d say some things that only he knew, as if he was trying to show off. An extremely annoying trait for someone to have for sure. That was what the Empress felt as she red at him. ¡°Anyway, in my opinion¡­¡± Again, the Marquis continued in a nonchnt tone, as if he did not care about what she thought. ¡°He won¡¯t die. At least in this ¡®case¡¯, he won¡¯t.¡± In truth¡­ The thing that was shown in the crystal ball¡­ Waspletely different from what the Empress was worrying /genesisforsaken Chapter 207: Assistance Chapter 207: Assistance I¡¯ve survived countless near-death experiences so far. Considering all that, I should have been able to ovee this one no problem, but¡­ ¡°...¡± Ugh. It fucking hurts. Breathing heavily, I looked down at my body. It felt like my entire body was mutted, like it had been cut into thin slices. This was the result of me ¡®sending¡¯ Iliya to go ahead while I tried to survive on my own here. [Sometimes, I wonder if there¡¯s really a need for you to do such a dumb thing.] ¡°...¡±I didn¡¯t answer that and let out a sigh. It isn¡¯t like I have any other choice. Even if Iliya was with me, it would be impossible for us to win against that thing with our current stats. We had a better chance to survive if I were to let her go ahead on her own first and have a showdown with the Devil after. That was why I had to stall for time for as long as I could while Iliya negotiated things with Faenol¡­ ¡°...Caliban.¡± [What?] ¡°How many minutes have passed?¡± [Two.] ¡°...¡± Are you telling me it hasn¡¯t been that long? I swear that I¡¯ve been fighting for a while, but only a moment has actually passed? The Hell Guard was an extremely powerful opponent¡ªthis was a fact that I knew beforehand. Because even in the Pandemonium, almost nobody could match it in close quartersbat. -! Again, our swords shed. I had given the Holy Sword back to Iliya, so I was only left with a spare sword and the Infinity Gauntlet the Tribal Alliance had made. -!!!! The sword the Hell Guard swung slid on the surface of the gauntlet I was wearing. This thing was a versatile item with all kinds of special effects, but it wasn¡¯t that useful against this bastard. You see, the Hell Guard¡¯s strength could be summarized in one sentence. Overwhelmingly strong, to the point that it could respond to everything I threw at it head-on. Its specs were transcendental. It was also quick, powerful, and unyielding. Even when my Desperation EX was activated, I could only follow its movements and nothing else. -! -!! Due to the sh, my body bounced off and I ended up rolling on the ground again. Usually, it was my opponent who¡¯d be doing this whenever my Desperation EX was active, but it was theplete opposite case with this fucker. Despite having mastered the Law Technique and greatly improved my stats, I was still no match for him. It felt like I was hitting a rock with an egg. I guess this was what those punks who were crushed by me in one blow felt. Was this was karma? Even if I were in my peak condition, forget about beating him, I wouldn¡¯t even know if I could survive. Continuing the battle in my current state was a penance if anything. ¡°...Haa.¡± I sighed while tuning up my body. ¡°...¡± It hurts. Fuck, it hurts so bad. It wasn¡¯t like I was unfamiliar with pain, as I experienced it countless times before, but prior to this, I was abusing one of the most important Holy Relics in this world in a rather expedient way. Obviously the burden on my body wouldn¡¯t be light. And I had to fight against such an opponent for so long in that condition. There was no way my body would be fine. But still¡­ This wasn¡¯t enough. Because I still had things left to do. [...I get that you still have things to do.] Suddenly, a voice came out of the Soul Linker. [But, can you even keep this up in your current condition? At the very least, I don¡¯t think you can manage by yourself.] ¡°...¡± Still, I had to do it by myself. It wasn¡¯t like I could ask anyone for help. [What? Do you really think no one can help you?] Fine, tell me who can help me then. The Devil''s Vessels? There was no way I could expect their help. Unexpected variables might arise if I made them take a risk here. I had to make sure I would be able to do everything¡ª [Call them by their names.] ¡°...What?¡± [At one point, you¡¯ve been referring to those Devil¡¯s Vessels as a group rather than individuals.] ¡°...¡± [Lady Tristan, the Tribal Chieftain''s daughter, the Holy Land''s Assassin, the Homunculus whocked social skills¡­ All of them are human beings with personalities, not just ¡®subjects¡¯ you have to protect.] ¡°...¡± [It''s like a tail wagging the dog rather than vice versa if you forget their nature as you thought of protecting them. You know that?] I looked at the Soul Linker nkly. [Do you know what I was struggling with the most when I went up to the ce where I led all of the Guardians?] ¡°...What?¡± As I asked back nkly at his sudden words, Caliban continued with a chuckle. [Talented people with good heads on their shoulders, who are chosen for a grand goal of fighting for justice, have one thing they''re frequently mistaken about.] ¡°What are you suddenly talking about¡­¡± [They think that everyone around them is a subject they must protect.] Caliban said with a grin. [But that¡¯s what I call a fucking arrogance. That¡¯s just them looking down on everyone around them.] ¡°...¡± What the hell is he talking about? I thought so while staring nkly at the Soul Linker. [Idiot, don¡¯t try to do anything by yourself. Because people aren''t fools you can manipte.] ¡°...¡± [As much as you want to protect them, they definitely cherish you as well.] At the same time as Caliban said so¡­ ¡°...You.¡± Before my eyes¡­ A familiar ¡®aura¡¯ rose¡­ ¡°You are doing something like this by yourself again.¡± And the voice that I definitely didn¡¯t expect to hear here rang in my ears. ¡ñ Even in Pandemonium, only few people were familiar with its name. Because previously, it was just a creature that lived at the very bottom of the Pandemonium. It lived among the filth¡­ And, yet¡­ It ¡®yearned¡¯ for the little Monarchs. The Seven Monarchs who ruled the Pandemonium. The untouchable supreme beings in all dimensions¡ª the Celestial infused in the Astral, the Mirror World where the Spirits lived, and even the Material Realm that was full of living beings. During an ¡®eclipse¡¯ which urred once per period in the Pandemonium, the colors of all of those Monarchs spreading throughout the whole Pandemonium could be seen. Even in the gray-scaled world, where thew of the jungle was in full swing, everyone watched the scene absent-mindedly when that day came. Among them¡­ There were low-level Devils whose hearts and souls were taken by the scene and became determined to get close to it. Of course, most of them didn¡¯t get further than that as they¡¯d be blocked by a wall called reality and disappeared into history after dying without making a name for themselves. However, at times¡­ Overturning all kinds of odds¡­ Some of them would be unusually stronger. Throughout the history of perfect predation. They grew by tenaciously surviving, devouring, bing stronger, and pushing themselves to the end. And after such miraculous possibilities collided, after going through the final stage of evolution that allowed even the most lowly creatures in the Pandemonium to be stronger, this creature, the Hell Guard, was born. The ¡®Royal Guard'' of hell put his sword away while exhaling breath which was mixed with sulfur. The man in front of him, who had been severely injured by his sword, was breathing heavily and shallowly. -... In truth, the Hell Guard was a little annoyed. Because of his impudence. Such a fragile human, to have the presence of the Monarchs who should have been worshiped in his humble body. The doors to the Material Realm were opened out of nowhere. The impudent man wouldn¡¯t know what kind of penance it went through in order to touch such an aura. -... I''ll kill him. I''ll erase his existence from this world and eat him up. That was what the creature had thought. Until someone got in its way. ¡°You are doing something like this by yourself again.¡± And as soon as it saw who it was that dared to get in its way¡­ The Hell Guard was at a loss for words. -...! Gray. The most powerful of all the Monarchs. A woman, who hosted such a being in her body, was blocking its way when it was about to pounce on the man, who had just copsed. It could also feel the aura of the Monarch from the tiny woman, who was quietly ring at it, next to her. The White Monarch. Not only that¡­ There were other people who came running behind them. ¡°Hey, you punk, are you okay? You''ve been beaten to pulp¡­!¡± ¡°Senior! Oh my, this needs to be treated quickly¡­! Blue, Purple. Two more Monarchs. As the human with the Blue Monarch¡¯s aura red at the human with the Purple''s, the Hell Guard stumbled in shock. ¡°...Hey, beast girl, what¡¯s with this senior thing? Are you trying to flirt with him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a 2nd year, how else am I supposed to call him? What, do you have anyints? Oh, could it be you¡¯re that kind of pitiful woman? You know, the one who has zero confidence whatsoever in regards to a romantic rtionship, the one that bes hypersensitive to everything when ites to Senior¡ª¡± It couldn¡¯t fullyprehend the context in full detail. What it did know was that the two Monarchs right there were ¡®worrying¡¯ about the two men who copsed there while ¡®keeping a check¡¯ on each other. As if both of them werepeting to ¡®own¡¯ that man by themselves. As if they were infatuated by him so much. -... As soon as it saw it¡­ Anger burned the Hell Guard¡¯s Mind. It¡­ In order to get them to look at it even once, so that it could stand near them, so that it could worship them with all its being. It had finally be so powerful after going through an endless battle in Hell, killing everyone in its sight, devouring everything, and creating trails of blood in its wake. Yet, that damn punk! What did he do to get their favor so easily¡­?! -...! As the creature was shaking in anger that it had never felt before in its life, someone walked towards it and stopped before its eyes. ¡°Are you the one who made Dowd like that?¡± The Gray Monarch. The Master of Pandemonium Pantheon. The woman who had such a being inside her, said in a quiet voice while pulling out her sword. Next to her, the woman with White Monarch inside her also did the same quietly. ¡°What, are you guys going to have fun by yourselves?¡± ¡°...As expected from a barbarian, once you see the opportunity to hit someone, you ¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up, beast girl.¡± Then, Purple and Blue joined as well. It seemed as if they wanted to scold it, as it was the one who had injured that man. -... Hell Guard. The Royal Guard of the Hell Monarchs. One of the most powerful beings in Pandemonium. A creature who had devoted itself to training himself almost forever in order to reach this far. That creature was now¡­ On the verge of getting lynched by the beings it was serving because it messed with the wrong man. -... If it could use the humannguage¡­ A curse would probablye out of its mouth in a dejected /genesisforsaken Chapter 208: Lightning War (1) Chapter 208: Lightning War (1) From inside the Image World, Valkasus was looking at the things happening outside with a worried look. ¡°...Is it really going to be okay?¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°...¡± Valkasus narrowed his eyes at Caliban, who was sitting next to him, fully prepared to watch. It was him who plotted out this situation, yet he seemed so worry-free. ¡°...Isn¡¯t this what that guy has been so worried about? For these women to all gather in one ce?¡± It was obvious that Dowd Campbell was trying his best to not involve all the Devil¡¯s Vessels in this incident, even though he had to carry on with injuries all over his body like that. Even when the incident escted to for the worse, he never tried to let them get near the ce where the Red Devil¡¯s Vessel was, which could be said as the center of the incident.¡°...Demonic Aura would react very strongly to another Demonic Aura.¡± Valkasus said with a slightly subdued voice. Special abilities colliding wasn¡¯t a big deal, but it couldn¡¯t be said the same if it was two ¡®Demonic Auras¡¯ that collided. Collision between the rulers could cause a stir in the whole area. ¡°If they start a fight with the Red Devil and their Demonic Auras collide, it might break the Seraphim¡¯s barrier.¡± He continued with a sigh. The previous asion when the Prophet used an Artifact to make a very small ¡®crack¡¯ on the Seraphim¡¯s barrier came to mind. In particr, the way the things inside the Void Zone reacted. ¡°Then, the chance that the Devil¡¯s Vesselsing into contact with the Devil¡¯s main body would increase.¡± And if that were to happen¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be strange if an apocalypse started from that. The reason why Dowd had been desperately trying to not involve the girls in this incident was definitely because he was aware of this too. ¡°What are you all doing here¡­?!¡± The fear in his voice as he shouted that question out proved that conjecture. It was as if he was saying, ¡®You all are not supposed to be here¡¯. The fright in his voice sounded extremely unusual for him. Perhaps it stemmed from his worry over the possibility of something going wrong and them getting hurt. However¡­ ¡°As I''ve said earlier, he¡¯s not living in this world by himself.¡± Caliban replied casually while chuckling. ¡°Seriously, he¡¯s so smart, but why can¡¯t he use his brain properly? He doesn¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on around him.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Look, do you think those girls would have just sat still while watching him getting stronger?¡± As Caliban said that, Eleanor, who was standing at the very front of the party, approached Dowd. And¡­ -! She knocked him hard in the head. Her movement was light, as if she was hitting a kid lightly as a way to discipline them, but the force behind it was so enormous that Dowd¡¯s head immediately hit the ground after receiving it. ¡°...?¡± Of course, as someone whose abilities intensified during a crisis, he raised his head just fine even after receiving that hit. His eyes were filled with confusion. He didn¡¯t seem to expect that she would hit him for any reason at all. ¡°I did that so you can get yourself together. I have been so frustratedtely.¡± Eleanor continued, her face betrayed any kind of expression. ¡°Have I not told you so many times to stop shouldering everything on your own like this? It¡¯s about time for you to listen to my words.¡± Seeing how a big frown formed on her face, it was clear that she was angry. ¡°...And, most of all¡­¡± As Dowd looked at her nkly. Eleanor''s gaze shifted to the Hell Guard. ¡°If you are going to have a hard time because of such an ¡®easy¡¯ opponent like this, why do you even bother?¡± ¡°...¡± No but, The opponent in question is the Hell Guard. No matter where you looked, he was not an opponent you could belittle like that. The way the Hell Guard looked after she said that proved it. -... -...!! Perhaps shocked by the Vessels¡¯ appearance earlier, the Hell Guard had stopped moving for a while. Now, that its surprise was gone, a red Demonic Aura erupted from its whole body, Seeing that, Eleanor sheathed her sword while exhaling lightly. If she was an ordinary person, this would have been a deration of surrender, but she wasn¡¯t. She was going to use something other than her ¡®sword¡¯, that was what it meant. Gray Aura rose from her body. ¡°Wait, don''t¡­!¡± Seeing that, Dowd freaked out and eximed, his voice filled with vignce. If their Demonic Auras collided, something close to a disaster would definitely happen in some ways or another. Soon his eyes widened again. -! -!! Even though the Demonic Auras collided. The ¡®resonance phenomenon¡¯ that was supposed to ur was nowhere to be found. ¡°...What¡ª¡± Dowd said, clearly taken aback. Soon, Auras of other colors were added to the Gray Aura, one by one. Yuria¡¯s White, Riru¡¯s Blue and even Seras¡¯ Purple, though thetter looked very awkward while she was emitting it, since she had no idea how to use her aura. Gray, White, Purple, Blue. The four Demonic Auras were ¡®mixed¡¯ into one, suppressing the Red Demonic Aura that the Hell Guard was emitting. To begin with, even though it was a Hell Guard, essentially it was simply a being from Pandemonium who was drawn by the Red Devil and was bestowed the aura by her. There was no way that its aura couldst when facing abination of four Devils¡¯ auras. How the Red Demonic Aura hardenedpletely near his body and soon made him unable to even move at all before it even spread out proved exactly that. ¡°How¡­?¡± This¡­ Was not something that he had ¡®knowledge¡¯ about. At the very least, he had never witnessed something like this before. ¡°We trained.¡± Eleanor, who was watching quietly, replied calmly. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°...Huh?¡± Valkasus, who was watching from the Image World, and Dowd said at the same time ¡°Dowd.¡± Eleanor continued while ¡®controlling¡¯ thebination of several colors of auras. ¡°Most of the things that might seem impossible would actually work if you do it somehow.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®''If these¡­colored auras collided, a resonance phenomenon would be created and it would be very dangerous if it happened in such a critical situation¡ªI figured you would be wary about that.¡± She exined calmly. ¡°Because I remember you freaked out when I was about to fight that annoying woman.¡± She was talking about the time when she and Chancellor Sullivan were about to fight. When the Gold and Gray auras were about to collide. The way Dowd panicked more than ever while desperately trying to take some measures was etched in her mind. So she figured that a collision between two auras should never happen. That was why¡­ Together with others who were able to emit such auras, she found a way to prevent any ¡®serious trouble¡¯ from happening even if the auras collided. That was what happened here. ¡°...¡± Dowd''s mouth slightly opened. Because the fact that they remembered all those and ¡®prepared¡¯ such a technique for this situation¡­ Suggested one thing. ¡°...¡± Even without him really doing anything in particr¡­ These women had tirelessly worked for the sake of him. Always had his back even in ces unseen. To protect him, just like he tried to protect them. ¡°Tell me. Why is it okay for you to work so hard to save us, but not the other way around, hm?¡± She said in a yful voice to Dowd, who seemed to have failed to control his expression. ¡°Keep this in mind, Dowd.¡± Eleanor then walked slowly towards the Hell Guard, who had lost control of its body since its Demonic Aura was crushed. Then, she struck it in the head. A simr gesture to what she did to Dowd, except that the force she put in was much more brutal. -! -!! -!!!!! The explosive blow folded the top part of the Hell Guard¡¯s armor. Its movement came to a halt after receiving that single strike as its body was squeezed to the ground like a nail being hammered to a nk. It seemed like it had lost its consciousness as soon as the blow connected. Just as she had said before, it was ¡®easy¡¯. Even though the opponent wasn¡¯t something that Dowd was able to deal with by himself. Yet, they did what they had prepared in advance and effortlessly dealt with it. ¡°We¡­¡± Without any intervention from Dowd Campbell at all. "Are not janggi pieces or dolls on disy." Eleanor approached Dowd, who was looking at her nkly. ¡°You? Trying to protect us? Only by yourself? While shouldering everything on your own?¡± Eleanor held Dowd''s chin and raised his head. Their eyes met. Her dazzlingly clear eyes, resembling that of a ss, peered into his eyes. As if telling him to listen carefully to what she was saying. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We are not idiots, nor are we burdens for you to carry. You are obliged to be loved by us, to be taken care of by us, and lead a happy future with us.¡± Dowd''s eyes widened. Seeing that, Eleanor let out a chuckle while letting go of his chin. ¡°...Don¡¯t try to go too far on your own, because there are still a lot of things that you have not yet received.¡± ¡°...¡± As Dowd stayed silent, lost for words¡­ Intense exmations were echoing in the Image World. ¡°Man, the Lady¡¯s good at this. Asfrom an experienced person¡ªthe first person who fell for him.¡±expected ¡°...How is¡ª¡± Valkasus, who was seemingly confused by this development, cut off Caliban, who was about to keep talking nonsense. ¡°This possible¡­?¡± He could not believe that she was able to control her own Demonic Aura, especially when it was ¡®mixed¡¯ with others¡¯ as well. Was this even something that was achievable through training? What she had done was the equivalent of defying the principle that a falling object would fall from top to bottom by sheer effort alone. ¡°Boy King, do you know what you and that guy have inmon?¡± Seeing his reaction, Caliban said those words with a chuckle. ¡°The more you two know about something, the more you get scared. Even though the problem is something you could work out if you actually try to solve it.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Also, I¡¯ve already told you back when I nned this out, no?¡± Caliban said while giggling. ¡°That it¡¯s going to work somehow?¡± ¡°...¡± The scene made Valkasus unable to refute. ¡ñ Sweeping my hair, I let out a sigh. Somehow¡­ My head, which had been boiling violently these days, felt as if it had cooled down for the first time. ¡°...Thanks, Eleanor.¡± While letting out a bitter smile, I said those words. ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re always there for me whenever I can¡¯t think straight.¡± She did it back when I had to face the Boy King and now she did it again. It felt like she always had my back in the crucial moments. ¡°...¡± Hearing that¡­ Eleanor¡¯s face flushed in an instant. After that, she let out a series of coughs. She rubbed her nose and pulled down the uniform cap she always wore. ¡°...50 points for that.¡± Hearing that, I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Points?¡± ¡°Y-You see there are points and such. The first person who receives your thanks will get the highest points¡ª¡± ¡°...Nevermind that for now. Exin to meter.¡± The Crimson Night Incident was still in full swing, I didn¡¯t want to hear any of that now. So, I changed the topic while grabbing my throbbing head. ¡°Seras.¡± ¡°..Uh, yes? Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you.¡± As I watched Seras awkwardly lifted her hand. ¡°I need you to get in touch with someone. You¡¯re the fastest one among the others to get the work done.¡± ¡°...With whom exactly?¡± ¡°Archbishop Luminol.¡± Before I came here, I negotiated something with him. Now was the time to utilize that. ¡°...¡± And this one too. I fiddled with the lion breastte I hid in my inner chest pocket. Normally, I would¡¯ve had to wreck my body even more after sending Iliya to go on ahead. Which meant, there would be things that had to be ¡®unavoidable¡¯ sacrifices. But, with the help from the Vessels, it felt as if I had gained the clue to end this matter ¡®without leaving future trouble¡¯. Which meant, after this¡­ I only had a single goal left to achieve. I¡¯d give my all¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll finish this in one strike.¡± Since I had gained unexpected reliable reinforcements. I had no reason not to end this /genesisforsaken Chapter 209: Lightning War (2) Chapter 209: Lightning War (2) Faenol''s consciousness was sinking down to somewhere deep. She could feel herself gradually subsiding into her inner world. The more she sunk down, the more things she ¡®had been turning her eyes from¡¯ in her life showed up. From hardened inscape, twisted emotions, memories that would cut her heart to pieces every time she ruminated on it. ¡°...¡± To Faenol Lipek, the world had always been a ce filled with pain and grief. Even so, she liked all the moments of the ¡®times when she was alive¡¯ that she could remember. Because everything got into a horrible situation¡ªher birthce in the countryside where she was first born, the Magic Tower, where she had made her home next¡­ And the people around her.All of them had met an ill-fated end.¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this all for you.¡± A voice echoed in her head as her mind slowly sunk in deeper. She focused her blurred vision and looked ahead. There was a woman right in front of her, staring into her eyes while resting her chin on her hand. If Faenol was enveloped by the color ¡®red¡¯, she would look like the woman in front of her. Of course, they didn¡¯t look exactly the same, there were differences to their appearance. The woman looked older. Perhaps if Faenol were to live for a few more years, she¡¯d look exactly like her. ¡°It¡¯s better to not feel anything at all. Deep inside your heart, you already know this.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Living in this world is painful. You won¡¯t lose anything if you don¡¯t ept anything.¡± Sadness¡­ Remorse¡­ And¡­ Maybe evenpassion¡­ She could feel such a vibe emanating from the woman/ It didn¡¯t really befit the image of a being that was called the ¡®Devil¡¯. ¡°...Then¡ª¡± Despite her faint consciousness, Faenol managed to utter her words. ¡°...Why¡­did you save me¡­?¡± The first Crimson Night Incident, the first time she had died. It was the moment when she first realized that to others, she was as cursed-being. The one who saved her back then was the woman before her eyes, the Red Devil. What she didn¡¯t understand was that, if the Red Devil knew that her past was filled with such painful memories¡­ She could have just¡­ Let her die¡­ So that she could rest in peace¡­ And yet she didn¡¯t. For what purpose had she done it? What was it that she wanted from her? What exactly was her reason for saving her life, even going as far as taking away all of her emotions and senses? ¡°...¡± For a while, the Devil kept her silence. ¡°...Take a moment of rest, Faenol.¡± Such words echoed one after another in her dazed mind. ¡°The next time you open your eyes, the world where you will never get hurt will beplete.¡± Those were thest words that Faenol heard. Before her consciousness waspletely plunged into darkness. ¡ñ Scary. If she were to express what was going on in her head right now, that was the only word that came out. Iliya Krisanax gripped the Holy Sword with trembling hands. Laid before her eyes was a scene that she had seen once before. The ¡®Devil'' inside a huge column of fire. With two hornsid on top of her head, and slit pupils decorating her eyes. Faenol Lipek, in a pose as if she was hugging her own body,id motionless inside that column of fire. Her gaze was drawn upwards, yet her eyes had lost their light. It was as if she was trying to look for something. ¡­He said there¡¯s no time for me to waste. Iliya recalled the words Dowd had uttered to her before she came here. He said that the longer the Red Devil stayed in this world, the more area would be affected by the terraforming. If the situation didn¡¯t change and the Vessel came into contact with the Void Zone¡­ An apocalypse might happen. ¡°...¡± Since that was the case, the thing that she had to do was clear. Whatever happened, whoever the opponent was¡­ Iliya took a deep breath as she tightened her grip on the Holy Sword. In truth¡­ She didn¡¯t believe that she could pull this off. So far, it was Dowd who was standing in her current position while her role was mostly as a support for him. Now that he wasn¡¯t here with her, she genuinely couldn¡¯t believe that she could do this. But, it was still better if she were to do something than just stand around and watch the apocalypse start! ¡°Hmph!¡± Striking the ground with her heel, she took a deep breath before she started dashing. In any case, her title as the Hero Candidate wasn¡¯t just for show. With thebat skills she gained by training with the Fist Saint and her Eye of Truth, it wouldn¡¯t bepletely impossible for her to trade blows with the Red Devil. ¡­First, I need to cut the me, create a stepping stone with Magic Power, get to the Main Body and force her into a closebat¡­ This was the first time she ever challenged a Devil to a fight, but the fight itself wouldn¡¯t even start unless she¡¯d go that far. As she thought so¡­ The very next moment¡­ Her body was bounced off violently. She hadn¡¯t even approached the edge of the me that made up the column of fire, yet this happened. ¡°...¡± Her pupils became dted. It took her a while. To understand what had just happened. ¡­I, just now¡­ The culprit here was the ¡®pressure¡¯ that came out of the me. To be exact, the reverberation that was caused by the Demonic Aura, the rtively harmless thing that was emanated by the column of fire. And that thing pushed her away before she could even get close to it. While this happened, Faenol¡¯s body inside the column of fire didn¡¯t budge at all. Which meant she didn¡¯t even notice that Iliya was there, nor did she consciously try to push her away. To put it in a more simple term¡­ Iliya was lost to her ¡®breath¡¯. ¡°...!¡± After that realization, her eyes went bloodshot. Things couldn¡¯t be more humiliating than this for her. Almost immediately after that, she gritted her teeth and once again rushed in that direction. To her¡­ It would be better to getpletely crushed by her opponent¡¯s single strike. But this¡­ Made her think that her opponent didn¡¯t even see her as something worth dealing with¡­ ¡°...¡± And it was the truth, she couldn¡¯t even do anything to the Devil. She couldn¡¯t even find a way to defeat her, let alone deal with her. Even while she was using the Eye of Truth, she couldn¡¯t gain any information whatsoever. ¡°...¡± Iliya gritted her teeth and attempted another rush. If it didn¡¯t work, then she¡¯d keep doing it until it worked. With such a reckless thought, she charged in. Once¡­ Twice¡­ Thrice, four times, five times, six times, seven times¡­ ¡°...¡± Each time she tried, she kept getting thrown away. She couldn¡¯t even get close to her opponent properly. The gap that existed between them was so big that it negated her pride, self-esteem, all the hard work she had done¡ªeverything. ¡°...Don¡¯t screw with me¡­!¡± Such a feeling might have been the driving force for her to move her body at first. How many times¡­ Just how many times did she rush toward the me? She could feel the sensations all over her body getting fainter and fainter. Her opponent wasn¡¯t even interested in her in the first ce. She didn¡¯t even possess the intent to cause that level of harm on Iliya. ¡°...¡± Ten times, a hundred times, a hundred and fifty times¡­ Just a few minutes had passed and Iliya had already lost count of how many times she had been thrown away. Blisters filled her whole body, which wasn¡¯t a strange oue. To continuouslye in contact with the Demonic Aura, even though it was merely its reverberation, further increased the number of scratches on her body. The minor injuries and pain that she felt were also gradually umted. Not only bruises, her body was also covered in dirt and blood. Two hundred times, three hundred times, three hundred and fifty times¡­ Has an hour already passed? ¡°...¡± It hurts. It hurts so much. The pain made it feel as if her whole body was tearing apart. Even though she kept on rushing forward¡­ She was still unable to close the ¡®gap¡¯ with her opponent. Her opponent was strong, unbelievably so. The difference in their strength was like heavens and earth, it made her feel like she was a helpless bug. She even started thinking that fighting back was a meaningless endeavor. ¡°...¡± And yet¡­. Once again, she took a deep breath and adjusted the Holy Sword in her hands. Although there were many psychological mechanisms that supported Iliya Krisanax. ¡­Even with such a crazy gap¡­ That person¡­ ¡­No matter how painful it is¡­ Even with such arge gap between him and his opponents, he always rushed forward without fear. He endured the pain of his body being torn apart, all because it was something that he had to do. -It''ll be okay. She remembered the words that she received not too long ago. The words that came out of that person¡¯s mouth. -You can do it. ¡°...I know.¡± She gritted her teeth. Holding her shaking legs, she got up, using the sword as a staff. ¡°...I know, Teach.¡± That man acknowledged her. He genuinely believed that she would be able to do it. If she couldn¡¯t endure this much, she didn¡¯t even deserve to be next to him. As she thought so, strength entered her body again. She raised her body, which was filled with injuries at this point. ¡°...¡± She took a deep breath and clutched the Holy Sword. Though she was so exhausted that her arms felt like jelly, she still got into position properly again. ¡°...Euryap!¡± With such a determined shout. Iliya advanced forward without hesitation. And the next moment. -! For the first time, part of the me around Faenol was ¡®cut¡¯. ¡°...Huh?¡± Iliya''s eyes widened. It was very weak. But, she had indeed inflicted some damage to her opponent for the first time. The way Faenol flinched and looked in her direction proved that he wasn¡¯t just hallucinating. However, there was something else that surprised her more than that. ¡°...¡± She red at the Holy Sword with a sharp gaze. It shone just now, didn¡¯t it? Ugh, c¡¯mon¡­ Why did it respond to me when I got back my nerve while thinking about that guy?! I know I¡¯m head over heels with that guy, but still¡­! [...Well, that¡¯s because the Holy Sword only reacts when the user¡¯s will is in the most firm state. That¡¯s how it has always been from generation to generation.] ¡°W-Whoa?!¡± Iliya freaked out as she looked at the Holy Sword. Unless she was crazy¡­ She was sure that the ¡®voice¡¯ just now came from the sword. ¡°...¡± Did this thing¡­ Just speak? I wasn¡¯t just hearing things, right?! As she thought so while looking at the Holy Sword¡­ ¡°...Who are you talking with?¡± A familiar voice knocked on the rim of her ear. Startled, Iliya turned around to see behind her¡­ Only to find Dowd looking at her dumbfoundedly. ¡°Should I say¡­ As expected of the Hero? You really got this far by yourself, huh?¡± ¡°...Teach?¡± Iliya said, looking as if she was slightly choking up. She wasn¡¯t sure why she was acting like this. She also didn¡¯t know why this man was here. She didn¡¯t know how the hell did he got here in the first ce. And she also didn¡¯t know what the fuck happened to that Hell Guard or whatnot. There were a lot of questions she wanted to ask and answers she wanted to hear. ¡°...¡± But¡­ Somehow, the ¡®uneasiness¡¯ she felt from him seemed to have been washed away. That was probably the only answer she needed. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me, your Teach. I came to help you.¡± What he said afterwards proved her guess. ¡°You still need to do the finishing blow though.¡± Dowd said with a grin. His expression was enough to make Iliya''s eyes widened for a moment. ¡­This. Was the Dowd that she knew. The man who, no matter how difficult the situation he got into¡­ Would turn it into the direction he ¡®envisioned it so¡¯. ¡°You look better now, Teach.¡± Iliya said with a chuckle. Her own attitude when she found out that this man¡¯s condition had improved left her in disbelief. Even though her condition was no better than him, as she was riddled with wounds here and there as well. ¡°So, any ns?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, I got one, of course.¡± Dowd replied, still grinning. After that, he pointed at Faenol. Then, with a nonchnt tone, he opened his mouth again. ¡°I¡¯m gonna eat her.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m gonna¡­uh¡­eat her. Thoroughly¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya silently looked at Faenol, who was inside the column of fire, and Dowd alternately. Hm. I see. Eat her, huh? Thoroughly, huh? ¡°...You perverted bastard.¡± ¡°...What did I do to be called that?¡± There was something that she had forgotten about. It was that in this state, in most cases, Dowd would make crazy remarks like /genesisforsaken Chapter 210: Lightning War (3) Chapter 210: Lightning War (3) In the deepest part of the Church¡¯s Headquarters. To be exact, inside the room where the Pope lived. In that room where only a few of the closest people to him could enter, the Pope opened his mouth, a subtle smile decorated his lips. ¡°Everything is going as nned.¡± Across him, a masked woman was sitting with her legs crossed. ¡°Everything is happening ording to the schedule; the Red Devil going berserk, the terraforming of the nearby area, and even the movement of the ¡®key¡¯. The Pope, who had been watching the video that was being yed in the crystal ball at the center of the table, calmly continued. Said video was showing them the situation near the column of fire, the situation that was created by the Red Devil, in real time. ¡°That half Drakhan of the Empire and the ¡®Lionheart¡¯ must be after him as well¡­¡±There was a high chance that the people he mentioned were watching the exact same video as he was. Since there were more than a few people who were interested in that man. ¡°But we are definitely the ones who¡¯d make the most ¡®use¡¯ of it.¡± Especially¡­ The man, who had the means to control all the Devils, was essential for his ongoing n, the ¡®Paradise n¡¯. There was a reason why he was called the ¡®key of the world¡¯. ¡°Well, I agree that whoever gets him first will gain the most benefit.¡± As the Pope was thinking as such while ring at the crystal ball that was showing Dowd¡¯s face, the Cursed Speech User made a remark in a disinterested tone. ¡°That man is fated to be so loved by ckhearted people like that, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°...¡± It was clear that he was trying to insult the Pope by implying that the Pope was a ckhearted person, but he only snorted without saying anything. ¡°...By the way.¡± Because the Pope was more concerned about something else entirely. ¡°Is there something wrong with your leader?¡± He asked Talker in a seemingly dumbfounded voice. Even after he asked that question, the Prophet was still nkly looking up at the ceiling without showing much reaction. From the very beginning, she had shown no interest in the Pope¡¯s lengthy speech. It was as if she was sulking and she didn¡¯t care about anything else that wouldn¡¯t help her mood to get better. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s sulking because that guy stood her up.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°So, she asked that guy for a date and he rejected her. That¡¯s why she¡¯s in a bad mood.¡± ¡°...¡± The Pope was left dumbstruck for a moment after hearing that before looking in her direction. Because that sounded like an excuse that a teenage girl would make. The Prophet, having been listening silently, soon opened her mouth and spoke, as if she found Talker¡¯s words absurd. ¡°...Stop saying stupid things like that, Talker.¡± ¡°See? She¡¯s not denying it.¡± ¡°...¡± The Prophet mped her mouth shut again. Seeing that, the Pope alternated his gaze between Talker and the Prophet, clearly in disbelief. What? Seriously? Is she not the leader of the Devil Worshippers? ¡°...It¡¯s none of your business.¡± She blurted those words out bluntly. But, as Talker said, she did not deny his words at all. ¡°As you said, everything is going as nned. What¡¯s left now is for that man to overpower the Red Devil.¡± Then, she continued. ¡°Because the real thing only begins once the Fallen¡¯s Seal eats the Demonic Aura of all the Devils except for Brown¡¯s.¡± Except for the Tribal Alliance, which had decided to fully support that man, the game to ¡®take over¡¯ that man would begin in earnest from that point onwards. Dowd Campbell, who¡¯d swallow all of the Devils¡¯ Demonic Aura at least once each¡­ Would be the one and only being in the entire continent¡­ ¡°...Thought it¡¯ll only be as such one round.¡± The Prophet''s gaze was fixed on the shining seal on Dowd Campbell¡¯s chest. ¡°He will be the closest being to the Almighty.¡± Needless to say, his value would skyrocket to irreceable. His value, ¡®danger¡¯, everything. Though, he probably wouldn¡¯t realize it. ¡°...But still¡­¡± The Pope narrowed his eyes. ¡°Will he really be able to solve the current situation?¡± A Vessel with three Fragments going berserk amidst the highest acim, while the whole world was changing in real-time because of the Demonic Aura. If they were to let it be, she¡¯d turn the entire Material Realm into essentially the second Pandemonium. Just like what the Hero Candidate had demonstrated, the Demonic Aura was so dense to the point that even the sufficiently powerful people were having trouble getting close to her. There was also the fact that the Red Devil¡¯s Vessel, who was at the center of it, was also letting out a Demonic Aura so strong that it could blind those who gazed upon it. ¡°...This isn¡¯t even the Gray Devil and it¡¯s still this bad?¡± The Pope said, his voice trembled slightly. Though the Devil hadn¡¯t evene into contact with her ¡®main body¡¯ yet and she was just one of the seven, not even the most powerful one out of them¡­ She still possessed such a power. In other words. At this moment¡­ The fact that she hadn¡¯t shown any hostility towards the people around her meant that she was sure that none of them was going to be a threat for her. You¡¯re telling me he¡¯s going to defeat that? ¡°He will.¡± But¡­ The Prophet firmly replied. As if there was no need to even consider otherwise. ¡°He will do it no matter what it takes. This time, he will definitely survive again.¡± Her eyes shone, showing a glint of both slyness and calmness. ¡°There are not many who can kill him for good. And Red isn¡¯t one of them.¡± ¡°...¡± The confidence in her voice made the Pope frowned, but at that moment, the sight of Dowd taking out something caught his eye. ¡°...A breastte?¡± He muttered as he saw the thing that Dowd was holding. The Pope remembered that some people in the Empire had once used the item. They called themselves Guardians or something. ¡°Someone who had once ¡®killed¡¯ a vessel, would gain a special ability.¡± After hearing the Pope¡¯s mutter, the Prophet made a remark. ¡°A Guardian who had entered the Crimson Night Incident before would be able to create a special situation.¡± ¡°...A special situation?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize it?¡± She continued with a smirk. ¡°With him putting a soul in it, that item is pretty much a Holy Relic already. So, it¡¯s bound to have some special effect.¡± ¡°...But still¡­¡± The Pope said, there was a slight frown on his face. ¡°To use a Holy Relic properly, he¡¯d still need a qualified priest.¡± Needless to say that someone who was qualified to do so in the Holy Land wouldn¡¯t even dare to get close to that area due to the Pope¡¯s instruction. Because the battle for possession over him between the Superpowers would definitely intensify from now on. Even a single human was important as resources, the Pope didn¡¯t want to waste them. In other words, that Holy Relic was merely a window dressing, unusable piece of¡ª ¡°Well¡­¡± The Prophet replied with a smirk. ¡°He¡¯s not the type to bring out something like that without any preparation.¡± At the same time. Two voices came out one after another inside the crystal ball. [Wahahaha! Mr. Dowd, the crisis¡¯ gotten quite big, hasn¡¯t it?] [H-Hey! It''s dangerous here, back off!] After confirming the identity of the owner of those voices, the Pope¡¯s expression crumbled. ¡°...Archbishop Luminol?¡± ¡ñ ¡°...There he goes again.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Iliya and Eleanor muttered, or rather, groaned as such, leaving Lana to tilt her head and said, ¡°What do you guys mean?¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know much, huh?¡± Iliya replied while sweeping her hair. ¡°...I meant, you haven¡¯t seen much of that person doing that kind of shit.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You see, whenever something happens, that guy would always try to do something crazy.¡± ¡°...You know I can hear you, right?¡± Why is she talking as if I¡¯m some kind of a freak or lunatic, huh? I grumbled with such thoughts. ¡°What? Tell me that I¡¯m wrong then.¡± Her reply sounded like a growl. ¡°...¡± ¡°Look, Teach, I like you, but this is just the truth. Just think about it, how do you live your life, for God¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°...We only have one chance here. Stay focused, we can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes.¡± ¡°See? He can¡¯t deny my words, so he¡¯s changing the subject.¡± Ignoring Iliya¡¯s scolding, I called out to Riru, who was ready to ¡®throw¡¯ me while wearing a serious expression. ¡°You''re confident, right?¡± ¡°...All I gotta do is just throw you there. There¡¯s nothing to be confident or not confident about.¡± She answered, wearing an expression that seemed as if she was having a headache. Prior to this, I asked her to throw me into that column of fire so that I coulde into contact with Faenol properly. Man, if only I had the catapult that I left in Elfante, I won¡¯t need to do this¡ª ¡°You¡¯re wearing the same expression that you wear when you¡¯re thinking of something crazy again¡­¡± ¡°...Archbishop Luminol, please make sure to fulfill your promise, ¡®activate the Holy Relic¡¯ at the exact time that we agreed on.¡± Seeing me changing the subject after he criticized me, the Archbishop¡¯s face twitched before replying. ¡°...I understand.¡± ¡°If you seed, as promised, I won¡¯t tell your daughter about how much of a scumbag you¡ª¡± ¡°I get it already.¡± He urgently cut my words before turning to look to the side, there was a frown on his face. ¡°...What¡¯s your n to stop that thing anyway?¡± In the direction he was looking at¡­ There was ¡®something¡¯ inside that column of fire, burning so brightly in red to the point that it hurt the eyes. Its presence was so overwhelming that it could silence its surroundings by just existing. As if such a presence wasn¡¯t enough, the Demonic Auraing from it continued to grow bigger by the second. ¡°...Honestly, I don¡¯t think I can fight her at all.¡± Iliya muttered as her hands, which were holding the Holy Sword, slightly trembled. ¡°Those beings called Devils¡­ Have they always been this powerful¡­?¡± ¡°Nevertheless, we have to stop that.¡± As I replied with a smirk, the Archbishop¡¯s frown grew deeper. ¡°...And how exactly would you do that?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I already told you?¡± I gestured for Riru to get ready before casually dropping my reply. ¡°I¡¯m going to eat that.¡± Then¡­ I flicked my finger. This was the ¡®signal¡¯ we had agreed on in advance. Following it, Riru immediately threw me. As my body shot through the air like an arrow, I carefully checked Faenol¡¯s reaction. Her red irises which had been fixed towards the sky,pletely ignoring what the people around her were doing¡­ Were turned to look at ¡®me¡¯ for the first time. ¡°...¡± Then, a sense of malice that could make my whole body shudder rushed at me. The reason for this was because the punk, who hadn¡¯t been showing any reaction, moved her arm for the first time as she pointed at me. It was as if she vaguely noticed that whatever I was going to do could harm her. At that moment, a huge me was spread around me,ing out like an explosion. Even with this, it was clear that she was trying to push me away rather than burn me to ashes. As expected. No, actually, this punk was even more gentle than I expected. ¡°...¡± Well, rtively speaking. Because there was no other way to express it. For someone who had caused the Crimson Night Incident, the incident that was dubbed as the Empire¡¯s worst disaster, her action up until now had been extremely gentle. And that was what I was trying to probe and dissect. ¡°Valkasus.¡± [Got it.] If her intention was really to push me away and not to ¡®burn¡¯ me¡­ I could deal with it by just using Valkasus¡¯ Forbidden Sorcery. The strokes of the Forbidden Sorcery that was engraved on my body shone. The Cursed Technique that was said to be able to nullify even Demonic Aura as long as it was inside the range of the effect, even for a moment, was activated. Thanks to it, the me that was crawling towards me stopped all at once. Meaning, I could get close to her body without receiving too much damage from the momentum of Riru¡¯s throw. ¡°...¡± I arrived in front of Faenol, whose expression was slightly twisted. Then, I held her arm, as if I was ¡®clinging¡¯ to her. She slightly narrowed her eyes while wrenching her hand away. I already broke through her movement with the Forbidden Sorcery, but honestly, in this situation, it was simply meaningless. To her, I must¡¯ve been like a fly that hadnded on her hand. Just a simple wave of her hand could shoo me away. That was how big the gap of power between us was. Even though I had gotten this close to her, I still couldn¡¯t harm her in any way. Also¡­ If someone were to feel ufortable enough about a fly sitting on their arm, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill it. ¡°...Fuck.¡± Seeing the me that began to permeate the surroundings viciously, I muttered as such in a panicked voice. There was no time, I had to do what I had to do quickly. I fiddled with the lion breastte in my inner chest pocket. So, my goal here was to stick this into her heart. And to do that, what I had to do was¡­ ¡°...¡± I opened my mouth wide. And¡­ ¡°Nom.¡± I bit¡­ Her arm that was stretched out to me. Like it was some kind of meat, as if I was trying to eat it. ¡°...What?¡± Iliya let out a dumbfounded voice. ¡°Is this what he meant by he¡¯s gonna eat her?¡± ¡°...¡± Silence enveloped the area, as if everyone had thought the same thing as /genesisforsaken Chapter 211: Strategy (1) Chapter 211: Strategy (1) [...What the hell are you doing?] Caliban asked from inside the Soul Linker. The perplexity in his voice was clear. Then again, I would react the same way if I were to see someone literally biting a Devil¡¯s Vessel right in front of me. ¡°...¡± Sadly, I couldn¡¯t afford to answer him right now. Because Faenol¡¯s cold gaze was fixed at me. She looked simr to the time when Eleanor was taken over by the Gray Devil. As the Vessel, she lost her consciousness, meanwhile, the Fragments¡¯ ¡®evil side¡¯ took control. ¡°...!¡±As soon as our eyes met, I immediately distanced myself from her. The eerie feeling she exuded creeped up my spine. At the same time as Inded on the ground, several swords, made of me, passed through the ce where I was. [...Getting hit by one of those would be an instant death for you.] Caliban muttered after seeing the aura contained in those swords. ¡°Yeah, no shit.¡± The Vessel herself was an excellent mage that possessed great strength in using Magic Power, adding Karmic Fire, the Red Devil¡¯s authority to the equation¡­ Even if my Desperation was active to its fullest, I¡¯d still be fatally injured no matter what. Like just now, if I didn¡¯t let myself fall, I¡¯d definitely die. [Then, why the fuck did you get close to her and do that¡­?] ¡°To get her interested in me due to how ridiculous it was.¡± [...] ¡°That''s why.¡± No, I wasn¡¯t joking, I was being serious. Ignoring the silence that came from inside the Soul Linker, I looked at Faenol, who was looking down at me with an indifferent gaze. Well, actually¡­ She wasn¡¯t looking at me, but the lion-shaped breastte I was holding. ¡°...Guardian.¡± The Red Devil muttered. At the same time, the Karmic Fire that was swaying around began to focus on where I was. And this was exactly what I was aiming for. To get her attention, whether it was biting her or any other means. To get her to see this thing, because I knew that she¡¯d react like that once she saw it. [Why did you do that¡­?] ¡°...Because I need her to attack me to open up a gap.¡± If I just kept nkly starting at the column of fire getting bigger¡­ There would be no way to do this, to be honest. Since the Holy Sword, the only means to inflict any kind of damage on the Devil, couldn¡¯t be used, it was hard to effectively hit her even if I used all avable means. So, what I need to do here is¡­ Like I had told Iliya before, what I needed to do was to create a ¡®gap¡¯ so that she could deal the final blow to the Red Devil. And in order to do that¡­ ¡°I have to cling to her once more.¡± Just like earlier, I needed another way to approach her. [So, how will you do that?!] ¡°Well¡­¡± If there was one fortunate thing in this situation¡­ I¡¯d say that it was the fact that it was possible to deal with Faenol to some extent. Because she didn''te at me by using her ¡®brain¡¯ and rationality, but rather she moved ording to a ¡®set pattern¡¯. At the same time, she poured the swaying Karmic Fire over my head. ¡°I just need to not get hit by that.¡± [...] Ignoring the silence, that was clearly Caliban¡¯s way of saying ¡®There this fucker goes again¡¯, I immediately took a step forward. From this time onwards¡­ It was a battle of memorization.. There were at least more than ten waves of me moving horizontally. Such terrifying heat. I guess there was a reason why she was a Devil, huh? Four seconds. I muttered while continuously stepping to the side. One, two, three, four. Spears of fire flew towards me, I dodged everything narrowly. This pattern ended at the fourth second. After those spears were thrown, the next pattern was the rain of me pouring from above. Three seconds. One, two, three. During those three seconds, my feet didn¡¯t stop moving forward. The pattern ended at the third second. Alright, the next one was impossible to dodge, so I had to tank it here. ¡°Valkasus.¡± [Mm!] The Circle of Forbidden Sorcery, which had removed the Karmic Fire the other day, unfolded nearby. It epassed my entire body, shaping a 120 degrees circle around me. -! The storm of me that came in a gust from the front was immediately blocked by the circle. Even inside the walls of fire that unfolded around me, the terribly hot aura collided with the circle and was split in two. [...You crazy fuck, are you out of your mind?!] That shout, almost like a scream, came out of the Soul Linker. [You dumb fuck, you know that you¡¯ll die the moment you make a slight mistake, right?!] Well, he was right. But¡­ ¡°Well, I mean, it always has been that way, no?¡± I replied casually while continuing what I had been doing. Calcting the opponent¡¯s pattern in seconds and the appropriate move the opponent did, then matching my move to the result of that calction. With that, I managed to get closer and closer to Faenol. As Caliban had said, the slightest mistake would end my life immediately, but I made no such mistakes. Everything went smoothly, so I advanced forward without stopping. ¡­I¡¯ve memorized everything, after all. I knew this punk¡¯s attack pattern like the back of my hand. Hell, I could do this with my eyes closed. That was¡­ How well I knew about this punk. And that knowledge wasn¡¯t limited to her in-game elements and such. To me, the Red Devil was special among all the Devils. ¡°...¡± Most of the ¡®strategy¡¯ I had in mind was born from that thought. [...You¡¯re up to something again, aren¡¯t you?] ¡°Yes.¡± [Can¡¯t you at least give me a hint so I can guess what the hell is it?] ¡°Caliban.¡± [Mm.] ¡°About the Red Devil¡­¡± [...Go on.] From his tone, he probably could tell that I was going to spout some nonsense, but I ignored it and continued with a smirk. ¡°She¡¯s the hottest among them all, don¡¯t you think?¡± [...] Okay, hear me out. All the Vessels around me were pretty, obviously. But, if I were to pick one who waspletely my type, it would be the Red Devil. That was why I looked up everything about her, memorized every single detail about her. [...Okay, she¡¯s your type, I get it, so what are you going to do with that?] ¡°Do you need another hint?¡± With a smirk on my face, I prepared the breastte. Tatiana¡¯s soul was sleeping inside it, and that woman was capable enough to fulfill my goal; To ¡®connect¡¯ Faenol and me. ¡°When I said that I¡¯m going to eat her earlier, I meant it.¡± The meaning was a little different, though. I didn¡¯t mean that I was going to consume her. By eating, I meant it in a very metaphorical way. [What the¡­] Before Caliban could even finish his words¡­ System Message [ You are entering the Image World of target ¡®Red Devil¡¯! ] My whole world turned ck. ¡ñ This was something that I felt every time I entered an Image World, but, jeez, this ce was something else. Still,pared to Riru¡¯s or Valkasus¡¯ Image World that I had entered before, this ce was more¡­ [...It¡¯s horrible.] Yeah, agreed. Seeing the surroundings that were painted in zing red, I let out a bitter smile. Everywhere I saw, pain, remorse, and heart-wrenching grief followed. It was as if the Image World was trying to say that¡­ ¡®Life is pain.¡¯ [...So.] Caliban, who was looking at the sight quietly, suddenly called out. [You tried so hard toe here, but there¡¯s nothing special here. What are you going to do here exactly?] ¡°For that, I need you to help find something for me, Caliban.¡± Since it would be easier for someone who was in a Spirit Form to probe around instead of me. ¡°There should be a path where we could go to the deepest part¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that.¡± Before I could even finish my sentence¡­ Someone¡¯s voice echoed in my head as my consciousness was taken away. Into somewhere deeper¡­ Deeper than we were before¡­ The innermost part of the Image World. And there was¡­ ¡°...Are you out of your mind? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯de into the Image World yourself.¡± ¡­Nothing. Inside that ck space, there was nothing. Except for a red woman, looking at me. This was the first time I¡¯ve seen her ¡®materialized¡¯ form. ¡°...I see. So you¡¯re the Red Devil, huh?¡± Unlike the other Devils, back in the game, this punk¡¯s role was to get pummeled by Iliya without making any more fuss. So, this was also the first time I¡¯ve seen her ¡®speak¡¯ on her own ord, not based on how her character was set. ¡°I¡¯ve never given permission for a human to refer to me in that way.¡± And¡­ Unlike other Devils, it seemed like she didn¡¯t like me at all. With the other Devils, they¡¯d rush at me, calling me husband, master, partner, whatever. While this punk was treating me like a bug. ¡°...I don¡¯t know if I should treat you admirably for your courage or treat you like an idiot.¡± As I was thinking as such¡­ The Red Devil continued with a sigh. ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware that I can do anything to you now since you just barged in here?¡± Then, she added, ¡°Unlike in the Material Realm where you can gain your freedom through death, here, I can slowly give you terrible pain whilepletely crushing your mind. That torment willst for an eternity.¡± So she said, but¡­ ¡°Nuh-uh.¡± I let out a smirk. ¡°You see, I have no intention to be subjected to that. Besides, you probably wouldn¡¯t be able to do it either.¡± ¡°...What?¡± The Red Devil asked dumbfoundedly. At that moment, I stretched my hand out to her. Because she was right in front of me, it wasn¡¯t hard for me to touch her. She probably didn¡¯t expect me to do this. ¡°...¡± But this punk didn¡¯t seem to be flustered by my action at all. Instead, she frowned at me. This wasn¡¯t her having a dyed reaction, she just seemed to find it bothersome to react to me in the first ce. Then again, it was just as she had said. This Image World was free from anyw and she was practically the God of this world. She must¡¯ve thought that since whatever it was that I¡¯d do to her, I¡¯d never be able to harm her, so she figured that she¡¯d just let me try and return the favor several folds afterwards. But that was where she got it wrong. You see, I had never thought of harming her from the very beginning. I grabbed her arm and pulled her body toward me. With that, her bnce was broken and her body leaned towards me. ¡°...!¡± Come to think of it¡­ Back when I copsed from overwork and was taken care of by Faenol, that punk did something to me, right? Guess I could count this as a payback. And so, just like what Faenol did to me. I kissed the Red Devil on the lips. No hesitation went through my mind. I kissed her while hugging her waist tightly with one arm. ¡°...?¡± Seemingly unable to register what happened, she only looked at me nkly. And so, our kiss continued, with some licking, sucking, while both of us let out hot sighs in between, mixing our saliva¡­ ¡°...! ...!!!!¡± She freaked out and tried to push me away, probably out of instinct because she was so taken aback that she couldn¡¯t think of anything else to do. [...You¡¯re a pro now, huh?] Caliban said nkly. I¡¯ve been getting my lips stolen by a bunch of people¡ªsad story¡ªso by now, I could pull off something like this skillfully. However, it was a different story for her. ¡°...! ...?! ......?!?!?¡± As if it was only then did she realize that she had total control over this space, she flicked her finger and distanced herself from me, gasping for breath desperately. A thread of saliva, which served as the proof that we had just shared a passionate kiss, slightly stretched down from her palm. ¡°W-W-What¡­!¡± She covered her mouth with both hands, her body stiffened, and her face showed a clear confusion. I grinned at her before saying, ¡°...Man, you suck at kissing. Was that your first time?¡± ¡°...!!!!¡± The funny part here was¡­ Her whole body was red because she was the Red Devil¡­ But I could still tell that she was blushing from embarrassment as soon as she heard what I had just said. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you remember, but I¡¯ve promised something to Faenol in the past.¡± While she was unable to keep up with the situation, I continued on. ¡°I will make her happy.¡± So, don''t die. I''ll save you. I definitely said those words back then. And¡­ ¡°That promise includes you as well.¡± And so, a very simple strategy was derived from it. The Red Devil. My Gift couldn¡¯t work on her, so unlike the other Devils, she didn¡¯t fall over heels for me. Due to her blunt personality, she was indifferent towards me. But¡­ You see¡­ She was a woman. At the same time, she was the Devil with the most evil disposition among them. Since that was the case¡­ ¡­I just need to seduce her. No need to rely on the Gift, I could just do it on my own. I just had to make her fall for me. [...That strategy is so typical of you.] Mhm. I agree with those words in a lot of /genesisforsaken Chapter 212: Strategy (2) Chapter 212: Strategy (2) ¡°Get off me¡ª!¡± The Red Devil¡¯s voice, filled with anger, echoed in the space. Her burning gaze was fixed on me. ¡°You¡­¡± Her voice sounded like a growl. Like a roar of an agitated beast. ¡°Speaking as if you know about me¡­!¡± I knew about you though. Well, my knowledge was limited to the things written in her settings, but still¡­[...She¡¯s really mad at you.] Of course she is. A fucker she had never seen before suddenly appeared, stole a kiss from her, then spewed nonsense about how he¡¯d make her happy and shit, it was understandable that she¡¯d get angry. Anyway, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s fascinating, Caliban? [What is?] How the Devils are doing things that are simr to what humans do. Pretty sure I said something like this to the Fist Saint once. How the things called the Devils¡­ Were more simr to humans than we thought. That was why, the thing that I was trying to do was going to work, no matter what. ¡°...Enough. I¡¯m sick of dealing with you.¡± As I was upied by my own thoughts, the Image World¡¯s appearance began to change drastically. ¡°Struggle until you die, you bug-like human¡­¡± My surroundings began to wriggle, as if it was trying to envelop me and swallow me. However¡­ System Messagen n [ ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ reacts to the presence of a Devil! ] [ The target¡¯s Aura is hostile. The inhabiting Auras automatically resist! ]nn nn nn Contrary to what she wanted, barely anything happened to me. Instead, the Seal on my chest shone. A murky light came out of the Seal, blocking all the red light that wasing at me. Seeing this, her eyes slightly widened. ¡°...Gray¡­¡± She then gritted her teeth. ¡°She engraved a Seal on a human? What the heck was she thinking?¡± ¡°Well...¡± I let out a sigh. Honestly, I had no idea as well. I knew that this Seal thing wasn¡¯t merely an amazing ability that could change my ¡®species¡¯, but it was also filled with all kinds of abilities. But¡­ I had a feeling that there was another important, yet hidden ¡®ability¡¯ within it. It was as if groundwork had beenid for a very important situation that would happenter. ¡­Anyways. That wasn¡¯t important. The important thing here was¡­ ¡°Now you know that I won¡¯t die as easily as you thought.¡± You see, I wasn¡¯t crazy enough to go against a Devilpletely defenseless. This Seal had eaten the Auras of the White Devil, the Gray Devil, the Purple Devil and the Blue Devil. It could give me enough time to resist for a moment even if I were to encounter a Devil¡¯s main body in the Image World. ¡°...So, why don¡¯t we have a small talk?¡± ¡°...¡± I asked the Red Devil, who gave me a silent re. From the way it looked, she seemed to n on letting me babble as much as I wanted before the Seal¡¯s effect ran out since she would be able to kill me by then. [...You''re trying to defeat the Devil only with that?] Who said I''m going to defeat her? I let out a smirk. Dude, I came here to talk to her. Not to fight her. ¡°...Whatever, babble all you want.¡± The Red Devil''s eyes shone as she crossed her arms. Her dark red irises twinkled with a wicked glow. ¡°Once that thing stops working, I¡¯ll immediately kill you and rip your soul apart. Then, I¡¯ll continue everything as scheduled. Those small fries outside won¡¯t be able to stop¡ª¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to burn the whole world and left Faenol alone in that world?¡± ¡°...¡± The Red Devil frowned before closing her mouth. My words hit the bull¡¯s eye¡ªthat was exactly what she was trying to do. Like I said, the first thing this punk would do once she found the Devil¡¯s main body in the Void zone was to turn the world into ashes. The reason for that was¡­ ¡°...It''s better to be alone than to get hurt.¡± So that nobody would hurt Faenol. ¡®Like before¡¯. She was trying to erase the possibility of that happening. The first ce she belonged to, the small vige in the countryside. And the second ce she belonged to, the Magic Tower. Both ces had evidently left memories that were close to a trauma for Faenol. From what I knew, back in the game¡­ The things they did to Faenol were so horrible to the point that the Red Devil would decide that ¡®it would be better to burn everything down rather than letting her get hurt again¡¯. This was also the reason why I couldn¡¯t treat this punk harshly as soon as I saw her. But, still¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t let you do that no matter what.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Because I want her to know that this world is such a wonderful ce. That¡¯s one of the reasons why I told her that I¡¯ll ¡®make her happy¡¯.¡± I wanted to teach her about the world. To teach her that just as something horrible could happen to her, something wonderful could also happen to her. This was something that a certain someone had taught me in the past. ¡°...Ridiculous.¡± The Red Devil replied while sweeping her hair back. ¡°What do you understand about what kind of pain Faenol had suffered? How she crawled around in the mud¡ª¡± ¡°I¡­¡± With a calm voice, I cut her words off. ¡°...Was abandoned as soon as I was born. They found me in a trash can with my umbilical cord wrapped around my neck.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That was the first thing that happened in my life. So I know how it feels when life is trying to screw you over.¡± From now on¡­ I would convince this punk. Defeating the Red Devil would be pointless. Unless I could tell her what the real ¡®happiness¡¯ was, everything would be meaningless. And in order to do that, I needed to open this punk¡¯s heart first. That was why¡­ ¡°...Hear me out for a moment. Just for a moment.¡± It¡¯d be okay to ¡®show¡¯ it to this punk. ¡°Please listen to this old story of mine.¡± My old story¡­ ¡ñ Archbishop Luminol had experienced all kinds of hardships before he could even be an Archbishop of the Holy Land. That was why, he could say for sure¡­ The guy called Dowd Campbell was the most pitiful man in the world. ¡°Wait, what? I said I¡¯m the 91st one, you know?¡± ¡°Sure, in your dreams.¡± A blue-haired woman swung her fist that was covered by a gauntlet, called out to another woman who was wielding a pair of daggers. Even as they were having such a conversation, the Pandemonium Life Forms around them copsed one after another, like fallen leaves in autumn. ¡°...Are you guys sure you aren¡¯t getting along well with each other?¡± Lady Tristan made such a remark. Beside her was a ck-haired woman who looked just as formidable as her. Despite them having different ways to use a sword, the dignity of a master level could be felt from the tips of their swords. One could clearly feel the depths of their power. ¡°...Please, I beg you to refrain from saying something like that even as a joke, Senior Eleanor.¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± As the four of them cooperated and continued to fight, while having such a weird conversation among them, piles of dead bodies kept on umting around them. Actually, instead of fighting, it felt more like they were just ying around. ¡°Um, Father?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lana?¡± ¡°...I came to help because I heard that this is a world-ending crisis, but¡­¡± Lana Rei Delvium scratched her head, looking as if she was at a loss. ¡°Do they really need our help?¡± ¡°...¡± Instead of answering, Archbishop Luminol only stroked his chin silently. None of the more dangerous Life Forms came out of the Gate except for the Hell Guard, but, as Lana said, the situation was a world-ending disaster in itself. He still couldn¡¯t believe that the Dimension Gates to the Pandemonium were opened. Many people would go crazy if they were to hear about it. That was why¡­ He was left dumbstruck after seeing these women taking care of that situation ever so easily. ¡­I even feel sympathy towards that guy. That guy was a man who had done terrible things to his daughter, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel bad about him. He had heard that these women were quite literally fighting over him. A life surrounded by such people, a life where one had to walk on such a tightrope while being wary of them¡ªwas such an unimaginably horrible life in Luminol¡¯s eyes. ¡°...Keep on your toes, kid.¡± But that was that. He turned his gaze to the Red Devil¡¯s Vessel inside the column of fire. The real problem was the woman over there. Ever since Dowd came into contact with her, she had been staying motionless while curling her body up in the air. If one were to look closely at her eyes, it was clear that they had lost their focus, as if she had lost her mind. One could assume that Dowd had overpowered her, but seeing how the Dimension Gates didn¡¯t show any sign of closing and how the column of fire was not dying down, it didn¡¯t seem to be the case at all. If they were to let this situation be¡­ The Seraphim¡¯s Barrier would likely be damaged. ¡°Hero Candidate, are you ready yet?¡± ¡°...Not yet!¡± Iliya answered irritably as she held the Holy Sword with both her hands. She wasn¡¯t just holding it, rather, she seemed like she was trying to inject her Magic Power into it, as if trying to ¡®connect¡¯ the Holy Sword with something. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me! Teach told me I have to municate¡¯ with the Holy Sword by any means¡­!¡± ¡°...Sorry, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy.¡± The Holy Sword contained the power of none other than the Angels of the Astral Realm. So, there was no way that she¡¯d be able to awaken it only by moving her Magic Power around like that. ¡°Why don¡¯t you give me a hint or something then?!¡± ¡°...You¡¯re the first person who didn¡¯t end up dying after holding it, yet there was no Bright Light emitted by it, so it¡¯s hard for me to help you out. If the Bright Light was there at least, I would¡¯ve been able to help you guess the clue¡­¡± Hearing that, Iliya paused and looked at Archbishop Luminol. ¡°...Earlier¡­¡± She then said while hesitating. As if it was something that was hard to say. ¡°Um¡­ I think¡­when I thought about Teach¡­it kinda¡­shone¡­¡± Archbishop Luminol¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°...Then, why don¡¯t you just start from there? You were thinking about that man, right? So, what kind of thoughts did you have that made the Bright Lighte out?¡± ¡°...¡± A light blush appeared on her cheeks as she took a deep breath for a moment. She then closed her eyes tightly before stammered in a quiet voice, ¡°...When I came to realize that¡­um¡­Teach is a precious person to me¡­the sword...let out the light¡­¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Suddenly. Lana eximed. ¡°...It shone just now.¡± At Lana¡¯s words, Iliya opened her eyes and red at the Holy Sword. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I saw it shining slightly when Miss Iliya was talking about him just now.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya scanned the Holy Sword from top to bottom with a dumbfounded look. This thing¡­? Shone? When she said something about him? ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it again?¡± ¡°...What?¡± Iliya replied, as if finding Lana¡¯s words absurd, but thetter just tilted her head, probably thinking that Iliya was the strange one here. ¡°I mean, the Sword reacted after you acted like a maiden-in-love at the thought of Mr. Dowd. So, why don¡¯t you continue doing that to see if it¡¯s rted?¡± ¡°...A-Are you kidding me¡­?!¡± Iliya blurted out while shaking, but Archbishop Luminol replied hurriedly. ¡°I believe her words are true, I swear on my title as an Archbishop that the light just now was the Bright Light of the Holy Sword!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Now, try to piece it together that way. Quick!¡± Seeing how his face was so serious, without even a hint of yfulness, Iliya¡¯s face blushed rapidly. ¡°U-Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Hang in there Miss Iliya! But, you have to do it right now!¡± With their continued urge, Iliya finally managed to open her mouth while trembling in embarrassment. ¡°T-To me¡­ Teach is¡­ A very cool person¡­¡± At that moment, a faint Light came out from inside the Holy Sword. An extremely faint light to be exact. ¡°Um, it¡¯s shining, but it¡¯s not enough! State your feelings more clearly!¡± ¡°W-Well¡­ I-I think h-he¡¯s cool¡­ S-Sometimes, when he shed his smile at me, I could feel my heart just melt right there and then¡­¡± The flickering light appeared again. However, its brightness was still far from being enough. ¡°More! We need something a little bit more intense!¡± ¡°S-Something more intense than this¡­?!¡± ¡°Yes! Miss Iliya, how much do you like Mr. Dowd?!¡± At Lana¡¯s shout, Iliya¡¯s eyes began to tremble. ¡°I-If you ask me how much¡­ U-Um¡­¡± ¡°Do you love him?!¡± Her eyes trembled even more now. ¡°Y-Yes¡­! I-I love him!¡± As soon as she said that, the faint light on the Holy Sword appeared again. After confirming that this was working, Lana eximed an ¡®Oh¡¯. Perhaps something clicked in her head since her words became even bolder after that. ¡°Then, if you love him, you must¡¯ve dreamed of marrying him! How many kids do you want to have with him?!¡± ¡°U-Um¡­? K-Kids?! M-Maybe three would be enough?¡± ¡°What gender do you want your first child to be?!¡± ¡°Aaa¡­aaa¡­ I-I want my first child to be a girl!¡± ¡°What about your honeymoon? Where do you want to go? Beach? Hot spring? Resort?¡± ¡°...H-Hot spring!¡± ¡°Why is that? Be truthful!¡± ¡°B-Because Teach¡¯s body is way nicer than I thought! I-I want to see it more!¡± With the questions bing bolder and bolder, Iliya¡¯s answers also became bolder as she was clinging dearly to thest string that held her sanity together with trembling eyes. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone around them slowly began to turn their attention to them, wondering what they were even doing. Even Archbishop Luminol, who had told Iliya to think in this direction, was looking at the two of them with narrowed eyes. However, since every time Iliya blurted out those bold answers, the Bright Lighting from the Holy Sword became stronger, he couldn¡¯t just stop them in the middle. A while after those two continued such questions and answers. ¡°Alright,st question! What do you want from Mr. Dowd!?¡± ¡°I want him to fuck me¡ª!!!¡± As if what they did was not in vain¡­ A radiant Bright Light burst forth from the Holy Sword, apanying the words that came out of Iliya¡¯s mouth that came out like a scream as tears filled her eyes. The cluster of lights intertwined, forming aplex symbol. Seeing this, Luminol¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is the Bright Light of a Seraphim¡­!¡± Seraphim, the one who stood among all the Angels. Their symbol was now being drawn above the Holy Sword. ¡°Father, is it working?¡± ¡°...It''s on and off, but none of the previous Heroes had the Bright Light of a Seraphim emanating from the Holy Sword¡­!¡± Iliya moved next to Archbishop Luminol, who was speaking as if he had made a groundbreaking discovery. ¡°...I¡­wanna die¡­¡± Her quiet, sniffling voice, reverberated through the surroundings in a somber /genesisforsaken Chapter 213: Strategy (3) Chapter 213: Strategy (3) Regardless of whether Iliya¡¯s dignity as a human being was crushed or not, the world continued to move. Inside the Bright Light, particles gathered, forming a human-like figure. The being had six pairs of wings, a halo floating over her head, decorating their ankle-length hair. She was d in tight white clothes. Her looks were the stereotypical looks of an angel, but¡­ ¡°...Uh?¡± Iliya, who was sniffling, muttered unknowingly as soon as she saw her. Wait¡­ This angel¡­ ¡­Kinda looks like me¡­?She wasn¡¯t being too self-conscious at all. If she were to grow up a few years and let her hair grow, she¡¯d probably look like the angel in front of her. As Iliya looked at her with a strange expression, the Seraphim, whose eyes had been closed ever since she appeared inside the Bright Light, slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes soon met Iliya¡¯s. ¡°...¡± Unknowingly, Iliya broke out in a cold sweat. It was only after their gazes met that she became sure¡­ That this woman in front of her was apletely different being from her. The woman possessed ¡®something¡¯ overwhelmingly huge, making her feel that she was like an ant. That was the kind of pressure the woman exuded. [So, was it you who woke me up?] ¡°...U-Um, y-yes¡­¡± Iliya barely managed to answer as such. The woman¡¯s sweet voice, as smooth as a jade rolling on a tray, made her let out noises as if she was being strangled. How do I even reply to her?! A Seraphim is talking to me¡­! [What do I find here? A cutie shivering from her shyness? How nice~] ¡°...¡± [I was getting really annoyed because all of the previous Heroes were no fun at all, but this time¡­] The Seraphim scanned Iliya from top to bottom, as if ¡®evaluating¡¯ her. Her gaze moved from Iliya¡¯s chest down to her waist, then lingered a little longer on her hips. [...It¡¯s a relief in many ways~] She curved her eyes into crescent moons as she said so in a satisfied voice. Hearing that, Iliya unknowingly took a step back. Because, even though the Seraphim clearly possessed the characteristics of an angel, with her wings, halo and everything, and her face unnaturally looked like her on top of that¡­ When she said those words just now, she gave off a creepy vibe of a sexual harasser. This is¡­ A Seraphim? Are you kidding me? As Iliya unknowingly thought so while looking at the grinning Seraphim, thetter looked around with both hands on her waist. [Well, we can slowly introduce ourselvester¡­] Then¡­ [...After all, there seems to be something to ¡®get rid of¡¯ right now.] A sharp glint appeared in her eyes. At any rate, regardless of whatever vibe she was giving off... She was a Seraphim. A being who stood at the very top of all the angels in the Astral Realm. If the Devils were the Kings of the Pandemonium, then the Seraphims were the Ruler of the Astral Realm. [Time to put in some work.] The scene that unfolded together with the words that came out of her mouth proved that her title wasn¡¯t just for show. Actually, unlike what she had said, anyone could tell that she didn¡¯t even try to put in some work. Because the only thing she did was lightly tighten her clenched fists without moving an inch from where she was. However¡­ ¡°...Oh my God.¡± Archbishop Luminol let out those words with a groan. -! -!! -!!!!!!!!! From merely the Bright Light that came out as she clenched her fists, all the Dimension Gates around them burst into fragments all at once. All of the Pandemonium Life Forms were also ripped into pieces in the blink of an eye. The ground that was dyed by sulfurous soot was ¡®purified in an instant. Archbishop Luminol knew that a Devil who had unleashed their power could turn the surroundings into something simr to the Pandemonium, but an Angel could do the same to purify that. But¡­ He also knew that beings from the Astral Realm¡¯s influence was heavily restricted in the Material Realm. In spite of such a great deal of constraint, she still has so much power! ¡­Indeed, they are the only beings in all dimensions whose status could match that of the Devils. Realizing that the title Seraphim wasn¡¯t for nothing, the Archbishop shuddered. Anyway, since that was the case¡­ In this current situation, where there were several ¡®Devil¡¯s Vessels¡¯ around, the people who¡¯d be affected the most by such a being¡¯s presence¡­ ¡°...Ugh, ah.¡± Yuria, who had barely said a word ever since she got here, hugged her own body at the sight unfolding in front of her. Tension, horror, displeasure, malice, hatred. She felt all those emotions mixed together. It was a torrent of negative emotions that she had never felt before in her life. Meanwhile, Seras and Riru were all stumbling, confused, as if they were experiencing the same emotions as Yuria. Their bodynguages showed that they had no idea why they suddenly felt like that. And among them¡­ There was someone who was the most affected by such emotions. ¡°...It¡¯s unpleasant.¡± Eleanor said, narrowing her eyes. As soon as she saw this sight, she felt as if there was maliceing out from somewhere near her heart, a deep enough malice that made her feel nauseous. It was to the point that it was difficult for her to control the Aura that came out of her body. Her whole body was screaming, trying to tell her to go and tear that damn being apart, to kick that being out of this world. As there weren''t any other options. Her brain was permeated by the feeling that she could not live under the same sky with that repulsive being as soon as she saw her. [...It seems like a lot of people are angry at me, hm?] The Seraphim looked around while letting out a sudden maniacalughter. [You beings from Pandemonium are always in such a hurry to kill us whenever you guys see us. Scawy~¡± ¡°...¡± But¡­ Even while she was saying those words, she was still ring at the Vessels, as if she was going to kill them. But, before Iliya could even say anything, inside the column of fire, Faenol suddenly moved her body. She wrapped her hands around her head before burying her face in between her legs. As if she was sad about something¡­ As if she was weeping while burying her head in her knees¡­ ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Iliya let that out, her eyes widened, meanwhile the Seraphim, who was staring at the sight, replied with a smirk.. [Ah¡ª that¡¯s that thing. Unity.] ¡°...Pardon?¡± [It¡¯s minds uniting. That ¡®key¡¯ over there and the vessel seem to be having a very deepmunion inside the Image World.] ¡°...¡± Iliya looked up at the Seraphim with a pale face. She had absolutely no idea why the Seraphim called Dowd a key, but she didn¡¯t care much about that. The part where she said he was having a deepmunion was more important to her. [Hey, hey, it¡¯s not what you think, you pervert~] ¡°...I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying, Lady Seraphim.¡± [No need to deny it~ It¡¯s all written on your face~] ¡°...¡± The way the Seraphim flew towards her and teased her while poking her side made Iliya think that she was rather cheeky. Add to the fact that she had to shame herself in public to awaken the Seraphim in the first ce, she grew to hate the Seraphim¡¯s personality if anything. [Anyway.] As Iliya entertained her thoughts like that, another sharp glint appeared in the Seraphim¡¯s gaze. [...This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a thing.] ¡°Pardon?¡± [That thing, where a Devil is being ¡®shaken¡¯ in the middle of amunion. She¡¯s showing him a crack on her emotions for him to get in.] In other words¡­ She was ¡®persuaded¡¯. That meant the Devil, who was trying to burn the world to achieve her goal, had half given up on that goal while she was talking with that man. What the¡­ What the fuck did he talk about with her? Does that mean it¡¯s possible for a human to persuade a Devil just by talking? There¡¯s no need for violence? ¡°...Ah,e to think of it!¡± After she saw the Magically Engineered Wristwatch, she said that in a hurry. Thinking back¡­ Dowd had told her that he would create a ¡®crack¡¯ on Faenol around this time. She did not know the exact details about it, but it wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable of her to think that the way Faenol suddenly reacted strongly like that was a ¡®signal¡¯ that he had seeded in doing so. ¡°Lady Seraphim, please help me!¡± [...Hm?] ¡°He said that we have to suppress the Demonic Aura right at this timing! As the master of the Holy Sword, I have to seal that Devil right now!¡± [Well, that¡¯s not hard¡­] The Seraphim¡¯s gaze was fixed on Dowd, who was on his knees motionlessly in the column of fire. [...I need to take a closer look at that manter.] Surely enough. Even in the Astral Realm, there were people who was interested in him. ¡ñ ¡°...¡± I scratched my head, as if I was in a difficult position. ¡°Caliban, are you crying?¡± [...Shut up.] There were sniffling soundsing out of the Soul Linker. He didn¡¯t deny it, so I guess that he really was crying. Well, Caliban reacting like that was one thing, but the Red Devil didn¡¯t look any better. ¡°...You.¡± She called out to me in a trembling voice. ¡°After going through something like that¡­ How are you¡­?¡± ¡°...How am I still fine?¡± ¡°...¡± She affirmed my question with her silence. I continued with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Honestly, I still found it scary. I was afraid that I would see people around me get hurt, to see them go through something horrible¡­ And to see them die¡­ But still¡­ ¡°Still, I can make Faenol simr to me. Seemingly normal. So that she can live on without any problems.¡± Of course, I hadn¡¯t shown her everything. But, I had shown enough fragmentary images. Unauthorized prostitution. Orphan. Vagrant. Survival. Murder. The life of a trash rolling in the mud, who lived the day by selling my future. And, rescue. At the end, at the eleventh hour. A shock that was enough to change my life, that originated from a very small goodwill. If it wasn¡¯t for that, I wouldn¡¯t have lived this fine life. Also¡­ I only showed her part of my ¡®past¡¯ so that I could show her that Faenol, just like me, would ¡®be able to change¡¯. ¡°...Now, do you believe me?¡± Also, I only gave her what I had received from someone else. Well, I understood that her past was filled with messed up things, to the point that the Red Punk volunteered to be her ¡®guardian¡¯ and erased all of her senses because she thought that it would be better for her to live like that. ¡°...¡± The Red Devil looked at me silently. There was no way that I¡¯d be able topletely gain her trust with just this much and I knew that. However¡­ My ¡®past self¡¯ that I had just shown her¡­ Would at least make enough persuasive power in my promise to ¡®make Faenol happy¡¯. Because I had gone through the exact same thing just as she did. ¡°...This kid.¡± The Red Devil said in a gloomy voice. ¡°If she were to cry, get hurt, or if you aren¡¯t good enough to support her¡­¡± But, I could sense a firm determination in it. ¡°I¡¯lle out again.¡± ¡°...¡± Seriously. These Devils really went out of their way for their Vessels. Though this very nature was very useful when taking them into ount. Anyways. ¡°...Don¡¯t worry.¡± I replied with a wink. ¡°I¡¯ll make it so that both you and her will never be able to leave my side.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°As I said earlier, we just have to slowly get to know each other from now on.¡± By showing her my past, I could be sure that we had opened our hearts to each other. Now, the only thing I needed to do was to gradually get closer to this punk. Well, of course, Faenol was included. Damn, I just got a two-in-one deal. ¡°...¡± The Red Devil red at me silently. As I said earlier, it was fascinating. It felt really strange that I could tell that she was blushing even though her whole body was red. ¡°...Go fuck yourself, you yboy trash.¡± I smirked inside at the sight. Caliban. [Uh?] She bes cuter the more you look at her, don¡¯t you think? Everything she did felt like a ssic tsundere. Her looks also fit my taste the most. Now, I felt motivated to slowly get her to like me even more¡ª [Did you get brain damage?] ¡°...¡± [You¡¯re expecting me to call the Devil who killed me cute?] ¡°...¡± Whoops. I asked the wrong /genesisforsaken Chapter 214: Strategy (4) Chapter 214: Strategy (4) The ceiling¡­wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to me¡­ Well, actually, it wasn¡¯t even a ceiling in the first ce. ¡°...¡± Looking up at the starry night, I furrowed my brows. The red aura had been cleared away, so everything looked normal. If this was what was seen as soon as my consciousness came back with a jerk after being inside Faenol¡¯s Image World, then what had happened was obvious. ¡­Chapter Cleared. After unlocking the power of the Holy Sword, Iliya seeded in overpowering Faenol. ¡°Teach. Teach?! Have youe to your senses?!¡±¡°...Yeah, but I feel like I¡¯m gonna be out of it again soon.¡± As soon as I got up, Iliya suddenly appeared, held and shook my shoulders while saying so. Judging by how hard my vision shook as she shook me, she didn¡¯t hold back at all. Ugh, my head¡­ ¡°...Anyway.¡± I looked down at the Holy Sword that rested in her scabbard. Unlike thest time I saw it, the whole sword was emitting faint light. ¡°So, did the sword finally acknowledge you?¡± ¡°...I think it did, somehow.¡± Iliya looked down at the Holy Sword while letting out a chuckle. ¡°Also, I can somehow have a conversation with the being inside it now.¡± ¡°...There¡¯s something inside it?¡± Now, that was new. The game said that the Holy Sword was an item with a Seraphim¡¯s Blessing on it, but I had never heard of any information that implied it contained some kind of being inside of it. ¡°...Yes. A creep.¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing her ring at the sword with a genuinely ufortable expression, I was at a loss for words. What is it that she reacts like that? ¡°...Anyway, congrattions.¡± Dropping the subject, I smiled at her. ¡°You¡¯re a proper Hero now. Everyone will be proud of you.¡± ¡°...But, there¡¯s someone I wanted to show this to the most¡­¡± She said meaningfully. I looked up at her. ¡°...Um, Teach.¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°I¡­have a lot of things to ask you¡­¡± She said, her gaze was fixed on the Soul Linker that was hanging on my wrist. ¡°...My brother¡­is inside that¡­isn¡¯t he¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Holding back my bitter smile, I silently nodded at her. Now that she asked with such certainty, I couldn¡¯t dodge the issue even if I wanted to. Besides, I had used the Guardian¡¯s Lion Breastte in front of her. Mixed feelings passed over her face. Then, silence enveloped us for a while, as if both of us didn¡¯t know what else we should say to each other. ¡°...You¡¯ll give me a proper exnation, right?¡± ¡°...In the near future, yes.¡± My answer was quiet. But, it was also firm. ¡°But now, I can¡¯t.¡± Hearing my words, she silently smiled. Her expression looked somewhat forlorn. ¡°You must have your reasons for that, Teach.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you. Because you would never do anything that would harm me.¡± She ced so much trust in me¡­ So much that I couldn¡¯t help but feel burdened by that trust¡­ [...Why can¡¯t you just tell her now?] ¡­It¡¯s not the right time. I answered Caliban bitterly. She should¡¯ve figured out that he had died by now, and since that was the case, there was no way that the topic of ¡®why¡¯ he died would be left out. The Empress and Lady Tristan were closely rted to that. It wasn¡¯t something that either of us could do something about if I were to tell her at this moment. If anything, it would just affect her negatively more than anything. ¡°...¡± But¡­ When I said that I¡¯d tell her everything in the near future, I meant it. Because it was an important part of the next chapter, ¡®The Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil¡¯. ¡°...Anyway!¡± Iliya raised me to my feet with a wide smile. ¡°We did it, Teach. We overpowered the Devil!¡± System Messagen n [ You have cleared ¡®Chapter 4 - Crimson Night¡¯! ] [ As a reward, an additional function of ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ is unlocked! ] [ As a reward, a special event rted to the leader of each country is unlocked! ]nn nn nn And when I saw a window pop out before my eyes, as if it was the proof for what she said, I burst outughing. There were all kinds of problems, but in the end, I survived again. Somehow, I managed to survive. I got up with a deep sigh. And of course, after this kind of window appeared, like a set, there was something that would follow it¡­ System Messagen n [ You have cleared the Main Quest sessfully! ] [ The ¡®Red Devil¡¯s¡¯ Aura is added to the ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯! ]nn nn nn There it was. I slowly scanned the things that followed after the System Window. System Messagen n [ The Favorability Level of target ¡®Red Devil¡¯ is unlocked! ] [ You have updated the Favorability Level of a ¡®Devil¡¯ by yourself. Condition for unlocking the additional function of the ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ is satisfied! ]nn n nn Skill Infon n [ Fallen¡¯s Seal - Transformation ] [ After a certain period of time, direct ¡®contact¡¯ with the Devils bes possible! ]nn nn nn !NEW!n n [ Due to your influence, the targets can nowmunicate more directly with their ¡®Vessels¡¯! ] [ This will unlock unique abilities for all of the Vessels! ]nn nn ¡°...¡± Now this one was a little¡­strange¡­ All the previous rewards felt that they would definitely help me in one way or another, but this one really felt like a high-risk, high-return thing. Devils couldn¡¯t help but fall for me, that thing, I knew for sure, but I had already seen clearly what would happen once I made a mistake in handling them through Eleanor in the Forge of Struggle. So far, all the Devils except Gray hadn¡¯t gone berserk yet, but there was no guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t in the future. [...In other words, you¡¯d need to manage your girlfriends¡¯ favorability so that they wouldn¡¯t be displeased with you, all while five-timing them. Haven¡¯t you been doing this already?] ¡°...¡± Hearing his words made me wonder how the fuck did I manage to do that so far. Anyway, there was still a little difference between this and the thing that I had done. Before, it felt like I was managing their favorability separately. You see, not all of them knew that I was a crazy bastard who was five-timing them. But now, all of them at least had an idea that I was doing exactly that. Luckily, after I got caught, they didn¡¯t try to break me to pieces. ¡­Managing their favorability would be way harder than before. Because all of them would¡¯ve started to grow conscious of their petitors¡¯. It meant, their catfight would be severely intensified. ¡°...¡± A catfight on a Devil¡¯s level¡­ That almost happened when the Chancellor and Eleanor almost went up against each other back then, right¡­? It sounded like an actual hell on earth¡­ In a lot of ways¡­ ¡°Dowd!¡± As I looked around with such a thought, I could see people running towards me to check on me. All of them were the Devil¡¯s Vessels. Eleanor, Riru, Yuria, Seras. ¡­Come to think of it, it¡¯s fascinating. [What is?] The fact that the Devils cooperated easily without causing any ident this time. It was thanks to the Vessels that this guy rounded up that I managed to suppress the Crimson Night Incident easily. They ¡®cooperated¡¯ with each other to help me without causing any idents. Seriously though, if it wasn¡¯t for them, I didn¡¯t know what would happen in the middle of it, since I kinda went about it with no fucks given on what the fallout could be. [Because the reward they¡¯ll get is good enough. Sure, they usually growl at each other, but when something they want so badly is on the line, they can at least pretend to get along with each other well.] ¡°...What?¡± [Oh, c¡¯mon, I know you didn¡¯t forget it.] Caliban continued with a smirk. [You¡¯re supposed to give them a first-night ticket, no?] ¡°...¡± Ah. Right. Seeing the women who were approaching me, I broke out in a cold sweat. Only then did I see what kind of expressions they were wearing. All of them looked angry, except for one person. ¡°...Then, Dowd.¡± Eleanor said while looking down at me. She looked uncharacteristically nervous. Meanwhile, everyone around her was ring at her unhappily, but she ignored them and continued. ¡°...You didn¡¯t forget the promise, did you?¡± ¡°...¡± Can¡¯t we just¡­ Make this a draw? Please, I beg you¡­ ¡ñ At this point, this one thing that I always did every time this kind of big ident passed had be a fixed routine. Atnte-mon. Please clean up the mess. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± In the Headmistress office. I tried my best to return Atnte¡¯s gaze; She looked as if she was about to kill me. Look, I worked hard this time as well! Couldn¡¯t I ask for something like this at the very least?! ¡°...Fine, I agree.¡± Atnte said while letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Chancellor Sullivan, the Imperial Pce, the Hero Selection, then an incident involving a Devil¡­ Indeed, you had no time to rest. Though it¡¯s only based on your standards, you¡¯ve worked hard enough for the school year. At least summer break will start soon, so that¡¯s a bit of a relief.¡± Atnte continued while rummaging through documents. ¡°A lot of things happened during the Hero Selection, but Student Iliya Krisanax will be appointed as the Hero¡­ I¡¯ll take care of the incident¡¯s cleanup to the best of my abilities, but I¡¯ll still have to hear your opinion on this matter.¡± She said as she gave me some documents. To sum it up¡­ It was about Faenol¡¯s treatment.¡± ¡°...It''s fascinating.¡± Atnte replied with a stiffened expression. ¡°She is someone who has caused such a big incident, yet you stopped it before any casualties could happen by utilizing your usual tricks. But still, the incident could be a continental-level disaster if you didn¡¯t take care of it so quickly.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And since she¡¯s the main cause of such an incident, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if they were to execute her right there and then, but¡­¡± Atnte adjusted her sses before looking up. ¡°There are several groups who came to me, insisting that I should save her. Among them, the one who strongly expressed this opinion is the Tribal Alliance.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine the risk they¡¯ll have to take by protecting someone who almost caused a Devil-rted incident. The fact that they¡¯re still going so far in spite of that¡­¡± Atnte red at me. ¡°...Meant that you created this situation, didn¡¯t you, Dowd?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I readily admitted it. Prior to all this, I made the Tribal Alliance Chieftain owe me a favor and I was just using it now. To be exact, it was this. System Logn n [ Special interaction with the ¡®Tribal Alliance¡¯ is added! ] [ You can request ¡®Special Support¡¯ from the target in question only once! ] [ ''Special Support'' is the right for you to make a request with almost no restrictions on the target and fields; it can have an enormous impact, so use it wisely! ]nn nn The reward I received when I cleared Chapter 3. I used this to save Faenol. ¡°She¡¯s the woman I have my eyes on.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let her get hurt.¡± I said with confidence while Atnte held her forehead, as if she was dying. After that, long silence enveloped us, before she finally opened her mouth again. ¡°She¡¯d be released. But¡ª¡± Her gaze glinted sharply. ¡°...Are you confident that you could shoulder all the responsibilities?¡± ¡°Of course. In fact, even if I don¡¯t need to do it, I¡¯d do it. Though, it¡¯ll take time.¡± Because the things that were rted to her past had to be solved slowly from now on. ¡­And it¡¯s necessary at the end of progression. Faenol was tied to the Magic Tower, a group that would be importantter in the story. Resolving her pent-up rancor was connected directly to clearing the main quest rted to herter in the story. And most of all¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll make her happy.¡± ¡°...Make her happy?¡± ¡°Yes. Because I promised her.¡± When I said that to the Red Devil, I meant it. I had to take responsibility for what I had said. Hearing my words, Atnte let out a smile. She looked like a parent who was looking at her unruly child contentedly. ¡°If you¡¯re really thinking of taking responsibility for it properly, that¡¯s a relief.¡± But then, she handed me another document with a sigh. ¡°...But what¡¯s this, Dowd?¡± ¡°...¡± When I saw it, my expression instantly stiffened. Then I broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°What is it that makes you react like that? You look way more serious than earlier.¡± Hearing that, I shut my mouth for a moment. How do I even start¡­ ¡°...Apparently, they made a bet among themselves¡­¡± ¡°A bet?¡± ¡°The bet was¡­the person who¡¯s the most helpful to me would take my¡­um¡­virginity¡­or so I heard¡­¡± ¡°...¡± A mix of confusion and despair appeared in Atnte¡¯s face. It was as if she didn¡¯t know if she should fall into a despair after hearing that her students made such a destructive bet, or at how I was swept in such a bet, or at the fact that the ones who made such a bet were the most powerful beings across all dimensions. ¡°...So, is this what was sent to me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°A suggestion to have my first experience together at her house?¡± ¡°...I guess so.¡± Atnte answered while looking down at the document she handed me. It was an invitation to the Tristan Duchy house in their Dukedom. It contained a request to stay there during this break. While it was a request, refusing it wasn¡¯t an option. In other words¡­ I had to spend my break in Eleanor¡¯s house. ¡°...¡± Ah. Chapter 215: Welcome To My House! (1) Chapter 215: Wee To My House! (1)These days, Baron Armin Campbell had been following a greatly rewarding daily routine. Back when his son handed him the power to administer over the Goldic Viscounty, saying that he was a Viscount from now on, he was left speechless, wondering what was going on. But, after adapting to a lot of things that happenedtely and began bonding with the locals, his dissatisfaction had pretty much died down. ¡°The Goldic Fief was famous for their mining industry that could produce high quality Mana Stone thatsted for generations.¡± Armin stretched his body after finishing his work, while Herman, his butler, came next to him, putting down a cup of tea while saying those words. ¡°The locals are satisfied because they can buy high quality Mana Stones at a low price ever since their territory was united with the old Campbell¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°Yes. That''s good news.¡± Armin agreed while letting out a chuckle. Though, right after that, his expression turned grim. ¡°...Everything would¡¯ve been perfect if it wasn¡¯t for that.¡±¡°...That, huh?¡± Herman repeated, his tone was gloomy. He agreed with his master that they had been enjoying a pretty good life recently. Well, aside from ¡®that thing¡¯, which usually came around this time. ¡°Viscount Campbell, Sir, are you there?¡± Hearing the voice that came from outside the office, both Armin and Herman¡¯s bodies stiffened at the same time. The owner of the nervous sounding voice was a servant. Normally, they would casually ask him toe in and greet him with a kind smile, but not this time, as they instantly broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°Is it that again this time?¡± ¡°...I believe so, Sir.¡± After hearing Armin¡¯s words, the servant answered while swallowing dryly. ¡°The sender is the Tristand Duchy and Kendride Margraviate¡­¡± ¡°...Come in then.¡± Matching Armin¡¯s nervous voice, several servants came in, pulling a handcart, all looking nervous. On the handcart were two big boxes. Apanying the boxes, there were two letters, handwritten by two different people. ¡°What¡¯s in there this time?¡± When Armin asked while pointing at the box, the servant answered while shutting his eyes tightly. ¡°...Assortment of jewels made by the most famous jewelry in the continent and medicines delivered directly from the Magic Tower. I heard that both items are something that the Imperial Pce would periodically receive.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Armin¡¯s expression quickly became pale, meanwhile, Herman, who wasn¡¯t looking any less pale than him, made a remark. ¡°If we sell just a tiny part of these, we¡¯ll have a few months worth of budget to run our territory¡­¡± Armin let out a groan while holding his head. He had to do this, or else the dizziness he felt wouldn¡¯t ever subside. ¡°...What¡¯s written in the letter?¡± ¡°Nothing much, as usual.¡± Fortunately, the letter only contained small greetings, in contrast to the big gifts. They were just small talks like ¡®How are you doing,¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m doing fine here¡¯, or ¡®A lot of things happened in my territory¡¯; the kind of small talks that people in a close rtionship usually had. But, the problem here was¡­ Both senders were Major Nobles who had enough power to blow the whole Viscounty with just a snort. He wondered¡­ Why did such people¡­ Send such greetings to him, every single time, as if he was their master or something¡­ That wasn¡¯t all, they even included such amazing gifts. They kept stuffing these items into his pocket for free, as if they asked him to just receive everything without expecting anything in return. It was as if they were desperately trying to earn some brownie points from him, even though he was the one who should have done so to both of them. ¡°...¡± If he were to be honest, this kind of treatment was burdensome. No, actually, it was downright scary. If he could, he¡¯d rather return these items back to them rather than receiving them. ¡°This is because of my son, right?¡± ¡°Would there be any other reason?¡± As Armin said so while ring at the two letters, Herman quickly chirped in agreement. There was indeed no one in Armin¡¯s life, except for Dowd, who could elicit such reactions from them. ¡°...Put these away somewhere.¡± Armin said while waving his hands around. The servant answered with stiffened expression, ¡°...My Lord, the warehouse is already full, there''s no empty room left.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Especially since the 20 sets of petrified Protective Giant Demonic Creatures we receivedst time were quite big¡ª¡± ¡°-Let''s not talk about that. Please just take care of it.¡± After seeing Armin¡¯s shaking hands, as if some kind of trauma had been triggered, Herman cut the servant¡¯s words in a gentle voice. It hadn¡¯t been long since the incident when Armin immediately fainted after he saw life-sized statues of ferocious Demonic Creatures, which could rip humans apart like cardboard, entering his front yard as gifts. Those things possessed the power to destroy any County with ease if they were to be released from their petrification¡ªdefinitely something that shouldn¡¯t be put in the front yard of a Viscount whose specialtyy in agriculture rather than warfare. Upon recalling such a memory, Armin tried to calm his trembling chest while Herman opened his mouth. ¡°...By the way, Master.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Alongside everything they usually sent, Tristan Duchy also sent us a document.¡± Hearing that, Armin could feel his heart sink. Seeing his master¡¯s face went pale right then, the butler wore an apologetic expression before continuing his words. ¡°It''s an invitation letter.¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°The Tristan Duchy said they had a big announcement to make, and they requested your attendance.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Young Master and his friends are going toe as well.¡± ¡°...¡± Since his son wasing, chances were that Lady Tristan would be there too. They also specifically mentioned that he ¡®should¡¯e to attend, since they had a big announcement to make. In other words¡­ The time hade. ¡°...They must''ve messed something up, didn''t they?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a high chance they did.¡± ¡°...¡± Armin held his face with his trembling hands. As if forgetting his dignity as a noble, he facepalmed. ¡­Please. Son, you bastard. What have you done this time? ¡ñ I¡¯ve said it before, but well-made carriages were veryfortable to ride in. The fact that I could think this way, even though I was someone from the Modern World who had ridden all kinds of vehicles before I came to this world, meant that these carriages were quite something indeed. So, while riding the Tristan Duchy¡¯s carriage, one of the most reputable nobles in the continent, chances were I would be having quite thefortable ride during this trip. [So, is itfortable for you?] Hell no. I was just saying what should¡¯ve happened, not what I was currently feeling! ¡°...Um, Miss Be¨C¡± ¡°I am Be Myers.¡± Before I could barely say anything, she already cut my words. She was wearing a suit that meticulously covered her entire body, a pair of white gloves, neatly tied hair and a monocle. The beauty she exuded gave off the impression of apetent officedy. Also, she was the person who¡¯d be taking care of me during my stay in Tristan Duchy. ¡°Unlike Sir Dowd, I¡¯m merely amoner without any formal title, so please, refrain from using honorifics when addressing me.¡± ¡°...¡± This serious person¡¯s name was Be Myers. I heard that she was Eleanor¡¯s personal maid. With that fact alone, I¡­ uh, how should I put this¡­? I got scared of what Eleanor was up to? ording to rumors in the noble society, sharing a maid was something they wouldn¡¯t do unless they were ¡®family¡¯. Caliban. [Hm?] I know that her reward is a First Night Ticket, but seeing what she¡¯s trying to do, it feels like¡­ [She¡¯s trying to set up a meeting between the bride and the groom¡¯s families before marriage?] ¡®...¡¯ [Also, I heard they invited your father toe.] Yeah. Thank you for voicing what exactly I was thinking. It seemed like the moment she had the chance to invite me to her territory, she immediately tried to settle everything that she had in mind all at once. ¡°If I may, please take a look at this.¡± As my stress level intensified while I was having such ominous thoughts, Be handed me something. ¡°...This is?¡± ¡°Please just skim through it for now.¡± Hearing her words, I tilted my head before doing exactly what she told me to. In the documents were information regarding the territories near the Campbell Viscounty. The way it was written was neat and borate, as expected of the handiwork of a servant who served the Major Noble. ¡°...¡± Actually, this shit was way too borate! It even included details about their securities, military facilities, and even their most well-hidden secrets! Like, the kind of closely guarded secrets that only the territory rulers would know! ¡°Please choose which territory you would like to annex, Sir Dowd.¡± ¡°...¡± What the fuck is she on about? ¡°...Miss Be.¡± Hearing that, she frowned her beautiful brows. ¡°My name is Be. Please treat me properly, as I am beneath you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You can verbally abuse me, curse me, or humiliate me if you wish, but please refrain from addressing me with honorifics, Sir, as you¡¯ll be putting me in an extremely difficult position.¡± ¡°...Be.¡± Since it was clear that she wouldn¡¯t drop this matter if I didn¡¯t give in, I listened to what she said. ¡°You know I can¡¯t just do that. Territories can only be annexed by Her Majesty¡¯s appointment.¡± The case with Goldic¡¯s territory was an exception among exceptions. Normally, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to take over another noble¡¯s territory. We still had the Empress as the leader of our country, we couldn¡¯t just do things as we wanted like¡ª ¡°Her Majesty has approved this matter.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You just need to choose and we will immediately incorporate their territory into the Viscounty territory, Sir.¡± The fuck? Is she crazy? I felt that my mouth went dry as I looked at Be. Contrary to how I looked, she just continued calmly. ¡°The Campbell Viscounty is a family that will soon be rted to our Tristan Duchy by blood. It will put us in a difficult position if Sir Dowd refuses to expand the Viscounty¡¯s territory.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The Lady, the Duke, and even Her Majesty, all have agreed¡ª¡± ¡°-By the way.¡± I swear, I¡¯d die from nausea if we kept talking about this, so I forcefully changed the topic. ¡°Why do you keep calling me Sir¡­?¡± You see, it was my father who had the title, not me. On paper, I was merely the eldest son of a noble family, one without a knighthood or an official noble title. However, when I posed this question, Be asked me back with wide eyes. ¡°...Sir, you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°...¡± She silently stared at me for a moment. Soon after, a light sigh came out from her mouth. ¡°...If you truly do not know, then please don¡¯t mind me. I believe there is a good reason why the others had not told you yet.¡± ¡°What does¡ª¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, you will find out about it soon.¡± She cut off my words just like that. When I thought that the awkward silence would continue, Be shifted her gaze outside while opening the window. ¡°Rather than that, please take a look at this.¡± She pointed outside, as the carriage was about to go over the slope of a high hill and went downhill. Since we were at a quite high altitude, we could clearly see the scenery from inside the carriage. ¡°This is the Tristan Duchy.¡± Be said as I followed her gaze and looked outside the window. Before my eyes¡­ A vast city unfolded like a panorama. ¡°...Whoa.¡± It was so wide. Like, really fucking wide. I had been to the Imperial Pce before, but even the Pce, which gave me the impression that it was both majestic and massive, didn¡¯t give out this overwhelming ¡®vastness¡¯. The city was vast, even when I tried to look at the horizon, I couldn¡¯t see its ends. It seemed like what they said about the Tristan Duchy being the most huge noble territory in the continent was true. This was the Empire¡¯s best bastion, the one that was dubbed as the second heart of the Empire after the Imperial Pce, the Tristan Duchy. Eleanor¡¯s hometown. Does this even make sense? This was the first time I¡¯ve seen a city this massive, even if I were to count my previous life¡¯s experience. I guess the term Empire¡¯s Greatest Major Noble didn¡¯t exist for no reason. Such a sincere impression crossed my mind. This scenery made me once again realize that the white-haired Lady who was always with me, was a very important person. ¡°Hm?¡± As I was admiring the scenery, something strange suddenly shed by and passed through my view. At the checkpoint before entering Tristan Duchy territory at the end of the slope¡­ There were crowds of people¡­ ¡°...¡± No, actually, maybe, people wasn¡¯t an urate word to describe them. Rather, they were a very well-trained ¡®army¡¯. Hundreds of them were lined up, all wearing solemn expressions. Normally, this would be something that would provoke my anxiety, as I¡¯d suspect that something had gone wrong somehow. But, they weren¡¯t holding weapons in their hands, so it shouldn¡¯t be the case. [ Wee to the Tristan Duchy, Sir Dowd Campbell! ] [ We Sincerely Wish for Your True Unity with Lady Tristan! ] ¡°...¡± As soon as I saw those words, written in the signs that those knights held with solemn expressions, my face stiffened. Besides those signs, they were also holding pictures, paintings, and statues¡­ All of them depicted Eleanor and me standing next to each other. ¡°...¡± I kid you not, those were statues! How the fuck did they got those things prepared in such a short time?! Of course I knew who it was that made them do all this. Eleanor, I swear. You don¡¯t need to go this far! Seriously, I¡¯m going to die from embarrassment¡­! ¡°It¡¯s time to set out, Sir, or else we¡¯ll bete for the parade.¡± ¡°...Parade?¡± ¡°The Duchy had nned several events to celebrate your visit, Sir. The parade marks the beginning of the events.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing Be¡¯s words, I broke out in cold sweat. Shit hadn¡¯t even started yet and the difficulty level had risen to the highest. Fuck me. Chapter 216: Welcome To My House (2) Chapter 216: Wee To My House (2)Lucia Greyhounder looked at Yuria, who was sitting next to her, with a worried look. Currently, it was their regr prayer time, so getting together at this time was pretty much a routine for them. Since that was the case, neither of them should feel pressured or burdened by it. ¡°...¡± But, recently¡­ Around this time, Yuria¡¯s condition would turn for the worse. Her whole body would tremble slightly, she¡¯d keep her eyes tightly closed, and her hands, visibly drenched in cold sweat, tightly sped. Sometimes, she¡¯d mumble something as if she was weeping. She had been like this ever since Dowd woke up from his lost consciousness. ¡­This girl must have regretted that incident really badly.Lucia suspected that her sister¡¯s regret over harming the same person twice had seeped to her bones. Or else, there should be no reason why she showed such a reaction, as if she was traumatized, when she was praying. It looked as if she was confessing all her sins to God. ¡°Yuria.¡± ¡°Yes, Unnie.¡± ¡°Mr Dowd said it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± After they defeated the Red Devil and suppressed Faenol when she went berserk, Dowd had met face-to-face with Yuria and addressed the matter clearly. He told her that she did not need to feel guilty, since he really was okay. Still, the fact that he had to go out of his way to do that meant that Yuria¡¯s condition was especially serious in his eyes. ¡°...Yeah.¡± However¡­ As one could tell from Yuria¡¯s answer which came out weakly. Even his words and guarantee failed to cheer her up. ¡­I think what she needs is a chance. To get rid of the depression that was ailing her heart. Lucia sighed before putting her hands together again. She focused her mind before reciting a prayer reverently to the tform before her eyes. ¡­God, please. If anyone were to ask her, if her faith in God had not waver, it would be hard for her to give them a positive answer. Still, this prayer was for her sister. Whatever the state of her faith was, she still sincerely prayed for her sake. Give Yuria strength to ovee this hardship¡­ But, before she could even finish her prayer, the chapel¡¯s door burst open, as if answering her prayer. ¡°So you¡¯re here!¡± ¡°...¡± Even though the support from the Holy Land was cut off, Lucia was still holding the Saintess title. So, there wouldn¡¯t be many people who¡¯d be rude and brave enough to interrupt her prayer like this. ¡°...Miss Iliya?¡± But¡­ The person who was recently appointed as the ¡®Hero¡¯ was among those people. Not only was she chosen by the Holy Sword, the Holy Land had also officially appointed this person, Iliya Krisanax, as the Hero. Just the authority granted by that title was enough to let her behave this rudely towards the Saintess. ¡°...What are you doing here? Don¡¯t you have a lot of work to do?¡± Of course, even if that was the case, it didn¡¯t mean it was right for her to do that at this time. Since she just got appointed, isn¡¯t she supposed to undergo some kind of training that befits her status? Or isn¡¯t there a mountain of administrative procedures to mediate interests between the countries that she needs to take care of? What is she doing here instead of doing all those things? Iliya didn¡¯t even pretend to hear Lucia¡¯s question and walked straight towards Yuria. ¡°...Hero, right now is prayer¡¯s time. If you need something from us, we¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been agonizing about how Teach got hurt because of you, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing those words, Lucia¡¯s mouth fell open. Dear God. What¡¯s with this person all of a sudden? ¡°...Yeah.¡± Yuria struggled to avoid Iliya¡¯s gaze. She is right and all, but¡­ Is there a need to say it directly in front of the person in question like that? Lucia almost vocalized that thought, but Iliya¡¯s voice came out first. ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you help me save him?¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made mistakes twice, but you just need to give him a big help once to make up for it! Big enough help to get rid of the guilt you feel!¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± Like a parrot, Yuria repeated the same word her sister said as Iliya walked towards her. ¡°Right now, Mr. Dowd is under a great threat!¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°He was dragged to the Tristan Duchy! Because of that bet that wasn¡¯t even funny!¡± ¡°...¡± Wait¡­ Didn¡¯t Yuria participate in that bet as well? As Lucia thought so while narrowing her eyes, Iliya brought her bright face closer to Yuria¡¯s, who looked even more taken aback than before. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to save him! I never imagined that they made such a bet when I wasn¡¯t around!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s also why I came to you, since you¡¯re my most reliable friend!¡± ¡°F-Friend¡­?¡± Yuria said, her voice trembling, though her face had brightened up slightly. Seeing this, Lucia flinched. This was the look that her sister hadn¡¯t shown in a few months. ¡­The mood is kind of strange, but¡­! Should I just let them be? Has my prayers been answered? Is this the chance that I prayed for¡­? Lucia thought so while gulping dryly. Iliya continued as if she was spitting fire from her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s raid the Tristan Duchy together!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°We¡¯ll storm that ce and get Mr. Dowd back!¡± Wait! How did shee up with that?! Lucia thought so and hurriedly said, ¡°W-Wait, I know that you¡¯re not really going to raid them, but¡ª¡± ¡°Saintess, I¡¯m a Hero now.¡± ¡°...?¡± Yes, she is. But why is she saying that? As Lucia blinked her eyes while thinking as such, Iliya continued, sticking out her chest proudly. ¡°That means I have the authority and power to go against the Student Council President!¡± ¡°...¡± Lucia quickly frowned. ¡°Even though she¡¯s the greatest major noble in the Empire, she¡¯ll have no choice but to kneel in front of the Hero!¡± ¡°...¡± Is this really the person who bears the hope of humankind¡­? The future of the world is bleak. ¡°...Miss Iliya.¡± She remembered it clearly. In the past, whenever Eleanor would suddenly charge ahead like this, Iliya was the one who¡¯d hold her back. It seemed like what they said about if you were to stare at the abyss long, the abyss would stare back at you was true. Lucia suddenly thought so as she looked at Iliya, feeling something familiar. Right, there are words that I always ended up saying to that person whenever I feel this way. ¡°Yes, Saintess?¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°...¡± It seemed as if someone who got along with Dowd for a long time was getting influenced by him. Lucia was convinced as she held her head. ¡ñ This was so fucking tiring. I just arrived at the territory, but I already went through a parade, had to give a speech, got tossed into the air, and even watched a celebration performance by the military¡¯s band. ¡°...¡± I swear, they wouldn¡¯t go this far even if the Empress were to visit them. Yet, why are they going this far now¡­? ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, Sir. Please follow me.¡± Be said to me, who was exhausted. ¡°...Anything else I have to go through?¡± ¡°There¡¯s just one thing left. You may rest in your amodation after that is done.¡± ¡°...¡± What else is there to do? Well, at the very least this is thest one. I sighed deeply inwardly while following Be behind. ¡­Hm? Suddenly, a window popped up before my eyes. System Message [ Conditions for Individual Quest ¡®Snake Pit¡¯ is created! ] [ Number of important NPC gathered in Tristan Duchy Territory : 2 / ??? ] [ Individual Quest will be revealed once the conditions are met! ] ¡°...¡± Huh? I looked at the window before my eyes while stroking my chin. Nowadays, these quests would pop up before my eyes out of nowhere, so most of the time, I had to interpret what it meant by myself. First of all, guessing from the ominous name of the quest, Snake Pit¡­ ¡­This must be rted to my trouble with women again. I could tell this much with my eyes closed now. Just from the name, I could already smell that the women around me were deeply rted to this. The problem here was¡­ [ Number of important NPC gathered in Tristan Duchy Territory : 2 / ??? ] ¡°...¡± Why isn''t the number listed properly? It felt like this thing was shouting ¡®Prepare to get even more fucked than you already are!¡¯ into my ears. ¡­Hm. Anyway, seeing what was presented¡­ I predicted that the severity of the Individual Quest would be determined by how many of them gathered here. In short, if all of them were here, this ce would probably turn into a snake pit, just like the quest¡¯s name. As for the probability of those women around me gathering here is¡­ It wasn¡¯t that low. Eleanor had dered that she¡¯d invite me to her house and squander me like a beast. Chances that the other women would flip their eyes over at that fact and end up attacking us¡ªwhich meant, all of them were potential dangers. To put it simply¡­ I¡¯m screwed. [...You know, I¡¯m not sure what made you say that, but your tone suggested that the situation isn¡¯t that urgent?] Well, it¡¯s not like me being screwed is anything new at this point. [...] Hearing the reply that I gave out casually, Caliban shut his mouth, as if he had nothing else to say. [Anyway, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re losing your humanity like before. You seem to be holding on to your reason well these days, so, good for you.] Pardon? [But, the fact that you are gradually bing a clear-eyed madman worries me.] ¡®...¡¯ [I swear, you look like you¡¯re half enjoying this whole thing to me.] What is he on about? While we were having such a meaningless conversation, I reached the end of the corridor. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Hearing that, I turned my gaze forward. ¡°...¡± My expression instantly stiffened. Because the door before my eyes was a very familiar door. Wait. Is it really okay for me toe here? ¡°Miss Be, may I ask¡ª¡± Seeing her cold expression, I immediately changed my words, ¡°...Be, I want to ask something.¡± She replied with a smile. ¡°Go ahead, Sir Dowd.¡± ¡°...Is this the Lord¡¯s room?¡± ¡°You are aware of it?¡± ¡°...¡± Of course I was. In Tristan Duchy, there was only one person who was referred to as the ¡®Lord¡¯, someone who wasn¡¯t the ¡®Duke¡¯. Leonid Reventador La Tristan. The most senior Elder in the Tristan Duchy. Actually, he was a member of another noble household, not the Tristan Duchal House. His household was merged with the Duchal House along with a promise of marriage. ¡°...¡± There was one big enough of a marriage to warrant that. Gideon¡¯s marriage, the marriage of the couple who gave birth to Eleanor. In other words¡­ This person was Gideon¡¯s father-inw. And Eleanor¡¯s grandfather. But why is he here? ¡°He expressed his wish to meet you, Sir Dowd.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, I furrowed my words. I had no idea what it was that he wanted. Even after I tried to think of Leonid¡¯s character setting, I couldn¡¯t think of any reason he would ever take interest in me. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°...¡± However, since Be had started to urge me, I put my worries aside. ¡­It isn¡¯t like I have a reason to avoid meeting him. Also, I had no reason to reduce the favorability of people around Eleanor. With that thought in mind, I entered the room. The interior was like a vast library.. It gave off the feeling of a schr¡¯s office. ¡°...My Lord.¡± I carefully said after entering the room. After I did so, the person sitting across the desk turned his chair around to face me. ¡­Whoa. If growing old beautifully was personified, this person in front of me would be it. With this guy¡¯s look alone, he could be a movie star in my previous world. ¡°So you''re Dowd Campbell?¡± Even his voice was the voice of a movie star. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, My Lord.¡± Hearing my words, Leonid nodded, there was no change in his expression. ¡­Huh, he feels so familiar for some reason¡­ How should I put this¡­? He was very simr to Eleanor. She probably inherited his traits. It seemed like her tendency to dull their expression was a family thing. ¡°I''ll ask you one thing.¡± He continued. ¡°Are you the one Eleanor invited?¡± ¡°...?¡± Why would he even ask that, though? I tilted my head inwardly. Well, she did invite me, so I gave my confirmation for now. ¡°Yes. I am always indebted to the Lady.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Hearing my answer, Leonid then went silent. And that silence¡­ Went for a good while. Then, he broke it with a calm voice. ¡°You two seem to have a pretty deep rtionship.¡± ¡°...Fortunately, the Lady seems to see me favorably¡ª¡± ¡°Then I''ll kill you.¡± ¡°...¡± Also it seemed like¡­ Eleanor¡¯s trait to just charge ahead without any warning was also something that ran in the family. Chapter 217: Welcome To My House (3) Chapter 217: Wee To My House (3)¡°...My Lord.¡± Be interrupted with a cough. I knew she understood my feelings. It was just way too strange of this guy to tell someone he just saw for the first time that he was going to kill him! As expected, even though they were from the Tristan Duchy, they still at least had a semnce of justice andmon sense¡ª ¡°What is it, Be?¡± ¡°Ipletely understand how you feel, but Mdy definitely¡­¡± After that, the two began to whisper to each other in a low enough voice that I couldn¡¯t hear them anymore. ¡°...¡± I see. She understood himpletely, huh? So in their eyes, me being friends with Eleanor was a big enough felony for them to immediately kill me.¡°...Hm.¡± As I pondered about how the world had be such a harsh ce, Leonid, who had been whispering with Be, looked at me before letting out a snort. His disapproval was clearly stered in his face, but as the head of the family, he was still obligated to treat me appropriately as I was his guest. To prove this, he opened the drawer and picked something up. ¡°Take this.¡± It was the key to the room. ¡°...I¡¯ll be frank. It¡¯s impossible for me to like you, Sir.¡± ¡°...¡± This guy just said that he hated my guts straight to my face. Well, I could tell from the way he treated me as soon as he saw me, but since his dislike for me was strong enough to the point that he said such a thing, I couldn¡¯t help but be curious about it. ¡°...May I ask you the reason?¡± Hearing what I said, Leonid snorted theatrically. ¡°Ask me again after you cut down the number of women around you by half.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Your reputation in Elfante is already great enough, to the point that I don¡¯t even need to do an additional investigation on you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Just think of it, your one and only granddaughter brought home a weird yboy like you. As her family, how would you feel about that?¡± [Well, he got a point¡­] ¡°...¡± Caliban. Whose side are you on? ¡­Well. His reason was more convincing than I thought. Honestly, I thought that he was just hating me for a weird reason that I didn¡¯t know. ¡­Anyway, this guy is aplete fool for his granddaughter, For many reasons, Eleanor was the apple of his eye. That was part of the reason why Eleanor, who was practically neglected by Gideon ever since she was a child, didn¡¯t grow up as twisted as expected. It was all thanks to Leonid¡¯s care and love. And this was why I was so worried when I found out that it was him who called for me. I mean, it would be a problem if he was nning something bizarre to screw me over. But, it seemed like that was a needless worry, as he was just worried about his granddaughter. As I thought so, Leonid clinked the key in front of me, as if urging me to take the thing quickly. ¡°That¡¯s the key to your amodation, Sir. The ce wouldn¡¯t be asfortable as your home, but do try to make yourself at home the best you can.¡± Those words were something I could agree on, there was no way the ce would befortable. Then again, ever since I entered the Duchy, I already knew that this whole thing wouldn¡¯t be smooth sailing for me. ¡°...Thank you.¡± As I replied and was about to receive the key withoutining. The office¡¯s door burst open. And the one who barged in was someone familiar, so familiar that I unknowingly called her out in a daze. ¡°...Eleanor?¡± Since she was wearing an outfit I had never seen before, I almost didn¡¯t know her. The Eleanor I remembered always dressed herself in the school uniform, including the hat. She was wearing an off-shoulder dress with ck frills. Her long hair was elegantly twisted with hair ornaments. She looked like an exemr of a Lady from a noble household from hair to toe. Everything about her looked luxurious. But, even if that was the case, her appearance didn¡¯t give off a vain air. Because she exuded an aura that turned all those things into mere ¡®decoration¡¯. As if implying that you''d need objects at this level to decorate what was most ¡®valuable¡¯. That the the difference in ss was what turned such items into things that ¡®matched¡¯ her. ¡°...¡± Honestly, it was to the point of giving me chills. She was beautiful. I unknowingly stared at Eleanor in a daze. [...Have you finally lost it?] ¡°...¡± Caliban¡¯s fearful voice snapped me back to my senses. Huh? What was that supposed to mean? I mean, she¡¯s that beautiful. Anyone would lose it after seeing her! [No, not that. I was just surprised to find out that you¡¯re able to feel such an emotion when you see a girl¡­] ¡°...¡± [So our Dowd isn¡¯t impotent after all¡­!] This fucker must have some kind of illness that would kill him if he didn¡¯t talk nonsense periodically. As I thought so while scratching my cheek, Eleanor trudged towards me and grabbed my wrist. Seeing that, Be and Leonid¡¯s bodies stiffened, as if they were getting caught doing something they shouldn¡¯t have done. Eleanor¡¯s eyes shone coldly. There was a clear anger in her eyes. ¡°Grandfather.¡± She said in a cold tone. I swear, she could start a hail during midsummer with how cold that tone was. ¡°This is the key to the annex.¡± ¡°...My dear.¡± ¡°The building is near the knightage post in the territory.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°In other words, it¡¯s the best ce to lock up someone and keep him out of contact with anyone, am I right, Grandfather?¡± ¡°...¡± Leonid and Be fell silent at the same time. Meanwhile, after snatching the key from my hand, Eleanor trudged towards Leonid and put the key on the desk. There was something strange about the cold air that wasing out from her whole body. ¡°Grandfather.¡± Her eyes were fixed on Leonid as her red iris shed a dangerous light that almost seemed like blood. ¡°You may do whatever you want of course, but I have requested you several times to never do anything that could get in the way of my time with Dowd.¡± ¡°...Eleanor. I have things to say about that ma¡ª¡± ¡°Whatever they are, I refuse to hear them.¡± Leonid was about to say something before Eleanor cut his words off. From her attitude, it was clear that she wouldn¡¯t ept any objectioning from his mouth. ¡°Grandfather, Be.¡± Then¡­ In a solemn voice, she dered. ¡°I hate you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I won¡¯t see you for a while.¡± ¡°...¡± I swear this would be perfect if she were to add a ¡®hmph¡¯ at the end of her sentence. [...Is that right?] Caliban asked, dumbfoundedly. What she ended up saying was ridiculously cutepared to how she set the mood. The reactions to her words were dramatic. Leonid and Be¡¯s expressions didn¡¯t change, but as I had trained my eyes to the point that I could read expressionless faces well, thanks to Eleanor, I could tell what was going on with them. From how the muscles in their cheeks wriggled and how they failed to hide their shaky arms¡­ And how Leonid¡¯s beard seemed to have grown longer than earlier¡­ ¡°...My dear, what does that¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s as you have heard, Grandfather.¡± Her speech had be more rxedpared to how she addressed him formally just a few moments ago. However, when they heard that shift in tone, Be and Leonid¡¯s faces gradually turned pale. It was as if when she was using this kind of speech, their words would never go through her at all. ¡°That¡¯s the punishment for the crime of trying to take Dowd away from me.¡± Those words¡­ Came out so firmly, showing her refusal to even consider backing down a little. ¡ñ ¡°...Please excuse his rudeness.¡± As soon as we got out of the room and went to the hallway, Eleanor said that while clearing her throat. ¡°My Grandfather always overreacts to everything whenever I am involved.¡± ¡°...Uh, don¡¯t sweat it.¡± I replied in an awkward tone while scratching my cheek. Well, I already roughly knew that Leonid was that kind of person, so I didn¡¯t really feel anything even though he did that to me. But, it seemed like she wasn¡¯t satisfied with my answer as Eleanor gave out another excuse with a sigh. ¡°With the Upper Nobles Association keep trying to pick a fight with our Tristan Duchy about every single thing, it was him who had to deal with them since the current Duke is absent. Because of that, he¡¯s probably became more sensitive than¡ª¡± Suddenly, her words were cut off. Then, she walked a few steps closer to me while tilting her head. ¡°Your face seems a little red. Are you sick?¡± ¡°N-No. Don¡¯t mind me, I¡¯m fine.¡± I shook my hands and even took a few steps back. All to hide my face that was blushing even more furiously than before. ¡°...If you say so.¡± She tilted her head again before taking a few steps back. That made me feel relieved. God, what¡¯s wrong with me, seriously? It wasn¡¯t like this was the first time I¡¯ve seen her! Why did my heart keep pounding like an adolescent boy just because I saw her dressed up?! ¡­Seriously, why? What was going on with me, really? As I thought so,pletely puzzled, Eleanor, who was walking in front of me, stopped. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. This is the ce you are going to stay in.¡± Her words snapped me back to my senses as I turned my gaze ahead. In front of me was a huge annex. No, an enormous one¡ªit was as if they had taken off a whole Student Center in Elfante and brought it here. To put it in a more easy-to-understand way, it was like a 60-story buildingid horizontally. Size wasn¡¯t the only thing it had going on for it. It looked luxurious enough that it could pass off as a building inside the Imperial Pce. I could tell that it was one of the most expensive buildings inside the Tristan Duchy Territory. ¡°...Can I just get a small room instead?¡± I said, letting out a bitter smile. Someone with amoner¡¯s sense like me wouldn¡¯t even be able to sleep in a room in such a luxurious building because it would be burdensome. However, hearing my words, Eleanor tilted her head. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This whole building is yours, though.¡± ¡°...¡± I looked at the building, then at Eleanor. Again, I looked at the building, then at Eleanor. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I have already notified the servants. Think of it as your own and use it as you wish. I¡¯ll tolerate anything as long as you don¡¯t do anything bad to the female servants.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Get used to it. Because it is likely to be yours from now on.¡± When I could only stand still, at a loss for words, Caliban let out a chuckle from inside the Soul Linker. [She''s so generous. She already prepared the furnishings for the marriage.] ¡®...¡¯ [Congrats. You just have to be a pimp daddy and you won''t have to worry about making a liv¡ª] Shut up, please. I told him off and followed Eleanor, who began to walk again. When we arrived at therge door that seemed like the entrance to the annex, I could see a huge painting of the person who I assumed was the previous owner of this building. ¡°...¡± Eleanor stopped a moment and looked up at the painting. Longing. Affection. Remorse. Regret. A fond gaze that could be described with one of those words, ¡­This. I also silently looked up at it. Though, I did it for a different reason than hers. She¡¯s quite familiar. The Gray Devil. That was why she looked familiar. The woman in the painting looked exactly like the Gray Devil; I even unknowingly connected her with the Devil the moment I saw her face. Both the woman and the Devil had something inmon; Both were a more mature version of Eleanor. ¡°....Iris Linea La Tristan.¡± Eleanor read the letters written below the painting before continuing in a slightly hoarse voice, ¡°She is my mother. This is the building she used to live in.¡± ¡°...Are you sure it¡¯s okay for me to enter your mother¡¯s house?¡± When I asked her that in a serious voice, Eleanor turned her body around to face me. Then, she instantly answered. ¡°Of course.¡± The corner of her lips were slightly curled up. ¡°Because you are precious to me.¡± ¡°...¡± Those words struck my heart. Once again, I realized how tenacious this person was. Just how could she manage to say such an awkward thing so casually like this? ¡°Soon, you will be even more precious to me.¡± ¡°...Sorry?¡± ¡°Dowd.¡± She approached me again and poked my nose with the tip of her finger. Then¡­ She chuckled. It was a child-like innocentughter. ¡°Change your clothes. Let''s eat together.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Just the two of us.¡± ¡°...¡± Before I could even reply¡­ Eleanor continued with a wink. ¡°Do we not have a lot to talk about with each other? Since the night is long.¡± After she said so¡­ A shout that sounded like a scream immediately came out from the Soul Linker. [Let''s gooooo¡ª!!!] ¡°...¡± I don''t know how many times I''ve said this, but. Mister. Shut up, please. Chapter 218: Save Me (1) Chapter 218: Save Me (1)There was something that kepting to my mindtely. You know, it felt like I was actually someone who¡¯d fall into a trap more easily than I thought. The situation urring right at this moment seemed to prove that feeling. ¡°...Eleanor.¡± I said, trying hard to somehow stop my cheeks from trembling. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought you were inviting me to eat together?¡± Honestly, when she asked me to eat together with just the two of us, I already had a premonition. I mean, why would you invite someone¡­ To a meal in the bedroom¡­?She even locked the door to the bedroom¡­ ¡°I did.¡± ¡°...¡± That answer came from above me. To be more exact¡­ It was from Eleanor, who was using both her arms and legs to press me down on the bed. As soon as we entered her room, under the pretense of eating together inside, she immediately locked the door, threw me to her bed and did this. ¡°Is there anything weird?¡± ¡°...¡± Everything was. ¡°...What''s with your clothes¡­?¡± I had been barely able to stop my cheeks from trembling, but I could feel that my control over it had loosened up when I saw her wearing only ck underwear. It felt like I was facing a predator who was about to eat its prey. I had been preparing myself for this situation ever since I entered the Duchy¡¯s Territory, but now that I actually got into the situation, it felt like my entire world was spinning. ¡°Dowd.¡± At that moment¡­ Eleanor¡¯s voice, mixed with a steamy sigh, lingered in my head. Her hot breath touched the rim of my ear. I felt a very hot sensation on the parts where our bodies came into contact with each other. As if lumps of fire were flowing through her blood vessels, I could feel her body temperature rise like crazy. ¡°Did you really think that I¡¯d call you toe all the way here if I only wanted to eat together with you?¡± ¡°...Wait, Eleanor.¡± Before I could say anything else, an indescribable stimting sensation swept over me. I blinked a few times. Ah. This is that, isn¡¯t it? Eleanor held me tight between her breasts. She buried my forehead between her ample mounds. Her hot body temperature was transmitted to my whole face, as if wrapping it. ¡°...¡± Before my brain could fully register that this situation was one of the most apustic luxuries a man could enjoy, the satisfaction and warmth that made my whole body unknowingly rxed filled up my mind, clinging onto it tightly. When I took a breath in from the surprise, her body odor also followed suit, entering my nasal cavity. The intensity of her scent melted my mind. ¡°...Good boy.¡± The next thing she did was gently stroking the back of my head, as if she was taking care of a child. My reason and logic that was slowly drifting far away was screaming at me, telling me that I had to run away now, even if that meant I had to fight her physically because the thing that was going to happen next would be very dangerous. And Ipletely agree with that call, But, when I tried to twist my body with all my might, in this terrifying Lady¡¯s eyes, it was merely a tantrum of a child. ¡°Seriously, stay still.¡± Eleanor put strength in her arms that were hugging me, making my body sink immediately. As my face was buried around her breasts again, her cleavage came into my view again. I wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but the sight was suggestive enough to make my eyes bloodshot. I was slowly losing my ability to breathe. It wasn¡¯t a good sign. ¡°Or¡ª¡± In that position, beyond my hazy consciousness. I could hear Eleanor¡¯s whisper. ¡°Do you want more?¡± More? What? More of what? More? What? ¡°...Eleanor.¡± I replied in a gasp. And while I was in that state¡­ ¡°...You don¡¯t have to be so nervous.¡± She whispered. [¡°I¡¯ll never hurt you.¡±] ¡°...?¡± Suddenly. I forced myself to open my tightly closed eyes at the weird sensation. Just now¡­ There was ¡®something different¡¯ mixed in Eleanor¡¯s voice. ¡°...¡± In that instant, my mind cleared up. ¡­What? The hazy sensation I had been feeling until just now disappeared as if it was forcefully ¡®deleted¡¯ by something. As I tried to rack my brain, Eleanor distanced her body slightly away from mine. ¡°You.¡± Compared to earlier, her voice had gotten more clear. ¡°You¡¯ve been having a hard timetely, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± When I looked up at her, my eyes instantly widened. She stroked my cheek slowly. Instead of lust or sexual desire, her smile felt almost motherly. ¡°...¡± Earlier, did she have this kind of smile? Maybe she has been looking at me with those eyes all along and I was just mistaken? In any case, she didn¡¯t seem to be herself at all, to the point that I couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Just look at her now, she didn¡¯t even seem to be aware that something else had gotten ¡®involved¡¯. ¡°If I¡¯d just do whatever I want with you here, that¡¯ll put you in a difficult position, right?¡± She couldn¡¯t be any more correct. But, didn¡¯t she invite me here with that kind of intention in the first ce? I thought while blinking my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that you¡­are wary of people crossing that ¡®line¡¯ with you. Do you really think I would be so tactless?¡± Eleanor let out another chuckle as she pressed my nose gently. ¡°I¡¯ll respect your wish, so¡­ Let¡¯s put the matter of pleasure aside for a little while.¡± She said before holding her hand out before my eyes. On it, there was a ring. The same ring she had given me in the past as an engagement token, the same ring I had on my finger. She then carefully wrapped my hand so that the rings touched each other. ¡°Let¡¯s postpone it until the day these rings prove their value arrive, shall we?¡± She asked while smiling. I couldn¡¯t answer her. Instead, I only looked up at her nkly. ¡°... However.¡± She continued before hugging me tightly again. This time, it wasn¡¯t a violent hug like when she buried my face in her cleavage earlier. Instead, she buried her face in mine¡ªa way more innocent hug than before. ¡°Let me do this much. Since this is an essential process for me.¡± ¡°...Essential?¡± ¡°I am replenishing my Dowd element.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Nowadays, I can¡¯t live without this.¡± She replied seriously soon after without any hint that she was joking at all. Seeing that, I unknowinglyughed uncontrobly. This was the usual Eleanor that I knew, the woman who¡¯d say these things casually without a change in her expression. ¡­I don''t know. While I had no idea what exactly had just happened¡­ For now, I decided to y along. ¡°...Make sure to take a lot of it then.¡± I said while hugging her back. Or rather, tried to hug her back. Before I could actually hug her, she pped my hand away. ¡°Eleanor?¡± ¡°...Do not do that.¡± Hearing her mumbling those words, I looked at her, blinking my eyes a few times. ¡°I am embarrassed.¡± ¡°...¡± You were literally trying to pounce on me like a predator just now. What are you even saying after doing all that? ¡°My embarrassment is one thing.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I can hug you, but do not hug me. Because I still don''t have that much resistance.¡± ¡°...So, why is it okay for you to hug me?¡± ¡°Because I am the one who attacks and I am not familiar with being attacked.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you understand, just stay still in my arms. You¡¯re so warm¡­it feels nice¡­¡± I knew it. Sometimes, I just couldn¡¯t understand women¡¯s feelings. ¡ñ ¡°...Good evening, Dowd.¡± ¡°You too, Eleanor.¡± As soon as Dowd left the room, leaving such a greeting after they cuddled for a while, Eleanor furrowed her brows. To be exact, she looked depressed. ¡°...Haa¡­¡± She let out a deep sigh before facepalming herself a few times. Because of the dim lighting of the room, Dowd didn¡¯t catch it¡­ But, throughout their interaction until now, she was blushing like crazy to the tip of her ears. ¡°...That fool¡­¡± She muttered. ¡°He really didn''t do it because I told him not to. Tactless¡­¡± She told the truth, she really was embarrassed. Rather, she was downying it, since she was extremely embarrassed. But she still took the risk and went for it. That was why she prepared racy underwear¡ªeven though it was out of character for her¡ªand set the mood properly. She had done things that only loose women would do one after another so he could just man up and do it with her, and yet¡­! Even though she would ept anything that he would do to her, yet¡­! ¡°...Haa¡­¡± But, the sad thing about all this was¡­ There was a high chance that next time it would still be her who¡¯d be begging him to ¡®do it¡¯, just like what she had done just now. ¡°...Then again, it¡¯s my fault for falling for him in the first ce. It can¡¯t be helped¡­¡± Eventually, people would dig up a well to satiate their thirst. It was the same with Eleanor, as this was the fate she couldn¡¯t escape from since she had fallen for such a man. ¡­However. That man¡¯s attitude aside. She was not happy with herself. ¡­This is way too different from your first resolution, Eleanor¡­ Even though she meant what she said when she told him that she wouldn¡¯t push him to his limits if what she did made him ufortable¡­ But¡­ She was very¡­ ¡®thirsty¡¯ for him. In truth, she had been holding herself back so much. She had invited him to his house like this, so¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be strange if she were to squeeze him out, until he was dried out, until he cried while begging her to stop, then they coulde up with a solution for the aftermath together. She¡¯d rather do all those instead of feeling embarrassed or holding herself back so that she wouldn¡¯t trouble the man. The depth of her affection towards that man ran even deeper than that. And it had gotten even strongertely¡ªsometimes, she would feel the area under her belly getting hot just by hearing his voice. Yet¡­ At thest minute, she became weak-hearted. And she ended up doing somethingpletely different than what she first nned to do. ¡°...¡± No matter how much she thought of it, she couldn¡¯t find the answer why. At that time, she only did it because she thought ¡®it would be better¡¯ and for no other reason. ¡°...It¡¯s no use thinking about the past.¡± In any case, the moment had passed, thinking about it wouldn¡¯t change anything. She concluded as such and looked down at her hand, letting out a bitter smile. Her engagement ring with Dowd shone under the faint light. ¡­As long as I have this¡­ She wouldn¡¯t need to worry too much. After all, did they not promise each other to stay as the most precious person to each other? That was why, all she needed to do was to wait patiently. When she thought as such while fiddling with the ring contentedly¡­ A strange sensation suddenly soared inside her body. To be exact, it soared from near her heart. ¡°...!¡± Eleanor''s eyes widened as she jumped out of her seat. ¡­Just now¡­? Something¡­ Something big was happening inside her body. It didn¡¯t take long for her to notice the source of that feeling she had just felt. ¡°...It''s not there?¡± She could not feel the ¡®Gray Aura¡¯ that she had always felt near her heart. It was as if¡­ It had ¡®gotten out¡¯ of her body by itself. ¡ñ ¡°...Haa¡­¡± As soon as Iy down on the bed, Caliban¡¯s disappointed voice immediately rang out of the Soul Linker. [...That was nothing big, no?] ¡°...¡± What do you mean that was nothing big? I swear, this Mister just became more and more extreme these days. ¡­No, it wasn¡¯t. Hell no, it was quite a big deal for me. Something else definitely interrupted us. That, I was sure. If it wasn¡¯t for that ¡®thing¡¯, Eleanor would¡¯ve¡­ Um¡­ What was the word for it¡­? Squeezed me out? Without mercy, without stopping until I was wrung dry. ¡­Anyway, what was that? I recalled Eleanor earlier while scratching my head. Honestly, there was only one being that could involve itself in that way. But, ¡®why¡¯ would that punk do it was the question here¡­ ¡­Seriously, I don''t get it. As I thought so, letting out a sigh, I suddenly realized something strange. ¡­Caliban? He hadn¡¯t been responding to me. Thinking that he was pranking me again, I furrowed my brows before looking down at the Soul Linker. Or rather, I was about to look at it. ¡°...?¡± My body¡­ Refused to budge. No, it wasn¡¯t just my body, it was as if¡­ Including me¡­ The ¡®entire world¡¯ was frozen. ¡­Ah. And¡­ As soon as I realized that, A window popped up before my eyes. System Mesage [ The presence of target ¡®C????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????? ????????????¡ã???????????????3??????????????????????? can be felt¡¯! ] [ ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ reacts! ] Following that window¡¯s appearance¡­ In the air near the ceiling¡­ [Hel?¨²¡ä ¨¢?¡älo] The ¡®Punk¡¯ appeared, gentlying down as she greeted me. [Long time¨¢| ????no see.] It was the Gray Devil. This punk who had appeared suddenly, gentlynded on my body. Then, she pressed her weight on my body that I couldn¡¯t move. This was for sure¡­ The same position that Eleanor was in before she was about to pounce on me earlier. ¡­Uh? And since we were in that kind of position, I could feel one thing for sure. Her ¡®sensation¡¯. As if this punk possessed the body of a human. We could touch, sense, and feel each other¡¯s presence physically. And at the sight of me being surprised at this fact, the Gray Devil let out a chuckle as she looked down at me. [Yeah¨¢|. Now????¨¢you can touch| ??? me, right?] She then continued with a smile. [It¡¯s because???¨¢the Seal???¨¢has evolved. Because???¨¢you¡¯ve gotten a little closer???¨¢to us.] ¡°...¡± [I¡¯ve beenUC?e??¡ã waiting. Until UC?e??¡ãwe UC?e?? can touch UC?e??¡ãeach other like this.] ¡°...¡± Suddenly. I could feel the chill running down my spine. Though I didn¡¯t know the details¡­ And I hadn¡¯t asked ¡®why had she waited¡¯... I could already tell that this situation was greatly dangerous for me. ¡°...Hey.¡± I managed to forcefully say that by barely moving my lips, my voice trembled. While I couldn¡¯t move my body, I could do this much. ¡°What did you do to Eleanor and me earlier?¡± ording tomon sense¡­ Back then, there was no other being than this punk who could ¡®do something¡¯ to both Eleanor and me at the same time. But, I didn¡¯t know why would she even do that. [...] Then¡­ After hearing what I said, the Gray Devil smile grew a little bigger. And¡­ [Even¨¢| ????a cup of water.] She gave me a clear answer. [Has¨¢| ????to be ¨¢| ????served in order. This| ???applies to her| ???too.] ¡°...What?¡± [For everything??rted?¨¢to you, I have???to be the¨¢?? first one to do it.] ¡°...¡± At that moment, my ominous premonition came into reality. Now that I think about it, the answer was simple. If she had waited until this point¡ªwhen we could touch each other¡ªand she went out of her way to interrupt me when I was about to sleep with another woman¡­ Then, considering how possessive shel was, there was one simple reason why she did all that. ¡°...¡± Because she wanted to be the first one to devour me. Fuck. [You¡¯ve been???¨¢lucky so far.] Seeing her, I realized it intuitively. [But you¡¯ll???¨¢never.] After this¡­ This punk would¡­ [Run awau???¨¢from me.] Devour me. Chapter 219: Save Me (2) Chapter 219: Save Me (2)A long time ago,te at night, I had a drink with Talion. Though most of these people were nobles, at the end of the day they were still people. They still didn¡¯t mind things that most people liked¡ªeven if they were somethingmon or shameful. In other words, it was quite natural even for Elfante male students to talk about women when they were hanging out. To put it more bluntly, among the male students, when casual drinking parties happened, straightforward and vulgar talks were moremon than one might have expected. ¡°...I¡¯ve never done it.¡± Speaking of that¡­ I could still remember the shocked expression that Talion made when I told him those words. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why would I lie about things like this?¡± As I replied in a brusque tone while chewing the dry bites, Talion scanned me from head to toe as if he couldn¡¯t believe me.¡°...Even though you are surrounded by so many women?¡± ¡°...¡± As I downed a ss of liquor, I let out a bitter smile. ¡°You know, if I were to do it with one of them¡­chances are she¡¯d get killed by the others.¡± That would be very likely to happen since the Devils¡¯ obsession was beyond something that could be called normal. I rarely had the chance to directly witness that ¡®nature¡¯ of theirs since they usually only showered me with their affections, but there was a reason why they were ssified as evil. ¡°...What¡¯s with that expression?¡± I remembered the look that Talion gave me back then. He was downing his alcohol while looking very lonely, but after hearing what I had to say, he immediately stared at me with pity. ¡°Brother, uh¡­how should I put this¡­?¡± The sympathy in his gaze was so clear to me. ¡°There¡¯s a high chance that your first time won¡¯t be an ordinary experience.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Who knows what such¡­twisted people¡­would do to you once they grab the ¡®opportunity¡¯.¡± Now that I think about it¡­ His words were almost a prophecy. ¡ñ The Gray Devil stickily entangled her tongue with Dowd¡¯s before she shoved it inside his mouth. As their affection melted into each other¡¯s mouths, they exchanged their salivas frantically. He didn¡¯t know whether the Devils had hotter body temperature than other races in general, but the burning heat wrapping his whole body was something else. The shivering sensation he felt from touching her made him feel dizzy. ¡°...You¡­¡± Trying to ignore the dizziness, he frowned. Though, despite his effort, he still felt lightheaded. He had no control over his body¡ªhe could barely even lift a finger¡ªand he could feel the sensation all over his body more vividly than ever. It was as if, after this punk dered that she was going to eat him or whatnot, his sense of reality flew away; As if he was swimming in the middle of a dream. Strangely, he could feel that he was blushing, as if he could not suppress his excitement. ¡°...Did you¡­do something to me?¡± [I made you ¨¢ ??? be a little more ?¨¢ honest.] ¡°Honest? About what?¡± [I mean ?¨¢?¨¢ I made you ?¨¢ horny.] ¡°...¡± She doesn¡¯t even bother being subtle now, huh? He thought as he looked at the Gray Devil, taking off his pants after she said that. Her movements were skillful, as if she had done this several times before. [Whoa.] Upon seeing his penis, the innocent smile on her face turned into a wide grin. She wrapped his shaft with both hands, with care and respect, as she stroked it. Then, she brought her cheek to touch it affectionately. [?] Then.. She kissed the tip of it twice. As if she was saying; Nice to meet you, Husband. It¡¯s been a long time. ¡°...Ugh¡­¡± At that moment, Dowd let the air in his lungs go through his mouth. This was because the Gray Devil had put his penis into her mouth without any hesitation whatsoever. Using her sticky saliva, she rubbed around the rough area of his penis slowly, as if trying to clean it meticulously. She did it carefully, all while ncing at him to see his reaction. [... Are you??okay?] ¡°...¡± To that, he couldn¡¯t do anything except letting out rough breaths. Seeing him in this state, the Gray Devil smiled and moved even faster. At first she only increased her speed a little. But, gradually, she took his penis in deeper into her mouth until his ns touched the area near her uv. When that happened, she gently turned her head, stimting his penis with her oral mucosa before putting her tongue under his ns, enclosing it while rubbing its raging blood vessels with her tongue. Then she tilted her head towards Dowd, who couldn¡¯t get a grip of himself. Meanwhile, Dowd, who had been watching her swaying head right before his eyes, finally understood her intention. ¡°...Are you telling me to do whatever I want with you?¡± [...?] ¡°...Seriously?¡± [...??] She passionately nodded, her wide smile was reflected in her eyes, as if urging him to do it. He reflexively looked down at her and their gazes met. Since his senses were working, there was a high chance that hers were too. Which meant, the fact that her whole throat was blocked by a foreign object like that must have pained her, but she still looked unbothered. It was clear that she couldn¡¯t breathe properly, yet she was still looking straight into his eyes. As soon as he got the message from her gaze to do anything that he wanted to her, he decided to shove his self-control somewhere in the back of his mind for the moment. He held her head tightly with both hands and forcefully mmed her head, treating it as an object. And, strokes. Heshed out a violent gesture without any consideration for her, as if he stopped treating her as a human being and she was a mere tool to milk his semen. However, even while being treated like that, the Gray Devil embraced Dowd¡¯s waist without any resistance. Instead, there was a wide, innocent smile on her face. As if she was trying to tell him that she wouldn¡¯t mind him doing whatever he wanted to her. ¡°...!¡± Tens of seconds that felt like a few days went by as Dowd¡¯s waist sprang. From his movements, it was clear that his climax was close, but¡­ [D-on¡¯t-.] As soon as that word fell¡­ His whole body froze. A look of surprise shed across his face. He could clearly feel that he was about to cum, but he couldn¡¯t feel any ¡®outburst¡¯ that was supposed to happen after that feeling came to him. It was as if this punk had forcefully stopped that from happening. ¡°...What did you¡­?¡± [This is punishment forC?e getting distracted C?¨¢ by other women.] The Gray Devil said as she chuckled, then she licked the tip of his trembling penis, as if trying to tickle it. It was a captivating sight¡ªprobably because of the thread of semen that was hanging from the tip of his penis. ¡°...¡± However, upon seeing the sight, he felt an eerie sensation running down his spine. This punk¡­ Just now¡­ Is toying with me, isn¡¯t she¡­? Then¡­ ¡°...Hey.¡± [H-Hm¡ª?] ¡°How much longer are you going to do that?¡± [I¡¯m going toC?e torture you until C?¨¢ I¡¯m satisfied.] ¡°...¡± Now that his ominous premonition came into reality, a frown appeared on his face. Meanwhile, the Gray Devil began her next move. She put his penis into her mouth again. As she seemingly enjoyed the feeling of his hot shaft being stuck in the middle of her throat to the fullest, Dowd was feeling a sharp pleasure that she left from her slow caresses. While she was doing so, she calmly wrapped her arms around his body that was shaking crazily from the pleasure that was running up his spine. Of course she didn¡¯t forget to check out his reaction, to see whether what she was doing gave him more pleasure or not. Up and down, stickily, tightly, as if milking it. The uncontroble noises that came out of Dowd¡¯s mouth gradually got intense, mixing with the sound of him gritting his teeth. ¡°Kh¡­hmph¡­¡± He wriggled his body again. Seeing how the muscles in the lower part of his body stiffened, the Gray Devil let out another smirk. This time too¡­ She didn¡¯t let him climax so easily. [Not, y-et-] Seeing that he was unable to form a single word, what she was doing seemed to be effective. He didn¡¯t know for sure, but he believed that this was probably what it felt like to be milked. In any case, such a process continued to repeat. Again and again, After getting him so close to his climax, she refused to let him release his load. She really took her time patiently to torture him. [...?] At one point, he lost count of how many times he was ¡®stopped¡¯ like that. Three times? Four times? Tens of times? A hundred times? He could not remember even if he wanted to. The only thing he could do was to cup his face with both hands while endlessly letting out moans through his gritted teeth. His whole body trembled as he kept his bnce by holding her horns with his arms. [Show meC?e?your face.] At that moment¡­ While pressing him from above, the Gray Devil¡¯s cupped his face and whispered. ¡°...No.¡± He replied, apanied by a sticky breath. [Show?e?me.] ¡°I said no¡ª¡± Before he could even finish his words, the Gray Devil already forcefully pulled down his arms. [...Ah...?...] It went without saying that his face was a mess. He had closed his lips so tightly to the point that they bled a little. There were tears in his eyes¡ªa droplet was hanging around his eyes¡ªhis face heatened up and his expression was melting due to his lust. It was definitely a rare sight to see from Dowd Campbell. The expression he made when he was pushed to his limits. And as soon as she saw it¡­ [...! .....!!] The Gray Devil let out a wide smile, her eyes were filled with heat. Her breaths became ragged, as if some kind of shivering pleasure was running up her spine. It was because she found him cute. stered on her face was her desire for him, to conquer him, to make him hers, to keep him locked in a cage that she made. ¡°...!¡± Dowd gritted his teeth and tried to turn his head away, but the Devil cupped his face and turned his head to face her. Her red eyes were filled with a terrifying amount of pleasure that it felt as if he would melt just by meeting her gaze. [Show me ?? a little more.] ¡°...¡± [Show me more, ¨¢ ?? more. I like ¨¢ ?? that expression. I love iiit¡­] Her voice, melting in the heat, lingered in his ears. Then, shended a kiss near his mouth, unleashing her tongue while she was at it. Her sweet smell and the sticky sensation of her saliva were etched in his melting mind. He was unable to even think of a reply as a crazy amount of pleasure continuously flowing into his brain. Hell, he didn¡¯t even know how much time had passed. A few minutes? Hours? A whole day? ¡°...Heok¡­Heok¡­¡± As he was panting, his whole body, covered in sweat¡­ He could feel the Gray Devil holding his cheek. As he looked toward her with blurry eyes, he could feel her gaze as she looked down at him with a smile. A devilish smile. [Since you''ve warmed up this much ?¨¢ it''s ?¨¢ going to be okay soon.] ¡°...What?¡± [The main course.] Ah¡­ Right¡­ This torture has only been a ¡®forey¡¯ for this punk¡­ Such a realization shed across his mind. ¡°...¡± Suddenly. A certain memory shed across his mind. -Brother, uh¡­how should I put this¡­? There¡¯s a high chance that your first time won¡¯t be an ordinary experience. ¡°...¡± That guy was right. Dowd seriously thought so. Chapter 220: Save Me (3) Chapter 220: Save Me (3)Just now, the Gray Devil had given back the control of Dowd¡¯s body to some extent. But, even though that was the case, it would be pointless if he were to run away or resist, so he simply just followed what she wanted instead. That was what had crossed his mind, albeit reluctantly, as he looked down at the naked body before his eyes. ¡°...¡± He had to admit that it was a beautiful body. It was so beautiful that his consciousness halted for a moment before his blood rushed to his crotch. He recalled the fact that most of the Devils looked greatly simr to their Vessels; That was why her body¡¯s smooth curves looked almost exactly like Eleanor¡¯s. No, actually, she looked more voluptuous than her. ¡°...¡± As he recalled that fact, Dowd unknowingly closed his eyes for a moment.For some reason, regret, immorality and guilt enveloped his whole being. [What are you thinking?] When her question fell, he came back to his senses as he looked at the Gray Devil. Her red eyes were fixed on him. There was no sign of hostility or malice in her eyes, but the atmosphere that she was exuding made him feel nervous somehow. ¡°...Nothing.¡± For some reason, though, he had a feeling that telling her what he was thinking wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. Dowd silently stuck his lower body to her private part. While this was his first time, he had received sex education properly beforehand; He knew what he had to do and had a rough idea of how everything would feel. ¡°...Hmph¡­¡± And so¡­ The impact of the first pration was a little bigger than expected. Men told dirty stories in a quite graphic way¡ªthough, there might be some who did not. Such a thought vaguely shed across Dowd¡¯s dull mind. One silly remarking from that one tipsy guy in a drinking party crossed his mind. He said that women who had trained their pelvic floor muscles would be able to crush a walnut with their vagina. Everyone who heard it burst outughing, saying that it was ridiculous, even Dowd himself thought that the person who said it would end up causing trouble because of alcohol someday. But he agreed with the fact that each person had different capabilities sexually. And in that regard, ¡°...You might be able to crush it.¡± [Hm¡ª?] ¡°No, nothing.¡± Dowd managed to breathe regrly through his gritted teeth. The suction force he felt was so strong that useless thoughts such as ¡®What the fuck? Does she have a vacuum inside her vagina or something?¡¯ popped up inside his mind. One thing he was sure about was that the feeling was something that no amount of exercise could achieve; It was as if the inside of her vagina was a living being, enclosing his penis and continuously stimting it. As if she was concentrating all the muscle in her body in that spot so that his orgasm would feel even better. ¡°...It¡¯s moving.¡± [...?] As he said so in a stiffened voice, she smiled at him affectionately, as usual. Her insides moved faster. As Dowd¡¯s breaths grew so hot that they could probably burn the skin they touched it, he grabbed her breasts. He held one of her breasts in ce with his palm and wrist, and used his index finger to gently massaged the nipple. As he pinched and flicked it, the Gray Devil slightly twisted her whole body as if she was struck by electricity. [You¡¯re C?e goood...] The Gray Devil pushed her own hot breath up to the roof of her mouth. She then raised her upper body with a horny expression, wrapping both her arms around Dowd¡¯s body that was moving slowly. [More ?¨¢ it more... ] ¡°...¡± As if cheering on him, she passionately hugged Dowd¡¯s lower body that was connected to hers, and whispered so in a sweet voice. Moans that sounded as if she was fawning on him mixed in her pants. She was visibly blushing, which was out of character for her. Even though she didn¡¯t even have a real human body, she earnestly imitated one to try and ¡®satisfy¡¯ him. Seeing this, his frown grew deeper instead though. Truthfully, he was angry. Because throughout the whole process, from A to Z, She took the lead in them, and yet, it still felt as if she was ¡®going easy¡¯ on him. This wasn¡¯t about his pride as a man or whatnot. He felt it to the point that he could feel the gap of their ¡®status¡¯ as different living beings. This woman could crush her with a finger if she wanted to. She could tear him apart to pieces. Yet¡­ Sheid herself under him of her own will, voluntarily ¡®serving¡¯ him to satisfy him sexually. ¡°...¡± It didn¡¯t make sense, that was for sure. But, if he were to say that he wasn¡¯t sexually aroused, that would be a lie. At this moment right now. There was no male in the whole world who could get involved with her in this way. And he¡­ Was having such a being to himself. In this whole world, only him could make such a being ¡®serve¡¯ him. He could enjoy her as if she belonged to him. Such a sense of conquest shed across Dowd¡¯s mind. In the meantime, the Gray Devil ovepped her lips over his again. She looked as if she was ying with him from start to finish, but when she showed her affection like this, he could definitely feel her sincerity. The mucous membrane that was grazed politely and the salivas that were exchanged heavily were filled with politeness and consideration, as if she was acting cute. The hot kiss proceeded, it was as if she was thanking him for mating with her. After kissing him like that for a while, the Gray Devil distanced her face from his again. [I love?eyou.] The stimtion rushed over him like a tidal wave. Even though he was unable to register the meaning behind those words properly, the cells in his body reacted happily to those words. [I love you. I love you. I like you. I really like?eyouu¡­] Stimtion after stimtion struck him as his whole body trembled. After this phenomenon happened several times¡­ Eventually, a sensation that felt like a fire lump soared from his lower body. A tingling sensation that felt like a roaring mes in the bottom of a mountain cliff went through his body from head to toe. His eyes lost their focus and he lost control of his muscles so much that it was hard for him to move even a finger. He looked about ten million light years different than he usually did; Stripped of all dignity, drowning in pleasure that made his head felt like burning because of this woman¡¯s embrace. Suddenly, the bottom of his consciousness rmed him of something, as a thought that his whole body might burn down at this rate popped up in his mind. He then tried to form a sentence while his mind was still in that messy state and unable to catch his own breath. ¡°...I think, I''m, soon¡ª¡± Seeing him panting like that, the Gray Devil let out a smirk. ¡°...Let me, outside¡­¡± He said that because he thought that it would be dangerous if he cummed inside her. Hearing that, the Gray Devil¡¯s smile grew wider. It was unlike the innocent smile she had been showing him so far. Instead, it was the smile of a ¡®Devil¡¯, serving as a reminder that he was caught in her mischief. She suddenly brought her face closer to his, who was on the verge of his climax. And seeing that, Dowd''s eyes widened. Because the sight of her ¡®look¡¯ changing came into his view clearly. [It''s C?e a gift.] Her whisper entered his ears. And at the same time¡­ [You C?e like her, right? This ?¨¢ girl.] The Gray Devil''s body, which was made of gray Demonic Aura changed in an instant. And this new appearance of hers was familiar to him. Way too familiar to him. To the point that it was a problem for him. ¡°Dowd¡­¡± Eleanor¡¯s voice came out of her mouth. Yes, the Gray Devil was showing him Eleanor¡¯s face and was talking with Eleanor¡¯s voice. And with such an appearance¡­ She showed him her teary eyes as she was breathing heavily. Her legs were clinging onto his body tightly as if not wanting to be away from him. With tears in her eyes. It was as if the real Eleanor was right before his eyes and he was actually having a sexual intercourse with her. ¡°Do it inside, please, I beg, you¡­¡± She begged. ¡°Please, do not take it out, I, I beg you¡­ I, I will do anythiing¡ª please, do it inside¡ª¡± With a voice filled with ecstasy. Her usual cold and stony-hearted voice was now stained with sexual pleasure. ¡°... You¡ª¡± Dowd gritted his teeth while ring at the sight. In his mind, he knew¡­ That this was all an act and she was part of her mischief to tease him. However¡­ At this moment, when his judgment was clouded, when every sense on his body had been brought to the extreme. Let alone rationality, his instinct was ¡®deluded¡¯. Along with a sensation that felt as if his heart sank, he unknowingly attached his body closer to her. And, he cummed. ¡°-! -!! -!!!!!¡± It felt as if his entire lower body was overheating, to the point that he felt his soul was sucked out from that tiny hole. Instead of pouring out, it felt like a whole dam was bursting and copsing. He could not even speak properly. The only thing that came out of his slightly open mouth was a breath that felt like a winding out of a very narrow space. The only thing he could feel was the feedback of the pleasure that was burning his nervous system white. With the amount of information provided by the stimulus alone, there was no way he could return to his senses. Meanwhile, his cum kept pouring out. He kept on belching out his genes into the Gray Devil¡¯s body. It went on, and on¡­ As if it would never stop. ¡°Ha¡­Hm¡ªph¡­¡± A moan that sounded a roar of a beast vibrated under Dowd''s vocal cords. The pleasure was almost like pain at this point. It felt like his brain was seared with a hot iron. So he held his head. He couldn¡¯t tell how much time passed. Dizziness struck him. [Ha, aah¡ª] The sight of the Gray Devil stroking her lower belly with both hands, with an ecstatic expression¡­ Was thest thing Dowd remembered before he lost consciousness. ¡ñ Did I faint for about an hour? Dowd thought as he struggled to open his eyes. A voice immediately came from his side. [Are you?¨¢satisfied?] ¡°...¡± Let alone feeling satisfied¡­ He could only remember this woman had him on lock and squeezed him out. ¡°...Is it over now¡­?¡± He muttered in an exhausted voice. In this state, he really didn¡¯t have any other answer he could give her, but the Gray Devil just smiled after hearing that. ¡°...¡± He had seen that expression of her too many times and his time as well, anxiety ran down his spine. Because good things had never happened to him when this punk had this look on her face. And what she said after that supported such a theory. [What do you?¨¢mean over?] ¡°...¡± [The night is still?¨¢ young.] ¡°...¡± [Don¡¯t you think ?¨¢ we have to do it ?¨¢ a few more times?] Dowd sweeped his hair with nk eyes. I see. Doing that thing we just did a few more times, huh¡­? He once again was reminded that the Devils were definitely an insane bunch. [I¡¯m the most C?e moderate C?e among us, though?] "..." [If anything, you should C?e have been d C?e that you weren¡¯t caught by the others.] As he was drowning in his thoughts, the Gray Devils said so while chuckling, as if telling him that he should be d for what had happened to him. She did not seem to be joking. "..." In other words¡­ She was saying that the other Devils had more horrible sexual orientations to the point where what she did would seem childish. ¡­Save me. That was why¡­ It was natural that such a thought came to his mind in this situation. Chapter 221: Snake Pit (1) Chapter 221: Snake Pit (1)¡ù The R-Rated chapter is written in a way that will not affect the story progression even if skipped. For minors, please be advised. ¡ñ It felt like I had turned into an empty mayonnaise bottle. Weird analogy, I knew, but those were the only words that came to my mind. I didn¡¯t know how long it had been since the time had stopped, but what I knew was that both my mind and body were exhausted. Seriously, how many times had I ever felt this exhausted throughout my life¡­? That question came into my mind as I stared at the Gray Devil, who was floating above my head, wearing a satisfied smile on her face. ¡°...Satisfied now?¡± [Yes.] Even though the time was still frozen, this punk¡¯s movements looked very lively.It felt as if every gesture that she made exudes happiness. ¡°...¡± As always, she looked innocent. It was hard to believe that this was the same being that tormented me like a beast until just a while ago. [Ah.] Suddenly, she eximed. Her body gradually turned blurry. Maybe her time to be able toe out of Eleanor¡¯s body and roam around in the Material Realm was up. ¡­Still, thatsted quite a while, huh? When I first met her, we could barely exchange a few sentences before we had to part. Compared to that, her materialization time limit this time was quite long. [It¡¯s because C?e the Seal C?e has evolved more.] She answered, as if she had read my mind. [Which means now ?¨¢¡®we¡¯ can be connected with you ?¨¢ in earnest,] ¡°...¡± Come to think of it¡­ Skill Info [ Fallen¡¯s Seal ¨C Transformation ] < !NEW! > [ Due to your influence, targets can nowmunicate with their ¡®Vessels¡¯ more directly! ] [ This unlocks a Special Ability for all Vessels! ] Those windows popped up at the same time as I cleared Chapter 3¡­ The description made it seem like the Vessels only got a little stronger, but this punk seemed to imply that there was more to it. [So.] As I looked up at the window, the Gray Devil burst through it to fly close to me. ¡°...¡± As if she knew that I was ¡®looking¡¯ at it. As if she was intentionally trying to interfere. [I received ?¨¢ your cum on purpose ?¨¢ .] ¡°...What does that mean?¡± Did that mean she had another intention when she squeezed me out crazily earlier? When I asked that question, furrowing my brows¡­ [It means that C? it will start in earnest C? soon.] She gave me another vague remark. ¡°I''m asking you what that means.¡± [...] Instead of answering me, she smiled. The same affectionate smile that she always showed me. But, the next thing that she said betrayed that expression, as it carried a very different atmosphere than the usual one she exuded. [You have C? to be stronger.] She said beforeing closer to me and burying her face in my chest. She looked simr to when Eleanor buried her face in my chest while saying she had to replenish Dowd¡¯s element or something just a while ago. But in this punk¡¯s gestures¡­ [This time.] I felt as if¡­ There was sorrow¡­ As if she had dwelled on this countless times, her sorrow was so deep to the point that I could feel it¡­ [Don¡¯t die, okay?] Her expression when she disappeared with such a sentence¡­ I swear, she¡­ Looked as if she was about to burst into tears right there and then. ¡ñ Armin Campbell blinked his eyes, seemingly confused. Ever since he came into the Tristan Duchy with Herman, he had been shocked by everything. From how the locals weed him so enthusiastically to the point that it was strange, to the time when the Duchy assigned a servant to devotedly serve him, even though he was merely a viscount. However¡­ Those situations didn¡¯t faze him as muchpared to when he saw a certain person''s face, whom he did not expect to see ever again. ¡°...Bogut?¡± As he said in a shocked voice, the man sitting across the table responded with a grin. ¡°Armin.¡± ¡°...¡± Armin¡¯s face when he looked at Bogut was filled with shock. As soon as he entered the Tristan¡¯s Mansion, he wondered what was going on when they guided him to the living room all of a sudden. Because he believed that there shouldn¡¯t be anyone in this majestic duchy who¡¯d want to meet him at all. But now that he had seen this punk, he understood everything. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I can¡¯t even remember how many years it¡¯s been.¡± Marquis Bogut said while smiling. Armin remembered that smile for sure. While he had not seen Bogut ever since their school year was over, he had never forgotten this smile of his. ¡°...It¡¯s been a long time since the Elfante graduation. We¡¯ve never met again after you were handed down the Marquisate.¡± Armin replied, still looking perplexed. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard anything from you all this time, so why did you suddenlye to meet me now? Do you know how hard I tried to meet you all this time?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...I know I was only a moron who was only going to inherit a Barony and you were a young master who was going to inherit a Marquisate, the core of the Upper Nobles Association. More than anyone, I¡¯ve been aware of the difference in our ranks since we were students, but¡­¡± Armin said while looking straight at Bogut¡¯s face. Perhaps¡­ It wasn¡¯t an imagination that there was a slight hint of resentment in his voice. ¡°I thought we were friends. You and me.¡± ¡°...We are, even now, Armin.¡± Bogut replied in a firm voice. The other people around who were serving him were all astonished. Maybe it was because this was the first time they had seen it; The sight of Marquis Bogut, acting all serious without even a single trace of his usual exaggerated behavior that painted him as a clown. ¡°That¡¯s why I came, to say hi.¡± ¡°...To say hi?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Marquis Bogut held out something to Armin while saying so. It was a small locket ne. There was a picture inside it. ¡°...¡± Armin looked at it without saying anything. Because it was also a memorable item. ¡°This is the only Astrid¡¯s possession that I have with me.¡± Bogut continued in a calm voice. ¡°And I want you to hold on to it.¡± ¡°...¡± Armin picked it up, still not replying to him. There was a picture of three people inside it. They were smiling brightly with their arms over each other¡¯s shoulders. Armin, Bogut, and¡ª ¡°...¡± The moment he saw the woman¡¯s face¡­ Armin made an indescribable face. Sadness, remorse, regret, longing, joy, wailing, grief¡­ Perhaps, his expression was a mix of all those emotions. ¡°...This¡­¡± After the silence, Armin finally opened his mouth again. ¡°Why are you giving this to me, Bogut?¡± ¡°I met your son.¡± Instead of answering his question properly, the Marquis said that. ¡°He looked like Astrid, especially his eyes.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The Empire is going to change soon, Armin. No, the entire continent will undergo a big change soon.¡± Marquis Bogut said while getting up from his seat. ¡°..,What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that a lot of things will happen, and most of them will be centered around your son.¡± Hearing that, Armin¡¯s expression stiffened in an instant. ¡°Bogut.¡± Through his gritted teeth, he called out to the Marquis in a trembling voice. ¡°If you¡¯re nning to do anything to Dowd, I¡ª¡± ¡°Even if I don¡¯t n on doing anything, those things will happen.¡± In contrast to Armin¡¯s trembling voice, Bogut said his piece with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s how the world was created. It¡¯s about to begin.¡± ¡°What the hell does that¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, please let me ask you a favor.¡± Instead of exining¡­ Bogut reached out to Armin, who was holding the locket ne and made him hold it more firmly. ¡°...Please cherish your family, Armin. My friend.¡± ¡°...¡± As if telling him no to lose it. ¡°Because that kid will definitely need your help soon.¡± After saying that¡­ Marquis Bogut left the living room without saying anything else. As if he had said all that he needed to say. ¡ñ [Hey, it¡¯s morning! Wake up!] I could hear such words through my hazy mind. Judging by how I could see the sunshine and the sound of chirping birds entering my room from outside the window, I guess it really was morning already. [What the hell was wrong with you? You fell asleep when we were talking yesterday, and you¡¯re still trying to sleep even when the sun is already up and high?] ¡°...Is that how it seems to you?¡± [What?] Please, dude, a Devil squeezed me dry all night long, go easy on me. I rubbed my eyes to shake off all the remaining fatigue. Near the bed, there was a bottle of water¡ªmaybe the servant prepared it for me. So, I drank it and it was enough to get me back into my senses. Then, I noticed a letter nearby. [Come to my room if you¡¯ve woken up. We have somewhere to go.] ¡°...¡± Now that I had entered her territory, I could feel that she wouldn¡¯t let me off her sight even for a moment. I wonder why she did that. I¡¯m sure there was a decent amount of risk in that, though. After all, whether it was Leoni or Be, everyone looked like they disapproved of me. ¡­Even myself. Honestly, because of what happenedst night, I figured that it would be hard for me to keep a straight face around Eleanor. But, you know¡­ It wasn¡¯t like I could do anything about it. ¡­Whatever, I¡¯ll just have to be with her for a moment. Like, this was legit one of the most peaceful things I had gone throughtely. So, surely nothing big would happ¡ª [Fucking idiot.] ¡°...¡± What the fuck? Why are you cursing at me? I furrowed my brows before ring at the Soul Linker. As a response, a deep sigh came from inside it. [Because you haven¡¯t learned anything at all, you dumb fuck. Seriously.] ¡°...What are you on about?¡± [How could you not know that something bad will happen the moment you say something about it?] Before he even finished talking. I could hear someone banging on the door of my private room. Since the knocking was clearly filled with anger, it was definitely not a servant. There was a high chance that this was someone that I knew. ¡°...¡± [See?] ¡°...Yes.¡± I had no choice but to agree to his words and got up from my seat. As I walked towards the door with a waddle, the door was opened from the outside before I even touched it, almost as if it was crushed. ¡°...¡± And in front of it¡­ There was Iliya, exuding a terrifying aura from all over her body. ¡°...¡± Now, I once again understood what Caliban had said. Because this punk didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d have a peaceful conversation with me. ¡°...What are you doing here? I thought you¡¯re busy?¡± Since she had just granted the Hero title officially, this was supposed to be her busiest time, so I shifted the topic in that direction. I wasn¡¯t sure what brought her here, but I hoped I would be able to find even a sliver of a way to convince her. ¡°Teach.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± However¡­ ¡°You did it, didn¡¯t you?¡± She asked that question without beating around the bush, almost piercing through my lungs. And that rendered me speechless. ¡°...Uh?¡± ¡°You did it, right? Your first time has been taken, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya. _t_ What the hell are you on about? I thought as I looked down at Iliya. ¡°I have a really good nose, so good I got the Eye of Truth ability with it.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I knew the moment I saw you, that you did it, Teach.¡± Without giving me time to answer, Iliya shot me such words before she continued to say with ferociously glistening eyes, ¡°...The Student Council President, where is she now?¡± ¡°...¡± Caliban. How far had you predicted this? Chapter 222: Snake Pit (2) Chapter 222: Snake Pit (2)Matching their reputation, the Tristan Duchy¡¯s dinner boasted great quality. The living room was small, but even if that was the case, the food here was of a high quality for sure. The tagliatelle tasted savory thanks to the salt added to it. Its long and wide pasta went well with the meat sauce. The spicy sausage that was peeled, crushed and fried in olive oil, alongside roasted cherry tomatoes added to its vor and color. Without a doubt, this dish held a great harmony of taste¡ª ¡°Are you trying to run away from reality like that?¡± ¡°...¡± As I had my head stuck in my te, as if trying to analyze the molecr structure of the food, such words struck me. The one who said those words was a woman wearing a ponytail that was sitting next to me. She propped her chin on her hand, a smile hanging on her face. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Beatrix from the Kilgore Marquisate.¡±¡°...I¡¯m Dowd from the Campbell Viscounty.¡± I said while giving her a nod. She was Eleanor¡¯s extremely close acquaintance, the Student Council Secretary. Beatrix Elfin Kilgore. From what I heard, she was here for the ¡®Harvest Festival¡¯ held by the Tristan Duchy tomorrow. As for the festival, I heard it was something like a big holiday in the Duchy, basically, an event that they always held around this time of the year. Since the Tristan Duchy, the territory that was considered as one of the pirs of the country, considered this period of time as important, most of the well-known nobles were attending it. ¡­There¡¯s also a rumor that the Empress will attend this year. As I let my mind wander like that, Beatrix continued without dropping her smile. ¡°It¡¯s our first time meeting each other in person, right? I¡¯ve heard a lot about you.¡± Then, she continued, her smile still on her face. ¡°...If only the situation wasn''t like this, we would¡¯ve had a proper conversation.¡± ¡°...¡± Beatrix whispered while stealthily stealing a nce in a certain direction. I followed where she was looking at with my gaze. From that direction, there was a liquid-nitrogen-like coldness that didn¡¯t seem like it would go away. Across the wide table, the two people that I didn¡¯t want to meet each other the most in this situation were sitting side by side. Eleanor and Iliya. Those two were the main causes for the ice-cold atmosphere that had been going on. ¡°Can¡¯t you stop them? You caused this, didn¡¯t you?¡± Beatrix whispered those words as the stiffened muscles on her cheeks trembled. Well, she was correct, I should stop them. But the problem here was¡­ ¡°...If I were to do that and said something wrong, the situation would get even worse.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± ¡°...¡± Honestly, my priority in this situation was to wait and see. Besides, even if I wanted to step in, this was not the time to. ¡°...¡± But, seriously¡­ What the hell is wrong with those two? Since they hadn¡¯t openly shed with each other recently, I thought they were getting along better, but look at those two now! [Aren¡¯t you being toocent?] ¡­Pardon? [All this time, they¡¯ve been cooperating withoutints because they didn¡¯t want you to get caught in the crossfire. They had never been on good terms, at least that¡¯s how I¡¯ve seen it.] ¡®...¡¯ [As long as they have amon purpose, they can cooperate with each other, but none of them would yield if what they¡¯re fighting for is the ¡®initiative¡¯ over you.] ¡®...¡¯ Understandable. Even in the original game, both of them had an ill-fated rtionship with each other that went on for so long. Here, they hadn¡¯t been fighting because they had other important matters to deal with. It made sense that they didn¡¯t get along easily. [Moreover.] Caliban continued with a smile. [There¡¯s no way Iliya would stay calm in a situation where she thinks that the person she likes has been ¡®stolen¡¯ by that Lady.] As Caliban said so, Eleanor, who had been silent, opened her mouth to say, ¡°So,¡± Eleanor, who was creating such an atmosphere, said in a firm voice without even sparing the shiny steak in front of her a nce. ¡°What brings you here?¡± The atmosphere she exuded sent a shiver down my spine; I couldn¡¯t imagine her acting like this if it was just the two of us. Hearing that, Iliya, who also hadn¡¯t been touching her food as she looked at Eleanor expressionlessly, raised her chin. She challenged Eleanor with her gaze before letting out a silent smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s the Harvest Festival, so, I¡¯m sightseeing?¡± ¡°...Stop with ridiculous excuses. It is pathetic.¡± Eleanor replied coldly. ¡°There¡¯s no way anyone from the Kendride Margraviate would show up peacefully during the Harvest Festival. You think so too, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Well, Student Council President, I am the Hero now.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to say that such a ¡®simple¡¯ political reason makes no sense to me. Since I¡¯m the Hero, I can go to wherever I want to go.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing Iliya reply to her in a rxed voice, Eleanor furrowed her eyebrows. By simple political reason or something, Iliya meant that as someone who had gotten the Hero Title, she was in the position where she could ignore the ¡®Tristan Duchy¡¯s status. Basically, she was telling Eleanor that she ¡®wouldn¡¯t back off¡¯ anymore. ¡°...In our bet...¡± Eleanor said in a cold voice. ¡°All of us have agreed that the winner will take Dowd with her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never agreed on that bet in the first ce.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Am I wrong? I didn¡¯t even know there was something like that.¡± That was¡­true. I heard from Caliban that she told all of the Devil¡¯s Vessels and left Iliya out, so she was kept in the dark about it. ¡°So¡­¡± However¡­ Her following words showed that it was so much worse than that. ¡°Stop talking like you¡¯re in charge of Teach, because it¡¯s starting to get annoying.¡± The moment she heard that, Eleanor¡¯s eyes shot mes. ¡°Do you want to fight?¡± She said, her tone filled with anger. But Iliya replied to her with a smile. ¡°Right, I¡¯ve been curious about that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In the past, I might have acted differently, but now, I¡¯m already this strong. I can go up against you now.¡± ¡°...You.¡± ¡°What about you, Lady, aren¡¯t you curious too? About how far we can go against each other, I meant.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet while we¡¯re at it?¡± Iliya¡¯s eyes also shone furiously. ¡°If I win, I¡¯llpletely take Teach away from you. What do you think?¡± The next situation happened in a sh. Eleanor grabbed her sword as she jumped out of her seat, Iliya immediately grabbed the handle of the Holy Sword as if taking on the challenge, Beatrix also stamped out of her seat to stop Eleanor, and the servants lining up near them also freaked up and were about to get up. When a crazy person stepped in. I mean, me. System Message [ A moment of danger has been detected.] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ] At the same time as such a window popping up, I lifted my hands and climbed up the table. I knew what Desperation said, I could die if I was hit by these two at the same time. But I did it because I was sure that these two would never harm me. In fact, upon seeing me, Eleanor and Iliya stopped moving at the same time, looking perplexed. ¡°...Don¡¯t fight.¡± I said while breaking out in a cold sweat as I looked at them alternately. ¡°Seriously, please. Don¡¯t fight.¡± ¡°...Dowd, get out of the way.¡± ¡°Right, Teach. Don¡¯t interfere now and¡ª¡± However, these women didn¡¯t seem like they would stop. Their bodynguage suggested that they wanted to duke this out and they wouldn¡¯t take no as an answer. ¡°You know...¡± That was why¡­ I closed my eyes tightly and made a remark. ¡°I hate violent women.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± After hearing that, their faces went nk at the same time. The look on their faces seemed like they were wondering what the fuck was I was talking about, but I put on a thicker skin and added more to my previous remark. ¡°I¡¯ll hate both of you if you guys fight.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Upon hearing that, Eleanor and Iliya let go of their sword handles while giving each other a scary nce. And as soon as both of them sat obediently, Beatrix, who had been watching, looked as if she was dumbfounded. (¡­You calmed them down with something like that?) I could hear Beatrix mutter as such, sounding as if she found it ridiculous. It was a sound transmission through magic. She probably had set it so that Eleanor and Iliya wouldn''t be able to hear it and only I would hear it. Beatrix was a student of the Magic Research Department. This was supposed to be something that was hard to do, but she did it so easily. (How much do those two like you¡­?) ¡°...¡± (I think you might be a crazier yboy than rumored¡­) ¡°...¡± Please don¡¯t say something like that. ¡ñ After that¡­ Thanks to what I just said, the situation seemed to calm down considerably. Eleanor and Iliya still red at each other at times, but at the very least they didn¡¯t seem like they¡¯d exchange blows like they did earlier. [Thankfully that was all that happened.] What do you mean? [You know, if the Lady knew who took your first time, she¡¯d go batshit crazy too just now.] ¡­What, you knew? [I could tell based on your reaction. Iliya said you¡¯ve lost your virginity, but despite me always being with you, I was unaware of it. That meant you¡¯ve been squeezed dry somece where I couldn¡¯t see. Based on the circumstances, there was only one being that was able to make that happen. The punk inside the Lady¡¯s body.] ¡®...¡¯ [Seeing your reaction, I got it right, huh? Anyway, like I said, you should be thankful that things didn¡¯t get worse because of that.] Should I really be thankful about it, though? I got his point, but that meant I¡¯d have to live with a bomb that could explode at any moment now. [It¡¯d be better than getting it to explode right away, no?] ¡­Yeah, I guess. I thought while looking around the living room, which was filled with silence. Anyway¡­ I got to prevent a big fight from happening, which was good and all, but... ¡°...¡± The atmosphere of the ce was still suffocating. The air between Eleanor and Iliya specifically made me feel like I was walking on thin ice, it was so cold that I could feel my whole body shivering. Both of them were sipping on the tea that was just served as the dessert without looking at each other. But, as someone who was stuck in here with them, I could clearly feel that they were putting each other in check like crazy while keeping me tied down in the middle. It was suffocating even though I had gotten used to reading this kind of atmosphere recently. [Well, anyone with a brain can tell that they only agreed to stop fighting in front of you.] ¡°...¡± [Which meant, they must be plotting to hold a battle between themselves when you¡¯re not around.] I knew that¡­ I swear, I felt like I was about to die here¡­ Eleanor with two Fragments and Iliya with the Holy Sword¡ªThis was the moment when they became equal in power. If they were to fight for real, one of them would definitely get seriously injured. Both of them still had a major power-up event left, but their growing rate was extremely high at this point, so the damage they¡¯d cause to the surroundings would be no joke. ¡­Since I can¡¯t let them fight¡­ I had no choice. It was the time for me to do something. First of all, I had to at least create an opportunity for them to have a conversation with each other by¡­! ¡°Ah, over there.¡± When I gestured to the attendant on stand-by in the corner of the room, they approached me with deft steps before lowering their head to ask what was it that I needed. Then, while smiling awkwardly, I told them¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry but is there anything simple for us to enjoy? Like cards, or board games.¡± I knew what I had requested didn¡¯t fit such a dazzling and luxurious ce at all, but the attendant just nodded without a single hint of bewilderment¡ªThe gesture made me feel touched. ¡°Will the things prepared by the servants in the resting room suffice? Though, there is something a little¡­customary that you could pick, though¡­¡± I noticed how the servant¡¯s voice trailed off, causing my smile to turn bigger. Something customary in Tristan Duchy would be something like cards used for gambling at best. ¡°Ah. sure, get that. Thank you in advance.¡± The attendant bowed their head and disappeared with deft steps. Beatrix then red at me dumbfoundedly. ¡°Cards or board games? Here? Right now?¡± ¡°I mean, it isn¡¯t like we have anything else to do anyway, no?¡± It would be better than to do nothing in the middle in this suffocating atmosphere at least. In that sense¡­ ¡°...Let¡¯s do it all together.¡± I asked the two women, the source of this atmosphere. Please¡­ I beg you, just ept¡­ _t_ ¡°...No, thank you.¡± ¡°...Same here.¡± They answered while ring at each other. I could feel it in my skin that they had no intention to get closer with each other, but¡­ ¡°Come on, you two, don¡¯t be like that.¡± I still tried to persuade them desperately. In order to make them stay still at one table, I used all my conversational skills, spewing out words that I barely used throughout my life. ¡­It¡¯s working¡­! When I saw both of them eventually pulled the chairs and sat facing each other despite their faces clearly screaming that they didn¡¯t want to do this, I eximed as such in my heart. ¡°You persuaded them, hm?¡± As they did that, Beatrix, who had been watching the sight from the side, said so while letting out a chuckle. (I heard about your reputation from Eleanor herself, but I guess not everyone can be a yboy. Your skill at walking at that delicate line is exceptional to say the least.) Then her voice echoed only in my ears. She must¡¯ve used the sound transmission again. ¡°...¡± I sighed inside as I red at Beatrix. Did you really need to say that? (I mean, it¡¯s fascinating to see.) Beatrix replied while chuckling. (As far as I¡¯m aware, you¡¯re the only person in the whole world who could control Lady Tristan with a single sentence. You can be proud of it a little, you know?) ¡°...¡± Was that apliment or a curse? As I muttered as such inwardly, the four of us had already seated at the table, facing each other. Soon after, the attendant brought in a board game and ced it in the middle of the table. Then¡­ As soon as I read the words written on the cover of the board game, I instinctively felt that something had gone terribly wrong. ¡º ? Big Snake Pit Love Love Life Game ? ¡» ¡º Who are going to be a partner and how? Steal your opponent¡¯s partner and make thempletely yours! ¡» ¡º For the couple who win first ce, a Mana Stone ring will be created on the spot for them to wear together! ¡» ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Maybe¡­ Everyone at this table was wondering how the fuck did such a board game was picked out of every board games in the existence. I was also thinking the same thing as I turned my gaze at the attendant while breaking in a cold sweat, asking him what the hell did they bring in with my gaze. ¡°...I remember telling you that it was customary¡­¡± They said, as if it was an eptable excuse, in a voice that sounded as if they were in a difficult position too. Then, I asked in a trembling voice. ¡°...Is this all that you have?¡± ¡°...This is all that we have.¡± ¡°...¡± Such words¡­ Started a catastrophic silence on the table. Chapter 223: Snake Pit (3) Chapter 223: Snake Pit (3)Grabbing the cover of the board game gave me the feeling of opening the Pandora''s Box. But, it wasn¡¯t like I had other options to choose. If this gathering were to get canceled just because we felt awkward to y this board game, it would definitely lead to an atmosphere that I would hate to even imagine. ¡°...Shall we?¡± ¡°...Uh, mm¡­sure¡­¡± ¡°...Woaah, this seems fuuuun.¡± Hearing their answers that sounded as if their souls had left their bodiesing one after another, I decided to just bite the bullet and open the cover. Behind the cover were two cubic dice with a simple design, few character cards and a board. The game was simple; One just needed to collect a certain amount of money or love points. And during this moment of whirling confusion, I eventually ended up having to y the role of Master. Following the finalization of my role, each of them also picked a character card.The cards, which were made out of Mana Stone, were distributed one by one in front of each of us. As soon as each of us grabbed our cards, several lines of information regarding each character popped up above it. At the same time, several virtual pieces that looked simr to each of us suddenly popped up on the game board. ¡­Ooh. Huh, this exists? Seeing how this kind of thing existed made me realize how fascinating this world¡¯s technology was. Like, you wouldn¡¯t expect such a high tech would pop out at a ce like this. ¡°Um, I think we should introduce our character cards first. Starting from Eleanor.¡± ¡°...Is that so? My character is¡ª¡± A frown suddenly appeared on her brows. ¡°...The card says my character is a bride who is married for the first time to a yboy husband.¡± "..." Everyone went silent for a moment. It was only after I braced myself and opened my mouth did the conversation move forward. ¡°...I-I see. Anyway, it says that you need to roll the dice once to set your current status.¡± ¡°...Okay.¡± Eleanor rolled the dice with a slightly more violent gesture than earlier. The two cubic dice rolled on the table. I checked the number disyed and shifted my gaze to the rule book again. ¡°Those numbers mean¡­¡± Suddenly, I could feel my diaphragm contracting violently. But, we hade this far. It would be bad if I were to show them how conscious I was about what was written here. So, I closed my eyes shut before reading it. ¡°...Recently, both of you have slightly drifted apart. Your rtionship is in a critical situation as your husband might get stolen by someone else anytime.¡± "..." "..." ¡°...Anyway, my character card is¡ª¡± While feeling rmed, as if this ce might explode if things were to continue like this, I somehow managed to continue in a cheerful voice. ¡°I think it says I can raise love points easier than other characters. Also the character concept is a yboy¡­someone who attracts women even though he doesn¡¯t even do anything. Doesn¡¯t really fit me, don¡¯t you think¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± There was no physical force involved here, but I could feel a pressure so strong that it could probably make my body explode rushing over me. ¡°...I¡¯ll roll the dice.¡± So, I decided to just shut my mouth and roll the dice. I swear, I felt like I¡¯d die the moment I opened my mouth¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­my status is¡­single, and there¡¯s no other particr characteristics. Always open to new rtionship and¡ª¡± (-Perfect status for a yboy, isn¡¯t it?) Beatrix¡¯s voice, mixed with a snort, came into my ears, but I ignored it. Why the hell does this woman hate me so much? [Because all the reason to, of course.] ¡°...¡± [What? Am I wrong? You¡¯re the bastard who seduced her best friend, yet you still went out of your way to seduce other women¡ª] Shut up. As Caliban was rambling on, Iliya had rolled the dice once while looking at her character card. Then, she tilted her head. ¡°Teach, is there a marriage system in this game?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, it¡¯s written here. So, yers can marry each other in a certain space and the married yers will get double love points each.¡± As soon as she heard that, a smirk appeared in Iliya¡¯s face. That smirk got everyone to feel an ominous premonition. ¡°In here, it says that my character can order the man she¡¯s married to as her puppet. It says I¡¯m a temptress.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°My current status is that I enjoy breaking apart couples. Any cool male nearby is wee-?¡± Iliya said while sending me a wink. ¡°-is what¡¯s written here.¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing how her expression immediately changed when she said so, I realized once again how sly she could be. I¡¯ve seen bits and pieces of this side of hers before, but now, she was letting that side out openly, maybe to tease Eleanor. Actually, as soon as she saw her do that, Eleanor opened her mouth as she sent a re at her. ¡°Why are you reading that while acting cute?¡± ¡°I only read what¡¯s written here.¡± ¡°...Are you kidding me? Aren¡¯t you here to have a final match with me¡ª¡± ¡°Miss Beatrix, please read yours¡­!¡± Before the suffocating atmosphere got worse, I forcefully tried to get their attention back to the game. Seeing my desperation, Beatrix soon rolled her dice with a smirk. As if saying; ¡®Look at you, trying so hard.¡¯ As she rolled the dice, she scanned her character card. ¡°Let¡¯s see, my status is¡­¡± However, As soon as she saw what was written on her character card, her smirk disappeared. ¡°Beatrix?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°...N-Nothing, uhm¡­¡± Seeing how hesitant and dodgy Beatrix was, Eleanor instantly narrowed her eyes. Before Beatrix could even react, Eleanor snatched her character card. ¡°Eleanor, w-wait!¡± As she said so in a bewildered voice, Eleanor started to speak in a cold tone. ¡°The target is a single female who is thirsty for marriage. If there is a single male nearby, she will definitely be linked with him.¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone looked at the game board to see the single male piece which was near Beatrix¡¯ piece. Then, as soon as they saw it, ¡°...It¡¯s you, Teach?¡± Iliya said; Her expression was as cold as Eleanor¡¯s. ¡°Which means, Miss Beatrix and Teach are married¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Leaving both me and the Student Council President behind¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± A worse catastrophic silence fell around us. At that moment, I could hear the detestable sound of Caliban¡¯s heartyugh from inside the Soul Linker. I swear, he¡¯d tear up his lungs afterughing that hard. [How does everything you do always end up like this?] ¡°...¡± I don¡¯t fucking know. You tell me. ¡ñ Beatrix rolled the dice with a nervous expression. Her expression was so stiffparable to mine, who had been standing at the crossroad between life and death the entire time I was here. ¡°Low roll please, low roll please, low roll please¡­¡± She muttered while throwing the two dice. As the dice stopped with rattling sounds, she hurriedly checked her roll. And what she got was two 6s. The highest roll she could get. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± As our expressions turned sour, our pieces on the game board hugged and rubbed their cheeks against each other. In contrast to how we were in reality, our pieces looked very happy. My piece immediately proceeded to bridal-carry Beatrix¡¯s and threw her on the bed. Then, on the game board, maybe as a form of censorship, it showed a cartoonish scene where the curtains were slightly opened and tens of hearts were shot up above it. After that, the announcer¡¯s voice that was installed in the game board cheerfully resonated. [The couple¡¯s conjugal harmony is very good! They gave birth to three kids in a row!] ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± [They receive congrattory money from everyone! The love of ¡®Dowd¡¯ and ¡®Beatrix¡¯ is shining all over the world! They¡¯re currently in the first ce!] Should I destroy this thing now? No, I wasn¡¯t kidding. I wanted to flip it outside down so badly and pretend that it never existed. My palms had been sweaty to begin with, but now they were so damp, as if they were flooded. Eleanor and Iliya, who had been staring at the game board, gradually lost the lights in their eyes at the same time, making shivers run down my spine. As I was watching their reaction in real-time, Iliya gave me a few tokens that were used as money in the game with dead eyes. ¡°...This is the congrattory money.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Beatrix and I could only receive it while gulping dryly, Then, Iliya turned her head slightly to the other direction. ¡°...You should give them the money too, Student Council President.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Eleanor also gave us the congrattory money with a trembling hand. From the way she slid the tokens towards me, there must be a lot of things going on in her heart. From her perspective¡­ Her fianc¨¦ got married with her best friend and their rtionship was so good that they were having so many kids. Not only that, she also had to congratte them herself. Well, it was a game, but would there be any woman who¡¯d ept that kind of oue with a smile? ¡­How did it end up like this¡­! I swear in the beginning of the game, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t so terrifying! While the settings were like this and Beatrix and I were so nervous about it, Eleanor and Iliya didn¡¯t show any reaction after their initial displeasure. Though she was especially nervous, Eleanor even threw uncharacteristic jokes around, trying to ease the atmosphere a little. Come to think of it, maybe she made all those jokes to make herself feel better as well. Considering the series of situations that followed, it was nice. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now.¡± Eleanor said in a voice so cold that I felt like snow would fall right now, even though it was currently May, as she grabbed the dice. Then, she rolled her dice. On the game board, Eleanor¡¯s piece ran to the box where Beatrix and I were in. [Came into contact with other pieces. Courtship Request!] On the game board, my piece was shaking his head powerfully to Eleanor¡¯s piece, who was waiting outside the door with a bouquet of flowers. [She tried to woo the man, but gotpletely dumped! The other couple¡¯s rtionship got better instead!] ¡°...¡± With those words, Beatrix¡¯s piece appeared to make fun of Eleanor¡¯s piece that was crying while guffawing on the game board. Seeing this scene, a vein protruded hard on Eleanor¡¯s face. I swear I could see her eyes turning bloodshot. Seeing this, Beatrix and my expressions turned darker. ¡°...Uh, Eleanor?¡± I managed to call out to Eleanor in a trembling voice. ¡°...Hm.¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s just a game.¡± ¡°...I do not care.¡± That was a lie. She cared about it to death. As Beatrix and I were shaking, Iliya grabbed the dice, lights were still out of her eyes. ¡°...Huu...¡± She let out a deep sigh. Well, I called it a sigh, but it was more like she was letting off steam to calm the heat rising up in her body. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Once again, the dice were rolled on the game board. Her piece soon walked to the box where everyone else was in. [She came into contact with other pieces. Courtship Request!] Then, the same event that urred with Eleanor happened again. Iliya¡¯s piece walked towards my piece with a sexy gait. She was dressed very gorgeously from head to toe, as if reflecting the characteristics of a temptress. Then, she blew my piece a kiss while winking at him. In an instant, a blush appeared on my piece¡¯s face. But, when he looked at the ring on his finger, he closed his eyes and shook his head. [She gained an additional benefit due to the ¡®Temptress¡¯ characteristics!] [However, the other couple¡¯s conjugal harmony is too good! Target ¡®Dowd¡¯ resists the courtship!] [Roll the dice to decide whether you would seed resisting!] With those words, the dice popped up in my direction. ¡°...¡± I rolled the dice with trembling hands. Two 1s. [Resistance failed!] ¡°...¡± [The target entered the ¡®cheating¡¯ state. He hasn¡¯t been caught by his wife yet, but his Love Points will be drastically reduced once caught!] As soon as the announcer said that, my piece on the game board made a foolish expression as he took off his ring before shoving it into his pocket. After that, he came into Iliya''s arms as she made a whoo hoo hoo sound whileughing. Then, as if they had met their match made in heaven, they happily kissed each ot¡ª ¡°...Oh my.¡± As a blush appeared on Iliya¡¯s face, light started toe back in her eyes. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Beatrix¡¯ gaze fell upon me, as if she was looking at trash. Her expression looked as if she had seen something disgusting. Aside from that¡­ The edge of the table that Eleanor was holding was cracking. She couldn''t hide how whole body was trembling. Even though the one who was getting betrayed in the game was Beatrix, Eleanor was the angrier one here. She must''ve lost it at how I took off the ¡®ring¡¯ and was cheating on her with ¡®Iliya¡¯. ¡°...¡± No, I mean¡­ That wasn¡¯t me! It was me, but it was in game! The real me didn¡¯t do it¡­! [...Yeah, no one would listen to that excuse.] ¡°...¡± [Anyway, this game is fun. How long will thisst?] As Caliban said those words joyfully, I could hear Eleanor gritting her teeth. I prayed, with a feeling that I might faint. Please. Just let me survive here¡­! Chapter 224: Snake Pit (4) Chapter 224: Snake Pit (4)Afterwards, there were all kinds of bizarre incidents happening in the game. But in the end, the result was¡­ [1st ce, Beatrix & Dowd Couple!] [Mana Stone Rings created! Cherish each other forever!] A pair of rings popped up on the game board. The rings were only imitations, but their quality was needlessly good. It would be easy to mistake them as actual wedding rings. After that¡­ Each of the rings flew to Beatrix and I from the game board. The rings then slipped onto our fingers with a ¡®Ping!¡¯ sound. ¡°...¡±¡°...¡± This was just part of the game, but the sense of danger that Beatrix and I felt was at its peak. I¡¯m not kidding here¡­! You don¡¯t know what they¡¯d do to us¡­! Though, after seeing the rings¡­ Eleanor closed her eyes tightly. As if she had seen something she couldn¡¯t bear to see. She took a deep breath before sweeping down her face. ¡°I am going to get some fresh air for a moment.¡± She said, facing the table. Her words felt like a bolt from the blue to me. All this time, it felt like I had been blowing into a fully inted balloon. From the nerve-wrecking atmosphere, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if the situation blew up right there and then, but that didn¡¯t mean anyone would be d if it were to actually happen. She said that she was going to get some fresh air, but it was obvious that she was going to walk out on us and went on her way. But before I couldsay anything, Eleanor had gotten up from her seat and walked to the exit. Her gait exuded a cold atmosphere that insinuated me to leave her alone. As I unknowingly stopped trying to stop her, Eleanor had immediately disappeared into the exit. Should I follow her? But, wouldn¡¯t it only make her angrier? I hesitated for a moment at the thought, but¡­ ¡°...!¡± No. What the hell am I doing? The answer on this matter was crystal clear. If she was angry because of me, then I had to apologize. ¡°Miss Beatrix.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Please straighten things out for me.¡± My words could be interpreted in a bunch of ways, but fortunately, she was quick-witted enough to immediately understand what I was trying to say. ¡°Hero. May I talk with you for a moment?¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°It''s regarding the harvest festival. I believe you¡¯re going to find what I¡¯m trying to say interesting.¡± The way she immediately tried to attract Iliya¡¯s attention the moment I began to sprint proved it. [What are you going to do?] I¡¯m going to talk to her! And so, I ran through the corridor. The servants all looked at me as if I was strange, but I ignored their gazes and kept on running. Since I¡¯ve been training my body, my physical strength has increased considerably, but Eleanor was the Vessel with the most superhuman capabilities among them all. Compared to mine, her physical capabilities were on a different level. In that short amount of time, it seemed like she had left this vast mansion since I could see her get into a carriage bearing her family seal on it outside the terrace. ¡°?...¡± ¡°E¡­¡± Before I could even call her name, the carriage left in a sh. I looked around, barely suppressing all kinds of curses that were about toe out from my vocal cords. It was impossible to go all the way over there to hold her. Then what do I do to catch up? At that moment, something caught my eye. ¡°...¡± Uh¡­ That might be dangerous¡­ But had I ever cared about something like that? ¡ñ A while after that. Eleanor got off the carriage and sighed as she looked up at the sky. This ce was a little hill located behind the Tristan Mansion, a secret ce that she had always visited since she was a kid. Every time something depressing or frustrating happened, she¡¯de here and look up at the sky for a while. ¡­What am I doing¡­? Eleanor thought to herself as she looked up at the sky where the sun was setting. She knew it best that she was being immature. What happened was just a game. Beatrix and Dowd were both busy checking her mood throughout the game. She knew it more than anyone. ¡°...¡± But¡­ Even though she knew¡­ She closed her eyes and stroked the ring on her finger. The same ring that Dowd would be wearing on his finger. This was the token that was only shared between both of them. The ¡®link¡¯ between the two of them. Even if another woman were to get in the way, that link wouldn¡¯t change. That was why, the thought of it being infringed by someone else was¡­ Even though it was just a game, she still couldn¡¯t stand it. Her heart broke. She felt like crying. It felt as if her heart sank just by imagining it. And she ended up running because of it, because of the anger¡­ Because she could not stand watching it any longer. ¡°...¡± She sighed as she facepalmed. I think it¡¯ll be better to sit here for a while before going back¡­ Without meeting anyone, especially Dowd. She told herself that as she let out another sigh. ¡°Eleanor!¡± That was why¡­ When she heard Dowd¡¯s voice calling out to her¡­ Even though she felt happy and relieved inside, she still felt rather annoyed. It¡¯s as if deep in my heart I want him to follow me or something¡­ ¡°...¡± Well¡­ Just now, she made up her mind to not meet him because she was afraid that she¡¯dsh out at him if she were to see his face. But, the moment she heard his voice, her heart started to thump ufortably loudly. It was even more so because, until now, there had never been a single instance where her intentions had gone against her will. ¡°...¡± However, she managed to hold her expression from loosening up and turned around to face him. Just for once, I need to treat him coldly. Drive that man away, make hime to his senses by expressing my feelings properly. Just this once. Or at least, that was what she nned to do, but¡­ ¡°Dowd?! Why do you look like that?!¡± As soon as she saw him, she almost screamed out. At first nce, it seemed as if he hade from a battle. There were dust and bluish bruises all over his body. Blood was flowing from his torn palms. There were also drops of blood forming on the scratches on his face and whole body. ¡°Don¡¯t mind it¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I couldn¡¯t catch up with the carriage¡­¡± He awkwardly said as he pointed behind him with his thumb. There was a horse. Not just a regr horse, but a warhorse. Normally, warhorses would immediately kick anyone that wasn¡¯t its owner if they were to approach them. From this, it was obvious that he somehow tried to tame the creature while being continuously kicked by it, all while following her all the way here. What he did was so dangerous that a normal person would have died several times in that situation. ¡°I had to ride that at least to follow¡ª¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± Eleanor cut Dowd¡¯s words off, her voice cracked. ¡°We can always talkter, why are you doing such a stupid thing?! Do you not know that your body is precious?!¡± ¡°...Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve kind of learned how to ride horses before¡ª¡± ¡°What are you even saying?!¡± Her sincere outcry startled Dowd so much that he promptly shut his mouth. There was a sternness in her eyes as she was talking. She walked towards him with an angry strut and soon checked his wounds by turning his body around here and there. Then, she looked over his wounds meticulously, checking if they would get worse if left unattended, wondering if they would get healed quickly. She even brought her face closely as she did, not leaving even the scratches unchecked before clicking her tongue. ¡°We¡¯ll treat your wounds first. Then, we¡¯ll talk¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°...¡± Eleanor slightly bit her lip before distancing herself a little from Dowd. Slightly looking down, she said in a quiet voice. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°Everything that made you angry at me, Eleanor.¡± Surprisingly, the first response that came to her mind was ¡®Does he even know why I am angry?¡¯ But, Eleanor was always someone who preferred a more straightforward approach.. ¡°Another woman was creating a mess about you in front of your fianc¨¦e, yet you did nothing. I do not think it is praiseworthy.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°I am not angry at you, I¡¯m just¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...A little disappointed in you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It felt like the inside of her mouth was burning dry. She was the one who had to deal with his things, but somehow she felt like she was the one who had wronged him instead. Like they said, in a romantic rtionship, the one who fell in love first would lose, but anyone could tell that this was enough of a reason for her to get angry at him. ¡°...¡± But, the moment she saw his face and their gazes met, she knew why she felt this way. ¡­Ah, I see. She knew¡­ That with this man¡­ She was the weaker one¡­ From head to toe¡ªher body, her heart, everything. Every part of her had long since sumbed to this man. That was why she felt anxious when she expressed her dissatisfaction like this; She was afraid that she¡¯d hurt his feelings. It was to the point that she couldn¡¯t even bear to ask for anything that she should have deserved and instead, she felt that she should give this man everything that she had. That was how deep she had fallen for him. ¡°I''m sorry¡­¡± But it was only natural. For this man was someone who was willing to ruin his own body just to console a sulking woman. It was hard not to fall for someone who was ready to bleed himself the moment he saw another person was a little upset. ¡°...Okay.¡± Eleanor replied hesitantly before lowering her head and trying to check on his expression. ¡°By the way...¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°...Umm¡­y-you said you like me, right¡­? H-How much¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing how Dowd¡¯s eyes widened the moment he heard that question, a blush appeared on Eleanor¡¯s face. Of course, she felt the most shy by bringing up things like this. Yet, even so¡­ She figured that she should at least got something in return since he had disappointed her, so she said it as a way to tease him. ¡°...If you could convince me with your answer, I will forgive you.¡± And as soon as he heard that, Dowd lifted his hand and smoothed down the corners of his mouth. It was part of his effort not to show his bright smile. ¡°Eleanor.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Dowd smiled as he approached her. ¡°Say some¡ª¡± Eleanor''s words were cut off. And the reason for it was¡­ Because Dowd, who had walked to her, silently hugged her. But he didn¡¯t stop there. He brought his face closer to hers in an instant. ¡°...-!¡± For Eleanor, it was a familiar sensation. Since she had experienced this several times. However, even though that was the case, this was a sensation she couldn¡¯t get used to. The sensation of a kiss as their tongues and salivas mixed. A wet, hot, sticky and thick sensation. As Eleanor¡¯s blush reached her ears. Dowd slowly pulled his lips away from hers and said inalow voice. ¡°...Did that answer your question?¡± ¡°...¡± Eleanor lowered her head as her whole body trembled. ¡°...Y-You really¡­ Seriously¡ª¡± She clenched her fists, her tears almost burst out. Soon after, she pounded Dowd''s chest. ¡°Y-You¡¯re so unfair¡­ Every single time, you always try to get over everything like this¡­!¡± She had enough power to crush someone to six pieces, but the force she utilized when she pounded on his chest wasparable to that of cotton swabs. Even when she was being overwhelmed by her shyness. Even when she was upset. She still refrained from hitting him for real, just in case that she¡¯d end up hurting him. So, he did it again. He smacked his lips against hers again. Before they got entangled, Eleanor let out a little moan that sounded like ¡®_hiik¡¯¡ª_it was the cutest thing. ¡°...Haa.¡± After being stuck together like that for a while¡­ Dowd distanced his face from hers again with a sigh. All Eleanor could do was¡­ Standing still with a red face, her fists still clenched up the way they were when she was about to hit Dowd''s chest. ¡°...Will you forgive me?¡± Seeing him saying such a thing while smiling bashfully¡­ Eleanor moved her body stiffly, as if it was an ungreased machine. Soon after, tears slightly formed on the corners of her eyes. She couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. The anger over the fact that she always lost to this man in this way overwhelmed her. ¡°...Dowd.¡± She called out to him with a huff. ¡°At the Harvest Festival, you will see¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I will take my revenge. With all the interests.¡± ¡°...¡± So¡­ She seemed to have forgiven him. It was just, her words sounded a little strange to hear¡­ Chapter 225: Harvest Festival (1) Chapter 225: Harvest Festival (1)Uh, so¡­ In the end, I got out of the situation where I almost got scolded badly by Eleanor, which was good and all, but¡­ Another storm was waiting for me. Except this time it was worse, because unlike Eleanor, this person would make me unable to say anything back. ¡°So, Dowd.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Do you have any excuse?¡± Come to think of it, this person, my father, had rarely scolded me ever since I was a kid. It was natural since I entered a kid¡¯s body with a grown adult mind and I was widely known as a precocious kid in the territory. Maybe that was why my father and all the locals liked me.In that sense¡­ For me to get down on my knees while being scolded by my father like this wasn¡¯t something familiar. My father was always a gentle man, as if he couldn¡¯t say anything harsh towards others. But, as you all know, people like him would be very scary once they got angry. It had been tens of minutes since he barged into my room, made me kneel down, and disciplined me sternly with his arms crossed. As for why he did this¡­ ¡°Why am I being treated like a very important person inside the Tristan Duchy?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The treatment I receive is even more hospitable than that of a Count or Marquis. Why is that?¡± Hearing him saying that with a stern voice made me speechless. Well, it wasn¡¯t like I couldn¡¯t understand where he came from. From his point of view, he was just managing his territory peacefully, then he suddenly got dragged all the way here and received a treatment that not only made him feel burdensome, but also drove him crazy as well. ¡°...¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯d behave well and not cause any trouble when you got enrolled at the academy?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± It wasn¡¯t like I wanted all this to happen though! But then again, now that we got this far, what else could I say to him? Besides, it was a fact that I failed terribly to keep my words. ¡°Of course, I never expected you to really keep your words.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even remember how many girls have cried because of you. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d suddenly behave yourself in the academy.¡± Father. That hurts. Your overwhelming trust towards me in that strange part hurts so much¡­ ¡°But still. I need at least know why the Ducal Household is doing all this to me.¡± He continued while sighing. Hearing that, I replied abashedly while scratching my head. ¡°...It probably isn''t far from what you¡¯ve already guessed, Father.¡± The reason why they called my father here in advance was probably to create the vibe that they were holding a meeting between the bride and the groom¡¯s families. They were probably also doing it to leave a good impression in advance¡ª ¡°You, did you really get Lady Tristan pregnant?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I knew it. I knew that you would cause such an ident one day¡­!¡± ¡°...What kind of bastard did you think your son is? Seriously¡­¡± I knew I was being scolded, but that was just too far! I had the right to retaliate! After I calmed down my father, who was about to go half crazy, he let out a deep breath, though he still looked like he had a headache. ¡°I heard that Her Imperial Majesty the Empress is attending this Harvest Festival Event they¡¯re holding. Please, I beg you, I really hope that everything goes smoothly without any mishaps. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°About that, you don¡¯t need to¡ª¡± Seriously, he was being too paranoid. Though I was a little concerned about what Eleanor said¡ªhow she¡¯d be take her revenge at the Harvest Festival and such¡ªthere was no way that I¡¯d go out of my way to cause any trouble at such a big event that was attended by a bunch of great people like the Emp¡ª !! Emergency Notification !! [ ¡®Main Quest¡¯ rted event will be generated! ] [ Prepare in advance! ] ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Before I could even finish my answer, a window suddenly popped up before my eyes, prompting me to shut my mouth. Below the window, there were sentences that made me change my expression due to how ridiculous they were. ¡°...Why aren¡¯t you answering me?¡± ¡°...¡± I¡¯m sorry, Father. But, I don¡¯t want to lie to you. I thought as such while staring at the window before my eyes. ¡°...Father.¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing my expression, my father closed his eyes tightly. Then he took a deep breath a few times, making a hoo haa sound. ¡°...You¡¯re going to cause trouble again, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been like this, even back when you were a kid. This is the same look you had on your face back when you were seven, when you said you were going to catch a bear that appeared in the mountain by yourself¡­¡± ¡°...¡± As expected, we were a family. He could figure out what I was thinking in a nce when it took months for other people to do the same thing. ¡°...There¡¯s a high chance you¡¯ll be having a hard time during this Harvest Festival.¡± ¡°What does that mean? What are you up to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one up to anything.¡± I sighed while sweeping my hair. System Message [ Main Quest ]¡¼ Chapter 5 ¨C Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil ¡½ [ A rted event will ur soon! ] [ The quest content will change based on the event''s Branching Route! ] [ Designated hints will be given depending on the difficulty level to make it easier to clear the quest! ] [ Tip ] [ Here are the people you need to keep your eye on! ] [ 1. Yuria Greyhounder 2. Cecilia the 11th 3. Armin Campbell t] ¡°...Something''sing.¡± It had always been like this but... Maybe this time, I wouldn¡¯t be able to get through this unscathed¡­ The Harvest Festival was tomorrow. Something was going to happen there for sure. ¡°...¡± I closed my eyes for a moment and let my mind wonder. Somehow, I began to get used to such unexpected events happening. To the point that I was able to create an ¡®insurance¡¯ that fit the situation on the spot. For example¡­ ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Please call Herman. I have something to ask him to do.¡± ¡°... Ask him to do what?¡± ¡°I need him to call someone.¡± At the very least, I¡¯d need to take ¡®safety measures¡¯ that wouldn¡¯t get people around caught up in it. ¡ñ The day of the Harvest Festival. Tristan Duchy''s main castle was bustling with activities. Especially inside the banquet hall, where most people gathered. ¡°...Carlyle, Argos, Pndier¡­¡± Lucia muttered her family''s names while looking around. All of them were influential people in the Empire, and would never be looked down upon anywhere else in the continent. Still, even such people gathered in this ce just to attend a territorial-wide ¡®celebration day¡¯; A proof of how high the Tristan Duchy¡¯s status was. ¡­The strange part was¡­ The fact that there were a lot of people who were rted to the Upper Nobles Association here. Lucia didn¡¯t know much about the dynamics of the Empire¡¯s politics, but she knew that Tristan Duchal House, as a part of the Empress¡¯ Faction, was not in a good rtionship with the Upper Nobles Association. And, as if the number of the association¡¯s members here wasn¡¯t strange enough, even their leader, Marquis Bogut, hade all the way here in person. ¡°...They must be up to something. Yuria, we never know what will happen, so¡ª¡± Lucia was about to say something before she promptly closed her mouth upon seeing her sister¡¯s condition. Yuria was looking around, covered in cold sweat, like a very frightened small animal. ¡°...¡± No, she didn¡¯t look like she was very frightened. She was actually frightened. It was clear on her face. Then again, she had been staying alone in the warehouse before moving to the chapel with Lucia until not so long ago, so it was only natural that she couldn¡¯t adapt to such a sparkly and luxurious ce like this. ¡°...If it¡¯s hard for you, why don¡¯t we go back, Yuria?¡± ¡°...¡± However, when she heard that question, even though she was covered in cold sweat, Yuria still shook her head resolutely. ¡°...Miss Iliya¡­¡± Her reply came in a dull voice. ¡°Said to Mr. Dowd that something might happen here.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°This time¡­ This time¡­ I have to protect him.¡± Hearing Yuria¡¯s answer, Lucia couldn¡¯t bring herself to say anything to stop her. She knew that her little sister was ridden with guilt while dwelling in regret about Dowd for months. And she also knew that when it came to matters rted to him, trying to stop her would only bring out the opposite effect instead. ¡°...Please confide in me if it¡¯s too much for you, Yuria.¡± That was probably all she could say. Hearing that, Yuria smiled weakly as she nodded. Lucia could only look at her with worry, as she was clearly overdoing it. Suddenly, the noisy banquet hall became quiet. As she looked around, wondering what was going on, all attention was focused at the banquet hall¡¯s entrance. ¡°Her Imperial Majesty the Empress is entering!¡± With such words, Cecilia the 11th appeared, walking slowly with her staff. ¡°...The Empress?¡± Lucia muttered as she narrowed her eyes. Her being here wasn¡¯t strange at all. After all, Duke Tristan was considered as one of the exemry loyalists from the Empress¡¯ Faction, along with Margrave Kendride. Normally, it¡¯d be enough if she were to send a representative in her stead, but it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for her to attend the event in person. But¡­ She came here herself? Even though this ce is filled with the Upper Nobles Association members? ¡°...¡± Previously, she told Yuria to ask for her help out of concern, but now that things had turned out this way, the probability of something happening was going exponentially high. She knew that the Empress and the Upper Nobles Association were so hostile to each other that they were willing to openly start a war. Their rtionship wasn¡¯t like that of the Empress¡¯ and Chancellor¡¯s, where they tried their best to avoid each other. It became more notable ever since the Upper Nobles Association began to provocatively expand their force recently, which could be considered as challenging the Empress¡¯ authority. So, Lucia turned her head to warn her sister a little more. But soon, she stopped moving. ¡°...Yuria?¡± She could see her sister¡¯s eyes glisten with great hostility. Considering how she was always a quiet girl who was unable to say her opinion out loud, the look on her face was especially terrifying. It was as if¡­ She had seen something so disgusting. ¡°...Yuria? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel so good.¡± The hostility in her expression was so clear that it was hard to believe that it came from the same kind and innocent sister that Lucia knew. ¡°Yuria? What do you me¡ª¡± When Lucia asked that in bewilderment, Yuria soon replied in a stiffened voice. ¡°Unni.¡± To exin it roughly, her eyes¡­ Didn¡¯t seem as if they were looking at the Empress herself, but into something a little deeper. ¡°I don¡¯t feel good about that punk.¡± It was as if¡­ She was feeling something ¡®inside¡¯ the Empress. And under her eyes, ¡®White¡¯ Demonic Aura began to flutter little by little. Chapter 226: Harvest Festival (2) Chapter 226: Harvest Festival (2)The terrace on the second floor of the banquet hall was less crowded than I expected. It had a different vibe from the first floor, which was crowded by people who were busy introducing themselves. Also, I could see everything happening down there clearly from here. ¡°...Whoa.¡± Upon seeing the Empress entering the banquet hall, that exmation came out of my mouth naturally. She actually came, huh? I understood that the Tristan Duchal House had a high status, but getting the ruler of the Empire herself to appear here in person was a whole other matter entirely. ¡®This is how much the Empress cherishes the Duchal House¡¯, ¡®This is how strong our rtionship is¡¯, or ¡®Both of you, Upper Noble Associations, and Chancellor Sullivan, who¡¯s holding enmity towards us, watch yourselves¡¯. Those were probably the messages they were trying to convey. ¡°...¡±In other words¡­ Currently, the internal situation of the Empire was so tense that they dared to provoke each other like this. They were trying to threaten each other with mutual assured destruction, as if saying, ¡®our force is this strong, so don¡¯t you dare mess with us carelessly¡¯. ¡­Well, that mutual destruction will happen regardless¡­ Chapter 5, the Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil. The main theme was about a national-level civil war, in which the Upper Nobles Association, the Chancellor¡¯s Faction and the Empress¡¯ Factions were all involved at once. This was the part when the story started to get serious. Because this was the chapter where Eleanor began to awaken as the ¡®Final Boss¡¯. In this chapter, she¡¯d lose her human nature as her sense of self got encroached on by the Gray Devil. This was also the chapter where Gideon and Sullivan would die. As for the Empress¡­ I think, whether she lives or not, it¡¯s determined by the yers¡¯ choice¡­? In any case, she wouldn¡¯t get it nice either. Of course, I¡¯d need to do my best to prevent all that from happening. [By the way, I¡¯ve been having this question¡ª] Yeah? [Those Devils¡­aren¡¯t as bad as we all think, no?] Such a question came out of the Soul Linker out of a sudden. [Sure, most of them caused a lot of damage to their surroundings, but that was only because they were too preupied with you, not because they were doing evil deeds on purpose.] ¡­Ah, I see. Well, at a nce, it might seem to be that way¡­ But, I could exin that. You saw how I was a while ago, right, Caliban? I was talking about the me before Eleanor hit the back of my head and got me toe back to my senses. [Yea?] You know, back when I treated everyone except the people important to me like bugs? When I treated people merely as ¡®means¡¯ to achieve my goals. For example, Tatiana, whose soul I ended up enchanted into the Lion¡¯s Breastte. ¡°...¡± You know, I really should apologize to her for doing that¡­ Well, she was still inside that breastte, so maybe I should return her to her original state soon and do that¡­ I thought as such as I continued¡­ The devils are like that too. [What?] To them, humans, except for their Vessels and me, the target of their obsession, are no better than bugs. [...] They didn¡¯t hate humans or anything. Rather, they just didn¡¯t care about them. To them, humans were just a bunch of bugs that wasn¡¯t worth dealing with. As my words sent Caliban into a silent fluster, I continued my words. Right now, they¡¯re unable to unleash their power since they are all trapped inside the Vessels¡¯ bodies, but, if they were to get out¡­ Well, it¡¯s obvious what will happen¡­ I had said this repeatedly already¡­ There was a reason why those guys were called the Devils. Just look at what I did as soon as my ¡®way of thinking¡¯ became slightly simr to theirs for a moment when the Fallen¡¯s Seal changed my species. Or what the Red Devil was trying to do with all the deals about the Crimson Night Incident. She literally tried to burn the whole world and recreate it the way she wanted just because of Faenol. In other words, this world itself was like a toy for the Devils. In which, everything except for the things they were interested in could be changed to their taste. That¡¯s why the Devils must not be released, at least until we have the proper means to deal with them. Hearing what I said, Caliban stayed silent for a while before replying with a groan. [...I heard they¡¯re the strongest being in all the dimensions. What kind of means do we need to have for it to be safe if they were to be released?] Well, one of the means was Iliya wielding the Holy Sword. Though she wouldn¡¯t be able to fight a life-or-death battle with the Devil¡¯s main body with it, she was probably the only means avable to us to restrain the Devils in the Material Realms, along with ¡®Dragon¡¯. Also¡­ ¡°...¡± I looked down at my chest with a smirk. It was where the Fallen¡¯s Seal was. This would be the best means to control them the way I ¡®like¡¯ it. There¡¯s also this thing. Though, it¡¯s still iplete since I haven¡¯t collected all of them yet. [...What are you talking about?] While we were having such a conversation¡­ A familiar voice came from beside me. ¡°Dowd Campbell!¡± My face muscles instantly wriggled. Although the voice sounded familiar, it wasn¡¯t a voice that I was d to hear. ¡°...Marquis.¡± I greeted him with a sigh. Marquis Bogut. The Lionheart. The leader of the Upper Nobles Association. It was already impossible to have a peaceful atmosphere the moment this person and the Empress were in the same ce. Considering that the System Message warned me about something that was about to happen today, I¡¯d bet money that this punk over here would be the main cause of that. ¡°Nice to see you! You¡¯re here, as expected!¡± ¡°...¡± After staring at the hand he offered to me, I just gave him a silent nod. This was a way for me to express my reluctance and unwillingness to act all buddy-buddy with him. Obviously, he noticed my intention, but that wasn¡¯t enough to wipe that grin off his face as he put his hand down. ¡°You aren¡¯t apanying Lady Tristan?¡± He said, as if he was sure that Eleanor was with me. ¡°...Yeah, well.¡± ¡°I assume that she¡¯s nning for something special? Considering your rtionship, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a reason for you two toe here separately!¡± ¡°...¡± I furrowed my brows as I sent him a re. This was something that had always been on my mind, Many times, I felt an unpleasant feeling whenever I faced him, simr to the feeling I got whenever I faced the Prophet. It was probably because of his attitude that made it seem as if he knew everything; Both about me and about ¡®other things¡¯ that I didn¡¯t know. And¡­ What he said after proved that assumption of mine. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you¡¯d need to make your move quickly.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, you can¡¯t just let an unwee visitor ruin the event that the Lady had prepared with her best effort, can you?¡± At the same time as this punk said those words¡­ A window suddenly popped up before my eyes. System Message [ The presence of the ¡®White Devil¡¯ can be felt! ] [ ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ reacts! ] I instantly widened my eyes. White Demonic Aura emerged from the surroundings. I remembered seeing it once before. Because I had used this Aura once. The White Devil¡¯s Authority, ¡®Seduction¡¯; The ability to control all sentient beings around her. In an instant, the eyes of everyone inside the Demonic Aura¡¯s sphere of influence went nk. Everyone stopped moving in a moment. The chatters, musical performance, all the noise inside the banquet hall stopped as the whole space fell into a shuddering silence. ¡°...!¡± As I hurriedly leaned out of the railing to check, I could see the source of this White Aura, Yuria.. She was sitting at a table, ring at the Empress. Her gaze was clearly fixed on the Empress, who was looking around in bewilderment, wondering what was going on. And her hand¡­ Was ced right on the hilt of the Severer. That punk¡­! What the hell was she doing? I knew that Yuria was here, but I didn¡¯t know that she would cause so much trouble like this! ¡°She must have been reacting to what¡¯s inside Her Imperial Majesty.¡± While I was checking out the situation, Marquis Bogut suddenly said that to me. ¡°What¡ª!¡± ¡°You also know what¡¯s inside Her Imperial Majesty, no?¡± This time, his voicecked the usual yfulness. Though he was smiling as usual, the look on his face was the most serious one I had ever seen. If it wasn¡¯t for his smile, I swear I could see him narrowing his eyes. ¡°That must be why you aren¡¯t affected by the Demonic Aura, unlike the other people. You¡¯re fine while the other people are all losing their minds.¡± ¡°...¡± I silently red at Marquis Bogut. ¡°I¡¯m just trying this out there so that you won¡¯t get the wrong idea. This isn¡¯t something that I had nned.¡± Then, he added¡­ ¡°This is bound to happen at least once when the Devils meet each other. Especially since the one inside Her Imperial Majesty is ¡®Brown¡¯, the one who¡¯s particrly hostile towards you.¡± ¡°...You, what the hell are you talking ab¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to exin it to you, but do you think you have the lenience to listen to me?¡± Marquis Bogut pointed down the terrace while grinning. ¡°If you let that be, an actual incident will happen, you know?¡± In the direction he pointed at¡­ With white Demonic Aura wrapping around her whole body and her hand on the hilt of her sword¡­ Yura got up from her seat. ¡°...¡± I looked at Marquis Bogut while gritting my teeth. ¡°...My Lord Marquis.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I think we need to have a proper conversationter.¡± ¡°...¡± Marquis Bogut gave me a big nod with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± I red at that hateful face for a moment before sighing in annoyance inwardly. My shitty fate¡­ Followed around by incidents wherever I go¡­ ¡°...Fuck my life.¡± I said as I jumped down the terrace. ¡ñ While jumping down the terrace, I organized my n. [What are you going to do?] ¡­I¡¯m going to do what I have to do. [What?] Like I¡¯ve said earlier, there are proper means to handle the Devils. I said while looking at the seal on my chest. Honestly, I didn¡¯t want to do it. Even though it would work in theory, I had never done it, so I wasn¡¯t sure if it would work or not. And most of all¡­ ¡°...¡± I threw a nce at the confused-looking Empress. There was an ¡®audience¡¯... I didn¡¯t want to do it in front of one¡­ But¡­ ¡­Things that I have to deal with after¡­ I felt sorry, but there was a high chance that I¡¯d have to leave it all to the person I had called through my father¡­ Skill Info [ Fallen¡¯s Seal - Transformation ] [ After a certain period of time, direct ¡®contact¡¯ with the Devils bes possible! ] This was the thing that I nned to use. Because of this I was squeezed dry by the Gray Devil, but it wasn¡¯t all bad. I had a way to use it in situations like this too. Being able to ¡®touch¡¯ the Devils would be a requirement for me to assert a stronger control. ¡°...¡± I took a deep breath while putting my hand into my inner chest pocket. This would be the most important key item to control this punk. Ever since I got the information from the System Window that this punk was ¡®someone I needed to keep an eye on¡¯, I had prepared this thing in advance. ¡°...Hmph¡ª¡± As soon as Inded down the terrace, the white Demonic Aura around whisked. An extreme ¡®impact¡¯ shrouded my consciousness for a moment as if I got a brain fog. System Message [ ¡®Skill: Pandemonium King¡¯ is activated! ] [ Resisting the ¡®White Demonic Aura¡¯! ] But I had the means to resist this at least for a moment. The Demonic Aura around me retreated in an instant, splitting to both sides as if opening a way in front of me. I walked through it to quickly approach Yuria. Huh¡­ She was wearing the Starsteel Circlet? Thank God. That meant I wouldn¡¯t be split in half even if I was within three steps away from her. ¡°...¡± And, as soon as I got closer to her... I could see it. The White Devil on top of Yuria¡¯s shoulder. She was suppressing this punk¡¯s consciousness and moving Yuria¡¯s body the way she wanted. She was fiercely ring at the Empress with a burning gaze. ¡°...¡± Right¡­ Well, I had expected it, but this white punk was actually a little harsher on her Vessels. I said that the Purple Devil was the one who wouldn¡¯t care the slightest about her Vessel¡¯s ¡®autonomy¡¯, but honestly, every single time, this punk was the one who caused the biggest troublepared to Purple. It was because of her that Yuria was overwhelmed by the guilt and gradually became more and more depressed as she got caught up in more and more of such situations. I had lost count of how many times I tried to meet and talk with Yuria after the Crimson Night Incident, but Lucia had always told me that Yuria couldn¡¯t even look at my face because she was sorry. However¡­ Even after making her like that¡­ The White Devil was now even trying to cause a huge incident by stabbing the Empress. ¡°...¡± My honest thought towards this was¡­ ¡­It¡¯s pissing me off. No, I wasn¡¯t joking. I was actually pissed. How much more harm would this white punk need to cause before she¡¯d stop making Yuria feel miserable? I thought as I approached Yuria and ced my hand on her shoulder. ¡°White.¡± [...!] The White Devil was immediately about to pull out the Severer from the scabbard as her eyes widened, but before she could do that, I grabbed her wrist and pushed the sword back into the scabbard. At the same time¡­ I took out the item I had prepared from my inner chest pocket in a sh. ¡°If you keep causing trouble¡ª¡± This was a familiar item to me since I had used it a few times before. I immediately ¡®put it on¡¯ the White Devil. After being squeezed dry by the Devil, I became used toing in contact with a Devil, so doing all this wasn¡¯t really hard for me. ¡°-I have no choice but to punish you.¡± I said while smiling. But, I could feel the veins in my face bulging. That showed how angry I was and how little ¡®guilt¡¯ I felt over the thing that I was about to do to this punk. [...] The White Devil nkly looked at me and the item I just ¡®put on¡¯ her alternately. She looked as if she couldn¡¯t understand what had just been done to her. Her stunned voice proved it. [...Uh?] With a dog cor on her neck, the White Devil¡­ Looked at me with a stunned gaze. Chapter 227: Harvest Festival (3) Chapter 227: Harvest Festival (3)As someone who had just exined how dangerous the Devils were, I knew best of the danger behind what I was trying to do. Considering that the other party was none other than the White Devil, the one who¡¯d always cause troubles recklessly, the danger was considerably higher than normal. [...What is this¡­?] The White Devil grabbed the dog cor on her neck with both her hands with a dumbfounded look. Her expression suggested that she failed to understand what had been done to her. But, before she could get angry or something¡­ ¡°Umph.¡± While taking advantage of her unguarded state, I hung a ¡®leash¡¯ on the hook that protruded from the choker. Well, I called it a leash, but this thing was made of an alloy of starsteel and ectosm that Professor Vulkan made while screaming. In other words, this thing was strong enough that it wouldn¡¯t break right away even if it came into contact with the Devils directly. After that, I pulled it¡­So that I could ¡®pull this punk down¡¯ to the ground. [...!] She was crossing her arms mid-air when I pulled the leash, mming her to the ground. That would probably be the first time in her life that she had experienced something like this. Being treated like an ¡®animal¡¯ by someone else like this, I meant¡­ With her body being mmed to the floor, her eyes widened in an instant. For a while, her eyes shook in confusion, but it soon glistened with rage as she sent me a burning gaze. [What the hell are you doing¡­!] The White Demonic Aura undting nearby reacted to hermand and seethed terrifyingly. I could feel a pressure strong enough to cause an ordinary human¡¯s brain to boil the moment they saw iting from all directions. ¡°...¡± I closed my eyes, trying to calm myself down. At the end of the day, I was still a human, so there was no way that I wouldn¡¯t be unaffected by her Aura. If I were to keep being exposed to it like this, I¡¯d eventually fall into her control. But¡­ There was ¡®something that I could use¡¯ on this punk. I mean, in the past, back when we met an angel, I had suppressed this punk by using the Seal right before she went berserk. Check this out. System Message [ Checking the stage of the Seal. ] [ Confirmed to be Stage 2. ] [ With¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????? ¡®s privilege, you will gain control over the Target! ] [ Checking status of Target¡­ ] WARNING! [ The Target is not the ¡®Vessel¡¯ but the Devil''s ¡®Main Body¡¯. It is impossible to suppress it with the Seal of the current stage! ] However, unlike back then, the same method didn''t work since the target wasn''t Yuria but the White Devil herself. But it didn¡¯t discourage me, as I took a deep breath before opening my mouth. ¡°Obey.¡± You see, if the seal failed to work because the target was the White Devil instead of Yuria, then I just had to strengthen it. As for how to do it¡­ The way the Seal worked was that it¡¯d absorb a Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura it came in contact with. Coincidentally, I was stickily entangled with the ¡®most powerful¡¯ Devil just a while ago. ¡°[My words.]¡± A ¡®polyphonic¡¯ voice that wasn¡¯t mine was mixed in my voice. System Message [ Using the Demonic Aura of ¡®C????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????? ????????????¡ã???????????????3???????????????????????¡¯ which is in the ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯! ] [ Endowing Target with pelling power¡¯! ] [--!!!!] After that¡­ The White Devil fell t on the ground with her eyes wide open. It was as if she was worshiping me, like a servant facing her king. [What¡­!] ¡°I¡¯ve told you.¡± As she was gasping in shock, I approached her. Squatting down, I met her gaze at her eye level. ¡°If you keep causing trouble, I¡¯d have no choice but to punish you.¡± Upon hearing that, she gasped while barely raising only her head. Not only were her eyes burning¡ªthey almost shone. Anger, bewilderment, humiliation, shame, all seemed to be mixed together in one ce. [Seal¡­! Gray, that¡­!] Then, a killing intent that could probably skin people alive just by standing near it came out of her. ¡°...¡± As expected, a Devil was a Devil. I swear, if I were to ¡®fight¡¯ or do something along that line with this punk, I¡¯d get my neck cut by her in under a second. That was how big the difference of ¡®ss¡¯ was between us as Life Forms. [That damn punk, I¡¯m going to kill her, to my possession, to my partner, what did she¡­!!] ¡°I¡¯m not your partner.¡± However¡­ Right now, I was in control of this punk. There was no reason not to take advantage of it. While wearing a big smile¡­ I slightly raised her face, who was wearing a dog cor while lying t on the ground while panting. ¡°Call me master.¡± [...] Hearing that, the White Devil¡¯s jaw dropped. She looked as if she had just heard something she should¡¯ve not heard. [...What?] That was the only thing that she barely managed to let out after being in a daze for a while. She looked as if she wanted to ask me ¡®Are you for real?¡¯ ¡°I said, from now on, call me master.¡± I repeated in a low voice. Then, I mixed in the ¡®polyphonic¡¯ in my next words. ¡°[This is an order.]¡± [-!] As soon as I said that¡­ The White Devil¡¯s body flinched, as if she was struck by electric currents. ¡°Look at me.¡± I held her chin and raised it up, forcing her to meet my gaze. As if enjoying the humiliation, rage, and confusion on her trembling face that she couldn¡¯t hide properly, I slowly scanned her face. ¡°Who am I?¡± She bit her lip until it bled. I could see clearly how she was blushing to the tips of her ears from the embarrassment. [...Mas¡­ter¡­] ¡°There you go. Good job.¡± I said while patting her on the head. With a smile still hanging on my face, I continued. ¡°It¡¯s cute how obedient you are. Just like a pet dog.¡± [...-! You¡­!] As soon as she heard that, her pupils became thin slits. This must¡¯ve been the most pissed-off expression a Devil could make. If she wasn¡¯t under my control, she would¡¯ve actually done something to me. However¡­ ¡°[Huh, why does the dog¡ª]¡± I continued calmly. ¡°[-try to talk like a human?]¡± The White Devil¡¯s expression went nk in an instant. It was as if she was trying to say, ¡®No way¡­¡¯. As if she was thinking that no matter how crazy I was, there was no way I¡¯d dare to do something like this to her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± But, I ignored that and continued nonchntly. ¡°I said you¡¯re a dog right now.¡± [...] ¡°[So, bark.]¡± The White Devil¡¯s pupils shook. She then slowly lowered her head, as if she couldn¡¯t keep her head up. As her forehead touched the ground, she stayed still for a while. [...Woof.] Soon after¡­ Such a sound left her lips; It was clear how much she struggled to let it out though. [Woof¡­ Wooof¡­] Tears welled up in her eyes. Huh, so Devils¡¯ could tear up too? She was the White Devil, one of the most powerful beings in all dimensions. Right now, in front of me, with a dog cor on, she was lying t on the ground, sticking her forehead onto the ground. In that pose, she started barking like a dog. [Woof¡­ Woof woof¡­ Woof¡­] Of course, between her barks, she threw me fierce res here and there. Hell, I could even see killing intent in her gaze. If I didn¡¯t keep a tight grip properly on her, I swear I¡¯d faint the moment our eyes met. However¡­ When I took just a step back and checked on her under such pressure¡­ I could see how hard she was blushing, and how she was about to cry from embarrassment due to her staying in that pose. This meant that she had no means to defy me right now. There you go. If the other person was Faenol, the one who possessed all the Fragments of the Red Devil, this method would never work since the Seal hadn¡¯t developed enough yet. Also, it would never work against Eleanor, since the Gray Devil was the one who imprinted this Seal on me. Actually, if Yuria possessed one more Fragment inside her, there was a high chance that this method wouldn¡¯t have worked against the White Devil. But¡­ She only has one Fragment. That¡¯s why I can deal with her this easily. So, what can you do now, huh? What else can you do besides getting angry and annoyed at me? Besides shaking, helplessly, trying to hold your embarrassment, hm? _¡­Huh? _ [Woof¡­ Woof woof¡­ Woo¡­ Heuk¡­ Eu¡­ Geuk¡­ Woo¡­oof¡­] More time passed, now, even her pronunciation became unclear. Her expression looked as if she was about to lose her mind. I could see her whole body was shaking. Seeing how her fists were trembling greatly, I began to feel bad for her. This was probably enough. ¡°Listen to me.¡± I called out to her as I cleared my throat. At this point, it sounded almost as if she was sobbing. ¡°Don¡¯te out from Yuria¡¯s body until I call you. Think of this as a probationary period for you. Got it?¡± [...] ¡°If you promise me, I¡¯ll stop giving you ¡®punishments¡¯.¡± ¡®Promise¡¯ was like a contract to the Devils. They could never break it themselves. If she were to promise me that here, she¡¯d never take over Yuria¡¯s body as she liked. ¡°Answer.¡± [...] ¡°Or maybe you want to keep going? I don¡¯t mind ordering you to do this all night.¡± [...I¡­ Got it¡­] Seeing the way she answered me while trembling, I let out a refreshing smile. Good, she listened to me. [...This bastard is umting bad karma again¡­] ¡°...¡± [Didn¡¯t you learn anything after getting squeezed out by the Gray Devil a while ago?] Oh,e on Mister¡­ Stop saying weird things like that... ¡ñ ¡°...She went back in.¡± I muttered while looking at the White Devil disappearing into Yuria. It would take some time for the Demonic Aura this punk had let out as she went out to be cleared away, but to put it another way, it meant that I just had to wait for a bit for the surroundings to return to normal again. As I dragged Yuria¡¯s body and made her sit where she originally was, a voice suddenly came from the Soul Linker. [Is this the means to deal with the Devils thing that you mentioned?] ¡­Well, it¡¯s still iplete. I thought as such while looking at the Seal on my chest that was still pulsating. Basically, the Seal had a function to allow me to interact with the Devils the closer I came into contact with them. The closer I got, the more possible ¡®managing¡¯ them would be. I figured that since I was able to do that thing with the Gray Devil, I should be able to do this much somehow. System Log [ The ¡®White Devil¡¯ is obeying you. ] [ The ¡®Worship¡¯ stack is boosted by one. ] [ Once the stack is full, target will function as a part of ¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤?????????????????????????????????¡¤??????????????????? ?????????????????¡¤????????????????????????????????? ! ] [ There are currently two ¡®Worship¡¯ stacks! One stack remaining before it¡¯spletely filled! ] How this Worship stack rose after I made the White Devil obey me proved my conjecture. I assumed that a new function or something would be unlocked until I filled it up. Which meant¡­ _¡­I guess I''ll have toe into contact with them more frequently from now on. _ After all, it was the Devils who held the casting vote in the story, and this seal was the most important means to lead them directly to the ¡®Happy Ending¡¯ I had in mind. So, the thing I needed to do the most was to enhance my abilities whileing into contact with them. [...You sure the White Devil wouldn¡¯t just try to kill you immediately the next time you meet her?] _¡­Probably, yeah? _ Even if she wouldn¡¯t actually kill me, she¡¯d probably do something close to that. Gray Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura could only control this punk once, so it would be best for me to not meet her for a while. At least until I had another means to control this punk again. [By the way, you were saying that you¡¯d need toe into contact with the Devils more frequently, right?] Yeah? [So, will you be doing the same thing you did to the White Devil to the other¡ª] ¡­Stop painting me like a crazy pervert! Why the hell is that even a question?! [You''re not denying it¡­] ¡°...¡± Well, you know¡­ Sometimes, I¡¯d need to use such a rough means for punks like the White Devil, who just wouldn¡¯t listen to me no matter what. I had no choice, okay? And there was also someone who became the reason I needed to activate the Seal functions as soon as possible, even if I had to do it by doing something like this. ¡°...¡± I slightly squinted my eyes and looked up at the 2nd floor where I was standing just now. Marquis Bogut was already nowhere to be seen. Until just now, he had been watching from that ce. It seemed like he went away as soon as I managed to suppress the White Devil. I had a feeling that he wanted to ¡®check it out¡¯, I guess that was true after all, huh? If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t need to see what I did before disappearing. ¡°...¡± Come to think of it. What the hell was that bastard? Like, that bastard wasn¡¯t affected by the White Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura. In my case, I had the Seal and some Skills that helped with it. As for Cecilia the 11th, she was a Devil¡¯s Vessel. What was it that he had? How could he be unaffected by Yuria¡¯s Demonic Aura? ¡­What an annoying fucker. He was also the main viin in Chapter 5, but¡­ The ¡®ominous¡¯ vibe he gave off was at the same level as the Prophet. It was as if there was more to him than ying such a role. As I thought while letting out a sigh¡­ ¡°...You.¡± A voice that suddenly came from beside me made me promptly turn my head. It was Her Imperial Majesty the Empress. Her eyes, which were always half-closed, were now opened wide in shock. She looked as if she couldn''tprehend the situation just now. ¡°...Are you okay, Your Imperial Majesty?¡± I asked while letting out a bitter smile. Come to think of it, she hadn''t even realized that she was a Devil''s Vessel. It was natural that she couldn''t understand a single thing, from what was going on to the result of what I had just done¡­ ¡°You have a little more extreme taste than I thought¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Are you going to make me do things like that tooter¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Please give me a word in advance if you¡¯re going to do it so that I could mentally prepare myself¡ª¡± _Cecilia the 11th, woman¡­ _ What the fuck are you on about¡­? Chapter 228: Harvest Festival (4) Chapter 228: Harvest Festival (4)The evening in Tristan Duchy was quite chilly. Perhaps, it was because the territory was right next to the Kendride Margraviate, which bordered thend to the north. Grabbing his coat, Marquis Bogut let out a sigh. As he walked out of the Duke''s mansion into the courtyard, white breath vapor came out with his mouth. There was no hesitation in his gait as he had seen everything he wanted to see. ¡°...What an absurd guy, being able to have dominance over the Devils like that¡­¡± He muttered while scratching his head. ¡°You think so, right?¡± At a nce, it seemed like he was talking to himself since there was no one there, but that couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. Suddenly, a woman appeared under the light shade, wearing an expressionless face. Marquis Bogut let out a snort, dumbfounded. He simply couldn¡¯t believe that someone was actually able to hide their whole body in such a light patch of shade.I guess her reputation of being able to infiltrate any ce as long as there¡¯s an area without any light isn¡¯t a lie, huh¡­? ¡°...Truly a skill that befits someone who bears a title that was only bestowed to two people in this whole continent.¡± Marquis Bogut looked at the two animal ears standing on the woman¡¯s head as he said those words. Biped, the race who faced severe discrimination in the Empire. Normally, for such a race toe into one of the most authoritative noble territory in the Empire, it would be nothing short of suicidal, but considering who this person was, it wasn¡¯t the case at all. ¡°Nice to meet you, Grand Assassin. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen you in person. All this time, we¡¯ve only been writing to each other, hm?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Right,e to think of it, was the other Grand Assassin from the same family as yours? As expected, your whole family is¡ª¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Well, that didn¡¯t work. This was his first time meeting the Grand Assassin, but the unfriendliness that he felt in person didn¡¯t feel so different from her writing. ¡°...That person right there, is your target.¡± Marquis Bogut looked behind inside the Duke¡¯s mansion while continuing, ¡°You¡¯ve seen him from the distance, right? What did he do to that ¡®Devil¡¯s Vessel¡¯.¡± ¡°...I won¡¯t ept any assassination request against that man.¡± Her answer came in a t tone. ¡°The Holy Land has already sent someone to assassinate him. I refuse to get a bad blood with someone from the same field as me.¡± ¡°You got it wrong, I don¡¯t need you to kill him.¡± ¡°...What?¡± She responded with an incredulous tone, as if asking, ¡®Then why would you hire an assassin?¡¯, but the Marquis ignored her and continued to exin while smiling. ¡°What that man has done is just the beginning. From now on, the Devils gathering around that man would start their moves in earnest, and you¡¯re the only ¡®person¡¯ who can observe it in detail, while being conscious, without getting caught.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Do you understand why I hired you now?¡± ¡°...¡± Since her whole face was being wrapped tightly in a hood, the Marquis couldn¡¯t see what expression she made, but he was sure that she was frowning at him. He ignored that and continued while smiling. ¡°Infiltrate the academy. Get as close as possible to that man. If you see anything that stands out, report it to me.¡± Marquis Bogut paused for a moment before adding something with a meaningful smile. ¡°...Also, you might run into your family there.¡± ¡°...¡± The Assassin stayed quiet for a moment before bursting outughing. ¡°I don¡¯t care about them.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Right before she disappeared into the shadow again¡­ Her cold voice entered his ears. ¡°Because they¡¯ve betrayed me.¡± ¡°...¡± Marquis Bogut quietly watched as the Assassin disappeared with such words. ¡­Betrayal, huh? It was a familiar word to him. And he would be getting more and more familiar with that word in the future. ¡°-!¡± As he thought so, his upper body suddenly leaned forward violently. A violent cough burst out from his stomach, apanied by the pain so great that blood started to fill up his mouth. ¡°...¡± He touched the area around his mouth while smiling bitterly. In the white breath vapor that came out from his mouth, he could smell the strong scent of blood. ¡°...Hang in there a little longer, Bogut. You¡¯re doing great.¡± He muttered while instinctively stroking his neck¡ªthe thing that he had always done every time this happened. Except that this time, the locket that he had usually grasped in his hand was nowhere to be found. The locket with the picture of Astrid, Armin, and him in it. ¡°...¡± I knew it¡­ Giving it to Armin before I left was a good idea. Without it, he felt as if he had broken a bad habit of relying on it every time he was feeling weak. So, instead of grasping that locket¡­ He clenched his teeth as he ruminated on the words engraved on that locket. ¡°My friends...¡± From now on, until forever¡­ Until death separates us apart¡­ ¡°Just a little more, my friends¡­¡± Almost there... It¡¯s just around the corner¡­ The thing that I had promised you guys¡­ ¡°...I¡¯m almost there, Astrid.¡± He muttered before he started to walk forward while wobbling. It did not take long for his figure topletely disappear into the dark. ¡ñ The cleaning up after that whole fiasco wasn¡¯t that hard. While the White Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura could affect people¡¯s minds in a bad way, fortunately, Yuria currently only had one Fragment within her, so there would be no serious aftereffects lingering on those people¡¯s hearts. Though people who came back to their senses got confused to find the banquet hall being so quiet and how they had been standing in a daze until then. ¡­But, I was able to smoothly pass that thanks to her¡­ I thought so as I looked at Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, who was touring the banquet hall, greeting all the nobles. Even though they were not in their right minds, they¡¯d have no choice but to pay attention to the Ruler of the Empire if she were to stand right in front of them. In other words, they had to forcefully act normal, even though they felt that something was wrong. As a result, the banquet hall seemed to have retained its normal atmosphere, though it wasn¡¯t as lively as before. ¡°Does the atmosphere not feel a little chaotic to you?¡± However, it seemed that Eleanor, who had just entered the banquet hall, noticed that something was up. As she said so, she looked around, as if finding it strange. ¡°...You sure you aren''t just overthinking it?¡± I said while forcing a smile. Fortunately, she camete because she was preparing something somewhere. If I hadn¡¯t destroyed all the traces of the chaos by immediately sending Yuria, who had lost her mind, to go back to her amodation with Lucia, Eleanor might¡¯ve gone crazy asking what she was doing in her house. ¡°...Am I really?¡± She replied, tilting her head before walking towards me as if it didn¡¯t matter. White dress, a pair of earrings, an essory on her head, sparkling shoes¡­ ¡°...¡± If I may be honest¡­ She looked breathtakingly beautiful. So beautiful that I¡¯d believe it if she were to tell me that the reason why she didn¡¯t show up in the banquet hall until now was because she was busy dressing herself up. ¡°Then¡­¡± While looking like that, Eleanor slowly held out her hand to me. ¡°Care for a dance, Dowd?¡± ¡°...What?¡± Without giving me time to answer, Eleanor slightly curled the corners of her mouth as she held my hand and pulled me. She dragged me to the center of the hall, right in front of the stage where the band was performing. The area where men and women who held affection towards each other partnered up and danced. ¡°...Eleanor?¡± I could feel my facial muscles twitching. Everyone¡¯s attention was on us. Me being dragged here so aggressively contributed to it, but it was mostly because the person who did so was none other than Lady Tristan herself. The owner of the party was dragging her partner out, there was no way the attention wouldn¡¯t be focused on us. ¡°...¡± Also, to put it in another way¡­ This was her loud deration. ¡®This man is my partner.¡¯ ¡®Do not touch him.¡¯ But, the problem was¡­ ¡°Eleanor.¡± I lowered my voice as I quickly whispered. ¡°It¡¯s my first time dan¡ª!¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°I brought you here because I was sure that this is your first time.¡± She said with a light smile before she continued in a delightful voice. ¡°I will lead. Just follow me.¡± After saying that... Eleanor began to naturally lead my moves. I had learned how to dance from my father when I was a kid¡ªhe said that it was part of nobles¡¯ essentials¡ªbut that was it. Still, thanks to that, I could blend in naturally without standing out too much. ¡°This is my revenge.¡± She suddenly said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Once you return to Elfante, there is a high chance that you will advance to the third-year, since you have made enough contributions for that. Do you understand what that means?¡± She let out a mischievous smile. ¡°It means, soon you will be a ¡®senior student¡¯. You will be treated the same way as an on-site forces¡¯ frontline. The incidents you¡¯re going to face inside the academy will be on apletely different level than before.¡± ¡°...¡± It meant¡­ ¡°From now on, you will face new incidents, opportunities, and countless experiences. Also¡ª¡± She took a sharp turn. As the movement of the dance changed, we stuck our bodies closely to each other. At that moment, she whispered something into my ear in a sweet voice. ¡°Every single thing that you do, I¡¯ll take your ¡®first time¡¯. Just like what I¡¯m doing right now, taking your ¡®first dance¡¯.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Think of it as my revenge on you for taking away my heart.¡± That was¡­ How should I put this, ¡°...Such a horrible revenge.¡± The revenge is very typical of her. As I thought while smiling bitterly, [Well, that¡¯s nice and all, but damn, you¡¯re fucked if you get caught.] Pardon? [You know, there¡¯s one ¡®first time¡¯ that she can¡¯t take, right?] ¡®...¡¯ [I wonder what will happen once she knows who took your virginity¡­] Uh, that¡­ No matter how hard I thought about it, that was something I couldn¡¯t do anything about¡­ ¡­Let¡¯s worry about itter, Caliban. I replied, deciding to focus on my dance with Eleanor right now. She clearly came all dressed up to do this. I couldn¡¯t let her down. Fortunately, even with my poor dancing skills, thanks to her lead, my moves still came out smoothly. ¡­Am I going to pass this without any big trouble this time again? Just like the dance moves I had been dishing out. It felt as if this incident wasing to an end now. Honestly, when I was invited to Tristan Duchy territory, I was seriously worried that something big would happen. Well, something did happen, but it wasn¡¯t that big. ¡°...¡± . Though¡­ If there was one thing I was worried about right now¡­ It was the fact that the Empress was watching Eleanor and me dancing on the stage with a suspicious amount of interest. It was as if¡­ She was somehow jealous¡­? ¡°...¡± Cecilia the 11th¡­ Until the party was over, she didn¡¯t stop sending such a gaze our way. ¡ñ ¡°How was your outing, Your Imperial Majesty?¡± Someone suddenly asked the Empress, who was silently walking while holding her staff. He was the Sword Saint, sitting on the coach¡¯s box while holding the whip, asking her that question as soon as she got close to the carriage. But the Empress only looked at him nkly. Her expression suggested that she was thinking deeply about something. She only stared at him without saying anything. ¡°...Your Imperial Majesty?¡± The Sword Saint, Radu, slightly frowned his eyebrows as he asked again. ¡°Radu.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. I am listening.¡± ¡°Have you ever gone to a school before?¡± A strange question was asked. But, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to answer that. ¡°No. I was born and grew up in the knightage, so I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to experience such a ce.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The Empress let out a chuckle as she continued. ¡°I haven¡¯t either.¡± "..." After a short silence, the Sword Saint managed to ask another question. ¡°May I ask why you¡¯re suddenly curious about that?¡± ¡°Eleanor¡­ She looks happy.¡± ¡°...Does she?¡± The Sword Saint asked, sounding as if he somehow sensed something worrying. He could be more confident about his guess more than anyone since he was always beside her to assist her. Sometimes, Cecilia the 11th would behave strangely, to the point that it could astound people around her. Right now, she was exuding the vibe that felt as if she was about to behave just like that. ¡°Radu.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± ¡°If I were to go to school, would I be able to have such a cool rtionship with someone?¡± ¡°...Pardon me?¡± Radu fired that question, he could feel goosebumps appearing on his skin. No way. The Empress, the Ruler of the Empire herself¡­ Is saying that she wants to enroll into the Empire¡¯s educational institution¡­? This is an even worse disaster than amander-in-chief asking to be enrolled as a low-ranking soldier in the army¡­! ¡°I¡¯m just saying this, but...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If the Empress expresses her wish to go to school, wouldn¡¯t it be a big horsey? Elfante would definitely turn chaotic. Political problems would arise from that too.¡± ¡°...It would be like that, huh, as expected.¡± He replied, forcing a smile. Right, I¡¯m d the Empress hasn¡¯t lost her mind so b¡ª ¡°But, what if I enroll not as the Empress¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Hmm.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Hm. Hm. Maybe¡­¡± Radu closed his eyes tightly. To him, this was definitely a force majeure. Chapter 229: Club (1) Chapter 229: Club (1)¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The Headmistress¡¯ Office was engulfed in a long silence. And the first one to break it was me. ¡°...You are not even gonna ask me if I had a good holiday now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t ask meaningless questions.¡± ¡°...¡± I see. It seemed like this person had learned about everything that happened. I couldn¡¯t refute her words now since I understood where she came from. ¡°So, how was the Tristan Duchy, Dowd?¡±¡°...It wasn¡¯t bad.¡± I was being sincere, it wasn¡¯t bad. Except for the fact that I left my father there. ¡°...? You left Viscount Campbell there? Why¡­?¡± ¡°The Lord held him back because he had something to say to him. I believe he said he has something to teach him?¡± That was what Leonid had told me in person. He suggested that my father should stay away from the Viscounty in the meantime since he had something to teach him in person. Of course, he emphasized several times that my father didn¡¯t need to if he didn¡¯t want to, but with his personality, of course he¡¯d hastily consent to it since he couldn¡¯t risk getting the Viscounty caught in the crossfire for rejecting the Lord. ¡°...¡± Hearing what I said, Atnte looked at me with an ufortable expression. As if she was asking me if I seriously didn¡¯t know what it meant. ¡°...Isn¡¯t that for the wedding preparation?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This is something thatmonly happens whenever a major noble gets married with a much lower ranking noble. It¡¯s like a tradition when you ept a live-in son-inw. They teach you things in advance, like giving you precautions and the risks when you get married.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the reason why they called you and your father over in the first ce¡­?¡± ¡°...Anyway.¡± As I could feel goosebumps creeping up on my skin, I quickly changed the topic. ¡°You look more lively now. What happened?¡± I really was curious about that, since this person¡¯s skin was glowing brighter than usual now. The usual Atnte always looked like a corpse¡ªthanks to her overworking herself ever since she met mepared to that, she looked way too different. ¡°...Ah, me?¡± Hearing what I said, Atnte let out a smile. It seemed like my words made her feel good or something. ¡°...¡± Well, if it wasn¡¯t for her dead eyes, I woulda thought that she was living the life now. ¡°I used a Spell. Physical Regeneration.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a spell I¡¯d usually use in an emergency. You see, if you live a long life, like me, there are times when you¡¯d need to use something like this. Though, using this spell requires me to sacrifice my future¡­¡± ¡°...¡± I could only sit there dumbstruck for a moment before I could even say something. ¡°...Isn¡¯t that abat Spell?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°...¡± I swear, this was the kind of shit that people on the verge of death would use¡­ And she used it to sit in her office, working on documents¡­ ¡°...What in the world are you overworking yourself on?¡± After hearing my question, Atnte let out the smile of an ascetic. I could guess what she was trying to say. It was probably something along the lines of, ¡®If I could tell you what it is, I¡¯d already tell you earlier¡¯. ¡°...¡± In other words¡­ This was a matter that even the person who was building a whole continent to hold the Devils in check for me, couldn¡¯t reveal to me. ¡°...Is it really something that serious?¡± This time, she red at me angrily. As if trying to say, ¡®Did you REALLY just ask that?¡¯. As if I was the cause of all this. ¡°Of course it is, but it doesn¡¯t matter since you¡¯re going to carry the can anyway.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°My suffering is over now. It¡¯s your turn next.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± When I saw her grinning face, I instantly broke out in cold-sweat. I could tell that she was joking, but I could also tell that she was serious when she said that. Seeing me staying silent without replying, the Headmistress continued while sighing. ¡°...Anyway, I¡¯ll feel the rebound effect in my body in about a month and I won¡¯t be able to move for a few days, so I¡¯d need to deal with all the urgent matters before that happens.¡± Atnte said before handing me something. She slid something that looked like a badge towards me. It was a copper badge with Elfante¡¯s coat of arms. From the design, it seemed like it was supposed to be worn on the uniform. ¡°...This is?¡± ¡°You know that from now on, you¡¯ll be a third-year, right?¡± She replied while letting out a yawn. ¡°Elfante has a total of six years. From the third year onwards, you¡¯ll officially be treated as a senior student. That thing is the ID card you¡¯d need to wear from now on.¡± Ah, right¡­ There was such a setting, huh? If I remembered correctly, there was something that came with the position¡­ ¡°It means that unlike before, ¡®duties¡¯ will be imposed on you too now.¡± She continued while rubbing her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re now in the position to guide the ¡®junior students¡¯ from now on. So, you¡¯d need to be careful with your behavior.¡± ¡°...Is that all?¡± ¡°Nah, that was just generally speaking.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡¯re an exception after all. Get all those women like a beast or whatever, just as you''ve done so far.¡± ¡°...¡± I noticed this over and over, but¡­ It seemed that this person had put aside all pretense when she talked to me. ¡°But, there¡¯s still a catch, well, it¡¯s the only catch. There¡¯s something you¡¯re required to do by school regtions.¡± ¡°...¡± As soon as I heard that, my expression stiffened up. Because I roughly knew what she was talking about. ¡ñ Thinking back, I had never focused on my school life at all. In the past, around this time, I even received a warning from the Headmistress that if I didn''t study, I might have to repeat a year. That was why¡­ ¡°...Club, huh¡­?¡± I scratched my head while looking at the badge on my uniform. Once a student bes a senior student, they¡¯d need to be ¡®affiliated¡¯ somewhere and from then on, they¡¯d be unable to freely attend sses in the academy unlike before. In other words, the academy wanted them to form their own ¡®personalwork¡¯. Considering Elfante¡¯s level, there was a high chance that you¡¯d meet the people you¡¯ve met here again in high society. Honestly, whichever club I¡¯d end up joining doesn¡¯t matter¡­ I mean, it wasn¡¯t like I had some kind of w somewhere. Blending in wasn¡¯t a problem for me. The problem here was¡­ _This is the Branching Point for the Ending. _ While joining a club didn¡¯t seem to be a big deal at a first nce, it was actually the starting point that would decide the axis of the ¡®incident¡¯ that epassed the entire game. Of course, whatever I¡¯d choose here wouldn¡¯t decide the ending immediately, but it would at the very least have a direct effect on the ending. The reason for this was because the characters you could meet in each of the clubs were predetermined. Think of it as you were choosing which characters¡¯ ¡®favorability¡¯ you wanted to raise the quickest. Riru and Seras for the Knight School, Faenol for the Magic School, Lucia and Yuria for the Theology School¡­ There would be some events with characters specialized in the field. Basically, this was the point where you¡¯d decide which characters you¡¯d spend the ¡®most time¡¯ with. This was something that I couldn¡¯t avoid, and the need for me to choose where to join put me in a difficult position. As I was racking my brain about that while walking through the corridor¡­ ¡°Teaa¡ªach¡ª!¡± Someone pounced on me, pressed against me from behind while calling out to me. Then, she supported my unsteady body with her body and closed my eyes with one hand. ¡°Guess who?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you got the answer right, I¡¯ll give you a reward!¡± Oh, c¡¯mon¡­ From your voice and the nickname she used, it was clear that you are Iliya¡­ ¡°Ramming against my back like that, Iliya, you¡ª¡± ¡°Since you got the answer right¡­¡± She cut me off as she stealthily put down the hands that she used to cover my eyes. Then, she traced down my neck to my uniform top. ¡°Shall I give you the reward?¡± ¡°...¡± This girl¡­ She had been behaving well until the Harvest Festival was over, but seeing what she was doing, it was clear that she had made some kind of great ¡®resolution¡¯ during the time. Maybe she thought that since someone else had beaten her and took my first time, she figured that she had to do it with me too, as soon as possible. This was why, whenever she had the excuse to, she¡¯d pounce on me, tried to act sensually while being physically affectionate with me, just like what she was doing now. ¡°...No, actually, I think I mistook you for someone¡ª¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t get the answer right, I¡¯ll punish you.¡± ¡°...¡± What are you, a robber? Seriously, what do you want from me? I drew in a sharp breath at the sensation that struck my body as she groped it in sensual ways. ¡°...Iliya, stop¡ª¡± ¡°Ayy, it¡¯s a joke.¡± The moment I said that in a slightly serious voice¡ªthinking that things would get a bit dangerous if this continued¡ªIliya immediately backed off. ¡°...¡± I sent her a silent gaze as she smiled at me. It was hard to deal with this punk recently since she was always acting like this. She¡¯d charge at me so actively and put me in a difficult position, but since she always withdrew immediately the moment I felt ufortable, I couldn¡¯t say anything to reject her advances. ¡°Anyway! What¡¯s bothering you? Your expression doesn¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing her asking me that question with a serious look on her face made me let out another sigh. Seriously, I just couldn¡¯t escape from her¡­ I swear after she awakened as the Hero, the level of her obsession towards me had gone up so high that it was almostparable to Eleanor¡¯s. [She¡¯s my sister and all, but I don¡¯t know¡­ This girl has always been a cunning fox like that¡­] ¡­Then tell me how to get her off me. [Uh, that I don¡¯t know either. I mean, I¡¯ve never seen her fail to get what she wants the moment she sets her eyes into it.] ... Seriously, you¡¯re so useless. I thought as such as I replied to her in resignation. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really, just¡­ clubs¡­¡± ¡°...Ah, aha¡­¡± Hearing my reply, Iliya held her chin as she began to muse on something while making a ¡®hmm¡¯ sound. ¡°So you¡¯re suffering since you¡¯re stuck between your women again. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°...¡± Fuck, she hits the bullseye. But yeah, no matter which club I¡¯d join, there''s bound to be someone who¡¯d get dissatisfied by it. I let out another sigh. ¡°Do you have any good ideas?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a little awkward to call it an idea, but¡­¡± She scratched her head before continuing. ¡°If you¡¯re having difficulties choosing, why don¡¯t you just make one yourself, Teach?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Pretty sure from third-year onwards, you have the right to do that.¡± Uh. That¡¯s¡ª She has a point, huh¡­? Chapter 230: Club (2) Chapter 230: Club (2)Creating a club itself wasn¡¯t so difficult. The problem here was that I had to make a club that ¡®didn¡¯t stand out¡¯ as much as possible. If possible, I¡¯d like it to be a bogus club that had nothing to do with other people so that I could make it and get my mind off it. I mean, I was just trying to fulfill the school regtions anyway, the details didn¡¯t matter. ¡°...So, what¡¯s the name of the cub again?¡± That was why¡­ For the time being, I¡¯d need to get this out of the way first. ¡°Exorcism Club!¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, I sent Iliya, who said those words while smiling, a dissatisfied look.Creating a whole new club was her idea in the first ce. Getting myself to create that club with her was her idea too, since we¡¯d need at least two members to form one. But, wasn¡¯t her idea a little too catastrophic? ¡°...Would that really be a good idea?¡± ¡°I mean, you were the one who said that you want to make a club that no one else would want to join, Teach.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It fits that purpose, no?¡± I see her point. Of course, the profession ¡®exorcist¡¯ really existed¡ªJust look at Vis, the guy I¡¯ve met before. The thing was that the word ¡®exorcism¡¯ wasmonly rted to ¡®Devils¡¯. As you already knew, the whole continent would shake in fear whenever they heard the word ¡®Devils¡¯, so no sane student would apply if exorcism became the name of the club. But, there was another problem with that¡­ ¡°Would Elfante give us the permission to do that?¡± ¡°So what if they don¡¯t? I¡¯m the Hero.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Just think about it, the only person in the entire continent who¡¯s able to defeat the Devils is showing her desire to make such a club. What kind of idiot would prevent me from doing so?¡± That¡­actually made sense, huh¡­? If it were anyone else, I would¡¯ve dismissed their words, calling it absurd, but she wasn¡¯t just anyone else. ¡°So, this is the club building?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I looked around while letting out a sigh through my nose. In front of us was an old school building that looked like an abandoned building more than anything. This dreary building was located in a remote ce¡ªreminded me of the ce Yuria used to live in the past. Seeing this building up close, I¡¯d believe it if someone were to tell me that it was haunted or something. In any case, Iliya picked this ce to be the club¡¯s building. ¡°...How did you even find this ce¡­?¡± We somehow agreed to make it a club that people wouldn¡¯t willingly join, it was just I never expected that she¡¯d be this thorough about it. As I thought while letting out a chuckle, Iliya nodded next to me while making a ¡®Mhm¡¯ sound, as if she was satisfied by my reaction. ¡°In any case, no one wille here for sure.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So, it means Teach and I would meet up here every day after school. Just the two of us. Without anyone to disturb us.¡± She ended her words with an ¡®Uhu, uhuhuhu¡¯ugh and a shiver ran down my spine the moment I heard that. ¡°You know, I only created the club because it¡¯s mandatory. We don¡¯t need to¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Huh? Know what?¡± "After you establish a club, you¡¯re required to attend it for a period of time. They added the rule so that students won¡¯t just register a club for the sake of it and not attend it afterwards.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That means you need to abide by that rule too, Teach.¡± So, what she was trying to say was¡­ Once this club was officially recognized, I¡¯d need to spend this time alone with this punk after sses and I wouldn¡¯t be able to get away from it¡­ ¡°...¡± Fuck¡­ That means¡­ I stepped on a huge assndmine¡­ ¡°Alright, let¡¯se in now, Teach!¡± ¡°Hey, wait! D-Don¡¯t push¡ª¡± I said as she dragged me into the abandoned building. To my surprise, the interior building was more cozily decorated than I expected. ¡°¡­?¡± No, uh, was cozy the right word here? If anything, the discrepancy between how it looked outside and how well decorated it was inside was strange. The inside was packed with furniture. It was clear that the wallpaper and flooring were installed with care¡ªthis evaluation came from me, someone who had just seen the living space of THE high ranking nobles, the Tristans. The whole ce was decorated with lovely-looking heart decorations and pink lights. If the outside seemed as if it would copse at any moment, the interior seemed so bright that it was blinding. At a nce, I could say that this room would be good for a newly married couple who were on their honeymoon. Also, there was one thing that stood out the most here. A bed. It wasn¡¯t a simple bed, but a big one; Made of expensive-looking wood, with a beautifully arranged nket made of the best silk. The size was perfect for two people to lie down. ¡°Would you like to lie down,Teach?¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a bed? That¡¯s what a bed is for, no?¡± Nope. Hell no. Why do I need to lie down in bed in broad daylight? Especially not in front of you who¡¯s making such a sly expression! ¡°Boohoo, I¡¯ve prepared everything to the best of my ability and you aren¡¯t even going to try it?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that,e on¡­¡± Iliya approached me, wiggling her fingers with a slightly blushing face. ¡°...Hey, wait. Stop for a moment. Let¡¯s talk this out.¡± ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll talk! After we lie down together!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying¡­!¡± At some point, she started breathing roughly. Her pupils had lost their focus and she looked as if she had been waiting for this moment. Before I realized it, I already stepped back as my face went pale. I could feel a lump of something from her. Her ¡®desire¡¯. Its intensity was no joke. Fortunately, before any of us could say something about it, a helping hand came from an unexpected ce. ¡°Is someone inside¡ª?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing the voice from outside the building, Iliya stopped approaching me. Then, I could hear clearly the sound of her clicking her tongue. ¡°...Strange. I swear I¡¯ve made it so that no one could evene close to this ce¡­¡± ¡°...¡± You punk. Just how thoroughly did you prepare for this thing? As I thought so while breaking out in a cold sweat, Iliya walked towards the entrance of the building. It was clear from her steps that she seemed to be reluctant to go there. Then, as soon as she opened the door and saw the face of the people outside, her expression instantly stiffened. ¡°...What are you doing here, Riru?¡± Iliya asked fiercely. In front of the door were Riru and Seras. They cleared their throats at the same time, trying to y innocent. ¡°...Nothing? I was just passing by.¡± ¡°...M-Me too.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya wore an incredulous look on her face, as if trying to say ¡®Did you two even hear yourselves?¡¯, but Riru ignored her and said her piece, arm crossed, full of confidence. ¡°I came here because I heard a familiar voice while I was passing by.¡± ¡°...So, who was it? Who told you that we¡¯re creating a club?¡± ? Iliya let out a deep sigh as she asked that question. As if trying to say, ¡®We know each other, let¡¯s not kid ourselves here¡¯. Then, as if she knew what Iliya was trying to say, Riru replied. ¡°No one. I just followed you around.¡± ¡°...Uh, what?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯ve been sticking close to that guy behind my back. You even went to the Duchy just a while ago, no?¡± Riru asked in a grumpy tone. ¡°That¡¯s why I figured I¡¯d follow you guys around to see what you two are up to, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°...Riru, that¡¯s called stalking.¡± ¡°Stalking? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing Riru¡¯s innocent reply, Iliya held her forehead, as if saying that ¡®Where do I even begin if I were to exin this thing¡­?¡¯. Then, she slowly shifted her gaze to Seras, who was standing beside Riru. ¡°...Then what about you?¡± ¡°In my case, I¡¯ve been collecting all sorts of information about Senior Dowd¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Of course, my skill in collecting information is iparable to this barbarian over here. I know everything about him, from his favorite food, hobbies, what he does when he¡¯s alone¡ª¡± ¡°...I get it. You don¡¯t need to tell me that far, Miss Seras.¡± As Iliya¡¯s reply came out of her mouth, my face gradually turned pale. You punks¡­ Have you guys ever heard the concept called privacy¡­? ¡°...In any case, we¡¯ll be using this building as our club building from now on. If you have no business here, please leave¡ª¡± ¡°Oh¡ª! Really¡ª? This is a club building¡ª?¡± ¡°Whoa¡ª Both of us aren¡¯t part of any clubs, you know¡ª? Can I hear what kind of club it is¡ª?¡± ¡°...¡± Riru and Seras said one after another in monotone, as if they were reading a line out of a book. Seeing what they were doing, the veins on Iliya¡¯s face slightly bulged. Her face wriggled, as if telling them to stop disturbing her. ¡°...Exorcism Club.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the name. Ex. Or. Cism. Club. It¡¯s a club that aims to repel the Devils.¡± Iliya said while grinding her teeth, as if telling them that the club was created so those two wouldn¡¯t join. Her eyes shone viciously to the point that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she were to throw hands here. She looked so fierce that even Riru and Seras, who purposely wore thicker skin to confront her, backed off for a moment. But, they still continued what they were doing. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then why are you here if you know it?! Both of you are rted to the Devils!¡± ¡°Well, I can y the role of the one that is being repelled for you two.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°A-As for me, I-I¡¯ll do a-anything to join the club, so¡­!¡± Riru and Seras said one after another, prompting Iliya to sweep down her face. She seemed to have reached the limit of her patience. However, there was one thing that they forgot about¡­ ¡°...Uh, before that, there¡¯s one problem that needs to be solved first.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Those guys¡­ They¡¯re actually counting the chickens before the eggs are hatched¡­ ¡°...You know that it¡¯s not up to us to decide whether someone can join the club or not, right?¡± Yes. That authority belonged to the Advisory Professor, not us. ¡°...¡± The moment they heard my words, they wore faces as if they were saying ¡®He¡¯s right¡¯ as they looked at each other nkly. ¡ñ Dean Percy, while yawning with a tired expression, read through the club proposal I gave her. She was the one in charge to advise our club, basically. The Dean skimmed through the paper with a serious expression before a smile soon appeared on her face. ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Upon hearing her words, Seras and Riru¡¯s bodies flinched at the same time. ¡°...Um, can you tell us why can¡¯t we join the club¡ª¡± ¡°You guys joining it isn¡¯t the problem here. In the first ce, club creation isn¡¯t as simple as you think. All the procedures and traditions involved in creating one are strictly supervised.¡± Percy continued while sighing. ¡°The academy will fund your club and it will influence your grades as well. We can¡¯t just ept everything you propose to us like it¡¯s some kind of game. As a member of a club, you¡¯d need to constantly prove your ¡®expertise¡¯ and ¡®performance¡¯ regarding your club¡¯s activities. Most of the time, clubs that have been existing for a long time also function like a political faction, so there are cases where the Imperial Household would manage those clubs directly.¡± ¡°...¡± After hearing those words, the expressions of the women around me turned nk in a sh. It seemed like none of us expected that the whole procedure would be managed so strictly like that. Especially Iliya, who was confident that we would get past the procedure easily as long as she was with us; She looked the most taken aback out of all of us. ¡°...U-Um, but, with Teach and my performances¡­¡± ¡°If we¡¯re strictly talking about capabilities, frankly, I have nothing to say regarding ¡®exorcism¡¯. I doubt even any of the faculty members has a better capability to handle the Devils than you do, but¡­¡± Percy spoke sharply as if it was a very simple and fundamental problem. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who has the authority to acknowledge that. For this kind of club, you¡¯d need Professor Walter to approve it, get him to think that it ¡®has the value of study¡¯ before you¡¯re able to establish the club.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s an Exorcism Club, you¡¯d need to prove your ability to do things rted to exorcism. As I¡¯ve said earlier, you need to showcase both your expertise and performance.¡± ¡°...Ah, if it¡¯s that, in the previous Crimson Night Incident, I¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that. There has to be a result that ¡®everyone¡¯ here has achieved together. You¡¯d have to do that much if you want to create a new club.¡± She continued with a sigh. ¡°So, do you have the means to show a performance rted to ¡®exorcism¡¯, that¡¯s all of you had a hand in, that you could convince the Theology School¡¯s Dean with?¡± ¡°...¡± There was no way we did. Everyone went silent at her words. That silence persisted until the moment we left the Dean¡¯s Office. ¡°...What do we do now? Should we give up and just look for other clubs?¡± To Iliya¡¯s question, I quietly shook my head. It was best for me to create a new club and quietlyy low there, as much as possible. With Sera¡¯s club system, joining any club would do nothing but harm for me. But¡­ With the way Percy talked about it, it seemed like we¡¯d only be able to create the new club if we showed a groundbreaking result rted to ¡®exorcism¡¯ that Walter could acknowledge. That meant, general knowledge regarding the means we could use to subdue the Devils wasn¡¯t enough. We had to show him an exorcism method that could amaze him. Well, there was something that could bring in an impressive ¡®result¡¯ that could persuade Professor Walter¡­ ¡°...¡± I silently looked at Riru and Seras. For a while¡­ I just kept staring at them without saying anything. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± As the silence dragged on for a bit¡­ Both of them seemed to notice the unusual atmosphere and called out to me. ¡°...Why are you looking at us with such a gaze?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± I smirked as I replied to Riru, who had asked that question in a trembling voice. ¡°You guys said that you¡¯d do anything to join the club, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That was what you guys said, right?¡± Hearing my questions, their bodies started to tremble. It seemed like they had really regretted saying those words. Chapter 231: Presentation (1) Chapter 231: Presentation (1)I hade across Walter, the Dean of Theology School, once before. To describe him in a few words, he was a principled freak. Which meant, convincing him would be simple enough; We only needed to show him some extreme things. [...You¡¯re the only guy who¡¯d interpret it that way.] ¡°...¡± [What, you¡¯re going to show the Dean something extreme? More extreme than the shit you¡¯ve already done?] I mean¡­ It was way toote to even care about my reputation at this point. Besides¡­ ¡­This is something that I¡¯ll have to do one day, anyway¡­ At the end of the day, my goal was to make all the Devil¡¯s Vessels around me happy.And in order to do that, I¡¯d need to change people¡¯s perception of them for the better little by little. I could consider this as the first step towards that goal. It meant although its scale was quite small, leaving out such an impression through an ¡®official means¡¯ like this was a meaningful thing in its own way. ¡°So...¡± I calmly called out to Riru and Seras, who were staring at me with dead eyes. ¡°You two have familiarized yourselves with the n, right?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Their stares, as if they were trying to say, ¡®Did you even hear yourself?¡¯, were directed at me at the same time. ¡°You only need to do it once, so don¡¯t worry too much about it.¡± ¡°...Senior Dowd.¡± Seras called out to me, her body was trembling. From her expression, it seemed like she was embarrassed about the whole deal¡ªher face was so red that it would put all kinds of ripe tomatoes to shame. ¡°Are we really going to do this?¡± ¡°Of course we are.¡± I let out a smirk. ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be many people watching us. You don¡¯t need to be so nerv¡ª¡± As we entered the auditorium where we would be doing the ¡®trial performance¡¯, my words were cut off short. ¡°...¡± Technically speaking, looking at the situation, this wasn¡¯t so different from what we had been told in advance. It was that we¡¯d be evaluated by a team consisting of Dean Walter himself and an ¡®observer¡¯ or two. But, the problem here was that¡­ ¡°...Your Imperial Majesty.¡± As those words left my mouth, I could feel a raging headacheing. The ¡®observer¡¯ then replied¡­ ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Seeing Cecilia the 11th asking me that question while smiling only made my headache worse. What is this person doing here? Is her position as the Empress of the Empire so lenient that she could walk around like this and neglecting her works? ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m only here as an ¡®observer¡¯. My opinion won¡¯t influence the final result of the evaluation.¡± ¡°May I ask if it¡¯s really okay for someone of your stature to visit this ce for such a trivial¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only reason I¡¯m here. The reason why I came here in advance is so I¡¯d be able to adapt quicklyter.¡± ¡°...Pardon me?¡± Why the hell would she need to adapt in Elfante? ¡°A moment gone neveres back. Since eternity isn¡¯t a luxury permitted to the mortals.¡± As I thought while tilting my head, Dean Walter suddenly said those while clearing his throat. Ah, I see¡­ He¡¯s trying to say that we shouldn¡¯t mind it and just do our presentation properly¡­ ¡°...Alright.¡± I scratched my head as I looked at Seras and RIru. Upon meeting my gaze, their bodies stiffened at the same time. I gave them a friendly smile as I beckoned to them. ¡°Come here. Let¡¯s show them what we got.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing my words, the two of them walked onto the stage with tottering steps. Their expressions looked as if they really didn¡¯t want to do this. ¡°The topic of study that we are going to present as a requirement for establishing our club is¡ª¡± Standing in front of Riru and Seras, I let my voice out with confidence. ¡°¡®How to Tame¡¯ the Devils.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± As soon as the Empress and Dean Walter heard that¡­ Their expressions turned odd at the same time. ¡ñ One thing about an educational institution on Elfante¡¯s level was that they wouldn¡¯t only have new students enrolling at the start of the semesters, but they also had all kinds of transfer students enrolling at different times. Such students usually enrolled through special routes because of various circumstances. With that in mind, there were bound to be quite a few weirdos among them. And yet¡­ Even considering all that, this was the first time a student had ever made such a strange request¡­ ¡°...Uh- hmm-¡­¡± Madam Ophelia, the Housemistress of the new students¡¯ dormitory, groaned, looking as if she was at a loss as she scanned the face of the person talking with her. ¡°So, your name is¡ª¡± ¡°Victoria Evatrice.¡± The person replied in a sweet voice. Her voice sounded like a bead rolling on a jade tray. A female student. Her notable traits were the white hair that covered the back of her neck, her red pupils and short height. At a nce, she looked way too young to enroll at Elfante, but no one would be able to say that to her face once they met her gaze. In her eyes¡­ The acuity condensed in that red gaze¡­ ¡°...¡± Madam Ophelia only stared at her without saying anything. Most people could probably feel it instinctively. And Madam Ophelia, as someone who had been walking through that path, could feel it even more clearly than usual. Her eyes were the eyes of a killer. They gave off the vibe that only someone who had ¡®ughtered¡¯ a bunch of humans could exude. Perhaps, the only one among the students who had a simr vibe to her was the Student Council President, Eleanor. ¡°So¡ª¡± However, Madam Ophelia continued without much reaction. After all, she had no business in knowing the details of her background. As long as she was a student of Elfante, she was someone that she had to protect. ¡°...You wish to share a room with a student who¡¯s not from the Empire¡ª?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She answered in a steady voice. This demand made Madam Ophelia let out a deep sigh. She¡¯s looking for a roommate who¡¯s not from the Empire? At an educational institution affiliated to the Empire? What kind of demand is this even¡­? ¡­Huh? Wait. When a certain information crossed her mind, Madam Ophelia tilted her head. Did she say that herst name is Evatrice¡­? Thatst name was definitely familiar to her. So, Madam Ophelia began to rummage through the transcripts of school records to look for that specific name. ¡°Ah¡ª there it is¡ª¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Victoria asked, tilting her head with an expressionless face. To this, Madam Ophelia threw a smile at her. ¡°There¡¯s a student who has the samest name as you, Seras Evatrice.¡± Hearing her words, Victoria quickly narrowed her eyes.. ¡°Since she happens to be from the Holy Land, not the Empire, what says you to share a room with her?¡± ¡°...¡± Towards that offer, Victoria didn¡¯t bother to hide her dissatisfaction. ¡°...Well.¡± She opened her mouth, the tone that came out of it was still as t as before. Although the words that she said didn¡¯t fit her tone of voice at all. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good decision. Both for you and me, Madam Ophelia.¡± ¡°Hmm¡ª? What do you mean¡ª?¡± ¡°If I were to share a room with that woman, there¡¯s a high chance that either of us would end up dying.¡± ¡°...¡± As Madam Ophelia¡¯s body froze at her unimaginable answer, she continued her words in the same t tone. ¡°Because we don¡¯t get along very well as a family.¡± ¡°...You don¡¯t¡­get along well¡ª?¡± Just how bad is the rtionship between them as a family for her to be saying this? There was a chance that she spouted those words as a joke, but considering the kind of eyes she possessed, Madam Ophelia just couldn¡¯t take it that way at all. ¡°Well, that was probably an inappropriate way to describe our rtionship. It has been more than ten years since we saw each other, so it may be more urate to say that we have no rtion with each other now.¡± ¡°...¡± Even more so when she continued to say those words so casually. Madam Ophelia sighed as she closed the transcript of school records. ¡°...Then can you wait for a moment¡ª? I¡¯ll tell you once I find the right student¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± This time, Victoria obediently nodded before she said, looking as if she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Right, then may I ask you one thing while waiting?¡± ¡°What is it¡ª?¡± ¡°Where can I find the man called Dowd Campb¡­¡± Victoria shut her mouth before she was able to finish her words. It was probably because she saw Madam Ophelia, who had been showing her a gentle expression all this time, suddenly changed to that of a tired expression. ¡°Hm? Ah, sorry¡ª I¡¯ve been asked that question too many times recently¡ª¡± ¡°...Pardon?¡± ¡°There are at least more than five female students who¡¯d ask where his whereabout is¡ª All the time¡ª Now, I could feel my exhaustion catching up to me whenever I heard his name¡ª¡± ¡°...¡± Madam Ophelia continued while shaking her hand around. Seeing that, Victoria narrowed her eyes once again. Of course, she had heard a little bit about him from her ¡®client¡¯, Marquis Bogut. I guess the rumors about that man being a yboy are true. While Victoria confirmed the information she had received, Madam Ophelia continued with a sigh. ¡°Anyway, now that he¡¯s a senior, it¡¯s about time for him to leave the new students¡¯ dorm. Well, luckily enough for you, I heard that today he¡¯s going to do something that¡¯s rted to his club¡ª¡± ¡°Club?¡± ¡°Yeah. I''m sure he said the name of the club was the Exorcism Club¡ª?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Victoria¡¯s eyebrows slightly wriggled. Then she asked in a quiet voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask you where he is currently? I hope you can share this information with me, if possible.¡± Marquis Bogus had ordered her to report every single thing the man did that was rted to the ¡®Devils¡¯; That was the reason why he nted her here in the first ce. To know more about this matter waspletely in line with her mission, but aside from that¡­ ¡­Honestly, I¡¯m a little interested. Victoria herself was interested in the guy named Dowd to some extent. One of the reasons was because he was the target of themission. But apart from that, she had heard from her client that Dowd Campbell was the person who possessed the key rted to the ¡®Devils¡¯ that could stir up the entire continent. She couldn¡¯t dismiss her client¡¯s words as exaggeration since she constantly received information that the leaders of the Empire, the Tribal Alliance, and the Holy Land were all focusing their attention on him, even though he was just staying still. As an assassin who had no option but to react sensitively to such a trend, she could not help but get interested. That was why, since the man was establishing a club called the ¡®Exorcism Club¡¯, a very suspicious sounding club to say the least, she had to gather information about it, even if it was to satisfy her curiosity about what he was up to. Victoria thought so before opening the door of the auditorium¡ªthe ce where Madam Ophelia had told her to go to¡ªto crack a peek. ording to the Madam, the man was doing something rted to the club here today. ¡°Excuse m¡ª¡± Victoria carefully greeted as she entered the auditorium, but she suddenly halted her movements. Actually, the situation itself was not so strange. They were clearly in the middle of some kind of ¡®presentation¡¯. There was a stage¡ªwhere the presenters were standing at¡ªand there were two people watching with interest from the audience seat. So far, there was nothing strange in this scene. Well, if one of the people on stage was not her ¡®family¡¯, that is. ¡­What the...? Of course, her current look wasn¡¯t familiar to Victoria. A ¡®Purple Aura¡¯ was wrapped around her body. The look in her face suggested that she was a dog, trying to act cute¡ªapletely different look from the cold assassin image that Victoria remembered. Nheless¡­ The way she looked now¡­ ¡°...¡± The way her older sister lied down on the stage, showing her belly to the man in front of her while shaking her arms and legs around. No matter how hard she thought of it¡­ The woman did not look like she was one of the only two Grand Assassins, like her, in the continent. She was even panting heavily with her tongue out in that position. Her expression was filled with pure bliss, as if she wasn¡¯t even ashamed at the fact that she was doing something like that. Victoria opened her mouth wide. As an assassin, she had to avoid expressing strong emotions, but she just couldn¡¯t help it when facing this kind of situation. ¡°...Seras?¡± Before she realized it, Victoria called out the woman¡¯s name in a stunned voice. Hearing that, Seras quickly turned her face in her direction. ¡°...Victoria?¡± At that moment¡­ After Seras confirmed that it was indeed her sister who had seen her like this¡­ The Purple Aura that was wrapping around her body vanished in an instant. At that exact moment, the strange vibe in her expression had also disappeared. It was as if she hade back to ¡®her senses¡¯ as soon as she saw Victoria just now. Then¡­ ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± A catastrophic silence fell on the auditorium. Chapter 232: Presentation (2) Chapter 232: Presentation (2)Let¡¯s go back in time a little bit. Towards the time when I was trying to give a brief summary about my presentation. Back when both Dean Walter and the Empress¡¯ expressions simultaneously turned ugly the moment I said that I was going to tame the Devils. ¡°...Student Dowd.¡± Dean Walter called out to me while tilting his head. ¡°What in the world are you talking about?¡± Unlike usual, his voicecked its entricities and he sounded slightly serious. As if he genuinely failed to understand what I was talking about. ¡°...¡± Ah¡­So you¡¯re breaking your character, now, hm? It feels weird hearing you without your eighth-grade syndrome speech though. ¡°...Hm, well¡­¡± To put it simply, my words sounded so ridiculous to him to the point that he reacted in such a way. Even though it was clear that the club name was ¡®Exorcism Club¡¯, he probably didn¡¯t expect me to bring up the topic of ¡®Devils¡¯ to his face without holding anything back. And with me saying that I¡¯d ¡®tame¡¯ them, it was no wonder that he found it difficult toprehend. ¡°I meant it literally. The focus of the Exorcism Club is to explore the power of the Devils and to find out about various methods to ¡®suppress¡¯ them.¡± ¡°...¡± Dean Walter quickly narrowed his eyes. ¡°...Exin.¡± ¡°I think it would be more convenient to show you directly instead of exining it.¡± As I said that, I took out the item I had prepared. A wooden staff that looked like it was made of a sloppily shaped wood without even a slightest trace of polish. After that, I pulled the hesitant Riru toward me by the wrist. Though she was in such a state, the moment I cocked an eyebrow, as if asking her, ¡®Are you going to back down now?¡¯, she let out a deep sigh and resigned herself. ¡°...Fine.¡± She said while taking another deep breath and raising her spirit. Then, Blue Demonic Aura appeared on her body. Almost immediately, the Seal on my chest reacted as the air around it started to tremble slightly. From their reaction, the two people in the audience seemed to know the true nature of this Aura. ¡°-!¡± The Empress¡¯ eyes instantly widened, while the Dean showed a bigger reaction than that. He immediately jumped up from his seat while tightly grasping a Catalyst in his hand. In an instant, a wave of Divine Power was applied to the surroundings as several Wonders and Spells were simultaneously written. It was clear that he had noticed that this was a ¡®real¡¯ Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura. He was probably trying to suppress it with force. Considering that the Blue Devil¡¯s Authority was ¡®Pulverization¡¯, which could destroy everything that came in contact with it, I could understand why he reacted like that. The moment Riru went out of control even for a little, there was a high chance that the Empress might get hurt because of it. If that were to happen, chaos would definitely ensue. That was why I immediately continued to the next step before the situation turned awry. I ¡®snatched¡¯ the Demonic Aura that was starting to gather like clouds with my ¡®bare hands¡¯. ¡°...What¡­?¡± As Dean Walter¡¯s eyes widened in shock, I massaged the Blue Demonic Aura that I grabbed with my hands as if I was kneading some y. ¡­After the Seal was enhanced, I can do something like this easily. Considering how I¡¯m able to touch the Devils who were materialized by their Fragments just fine, it goes without saying that I can easily handle their mere Aura with my bare hands without borrowing their power. As I thought so, I ¡®condensed¡¯ the Blue Demonic Aura to the size of a baseball. Eventually, I kneaded it into a more borate shape, even creating a handle to make it easier to hold while turning a part of it into a little pointy shape. And then¡­ I ced it against the wooden staff that I had previously prepared. Like I stated before, Blue Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura would pulverize everything that came into contact with it. But, by turning it into the shape of a ¡®tool¡¯ like this, it became possible for me to urately polish the parts of the wood I wanted. I trimmed the bottom part of the wood, making everything neat and smooth. ¡°...¡± At that moment, I could hear Dean Walter¡¯s hollowughter. Well, it was understandable. What I was doing was basically¡­ Using the Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura, which would pulverize anything that came into contact with it¡­ To ¡®polish¡¯ the sloppily made staff. As if I was trying to show that this power ¡®wasn¡¯t harmful¡¯ at all. ¡°You see, the Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura¡ª¡± I continued my speech, making sure that my gaze was locked with the Dean¡¯s while continuing my work. ¡°Can be turned into something ¡®harmless¡¯ like this.¡± As I said so¡­ I shifted my gaze to the Empress, who had her eyes wide open and let my gaze lingered on her for a while. She stayed frozen, as if what I had just said greatly shocked her. ¡°...¡± There¡¯s a high chance that she doesn¡¯t know yet that she¡¯s a Devil¡¯s Vessel. But, I believe that she must¡¯ve felt it instinctively¡­ That my words also have something to do with her. I thought as such while continuing my words calmly. ¡°It¡¯s quite different from the popr belief, right? After all, normally, people would think that they¡¯re cursed just bying into contact with the Devils.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°The goal of the Exorcism Club is to study the Devil¡¯s power so that we could take ¡®advantage¡¯ of it, just like this. After all, there is bound to be a way to handle every kind of power in this world.¡± As I held out the neatly polished wooden stick to Walter, I let out a smirk. Even though it came directly into contact with Demonic Aura, the staff wasn¡¯t contaminated by it at all. It was as if it was an ordinary item. No one would believe it that it was something that was influenced directly by the Devil¡¯s power, the being whose existence itself was considered as the most vicious ill omen on the continent. It could easily help enrich any ordinary old person¡¯s life if they held it, even for a little. ¡°...Student Dowd.¡± Dean Walter called out to me in a slightly deep voice. ¡°Are you aware of the sensitivity of the topic you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As I instantly gave out my reply, I stared at his eyes directly. ¡°This would be an interesting research topic, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I specifically picked this topic because I¡¯m sure that this would interest you, Dean.¡± No, I wasn¡¯t joking when I said that. Half of the reason why I presented this topic¡ªthe topic that could make the leaders of the continent go crazy¡ªto this person specifically, was to ¡®win him over¡¯. Dean Walter. The most powerful Priest I could encounter in Elfante save for the Pope. He was also a researcher of Study of the Devils who boasted supreme authority of his generation. This was the person who should be our club¡¯s advisor. He would be of great help to what I was nning to do, that was why if I couldn¡¯t share this much information with him, it would put me in a difficult position if anything. ¡°You just perfectly controlled the Devil¡¯s Aura in ¡®the way you wanted¡¯. This is something unprecedented in history.¡± Walter continued as his eyes shone sharply. ¡°...Which meant those who¡¯d wish to turn it into a ¡®weapon¡¯ would be dying to target you. What you¡¯re talking about now can cause a congration that could just burn down the entire continent to ashes.¡± ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m aware of this, Dean.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If I may be honest, I think I¡¯d need to do a presentation about it like this so that such a fight won¡¯t ur.¡± ¡°...What?¡± Walter asked dumbfoundedly. Instead of giving him an exnation though, I only smiled meaningfully. Let¡¯s just wait and see, okay? You¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m talking about eventually. ¡°Of course if everything is revealed now, a true chaos would descend on the continent, so I wish that both the Headmistress and you, Dean, would adjust the information enough so that it could be presented to people outside.¡± What I was trying to tell him was basically to manipte the information, but I didn¡¯t feel a shred of guilt about it. After all, I¡¯ve been continuously suffering while being involved in the Devils¡¯ cases and I had been constantly dishing out some fucking good results. I believed that it was within my right to ask this much out of them. ¡°Also, I have one more thing to show.¡± I continued on, ignoring Dean Walter¡¯s sharp gaze that was fixed on me. ¡°If any of the Devils has a high level of ¡®cooperation¡¯ with me, I can also do something like this.¡± I said while sending Riru back and dragging Seras forward by her wrist. Her eyes spun frantically. Judging by how they whirled around like a whirlpool, I could safely assume that she was asking me, ¡®Are we really going to do this?¡¯. ¡°This is an example.¡± But I ignored her and smiled as I casually continued my presentation. Well, this was a way of me asking her back, ¡®We¡¯ve already agreed to do this, no?¡¯. ¡°...Ugh, uu¡­¡± As I flicked my fingers once, Seras closed her eyes tightly while putting both her hands over her chest and bowed. I didn¡¯t ask her to do anything big. She just needed to release the Aura she had always been ¡®suppressing¡¯ for just a moment. Because this punk, unlike Riru, hadn¡¯t had any opportunities to get close to the Devil inside her, it was obvious that she hadn¡¯t gotten used to handling her Demonic Aura. Of course, in the end, that wouldn¡¯t matter at all. Because once the Aura was released, the punk inside her would do whatever she wanted,pletely ignoring her Vessel¡¯s will. [Masteeeeeer¡ª!] The Purple Aura took ¡®shape¡¯ as it came out of Seras¡¯ body while shouting as such. Her appearance looked exactly like Seras, but her attitude was simr to a pet dog seeing how she rushed for me with shining eyes, as if she had just met the owner that she hadn¡¯t met for a long time. [Did you call me? Did you call me?] ¡°...Yes, yes, I did.¡± As I patted her head while she tightly clung to me, she squinted her eyes even more as she began to rub her cheeks against mine. This was her way of showing intimacy, I guess. ¡°Anyway, could you please get into Seras¡¯ body for now? Can you do that for me, as a favor?¡± [Yes! You¡¯llpliment me more if I get into her body, right?] ¡°Of course.¡± Hearing my affirmation, she quickly entered Seras¡¯ body. Now, she had Seras¡¯ body, but from the way she behaved, the Purple Devil was in total control. ¡°...It¡¯s like this.¡± I pointed at Seras, who was rubbing her head against my hand as if trying to appeal to me cutely. Meanwhile, I directed my words toward Walter, whose expression looked as if he was slowly losing his sense of reality. Unlike before, with Riru, I didn¡¯t need to showcase a shy performance. Because the point of this part of the presentation was to showcase how this punk had ¡®obeyed¡¯ my words. The implication was clear; A Devil obeying a human¡¯s words as if he was her master. ¡°They are able to obey humans¡¯ ¡®control¡¯ if they¡¯re willing to.¡± ¡­Well, this was only possible because it was me and because the punk was the Purple Devil specifically. It was a pretty minor detail, but it was worth enough to tell him. Anyway, with his personality, after showing him this much, it was clear that he¡¯d do me a service on his own now. I assume that he¡¯d probably begin to wildly research the phenomenon I had just shown him. Soon enough, he¡¯d give me some helpful information on his own. ¡°...You.¡± His words came out almost like a groan. ¡°You¡¯re a genuinely ridiculous man, you know that, Dowd Campbell?¡± ¡°...Am I now?¡± ¡°Of course. That ability of yours isn¡¯t evenplete yet, is it?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I could tell. The Seal on your chest seems to react to the Demonic Aura, that¡¯s the key behind all this. Judging by the Aura I could feel from it¡­ It barely reached half of its capabilities, yet it already has this much control over the Devils¡­?¡± I sent him a meaningful smile. See? I haven¡¯t told him much but he already sessfully made some great deductions. Like I said, he¡¯s worth ¡®winning over¡¯. As I thought so¡­ The door to the auditorium suddenly burst open. ¡°Excuse m¡ª¡± The person who entered the auditorium while saying so, looked really familiar. She was a female student I had never seen before, that was for sure¡­ But she looked almost exactly like Seras. If Seras was a few years younger and cut her hair short, she¡¯d look exactly like this female student. ¡°...Seras?¡± The female student suddenly called out. As ifing back to her senses upon hearing her name being called out, the Demonic Aura that was wrapping around Seras¡¯ body dispersed in an instant. ¡°...Victoria?¡± Seras said in haste before alternately looking at the girl, Victoria, and her own current state. ¡°...Uh.¡± Just like that, a few seconds passed¡­ Suddenly, Seras¡¯ face turned so red, as if I were to touch her even slightly, she¡¯d leak out red juice from there. It was to the point that it was clear to see that she had gone from simply being embarrassed to aplete meltdown. Unable to calm her shaking pupils, which were shaking so much as if there was a localized earthquake happening there, Seras struggled to form a word to say to Victoria. ¡°...I-It isn¡¯t what you think!¡± Hearing that, Victoria unknowingly stepped back. Contempt was clearly expressed in her eyes, meanwhile, her expression looked as if she had just seen a bug. ¡°...N-No, wait, Victoria, listen to m¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯ve mistaken me for someone else.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone like you. Please don¡¯t talk to me.¡± I could see a drop of tears full of shame formed in Seras¡¯ eye. At the same time, Victoria walked out and mmed the auditorium¡¯s door. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Then, a catastrophic silence fell on the auditorium. The whole room turned terrifyingly quiet, as if everyone was stunned by what had just happened. ¡°...Hey, are you okay?¡± Surprisingly, it was Riru, the one who usually had a cat-and-dog-like rtionship with Seras, who broke the silence first. She approached Seras while hesitantly reading Seras¡¯ expression as she said so. That was how bad Seras¡¯ current condition looked. Even Riru, out of all people, was worried for her. ¡°...Who¡¯s that person? Do you know her?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that question, Seras covered her own mouth with both hands. Her body was shaking. A drop of tears even ran down from her eyes. ¡°...S-She¡¯s m-my¡­¡± Seras said, sounding as if she was on the verge of tears. Then, in a voice that was filled with shame¡ªshe sounded as if she would¡¯ve willingly crawl into a mouse hole if there was one nearby¡ªshe continued. ¡°M-My younger sisteeer¡­ whom I parted ways with when we were kids.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°W-We haven¡¯t seen each other for over ten years¡­ B-But the first thing she saw in such a long time¡­ was¡­ was this¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Seras couldn¡¯t bring herself to continue. Another long silence fell upon the room. So, uh¡­ Uh¡­ Like¡­ Basically, the first thing that her little sister saw about her after they were apart for nearly over a decade was this¡­ ¡°...¡± Even with this twisted sense of morality that I had, I knew that this situation was a little too unfortunate for her. [As expected from Dowd Campbell.] ¡°...¡± [So ruthless.] ¡°...¡± [As expected of the most evil bastard I had ever known. You haven¡¯t lost your touch.] Ugh¡­ I couldn¡¯t even say anything to retort that¡­ Chapter 233: Evaluation (1) Chapter 233: Evaluation (1)¡°...The club¡¯s creation has been approved.¡± Inside the copsing abandoned building, Iliya said as such while putting the official letter that was sent here back into the envelope. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Sadly, even though we had aplished our goal, none of us were happy about it. ¡°...Yay.¡± Iliya tried to celebrate the asion by timidly raising her hands, but she immediately shut her mouth the moment she saw the horribly gloomy aura emanating from around her. Actually, Riru and I were fine. Ny percent of the reason why the atmosphere became like this was because of Seras, who had been staring into space, as if her soul had escaped her body. ¡°...Miss Seras, i-it¡¯ll all be fine, t-things just happened, you know¡­? A-Also, I heard she¡¯s your younger sister, right? A-As a family she might under¡ª Oww, oww! T-Teach¡­? W-Why¡­?¡±She was about to continue rambling on, but I pped her arm to make her shut up. You see, the topic she was about to touch was one of Seras¡¯ biggest reverse scales. Mentioning it was pretty much the equivalent of stepping on andmine. Looking back, I remembered that the System Windows that was rted to her mentioned something about this. < quest="" info=""> < special="" quest:="" the="" ultimate="" dark="" secret!=""> [ A quest rted to ¡®Seras Evatrice¡¯ is now avable! ] [ Uponpletion, the target will submit to you! ] [ Uponpletion, you will receive significant benefits in the Main Scenario! ] [ Uponpletion, you will be the owner of the ¡®Oath of the Crescent Moon¡¯ ] That was the window that popped up the first time I came into contact with this punk through Viz, the exorcist guy that I met back when I was fighting Valkasus. I believed I said something to him back then¡­ ¡®I know the whereabouts of the object you¡¯re looking for.¡¯ ¡­Yeah I said something like that, huh? By the way, ¡®the object you¡¯re looking for¡¯ that I mentioned was Victoria, the girl we just met. She was Seras¡¯ younger sibling who got separated from her ten years ago. Currently, she was her only family left. Almost all the people that were close to Seras were aware how obsessive she¡¯d get when it came to her effort to look for her sister. It was to the point that when I merely gave a hint to Viz about Victoria¡¯s whereabouts, he immediately cooperated with me. [...The more you exin it, the more you sound like an evil bastard.] ¡°...¡± [Because of you, she ended up showing such a sight to her most precious person¡­] I couldn¡¯t even say anything to refute that. I cleared my throat awkwardly inwardly. Suddenly, Iliya pped her hands and prompted us to turn our attention to her. ¡°A-Anyway, we can¡¯t stay like this! Why don¡¯t we meet again tomorrow at around this time? The club activities will start tomorrow anyway!¡± It was obvious that she was trying to say something along the lines of ¡®Let¡¯s get out of here¡¯, but honestly, that was a better option than just sitting here to wallow in sorrow together. Everyone seemed to agree with me as they nodded their heads, albeit reluctantly. As they walked out of the building, Riru stole a nce toward Seras, trying to read her mood. Meanwhile, Seras still looked as if her soul had left her body. ¡°...Alright, then...¡± When I was about to leave the club building¡­ Iliya suddenly grabbed my arm hurriedly. ¡°U-Um, Teach! We need to talk! Just the two of us!¡± ¡°...¡± I narrowed my eyes, ring at her as I wondered if this was just her usual nonsense again. But, from her strange behavior, it seemed like this was actually an urgent matter. The way she behaved right now was a world awaypared to when she tried to seduce me, so I let out a sigh before sitting down again. ¡°...What is it?¡± When I asked her that while scratching my head, she hesitated a bit before continuing. ¡°...Um, Teach, you know how important the clubs are in Elfante, right?¡± ¡°Of course. That¡¯s why we had to go through all that fuss.¡± I replied, showing her an incredulous look, as if asking, ¡®Why are you stating the obvious?¡¯. Clubs were important, that was why the school regtions deemed it as mandatory. They wanted the students to have some good connections in the Academy before they graduated. ¡°...B-But¡­¡± For some reason, she struggled to continue her words and I could see that her face was covered in sweat. ¡°T-This is something rted to that¡­ Y-You see, there¡¯s a benefit that is supported by Elfante itself¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Seeing the way she acted, I could roughly guess what she was about to say. ¡°Let me guess.¡± I interrupted her with a sigh. ¡°People are offering their sponsors?¡± Judging by how her eyes instantly widened, as if asking me, ¡®How did you know?¡¯ I seemed to have hit the bullseye. ¡­Well, if anything, it¡¯d be strange if people didn¡¯t offer anything¡­ Just like what it clearly suggested, sponsoring a club meant appointing oneself as the club¡¯s sponsor. Basically they were saying something like, ¡®We will provide the resources you guys need, so please share the ¡®results¡¯ with uster¡¯. It wasn¡¯t a strange system considering Elfante¡¯s level. There were actually many cases where various equipment that could be used in real battles and talented people were discovered through the clubs. And if they were aiming for that kind of thing, the Exorcism Club was a juicy target to say the least. No matter how much we tried not to stand out, the Hero herself was a member of the club. Also, even though I wasn¡¯t as popr as her, they couldn¡¯t ignore my presence here either. People with good ears and eyes were everywhere; There was a high chance that those people had been aiming for our club ever since we started expressing our intent to create it. ¡°Can¡¯t we just dismiss those guys for now? Decline their offer politely and send them away¡ª¡± ¡°...U-Um, t-that¡­¡± For some reason, Iliya was sweating hard as she handed out something to me. ¡°T-This was sent along with the official notice about the approval of our club¡¯s creation¡­ C-Could you read it first¡­?¡± ¡°...?¡± I took the document she gave me and skimmed through it. It was the list of people who wished to sponsor us. As soon as I took the document from her, a window suddenly popped up before my eyes. < system="" message=""> [ ¡®Club¡¯ creation confirmed! ] [ A special level of interest in the Target Group confirmed! ] [ How the uing Main Quest - Chapter 5, ¡®The Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil¡¯ will progress depends on how you run the Student Club! ] ¡°...¡± What the fuck is this? ** I hadn¡¯t even read what was written on the document yet, but the window was filled with ominous messages¡­ ** Special level of interest in us? Chapter 5¡¯s progress would depend on how I run the club¡­? ¡°...¡± I don¡¯t know, I can¡¯t tell anything by just thinking about it. Let¡¯s just read through this thing first. I thought as such before reading through the document Iliya gave me. ¡°...She just pops up everywhere now, huh?¡± I let out a mutter as I removed the document on the very top; The one that had the Imperial Stamp on it. Well, there wasn¡¯t anything strange about this. The Empress was there to watch our club¡¯s presentation. Fortunately, I could take care of this by just trying to persuade her somehow. She was quite cooperative with me anyway. Next¡­ ¡°...What are these people doing here?¡± Duke Tristan¡­ Margrave Kendride¡­ It was a little too much, but I could understand. I knew these people personally, so I could persuade them with my words too. However, the next group of people¡­ ¡°The War Chiefs of the Tribal Alliance¡­?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± No, this wasn¡¯t Kasa¡ªon the contrary, she was staying quiet¡ªbut rather the War Chiefs whom I didn¡¯t even know. Did they want to acquaintance themselves with us or something? That aside, the level of the offers they were making¡­ ¡°...What? They¡¯re gonna share all their research results from thest two years with us?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± Iliya replied, looking slightly dazed. ¡°When the Empire offered them a whole territory for this in the past, they just ignored that offer, right¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Now they said they¡¯re just going to give it to a club as a sponsorship deal¡­¡± By the time she finished her words, her voice sounded as if she was crying and I couldpletely empathize with her in this situation. I mean, it wasn¡¯t just us! Anyone would find it strange! Yeah sure, I achieved monstrous things here and there, and Iliya was here, but that shouldn¡¯t be enough of a reason for these important figures to rush towards us so passionately like this! Hell, we hadn¡¯t even announced the club¡¯s name yet, let alone its vision and goals! There was literally no reason for them to do all this! When I flipped into the next page, things just escted even more. ¡°...¡± I looked at Iliya, as if asking her, ¡®Is this real?¡¯. She nodded at my gaze, still looking as if she was about to cry. ¡°...The Pope?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°...The Pope of the Holy Land?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°...¡± You bastard, what the fuck are you even doing here? Why the hell would you even think to sponsor me? My head began to ache. It felt as if my temples were beingpressed from all sides. By the way, it didn¡¯t even end there. When I saw the list of people written on the next page, my face couldn¡¯t help but distort terribly. ¡°...Iliya...¡± I could barely call out to her, my voice was trembling. ¡°Is this real?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± ¡°...¡± A wave of dizziness struck me. ¡°When was thest time the Magic Tower got in touch with an outside group again?¡± I muttered with a groan as I looked at the Magic Tower¡¯s stamp on the document. With their force only, they could easily be considered as the strongest, the worst, and the most awful group in this world. They were the hub of technology in this world; Not even the Tribal Alliance could beat them. Let¡¯s say that if other countries in this continent were in the middle ages to modern times, then the Magic Tower was living in a world of sci-fi. ¡­It seems like the information about the club has been leaked out. There was no way those crazy ustrophilic fuckers would send us something like this if that wasn¡¯t the case. As Dean Walter said, the ¡®authority¡¯ to handle ¡®Devils¡¯-rted powers as you wanted was an ability that would make every group on the continent drool. I didn¡¯t know if the information was leaked to that extent, but I could see if they got interested in this since this matter was rted to the Devils. ¡°...Tell them we¡¯ll put everything on hold. Let''s buy some time.¡± I told Iliya while holding my throbbing head. Honestly, this was the only solution I had for now. Even if I were to reject them, I doubt they¡¯d give up that easily. As for choosing one of them instead¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t have enough information to assess which one among them was the best suited for us at this moment. Since even a window had popped up, telling me that this decision would affect the Main Quest, I couldn¡¯t just make a rash decision. ¡°U-Um, we can put the matters with sponsorship aside, but¡­¡± ¡°...What? Is there anything else?¡± I asked Iliya¡ªwhose body was still shaking¡ªin a bewildered voice. ¡°...U-Um¡­ S-So, member recruitments are mandatory for all the clubs¡­ A-And, the Club President and Secretary are obligated to evaluate all the students who wish to join the club¡­¡± She closed her eyes tightly before reading out that particr school regtion. ¡°...Yeah, of course that¡¯s the case. Why are you¡ª¡± Suddenly, I could feel an eerie sensation creeping down my spine, prompting me to shut my mouth. If I remembered correctly¡­ The Club President was me and the Secretary was Iliya¡­ Which meant, both of us had to evaluate the punks who wished to join our club¡­ ¡°...¡± Alright, deduction time. Just a moment ago, we knew that these terrifyingly important figures threw themselves at us, basically risking their everything just to ¡®sponsor¡¯ us. That left us with a question¡­ What of the people who had contacts with those sponsors beforehand? How much preparation had they taken to be ¡®members¡¯ of the club? ¡°...S-Something like this came.¡± Iliya handed out something to me with trembling hands. ¡°...¡± Seeing a bundle of paper that looked so thick that it made me dizzy, I took a deep breath. Actually, could I even call it a bundle of paper¡­? It was obvious that this thing had beenpressed several times with a spell. If we were to actually release that spell, this whole ce would probably be filled with those paper bundles¡­ ¡°...How many¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°They should¡¯ve written the total number of people who had registered on the first page, right? How many?¡± Iliya muttered her reply, letting out something that sounded like a groan as she covered her face that had gone pale with both hands. ¡°...A little over ten thousand people¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°W-We have to evaluate all of these people¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Ten thousand people¡­ I didn¡¯t even want to imagine how many ¡®important figures¡¯ were among them. Those people who¡¯d make me wonder, why the fuck were they even there¡­? ¡°...¡± Shit¡­ Fuck¡­ Chapter 234: Evaluation (2) Chapter 234: Evaluation (2)¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± A heavy silence fell on the living room. Maybe it was because of the fact that they had not met each other for quite a long time that the atmosphere was like this. But, the most likely reason was probably because they did not part ways in a good way thest time they met. Percy Siston Levantin took a sip of her hot tea to soothe the dry feeling inside her mouth. Seeing that, the other person followed suit, albeit hesitantly. It seemed like Percy was not the only one feeling awkward in this situation. ¡°...Hopefully, you didn¡¯t have a hard time?¡± Percy forced that question out, trying to sound as clear as she could. Compared to back when they used to get along well as a ¡®master¡¯ and her ¡®apprentice¡¯ in the Magic Tower¡ªwhen it was so easy for them to converse with each other¡ªshe had to put in a lot of effort just to utter a few words. ¡°...Thanks to you.¡±The other person, Faenol, replied with a bitter smile as the restraints that were ced all over her body made nking sounds. Those restraints were something that the Heretic Inquisition demanded her to wear in return for them to let her roam free. They said that it could suppress her Demonic Aura or something along that line. ¡°I heard you had put in a lot of effort just for me, Teacher.¡± ¡°...No, I didn¡¯t do much.¡± Teacher, huh¡­ ? Percy let out a bitter smile as she ced her cup down. When was thest time she ever called me that? ¡°If you need someone to be thankful for, thank that guy called Dowd. He pretty much dealt with all the under-the-table dealings.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t like she had been idling or anything. After all, she was the only person among the Elfante staff members who sent a ¡®petition¡¯ to the Heretic Inquisition. She was the most vocal person to ask for leniency, even though she was aware that Faenol possessed the Devil¡¯s Fragments. But¡­ It was undeniable that the one who deserved the most credits was Dowd Campbell, as he was the one who managed to suppress all kinds of rumors that could arise from the fact that she openly took a Devil¡¯s Vessel¡¯s side. Well, to be exact, it was the influence of the Tribal Alliance¡¯s Chieftain¡ªwho strangely decided to back him up¡ªthat made this oue possible. ¡°...Is that so?¡± Faenol asked. The glint of her eyes reflected her happiness. But that wasn¡¯t the only expression hidden in her slightly casted down eyes. There was a hint of gloom inside, as if she was saying, ¡®That man would¡¯ve definitely done that¡¯. Upon seeing that, Percy couldn¡¯t help but doubt her own eyes. ¡°...Faenol?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your expression just now?¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± Faenol, asked back, as if saying, ¡®What in the world are you talking about?¡¯. But Percy¡¯s question was sincere. Because the Faenol that she knew¡­ Was someone who¡¯d push everyone around her away because she didn¡¯t want to be hurt. Especially when it came to ¡®men¡¯. Percy always thought that she looked at them the same way she looked at pebbles on the road. So, what¡¯s that expression just now? She looks like¡­ A girl who fell in love¡­? ¡­No, wait. That¡¯s too mild of a description, no? Instead of that, it feels more like¡­ ¡­She wants to devour him¡­? ¡®That person is mine.¡¯ ¡®I will never give him to anyone else.¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s mine, from the tip of his hair to his toe, everything about him is mine.¡¯ Faenol¡¯s expression seemed to be dering as such. There was even a hint of arrogance in that deration. As Percy¡¯s mind went nk, shocked upon seeing this side of her, Faenol suddenly called out to her. ¡°...So, Teacher¡­ I know I have no right to do this, but may I ask you a favor?¡± ¡°Y-Yes? W-What is it?¡± After Percy replied hastily, Faenol said her piece with a smile. ¡°Recently, it seems like that man is doing something again. The entire Academy bes noisy because of it.¡± ¡°...A-Ah¡ª¡± Percy knew what Faenol was talking about. In that instant, a bitter smile appeared on her face. ¡°Yes, he created a club recently. I don¡¯t know what exactly is special about that club, but apparently, they had received so many applicants. Whatever it is that person decided to do, it never goes on quietly, it seems. Conrad was right about him, the words the eye of the storm really fits¡ª¡± ¡°About that.¡± As Percy was about to ramble on, Faenol quickly interrupted her. It seemed like she did not wish to waste time since what she had to say was something rather urgent. ¡°I need to return something to that man, so I¡¯d like to ask you for a favor.¡± After saying those words, the smile on Faenol¡¯s face grew a little bigger. And that expression intensified the anxiety that Percy had felt earlier. ¡ñ The applicants¡¯ evaluation would be held inside the building that the Headmistress easily lent me with a smile. When I asked her why she was smiling, she told me¡­ ¡°Because you need to suffer too.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t fair that I¡¯m the only one who has been suffering, no?¡± ¡°...But, you know that I could get into actual trouble, right? Also, the only reason I dismissed some of those people was because I could persuade them with words¡­¡± So far, we had filtered out the ragtag and bobtail just from looking through their applications. As for the evaluation itself, we¡¯d only do it for those who we¡¯d need to see in person. By the way, there was no ¡®important figure¡¯ that could get us in a difficult situation yet. If such a person appeared¡­ Honestly, there was nothing that we could do about it¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll prevent that from happening if ites down to it.¡± Atnte then continued her words; Her smile grew wider and wider. ¡°But until then, I¡¯ll be watching you suffer.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Alright, keep up the good work~¡± She got up from her seat while yawning lightly. I sent her a fierce re, but she didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid at me. Her intention was clear. She wanted me to die from overwork, just like her, so whatever it was that I¡¯d try to do to appeal to her would be pointless. So, I looked outside the window while stroking my chin. To be exact, toward the horizon where the sun was setting. Above the sea of people that seemed as if they were touching the horizon itself¡­ ¡°...Ahem.¡± I cleared my throat. That was the best alternative to cursing that I had found. I mean, there was no way I¡¯d just start spouting out curses and swears while the Academy Staff and Iliya were around¡­ ¡°...So, those are the remaining people¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya, who was standing next to me, nodded. Her face was pale. Her exhaustion was clear since she had been dealing with people all day. Seriously¡­ Dealing with people who¡¯d onlye over to bring us down was more stressful than expected. Since I had to dismiss them while telling them off politely without offending them, the stress I had to deal with easily quadrupled. That was why we changed our method from evaluating those punks one by one to four to five people at a time. There was no way we¡¯d finish evaluating them all otherwise. ¡°...Next.¡± I said, sweeping my hair as a wave of dizziness struck me. Normally, I should¡¯ve read the document to identify who¡¯de in next, but this evaluation process had been going on for half a day. I was way too tired to even do that. That was why¡­ ¡°...¡± The moment I saw the peopleing in, I could feel that my head was about to explode. Fuck. I should¡¯ve identified these punks in advance and singled them out before letting them in¡­ ¡°My name is Victoria Evatrice.¡± ¡°...Faenol Lipek.¡± Hearing such names came out in session, I could see Iliya¡¯s jaw dropped from the corner of my eye. It was strange enough that Victoria applied to join the club after what happened the other day¡­ But, the fact that the other woman was here was way more strange than that. ¡°...Miss Faenol?¡± ¡°...It¡¯s been a long time, Miss Iliya.¡± When Iliya called her out with a dumbfounded voice, Faenol replied with a bitter smile. ¡°What brings you here¡­?¡± ¡®You¡¯re not supposed to be here,¡¯ that was what Iliya was trying to say. Of course, there was no way that she would have any positive feelings towards Faenol, who harbored the ¡®Red Devil¡¯ inside her. But, even if we were to ignore that detail, it was still understandable that she asked such a question to Faenol. Only a few people knew this, but this punk was the one who caused the incident where a Devil went berserk just a while ago. Her threat level was several levels higher than other Devil¡¯s Vessels. I mean, just look at how she had all those Control Catalyst restraining her whole body. ¡­Compared to others, she¡¯s a little different¡­ She was a Vessel who possessed all the Fragments. It meant that as long as she ¡®had the motive¡¯, she was more than capable of starting another Crimson Night Incident. That was why, them cing all those restrictions on her body was only natural. As I thought so, Faenol calmly continued, ¡°...Originally, I¡¯m unable to stay as a student, but there¡¯s someone who volunteered to be my guarantee.¡± ¡°...¡± So this was Percy¡¯s work, huh? Well, this much was obvious since she was the only person Faenol could go to. But, the problem here was¡­ ¡°...The Dean guaranteed you, but the very first thing you do aftering here is to apply to join this club¡­?¡± I asked dumbfoundedly. ¡°...Because I wanted to see you.¡± And¡­ The answer I received made me hold my breath. I stared at her, who said such words while looking straight at me, without changing her pose at all. ¡°...Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t said hello to you properly yet, Mr. Dowd.¡± Seeing how I became speechless, she suddenly said as such. Her red hair slightly swayed. I could see her throat moved as she swallowed dryly from where I was. ¡°Thank you for saving me. I, Faenol Lipek, owe you a debt that I can never pay.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°To match the kindness that you had bestowed me, I¡¯m going to do my best, both physically and morally, from now on. Even though I¡¯mcking as a person, I¡¯m looking forward to working with you¡­¡± She muttered as such, her face was red, her head was down, and her voice was quivering. It was clear that she was embarrassed. But, her voice was clear, even until the end. ¡°...I swear, I¡¯ll do whatever it is that you ask me. Sincerely. With all my heart.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s something so beastly that other people would get angry at you if you ask them to do it, I¡ª¡± ¡°-Next candidates, pleasee in!¡± I hurriedly cut her off before she said something even more dangerous than that. Since we were evaluating four to five people at one time, not all of them have entered the room yet. Woman¡­! What the fuck are you yapping about when everyone¡¯s watching?! ¡°...Haa¡­¡± Holding my head, I let out a deep sigh. Well¡­ I had expected that I¡¯d need to deal with punks who were hard to deal with like this from now on. But, I never expected that I¡¯d need to deal with two of those punks at once. Hell, I didn¡¯t even know what the fuck was Victoria doing here. Of course, it was the same with Faenol as well. I hope the remaining two people are easy to deal with¡­ ¡°...¡± As I thought so¡­ My eyes met the eyes of the two people who had entered the room. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± One of them was Eleanor. And the other one was Her Imperial Majesty the Empress. ¡°...¡± I took a deep breath. ¡­What? Wait, what the fuck..?! [Stop cursing. It only makes you look weak.] Oh, shut the fuck up. Chapter 235: Evaluation (3) Chapter 235: Evaluation (3)Eleanor let out a sigh inwardly. In her head, she was reying something that happened not too long ago. A certain event that happened in her territory before she came back to Elfante. ¡°Nice to meet you, Viscount Campbell.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I believe we¡¯ve met once before. How are you?¡± Anyone seeing a middle-aged man being unable to respond properly as their face turned pale would assume that the man was being bullied, but Eleanor only bowed her head politely in ordance with noble etiquette. She was bowing so deeply to the point that the man could clearly see the top of her head. Though this kind of treatment was generous, it was also burdensome at the same time. Normally, someone on Lady Tristan¡¯s level would only do this to the Empress herself. In the first ce, the title Lady Tristan itself was an extremely distinguished title. ¡­So, in one way, this could be taken as her bullying him¡­¡°P-Please raise your head¡­ I-I¡¯m unworthy¡­¡± Viscount Armin Campbell said so, clearly restless. To that, Eleanor nodded before fixing her posture. This gave him the impression that she¡¯d listen to him well. Still, the atmosphere around them did feel like ¡®a newlywed bride wanting to leave a good impression on the groom¡¯s family¡¯ and it gave Armin the chills. ¡°I want to ask you a straightforward question, Sir Viscount.¡± Her words got Armin to clear his throat several times as he started to think. Then, thedy in front of him continued calmly. ¡°What should I do in order to sleep with Dowd?¡± Almost instantly, he spit out the tea he was drinking and coughed for a while. Then, he stared at the woman in front of him with nk eyes. His expression suggested that he failed to understand what exactly he had just heard. ¡°...If you need me to prove that I¡¯m qualified, please tell me. I will do anything.¡± Eleanor said before taking out her sword with a cold gaze. This unexpected action of hers startled Armin as he took a step back. Obviously she wasn¡¯t trying to cut him, but the fact that Lady Tristan herself was holding a sword, was enough to make the countryside Viscount who lived worlds away from the battlefield to react in that way. ¡°If you wish, I could give you one of my arm¡ª¡± ¡°I-I won''t ept it even if you give me! P-Put your sword back in!¡± Armin freaked out as he said so. Eleanor nodded calmly and put her sword back in. It really looked as if she¡¯d cut her arm if he told her to. That realization creeped him up quite a bit, prompting him to swallow dryly. ¡°L-Lady Tristan, m-may I ask you something?¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°...Could I possibly receive an exnation on why you asked that question?¡± Hearing that, Eleanor tilted her head, as if Armin had asked a weird question. ¡°Considering our rtionship, isn¡¯t it more strange if I don¡¯t do it with him?¡± ¡°...¡± At her firm answer, Armin promptly closed his mouth. Eleanor then let out a breath through her nose, making a hmph sound before continuing. ¡°The problem here is that I don¡¯t know how, since that man has always been hardhearted. Even after I had set the mood, he still refused to embrace me¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Ah, she''s tried to do it before. That¡¯s why she¡¯s asking me. She tried to seduce him and failed. ¡°...¡± Is this right¡­? Such thoughts crossed Armin''s mind, but he chased them away while clearing his throat. He didn¡¯t have the guts to speak carelessly to a major noble whose status was just right below the Empress. Also, when it came to his punk of a son, he didn¡¯t care who was the woman he was entangling himself with¡ªsince that punk would flirt with any woman heid his eyes on¡ªas long as that woman could hold onto him tightly, it was all good. ¡°...I think¡­you need to spend more time with him first.¡± So, he decided to give her the only ¡®clean¡¯ advice that he could think of. And his words instantly brought a big reaction out of her. Her eyes seemed like they were burning in fighting spirit after hearing that, which made him feel burdensome, but he managed to continue his words somehow. ¡°Although he doesn¡¯t seem like he does, he¡¯s always reading the atmosphere. It isn¡¯t like he failed to notice your efforts because he was hardhearted, Miady¡­ Rather, there¡¯s a high chance that he¡¯s just ¡®avoiding¡¯ you intentionally¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, nor¡¯s eyes widened. It was a natural reaction since she had never thought that way about it. ¡°...Avoiding me? Why¡ª¡± ¡°Before you¡¯re misunderstanding something, Mdy, you¡¯re probably not the only one he¡¯s avoiding. Ever since he was a kid, there were many times where he avoided getting involved with girls.¡± To be exact, he kept running away from them because he didn¡¯t know how to handle them. The problem here was, even if he did that, he still ended up seducing those girls anyway. Armin was sure that Dowd''s trouble with women started from way back then. ¡°Then how¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s simple. If a tree stands firm even after you chop it ten times, then you just need to chop it a hundred, or a thousand times more.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That was how I managed to get my wife to fall for me, Mdy. He doesn¡¯t hate you, he¡¯s just being passive.¡± ¡°...Oh.¡± ¡°If you hit on him more actively from now on, I believe that it will work out somehow.¡± If Dowd were to hear this advice, he would definitely scream at him, telling him that it was horrible advice. But, Eleanor¡¯s expression turned bright when she heard this, as if she had reached some kind of enlightenment. ¡°For example¡­ Let¡¯s see, isn¡¯t it time for the club activities in Elfante to start?¡± ¡°...Yes, I believe so.¡± ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you take this opportunity to be alone with him there? It should be easier for you since everyone is required to attend clubs after school.¡± ¡°...I see!¡± ¡°He¡¯s weak against pressure. If you push against him enough, he¡¯ll give way and listen to anything that you want.¡± Eleanor clenched her fists. ¡°...Father, no, Teacher.¡± Then, she heartily shouted in a serious voice. ¡°I will repay this favor with all my life¡­!¡± ¡°...¡± Huh? Isn¡¯t she exaggerating this a little? Armin¡¯s expression looked as if he said so. ¡ñ Such was the advice that Eleanor had received. And that was the reason why she came here. Of course, before that, she had to suffer through a hellish back-and-forth argument with Headmistress Atnte. ¡®Lady Tristan, this is a serious vition of school regtions. I can¡¯t let this pass even if you were to bring your family¡¯s authority¡ª¡¯ ¡®The Exorcism Club.¡¯ ¡®...Please reconsider it. As a Headmistress, if I were to approve this, I¡¯ll be caught up in allegations of giving preferential treatment¡ª¡¯ ¡®The Exorcism Club.¡¯ ¡®Eleanor, you brat! You¡¯re the Student Council President now! You¡¯ve been here for years, why the hell are you even trying to join your junior¡¯s club¡ª?!¡¯ ¡®The Exorcism Club.¡¯ ¡®That bastard Down alone is already making me feel like dying! Why are you also doing this to me¡ª?! My life is already hard enough¡ª!¡¯ ¡®The Exorcism Club.¡¯ ¡­Though, she wasn¡¯t sure if the argument really was a hellish one, but she felt that it probably was hellish for one of them. In any case, after going through all that trouble, she came here to spend more time with that man. But, these people¡­ She looked at the person who sat next to her sulkily. Then, with a displeased expression, she called out to her. ¡°...Your Imperial Majesty, what brings you¡ª¡± She was about to finish her words, but she promptly shut her mouth up. Because Cecilia the 11th¡¯s eyes, which were usually squinted, were slightly opened. Her irises¡ªwhich reminded Eleanor of reptiles¡¯ slit-like pupils¡ªwere glistening yfully. The Empress soon put a finger over her lips, making a shushing motion. Then, befitting such a sight, Cecilia the 11th dered. ¡°Nice to meet you, ¡®Senior¡¯. I am Cecil.¡± ¡°...¡± Oh my God. Just from that, Eleanor understood the implications behind her words and pressed her forehead. Normally, Eleanor was the one who¡¯d do something like this to someone else, but now, the roles were reversed. She couldn¡¯t do anything to the other person, considering who she was. ¡°...What kind of tricks did you use to enter the Academy, Your Imp¡ª¡± Seeing Cecilia the 11th made another shushing motion, Eleanor sighed and changed the words she was about to say. ¡°...Junior Cecil.¡± ¡°Tricks? I¡¯m not sure I understand that, Senior. I¡¯m just a new student who grew up in a rural area and got epted through special admission.¡± ¡°...¡± You couldn¡¯t make any more terrible character setting than that¡­ As Eleanor let out a frown, Dowd, who was sitting in the judges¡¯ seat also made a simr expression. It was clear that he wanted this whole mess to end quickly and take a rest. ¡°...May I ask some questions, starting from candidate number 1? Can you tell me the reason why do you wish to join our club¡ª¡± ¡°I want to join the club and crush all the people in it.¡± ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°So that I can destroy this club and bring you to the Student Council.¡± ¡°...¡± Dowd thought of how to respond to that for a while before giving up and turning his head to the other person. ¡°Your Imp¡ª¡± No, that¡¯s not it. Seeing Cecilia the 11th¡ª no, Cecil¡¯s expression, Dowd stopped what he was about to say. ¡°...Candidate number 2, what brings you to our club?¡± ¡°I want to experience school life.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I applied to join because I heard the Club President is a nice person. I''m pleased to be here, Senior Dowd.¡± Dowd turned his head away. His expression seemed like he was begging to be taken out from this hell, then he skipped Faenol¡¯s turn, not even bothering to ask her. Just like the previous two cases, he didn¡¯t know what kind of nonsense woulde out of her mouth if he were to ask the wrong question. So, Dowd faced Victoria, clearing his throat before asking his question. Well, to be exact, he was about to ask his question. But, he got the answer before the question could even leave his mouth. ¡°I want to kill my sister.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°While also obtaining information regarding the Devils that are filling this ce.¡± ¡°What do you¡ª¡± ¡°Because it will be helpful for me.¡± Victoria replied casually. As Dowd and Iliya looked at her in bewilderment, Victoria looked around as if confirming what she said. There was a piercing glint in her subdued eyes as she made eye contact with everyone here. And Dowd could see clearly¡­ The deep ¡®purple¡¯ light in those subdued eyes¡­ And the exact same feeling that he had seen from Seras. ¡°¡­!¡± This was definitely¡­ The sign of a ¡®Vessel¡¯. Just like Seras, she had the same Devil in her body. ¡°And I''d like you guys to cooperate with me to aplish that.¡± ¡°...¡± After that, Dowd facepalmed himself in the judges¡¯ seat. Should I just quit? Fuck this shit¡­ From his gestures, that felt like what he wanted to say. Chapter 236: Head-On Confrontation (1) Chapter 236: Head-On Confrontation (1)After that hellish evaluation came to an end, I returned to the dorm in a daze as I looked at the window before my eyes. < system="" log=""> [ An important event rted to Target ¡®Seras¡¯ will ur soon! ] [ There is a high chance that it will greatly affect the ¡®Club Operation¡¯!] I know. You don¡¯t need to tell me that. Even though all the applicants said all sorts of things that made my head hurt, Victoria was the one who stood out the most out of them all. ¡­She¡¯s definitely a vessel. It only shed for a moment in her eyes, but that was definitely the Aura of the Purple Devil. I had said this repeatedly, but the Devil¡¯s Fragments would always try to gather themselves inside a Vessel¡¯s body.They¡¯d inevitablye into contact with each other using all kinds of ways, just like this. ¡°...¡± With a frown on my face, I let out a deep sigh. But why is it in Victoria¡¯s body out of everyone? ** This is just way beyond fucked, nothing could evere close to this¡­ [Is it that big of a problem?] ¡°What?¡± [Won¡¯t this make it easier for you to deal with her? Since she¡¯s rted to a Devil, she¡¯ll be easily influenced by you, no?] ¡°Caliban, do you know how Eleanor ended up as a Devil¡¯s Vessel?¡± [Hm?] ¡°It was because of her mother. She was originally a Devil¡¯s Vessel, but when she passed away, the Fragment was passed on to Eleanor.¡± [...] I couldn¡¯t see his face, but I could tell that he was probably mping his mouth shut while frowning. Well, of course he¡¯d react like that, as this wasn¡¯t a very pleasant story to hear. [...I¡¯ve guessed as much, but what about it?] ¡°To put it simply, that¡¯s the condition.¡± [What?] ¡°You see, if the Fragment is dwelling inside a lifeform, the existing Vessel has to die in order for that Fragment to move elsewhere.¡± [...] ¡°As I¡¯ve said earlier, the Fragments would always try to gather themselves in one ce. So, what do you think would happen if two Vessels possessing the Fragments of the same Devil meet each other?¡± Hearing what I said, Caliban closed his mouth, shocked. He wasn¡¯t stupid, he must¡¯ve understood what I was trying to say. And the groan that came out with his reply afterwards, proved my conjecture. [...They¡¯re gonna try to kill each other¡­] I rubbed my forehead, unwilling to confirm his words with my own mouth. ¡°...There¡¯s also the fact that those two are sisters, Caliban.¡± I continued my words, even I could notice the exhaustion in my voice. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d let the Devils make people around me kill their family or be killed by their family¡­¡± [Then what are you going to do?] ¡°...¡± I¡¯d need to make the two of them settle eventually. Since something like this appeared on the System Window, their confrontation was pretty much inevitable no matter how hard I tried to prevent it. But, the problem here was¡­ ¡°...That isn¡¯t the only problem we have here¡­¡± Eleanor, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, and Faenol, who, for some reason had became extremely aggressive¡ª There was more than one headache that I had to deal with. Each of them were like house-sized boulders threatening to fall on this countryside-pond-like club. But, I couldn¡¯t just carelessly make my move¡­ < system="" log=""> [ ¡®Club¡¯ creation confirmed! ] [ A special level of interest in the Target Group confirmed! ] [ How the uing Main Quest - Chapter 5, ¡®The Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil¡¯ will progress depends on how you run the Club! ] ¡­Because something like this popped up. Which meant a huge event concerning Eleanor, Iliya, Her Majesty the Empress, Chancellor Sullivan, maybe even Duke Tristan and Margrave Kendride, would ur.. Everything that I did might determine the life and death of those people. I needed to handle this carefully. ¡°...¡± Seriously though, how could running a club determine the fate of the most powerful nation on the continent? This shit just didn¡¯t make any sense. But, one thing for sure was that the System Window had never lied to me so far, so it wasn¡¯t like I could just forget about it. But still, for people of these level being rted to the club¡­ [Well, all of them are Devil¡¯s Vessels, no? Don¡¯t you have any means to control them like you did to the White Devilst time?] I wished I did. In Yuria¡¯s case, I could somehow handle her since she only had one Fragment, but there was no way I could use the same thing for Faenol or Eleanor, since they had multiple Fragments. Honestly, I didn¡¯t have any means to control them¡ª ¡°...¡± Hold on. A way to control them¡­? Control¡­? It means to make them obey my words no matter what, right? ¡°...¡± When I thought about it that way, a solution that was more simple than I thought popped up in my mind. ¡°...Caliban.¡± [Hm?] ¡°I¡¯m actually quite powerful, right?¡± Those incidents that I had gone through made me realize¡­ These days, my stats were on its way up to the peak. It was to the point that even though I had to enhance them at times, I already started to feel confident that I wouldn¡¯t end up dying easily. [...Yeah?] ¡°I¡¯m really, really strong, right?¡± [...] ¡°...Right?¡± [I didn¡¯t say anything.] ¡°Oh, c¡¯mon, how long do you think I¡¯ve spent my time with you? I could tell that you¡¯re worried about something without you needing to tell me.¡± [I mean, you have that look on your face again. You know, the expression you usually have when you¡¯re thinking of doing something crazy¡­] ¡°...Stop badmouthing me.¡± I replied grumpily. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­you know¡­ Like you said, I¡¯m quite powerful, right?¡± [Yeah, so what?] ¡°I won¡¯t die even though I got lynched by a group of people, right?¡± [...What?] ¡°Even if they are the Devil¡¯s Vessels?¡± [...] For some reason, Caliban stayed silent for a while after hearing that. ¡ñ Meanwhile¡­ While Dowd was having some crazy thoughts again, Iliya was staring at the item on her bed with an annoyed expression. [Hmm, I see, I see!] ¡°...¡± Hearing the voice that echoed in her ears, her frown instantly grew deeper. Some might say bullshit like they could feel a sacred feeling from the voice or something simr, but Iliya seemed to not share that sentiment seeing how annoyed her voice sounded as she threw out her reply. ¡°...What?¡± The source of the voice was none other than the Holy Sword on her waist. She remembered that people had been saying how an amazing being, a Seraphim or something, was dwelling in there. But to Iliya, it was her enemy. The religious devouts¡¯ mouths would foam if they were to hear that, but as someone who had been with this thing often, she had nothing positive that she could say about it. [The man you¡¯re trying to seduce is extremely popr, no? I mean, look at how many amazing people that came just because he made a club!] This was the reason why Iliya had that sentiment. Normally, it would stay quiet, but whenever it had something to talk about, it would spit out things that got on her nerves, driving her crazy. [Even if we exclude the holder of the Devil¡¯s Fragments, the members of the club would be enough to shake the Material Realm, no? Someone without any characteristics like you would need to fight quite the difficult battle to¡ª] ¡°...Can you just shut up? I want to sleep. You know that I need to evaluate a lot of people tomorrow, right?¡± [Fine. What I¡¯m trying to say is, are you just going to suck your finger and do nothing?] ¡°...¡± Iliya was about to cover herself with the nket when hearing the Seraphim¡¯s voice that suddenly turned serious. Her frown got even deeper as she covered her face with both hands. ¡°...Seraphim, I¡¯ve been trying so hard to hit on him because you told me toe on stronger. But you know what happened. He kept avoiding me instead. What else do you want me to do¡­?¡± Iliya muttered as such while blushing. At this point, she thought that she had been throwing herself at him like a human bullet tank, all while setting aside her own self-respect. It was to the point that sometimes she¡¯d feel dispirited when he rejected her since she had gone so far. If I were toe on even stronger than now, that¡¯ll backfire on me instead, no¡­? [Of course not. If anything, you aren¡¯ting on strong enough.] ¡°...¡± Are you kidding me?! If I were toe on stronger than this, I¡¯d end up bing an actual slut or sexual harasser! She thought as such while ring at the Holy Sword. But the Seraphim inside just dismissed her concerns. [It¡¯s time for you to do it. That thing.] ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Iliya¡¯s body froze. ¡°...That thing? You¡¯re really telling me to do that?¡± [If it¡¯s not now, you won¡¯t have any other chance. Do you think your turn wille after the others join the club and begin to interact with him?] ¡°...¡± [He already lost his ¡®first time¡¯ to another woman before you knew it.] ¡°...¡± [Don¡¯t you think you¡¯d have to at least take something from him¡ª] Iliya silently threw the Holy Sword while blushing. As if trying to say, ¡®Please, shut the fuck up¡¯. However¡­ ¡°...¡± She couldn¡¯t bring herself to just let what it said go in one ear and out the other. After that, an ufortable look stayed on her face throughout the night. ¡ñ And so, Iliya went to Dowd Campbell¡¯s roomte at night. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Sitting across from her, Dowd asked such a question with a voice filled with wariness. ¡­So mean. Seeing him like this, Iliya couldn¡¯t help but grumble inwardly. She knew that she had been hitting on him too muchtely, but it still hurt her to see him being so wary of her like this. ¡°...¡± The first thing that she checked was if he was wearing the Amulet that she saw before. For some reason, this man seemed to be really conscious of the Amulet every time he met her. But, it was only natural since, as far as she knew, her brother was inside it. ¡°...¡± She really wished that she could talk to him right now, but¡­ [It feels like he doesn¡¯t want to meet you.] She remembered the thing that Seraphim said while yawning. While Iliya wanted to hit her nose because she was annoying, she couldn¡¯t just dismiss the things that she told her. ¡®He doesn¡¯t want to meet me¡­?¡¯ [Yeah. Well, not because he hates you or anything though. It feels like he thinks that he¡¯s ¡®not supposed to¡¯ meet you.] ¡®But why¡­?! I¡¯m his family¡­!¡¯ [Who? Knows?] ¡®...¡¯ That was the first time she had ever thrown the Holy Sword onto the ground ever since she met the Seraphim. If what the Seraphim said was true, Iliya could understand the reason why he never said anything to her or approached her. Maybe it was simr with how Dowd had never said anything about it to her, But still¡­ She had to say this for sure this time. ¡°Um, Teach?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Do you mind putting that down for a moment¡­? I have something to say to you¡­¡± Hearing that, Dowd nkly looked at Iliya and the Amulet alternately. It was a valid reaction, since it was the first time Iliya had openly mentioned Caliban¡¯s existence. She had been treating him ambiguously so far, as if he was there, but at the same time, not. ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°Just do it quickly.¡± Seeing how serious she was, Dowd tilted his head while doing as she told him. He untied the Amulet from his arm and put it inside his pocket. Seeing that, Iliya bit her lip and lowered her head. She seemed to be agonizing until thest minute over whether what she was about to say was the right thing to say. ¡°...¡± And this made Dowd feel anxious for some reason. What is she even thinking about? What the hell is she going to say? Why is this taking so long? Iliya stared at him for a while before resting her chin on her hand. Inwardly, her sense of shame¡ªas she thought that she maybe did not to go this far¡ªand her sense of crisis¡ªas she thought that it¡¯d be toote if she didn¡¯t do this now¡ªwere having a fierce standoff. Seeing how Dowd was acting so wary of her probably got her more worried than back when she first entered his room. ¡°...Hey.¡± In the end, Dowd had to break the silence with a sigh. ¡°Just say it.¡± ¡°...B-But¡­¡± ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what this is about and I don¡¯t know what it is that you¡¯re contemting so much, but don¡¯t feel so stressed about it. Just talk when you¡¯re ready, okay?¡± He continued in a calm voice. ¡°At the end of the day, I consider you as mine. You¡¯re someone precious to me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you with everything I can. Just like you did to me, I will do the same to you.¡± His words made her stare at him with wide eyes. ¡°...¡± Right. ** This person has always been like this. Whatever it is that I did, he¡¯d always ept everything. That means¡­ I can rely a little more on his kindness, right¡­? Just like that, she let such thoughts dictate her next course of action. And so¡­ ¡°Teach.¡± That word left her mouth as if she was under a spell. ¡°Hm?¡± Dowd lifted the tea cup that was ced in front of him while shrugging his shoulders. Iliya then continued in a calm voice. ¡°Do you want to go out with me?¡± Hearing that, Dowd spit out all the tea he was drinking. Chapter 237: Head-On Confrontation (2) Chapter 237: Head-On Confrontation (2)I stared nkly at Iliya. The tea was dripping from my mouth, but I didn¡¯t even think of wiping it off. This punk¡­ What did she just say? ¡°I¡¯m saying this just in case¡­¡± Seeing my reaction, Iliya continued in a huff. From her expression, she seemed to also be quite embarrassed by what she just said. ¡°If you spout some nonsense like ¡®What the hell are you talking about?¡¯, ¡®Stop messing around¡¯, or ¡®I¡¯ll pretend you didn¡¯t say that¡¯, I¡¯m going to actually hit you. Got it?¡± ¡°...¡± I could only open my mouth without saying anything, so she rattled on. All the answers that I was nning to give her were blocked before I could even get a word in. ¡°You didn¡¯t mishear me or anything. That was my confession to you, Teach.¡±¡°...Why¡­?¡± ¡°Why do you think?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think of giving me stupid answers. I know that you know and you¡¯ve just been avoiding me all this time.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± I couldn¡¯te up with a response, so she rattled on again. ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking you to give me an answer right away. I know better than anyone that this is very sudden and this is not an easy decision to make.¡± She quickly said her piece without pausing. Her eyes never left mine as she did so. ¡°But I can promise you one thing.¡± Her eyes were firm,pletely different to how it looked when she rambled on just now. It was as if she was trying to make sure that I heard her words loud and clear. ¡°I¡¯m not influenced by the nature of your soul, or whatever that is.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°And yet, I still ¡®confessed¡¯ to you. You understand what that means right, Teach?¡± ¡°...¡± Before I could even answer her, Iliya gulped down the tea before her. Since there was clearly hot steam rising from the tea, that thing must be piping hot, but that didn¡¯t seem to bother her. ¡°Thank you for the tea! I¡¯ll get going!¡± She said those words before storming out of my room. Contrary to how she came in high spirits and confessed, her departure looked as if she was running away from me. ¡°...¡± What the fuck? ¡°...Ugh¡­¡± Seriously, what the fuck? ¡ñ A distance away from Dowd¡¯s room, after Iliya ran out. She flopped down, covering her blushing face with both hands. ¡­I did it¡­ I finally did it¡­ She contemted so hard about whether she¡¯d do that or not, but in the end, she decided to just give up to the urge and did it. Ugh¡­ How am I supposed to look at his face after this¡­?! She muttered inwardly, as if she was on the verge of tears. He¡¯ll reject me, won¡¯t he? He¡¯s definitely going to reject me¡­ There are so many more amazing people around him. He has no reason to even cast his nce at me¡­ That was her genuine thought, yet she still went out of her way to confess anyway. The reason for that was¡­ [Gotta say, that was a good approach, no?] ¡°...Shut it.¡± None other than the ¡®advice¡¯ this hateful being gave her. It was this punk who had been instructing her to hit on him more aggressively, and advised her to be the very first person to ¡®confess¡¯ to him like this before it was toote. [But it¡¯s true. Especially the part where you pointed out how you¡¯re not affected by the nature of his soul, I like that a lot.] ¡°...¡± [It¡¯s like you were saying, ¡®I¡¯m not those slutty Devils who fell for you because of your ¡®skill¡¯. My love for you is real, my whole being is yours. I fell in love with you like a¡ª¡¯] ¡°Just shut up already¡­¡± Iliya barely managed to spit out that reply while stroking her ears, which were increasing in temperature by the minutes. She knew that she¡¯d end up being teased like this, yet she still listened to the advice anyway. And that was because she herself had been anxious. Mostly about how Dowd¡¯s ¡®first time¡¯ had been taken away by an unknown person. [An unknown person? I thought you were sure that it was the Student Council President or whoever?] ¡°...No. The circumstances were a little strange, you know¡­¡± Iliya replied, narrowing her eyes. She didn¡¯t even need to use the Eye of Truth. It was as clear as day that Eleanor and Dowd didn¡¯t do ¡®it¡¯. Because if they did, she¡¯d have noticed some kind of changes in their rtionship ages ago. But, the vibe between the two didn¡¯t change much, or even at all. One thing for sure though, his ¡®first¡¯ was taken away in Tristan Duchy. As for who did it¡­ [It must have been the Devil then.] ¡°...What?¡± [It¡¯s pretty obvious. Having sex with a Devil means the Devil takes the Target¡¯s ¡®Soul Data¡¯. It¡¯s like preserving it in advance in case something happens. So that it doesn¡¯t get corrupted when the time is rewinded.] ¡°What does that even mean?¡± [It means something big is going to happen to that man soon.] ¡°...¡± This angel always muttered confusing information like this to Iliya. She always gave her the correct information about the situation, but she always left out the ¡®why¡¯ or ¡®how¡¯ parts. [That man is like a hot potato even in the Astral Realm, so I''ve done an investigation on him. There are a lot of interesting things about him that I found out.] ¡°I¡¯m not curious.¡± [Oh, really~?] ¡°Yes. It isn¡¯t like you¡¯re going to tell me anyway. If anything, it¡¯ll be better for me if you were to just shut up now.¡± [...Aren¡¯t you being too mean to me now?] The Angel grumbled. [Fine, I¡¯ll be generous and tell you one thing. You¡¯ll need to prepare for this anyway since you¡¯re the Wielder of the Holy Sword.] ¡°Huh?¡± [That man is going to get in trouble soon.] ¡°...Again?¡± [...You aren¡¯t even surprised, huh?] The Seraphim sighed as she continued. [Well, it feels more like he¡¯d turn the wheel 180 degrees himself instead of finding himself caught up in trouble¡­ But trouble is still trouble. It would still change the whole Worldline that¡¯s supposed to go on originally.] ¡°Please exin it in human words, Ms. Seraphim. Please.¡± [No. It isn¡¯t like you¡¯ll understand anyway. Just know that something will happen ¡®around this time¡¯ and there¡¯s nothing anyone could do to change it.] The Seraphim wasn¡¯t like the Devils, who existed beyond the concept of time since the Gray Devil, practically their leader, was in charge of that. But, beings on her level had enough power to at least grasp the ¡®course¡¯ of it. Even inside the time axis that had been ¡®repeating'' over and over again, this was the part where the biggest plot was determined. And in most cases¡­ Around this time, something that determined that man''s ¡®ending¡¯ would happen. The Gray, Purple, White, Blue, Brown, Red, and the forgotten Yellow. Depending how he treated any of the seven Devils, the future might alsopletely change. Though, it was absurd to think that even the fate of the Devils and the whole world was also included in that ¡®change¡¯. [Most of the Devil''s Vessels have gathered in this club thing, right? Although, not all of them are there yet.] ¡°...Yes. Is that important?¡± [Of course it is. That man is deciding who to put inside his ¡®boundary¡¯ for the first time. There will be differences in who he likes more and less. The Devils are really sensitive to things like that.] The Seraphim proceeded to exin that Dowd¡¯s decision on epting who, putting who in what position, things like that would y a major role in deciding the world¡¯s course. Hearing that, Iliya let out a frown. Her expression turned serious. ¡°...So, what you¡¯re trying to say is¡­¡± She also thought that this was ridiculous, but to sum up what the Seraphim just said¡­ ¡°...The fate of both the Devils and the world will be determined by who Teach is gonna ept into the club?¡± [Mhm. Smart girl.] Hearing that, Iliya spit out a curt reply. ¡°Are you trying to tell me that such a grand thing would be decided just like that?¡± [...] ¡°Crazy things like the end of the world and how the future will change, everything is determined by how he¡¯s doing his club activities¡ª¡± [...I know it sounds crazy, and I agree with that sentiment, but the thing is it won¡¯t change everything immediately. Instead, it will serve as a ¡®trigger¡¯ for those changes to happen.] The Seraphim let out a deep sigh as she replied. [That¡¯s why you need to put your heart and soul into supporting him so he wouldn¡¯t be harmed. All kinds of things will happen from now on.] This is also why a Devil had taken his ¡®Soul Data¡¯, because she was worried about that man¡¯s safety. Hearing that, Iliya frowned as she replied. ¡°...You don¡¯t need to tell me that. I¡¯ve sworn to protect his life several times already.¡± [Right, you need to keep him alive long enough to hear his answer to you confess¡ª] Before she couldplete her sentence, Iliya already threw the Holy Sword on the ground wordlessly. She did that to discipline the Seraphim, and somehow it was working. In fact, when she threw it, the being¡¯s voice sounded a little sullen. [...Aren¡¯t you being too mean to me?] ¡°And I will continue to be like that until you learn how to stop teasing me, Ms. Angel.¡± [Sure, whatever. Anyway¡­] The Seraphim continued. Iliya could picture that she was currently grinning. [...Love is scary, don¡¯t you think?] After all, that was the emotion that determined the bond between that man and the Devils. Though it was the most fundamental and basic, it was also the most powerful emotion, more than anything else. That was why, though it was ridiculous, because of it¡­ Because of that one emotion¡­ The direction of such beings¡¯ fate and the future of the world could be drastically changed by every small decision that man would make. There was a reason why Dowd Campbell was dubbed as the ¡®Key of the World¡¯ by those who knew about him. [Anyway, he''s going to announce the evaluation result tomorrow, right?] The Seraphim continued, her tone made it sound like she was smiling. [Let¡¯s wait and see. Who will that man choose and how will he use that person.] Her voice sounded very meaningful somehow. ¡ñ ¡°All of you passed.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You all are now members of our club. Without exception, without distinction, all of you are my subordinates now, so keep that in mind from now on.¡± After Dowd dered as such to the people he had called to the room, a heavy silence instantly enveloped the room. They didn¡¯t seem to expect to hear him spouting such nonsense openly like this. ¡°...Hey, I know it¡¯s funny to say this as someone who applied, but¡­¡± Faenol carefully raised her hand as she said so. She could not hide the bitter smile from her face. ¡°...Didn¡¯t you hear this kid¡¯s goal for joining the club? It¡¯s to increase her strength and to kill her sister. Also, Miss Eleanor here said that she wants to destroy this club. And you¡¯re just going to¡­ept them¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, I am.¡± Dowd answered calmly. ¡°As the Club President, I promise that I¡¯ll fully cooperate with you to achieve your goals. That¡¯s my obligation.¡± ¡°...You know that my goal is to be your ¡®possession¡¯, right? How are you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle you roughly with all my heart. To the point that you won¡¯t feel awkward or feel that it¡¯s wrong to be called a bitch or a slut.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn''t ask you to go that far. Also, how did your preferences change so far so quickly¡­? A crack appeared on Faenol¡¯s smile, but Dowd ignored it and calmly continued. ¡°But there''s a condition.¡± Right, of course there is. Hearing that, everyone¡¯s ears perked up, as if they had regained their senses again. Which was understandable, since he was probably going to point out the important thing from here on. ¡°A few weekster, Elfante School Festival is going to start. You guys know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± Eleanor calmly nodded. To put it simply, it was a ¡®presentation of achievements¡¯ of all the clubs and the Academy itself. ¡°Not only it is the biggest event in Elfante, it¡¯s also the biggest one in the Empire. It doesn¡¯t only involve our Academy, but it¡¯ll also involve strong forces from the outside.¡± ¡°Yes. Since we are also, by all means, a club, we can¡¯t just attend such a prestigious event without a proper achievement. So, we¡¯re going to do some Devil-rted activities, proper Exorcism Club activities.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the condition you were talking about¡­?¡± ¡°That festival will be the time limit.¡± ¡°...Sorry?¡± Hearing what Dowd had suddenly said, everyone in the room looked at him bewilderedly. Time limit? For what? ¡°Until then¡­¡± Dowd said while yawning. He seemed exhausted, thanks to how he had been spending all night doing simtions in his head to figure out if this n of his would work. ¡°As long as you can ¡®defeat¡¯ me, no matter in what way, I¡¯ll help you with the goals that you¡¯ve stated when you joined.¡± Suddenly¡­ He said those words. ¡°You can try beating me in any kind of field. Come at me with whatever you¡¯re confident in.¡± ¡°...Are you serious?¡± Eleanor asked dumbfoundedly. Seeing that, he let out a chuckle before continuing. As if he was obviously serious. ¡°But, if you lose¡­¡± Though, his expression, as if he was trying to say, ¡®If you¡¯re going toe at me, prepare yourself¡¯, proved that he was actually serious. ¡°It¡¯ll be the other way around. You¡¯re the ones who have to listen to each of my ¡®requests¡¯.¡± Once again¡­ A heavy silence fell on the room. Then again, it was an appropriate reaction. Since he practically suggested that they did a one-against-six ¡®match¡¯. One human against six Devil¡¯s Vessels. And he did it with such confidence. [...Crazy bastard.] Hearing the Seraphim¡¯s remark, Iliya held her forehead, as if agreeing with her. Chapter 238: Head-On Confrontation (3) Chapter 238: Head-On Confrontation (3)¡°Ahahaha¡ª!¡± Marquis Bogut let out a heartyugh while holding his belly. Well, the sight unfolding before his eyes warranted such a reactioning from him. ¡°Oh my God! The Sword Saint himself! Is being buried under this pile of paperwork! I can¡¯t believe this! I wonder how the Spear Saint of the Holy Land and the Fist Saint of the Tribal Alliance would react if they were to see such a sight? I bet on my money that the look in their faces would at least be priceless!¡± ¡°...Are you here just to mock me, Lionheart?¡± Radu replied, looking haggard. Not long ago, the Empress disappeared after dumping all her official duties on him, saying that she also wanted to be a student or whatever. ¡°I¡¯m worried about her going without an escort¡­¡± ¡°Well, Atnte the ¡®Immortal¡¯ is there, so you don¡¯t need to worry. Even in the worst possible scenario, she is strong enough to buy time for you to get there.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡±Their implication was clear. In the worst possible scenario, the immensely powerful Immortal would only be strong enough to buy time until the Sword Saint could get there. If someone were to hear this, they could easily get criticized for this extremely arrogant remark, but neither Marquis Bogut nor Radu found that remark to be strange. After all, Radu was none other than the Sword Saint himself. He was quite literally the most powerful warrior in the Empire. Which meant, he had all the right to say something like that without any hesitation. ¡°By the way, have you seen this?¡± However, even the most powerful warrior of the Empire was helpless in front of the tremendous amount of administrative work he had to handle. Especially the ones that were rted to the leaders of the Empire who kept causing all kinds of troubles without thinking of the consequences. The document that Marquis Bogut handed him proved it better than anything else. ¡°Elfante School Festival ising up soon.¡± ¡°...Right, there is something like that, huh?¡± Seeing Marquis Bogut handing the document to him without hesitation, Radu could only reply reluctantly. Considering the rtionship between the Upper Nobles Association and the Empress, he shouldn¡¯t have done something like this so casually, but then again, everything that this man did always went againstmon sense. But, what was written in that document was even more absurd than what Bogut did. ¡°...¡± As he read the document, Radu¡¯s face went pale. ¡°...Is this real?¡± ¡°What? Do you think it¡¯s fake?¡± Marquis Bogut answered while smiling, his tone was still cheerful, but that only got the Sword Saint¡¯s frown to grow deeper. ¡°...People of their stature are gathering in the Academy just to see the School Festival?¡± Radu said with a groan. His reaction waspletely understandable though, as the names that were listed there were big names that could easily shake the continent. From the Holy Land side¡­ Archbishop Luminol and his daughter Lana Rei Delvium. From the Tribal Alliance¡¯s side... A total of two War Chiefs. After seeing those names, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if one were to think that they came for a summit meeting or something, but the thing was this wasn¡¯t the end of it. The Empire¡¯s side had an even more ridiculous lineup than that. Margrave Kendride, Duke Tristan, Chancellor Sullivan¡­ And on top of that, ¡°I¡¯ll also go to Elfante!¡± ¡°...Please don¡¯t do that, Marquis.¡± Radu dissuaded him with a groan. This lineup clearly listed all the people who were considered as the pirs of the country. Considering that the Empress herself was currently enrolled in Elfante, one could even say that all the country¡¯s leaders were there. On top of that¡­ ¡°A ¡®schr¡¯ from the Magic Tower is also going to attend? Even though they usually had no interest in the outside world? This is too much¡ª¡± Radu was about to continue his words before his body froze. The reason for this was because he saw Bogut¡¯s expression when he heard the words he mentioned. To put it simply¡­ Hostility, tension, vignce, hatred, repulsion. Any of those words was appropriate to describe his emotion. But the root of all those emotions was¡­ ¡­Fear? Yes, fear. Though, it was very unusual for this man to be afraid of someone else. It was as if he once had his possession being ¡®taken away¡¯ there. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll miss this opportunity, Sword Saint!¡± However, when he said his next words, his expression returned to normal. It happened so quickly, as if what Radu had just seen was merely an illusion. ¡°Dowd Campbell¡¯s club will be doing a presentation there! There are a lot of people who are interested in that aside from me, so even if I go, it won¡¯t make much difference!¡± ¡°...Do you think that could pass as an excuse?¡± Radu let out another groan, but Bogut only replied to him in his usual yful voice. ¡°It¡¯s not an excuse, Sword Saint!¡± No¡­ Nevermind... He had a yful expression and frivolous tone as usual. But then Radu noticed something, a difference between how he looked right now and how he usually did. That realization sent a shiver down his spine. ¡°I need you to be prepared.¡± Besides, in the first ce¡­ The reason why this man came here was to ¡®warn¡¯ him. To be exact¡­ This man was trying to convey his words to the Empress through him, her representative. ¡°That man will create a change with his own fingertips. A change that could affect the entire continent.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°So you should prepare yourself so that you wouldn¡¯t be swept away by that change!¡± Only after he finished saying his piece did he go back to normal. But, the ominous feelings still lingered in the air. ¡°...May I ask you to give more details on¡ª¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is, we need to pray so that man can sessfully go out with multiple women at the same time!¡± ¡°...¡± What the hell are you talking about? ¡ñ Since my announcement that I was going to amodate everyone in the club, my school life suddenly became peaceful. On the surface, at least... Usually, the Vessels woulde every other day to make a fuss about something, but now¡­ Riru, who used to camp in front of my door at the break of dawn to ask me to work out together¡­ Seras, who used to follow me around while watching my every move, even though she pretended like she didn¡¯t¡­ Yuria, who used toe to me and ask me to ¡®walk¡¯ her hesitantly¡­ All of them were nowhere to be seen. [...Wait, go back. What the fuck was thatst part? I thought thatdy is still ridden with guilt over what she did to you?] So, you remember that I subdued the White Devil and made her stay inside her body back when we were at the Tristan Duchy, right? [Yeah.] Then, I put her on a leash and made her call me master or something like that¡­ [...Yeah...] Somehow, that became a ¡®very pleasant memory¡¯ for her. It¡¯s to the point that she¡¯d feel a withdrawal symptom if she didn¡¯t experience that feeling again¡­ [...] Apparently, not even her guilt could suppress it. That¡¯s why she keeps begging me to put her on a leash and take a walk with her¡­ [...] But, while begging, she¡¯d be depressed while calling herself trash, then she¡¯d go on a rant about how she can¡¯t believe herself for asking me to do something like this again after she made such a mistake. I tried my best to console her but¡­ That cycle just kept on repeating no matter how hard I tried. At the very least, when I consoled her, she seemed to listen to my words properly, so some of her stress seemed to be relieved. But, the problem here was this whole thing wasn¡¯t normal at all! She felt that way, yet she still came to me to ask me to ¡®walk her outside¡¯ like it was something that we normally did! Still, thanks to her, the White Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura in the Fallen¡¯s Seal was regrly charged, so I could use that nor problem. It was just¡­ The way she seemed to be weing another strange fetish genuinely scared me¡­ [...Weing? She already has it, doesn¡¯t she?¡± Please don¡¯t say something scary like that¡­ [...] Even Caliban couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything and remained silent at my words. I couldn¡¯t see him, but I could tell that he was holding his head, as if he was having a headache. [...Seriously, what kind of monster have you created?] ¡­I¡¯m reflecting on it. Anyway, that was all I could say regarding Yuria¡¯s recent condition. ¡°-That¡¯s all for today¡¯s ss. Great job, everyone.¡± While I was talking with Caliban, the Professor, who was standing on the pulpit, said so while closing their book. At the same time, I could hear the students around me letting out a big yawn. Well, this was a ss of Theology School, it was famous for being boring, so this kind of reaction was normal. Not for me, though. [ Knowledge rted to ¡®basic operation of Divine Power¡¯ is umted. ] [ Enough knowledge is being umted. Soon, you will be able to unlock a skill rted to ¡®Miracles¡¯! ] ¡°...Mhm.¡± This was the benefit of attending the Academy¡¯s sses¡ªthey enhanced my abilities. And they mainly increased the abilities substantial to the ¡®job characteristics¡¯ that I had never used so far, not the basic stats that I could increase easily. Prior to this, I barely gave any attention to my specs¡¯ upgrade, since I believed that I could somehow solve all the problems by just using everything that I had been umting so far. But, the current situation was different. Besides, I had more than enough reason to raise my specs. ¡­That punk¡¯s words¡­ The Gray Devil advised me ¡®clearly¡¯ that I had to be stronger, so that I wouldn¡¯t end up dying. This punk always talked in a vague way, so there must have been a reason why she felt the need to drop her usual manner of speech. [Is that why you made that crazy deration? That you¡¯d amodate everyone in the club or whatnot?] ¡°What?¡± [Everytime you run into the Devils, you¡¯d get to charge their Aura inside your Seal. The more direct and intense your involvement with them are, the faster it gets to charge, right?] Caliban¡­ [So you figured that if you were to hold something like a match, it¡¯d be the perfect opportunity to charge all the Devil¡¯s Auras in your Seal quickly. That¡¯s the best way to increase your strength.] ¡°Basically, yeah.¡± That was my biggest goal. If I could be powerful quickly, I might be able to hit the cut-off point. At the School Festival, I¡¯m sure¡­ If things went as expected, something would definitely happen. I didn¡¯t need the System Message to tell me something. Even in the original game, Elfante School Festival was an important event where all kinds of variables intertwined. That was why I had to be strong enough to gain the upper hand in the Main Quest, which progression had been so awry due to all kinds of variables recently. [Right, can I ask you one more thing?] ¡°Sure, what is it?¡± [What did you talk about with Iliya behind my back?] Hearing that, I stopped walking. ¡°That never happened.¡± [You forced me to sleep that time. What did you want to talk about that made you do that?] ¡°I said, that never happened.¡± [...You know, I actually tried to listen to what you guys were talking about. But Valkasus, the guy who usually never showed up, suddenly did and dragged me back in. He told me that it¡¯d be better for me to not hear it if I wanted to stay sane. So, what did you guys¡ª] ¡°Please, I beg you, just shut up¡­¡± [...] ** We¡¯ll talk about thatter, okay? ** There¡¯s something more important than that now. ** Please¡­ ¡°...Let¡¯s worry about thatter. I¡¯m more concerned about the women who¡¯de to me in all sorts of ways to challenge me.¡± [...Right. That¡¯s more important now...] So, the ¡®match¡¯ I announced the other day would start today. The rule was simple. Each of them would have one chance. They could choose the category that they wanted to challenge me in. If they won, I¡¯d obey them. And if they lost, they had to obey me unconditionally. [...So that¡¯s why they¡¯ve been so quiet. They only have a single chance¡­] Caliban said while snorting. He finally understood why nobody pounced on me so far even though they had all the chances to do so. [They¡¯re aware about all the crazy things you¡¯ve aplished, so they knew that they wouldn¡¯t be a match for you if they don¡¯t prepare themselves properly, whatever the category is.] ¡°Yeah, more or less.¡± I replied with a smirk. This is the fruit of the active role I had been ying so far. Even such people took their time before they challenged me. But¡­ ¡°One of them still didn¡¯t know me enough, though, which is good for me.¡± [What?] Yes. Among those women, there was one punk who hadn¡¯t interacted much with me yet. And this punk¡­ Would definitely try to ¡®challenge¡¯ me first. ¡°Do you have a moment, Senior Dowd?¡± Hearing the voiceing from beside me, I immediately stopped walking. After confirming who it was, a smile rose on my face. Great, got you. The perfect warming-up opponent. ¡°Of course.¡± As I replied, Victoria, who was standing before my eyes, quietly nodded. Chapter 239: Midnight Secret Rendezvous (1) Chapter 239: Midnight Secret Rendezvous (1)Victoria said that the reason why she wanted to join the club was to kill her sister, right? [...Now that I¡¯m hearing it again, don¡¯t you think she¡¯s being too harsh?] ¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t think she means it. I thought as such while looking at Victoria, who was preparing tea for me as her guest, in front of me. Gotta say, this was quite the sensible way to wee a guest. I mean, she always wore no expression on her face, so it was difficult to figure out what she was thinking about. So, you know that the Empire is enforcing a strict discriminatingw against the Cardinal Humans, right? To put it simply, Cardinal Humans were those who possessed practically prominent characteristics of ¡®other species¡¯ among the humans. We kinda met one of them the other day, but you¡¯d understand what I was talking about if I were to use Seras as an example. They were those who had animal ears on top of their heads, basically. [Yes and I think thatw is fucking disgusting.] ¡°...¡±I knew that he was the leader of the Guardians, the group of people who were devoted to uphold justice throughout their lives, but I still didn¡¯t expect him to show such a strong reaction like this. What a man. And here I thought he¡¯d defend the Empire since his group worked under them. I really thought that he¡¯d make an excuse too, since he practically belonged to the Empire, you know? [In the first ce, it¡¯s such an outdated and evilw. It¡¯s just that there are only a few Cardinal Humans left in the Empire, that¡¯s why no one bothered to raise a topic to get rid of thatw.] ¡­If you know about that, then it¡¯d be easier to talk about this. Because that meant he wouldn¡¯t refute my words with a foaming mouth when I talked about it. While looking at Victoria in front of me, I let out a sigh inwardly. You see, this punk and Seras are the few Cardinal Humans survivors. [...] As soon as he heard the word ¡®survivor¡¯, Caliban went silent. I could only let out a bitter smile inwardly. That meant he understood what I was trying to imply. Cardinal Humans looked like humans and behaved like humans, but the Imperial Law didn¡¯t guarantee their ¡®human rights¡¯. And so, people treated them the same way as they treated animals. In other words¡­ There were some scumbags who hunted them ¡®for fun¡¯. [What?] Caliban reacted, as if he had heard something he shouldn¡¯t have. Well, my words were true. Cardinal Humans Hunt was a ¡®sport¡¯ that used to trend among some noble circles. The ¡®Beastkins¡¯ often used their physical capabilities and covertness to perform as assassins, so they were an especially easy target for such evil acts. Especially since the nobles only needed to use their old bullshit excuses to justify the massacre, like calling it a ¡®purge for justice¡¯ or ¡®preventing troubles in the future¡¯. [...Those things actually happened¡­?] Hearing how sad and angry his voice was, I held my tongue. This person had thrown his life away for the Empire, yet something like this happened. The evidence of such atrocities was right in front of us even. Anyway, the root of the nonsense she said the other day¡ªthe thing about her wanting to kill her own sister¡ªwas because of what happened in the past, back when she first found herself as a survivor. This girl thinks that her whole family died because of her sister. That¡¯s the reason why she said such a thing. [...Hey, hey, wait. You skipped a lot of things from your exnation.] I could picture Caliban pressing his temples as he said those words. [Let¡¯s go back to the start. You said that she doesn¡¯t mean it, but with those circumstances, there¡¯s no way that¡¯s the case. She has all the reason to try and kill her sister for real.] You see, at this point, she¡¯s only being suspicious of her sister. There¡¯s no evidence yet. Victoria herself must''ve hadplicated feelings. After all, Seras was her only family left. She couldn¡¯t exactly treat her as a mortal enemy because she only had an uncertain suspicion. I threw a nce at Victoria, who came over with the two cups of tea that she had brewed. That¡¯s why, I doubt that she¡¯ll say anything big. As I told Caliban that¡­ ¡°The one who kills my sister first will be the winner.¡± ¡°...¡± Victoria spouted that nonsense. She said it so casually, as if she was saying something like ¡®Let¡¯s eat, I¡¯m hungry¡¯. As if this was a matter of course and it wasn¡¯t even worth discussing it. And from such an attitude¡­ I could feel her firm will ever so clearly. [...What did you say just now?] ¡­Ugh. [Look at her eyes. She¡¯s being serious.] In a normal situation, she shouldn¡¯t be like this though¡­ I replied while trying hard to soothe my headache. And then my gaze fell on the Purple Aura in her eyes. I see. Now I understood. That thing was eating away this punk¡¯s rational judgment whenever a Seras-rted topic was brought up, huh? As I had stated before, the Devil¡¯s Fragments would always try to fuse with one another. If two people each had a single Fragment, they¡¯d try to ¡®encourage¡¯ the Vessels to ¡®unite¡¯ them together. Seeing me staying silent for too long, Victoria, who was sitting across from me now, tilted her head. ¡°You were the one who told us to suggest the match, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...I did.¡± ¡°Then, since you said that, this should count as a ¡®match¡¯. The winner will be decided by whoever is able to kill her first.¡± Her tone suggested that she didn¡¯t think she had said a single wrong thing at all. It was as if she was trying to ask me, ¡®Why the hell are you taking so long to give the okay?¡¯. [...Why don¡¯t you just refuse it? I don¡¯t think this is right.¡± Caliban said. His tone sounded like he was struck by a headache. [Cooperating in an attempted murder is already ridiculous enough, but I feel like she¡¯s just provoking you. She was the one who said that her goal of joining the club is to kill her sister and yet she asked you for a match to achieve that same goal. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little¡ª] He had a point. But, when I listened to him speak, something shed in my mind. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s do that.¡± That was why I threw out my answer like that before Caliban could even finish his words. ¡°...¡± Victoria''s hands stopped. She stared at me, as if thinking that she heard it wrong. ¡°...What?¡± Her reaction¡ªaside from her eagerness to do this¡ªsuggested that she didn¡¯t expect me to agree so coolly. Now I could tell that she was just trying to get me to refuse and from there, she¡¯d try to ¡®negotiate¡¯ with me or something. ¡°I said, let¡¯s do it. Let¡¯s see who¡¯d get to kill your sister first.¡± I said with a smirk. Hearing what I said, she made the same expression as I did when I first heard her suggestion, but I ignored that and continued. ¡°But you''ll have to keep the promise, okay?¡± ¡®Obey me if you lose¡¯. That promise. ¡°...¡± Hearing my words, her whole body flinched and trembled a little. It seemed like she was sensing something ominous from my words. ¡ñ [...] ¡°...¡± [...] ¡°...¡± I was walking down the corridor, then I stopped before letting out a deep sigh. The silenceing from the Soul Linker stung. I could sense that whatever it was that Caliban wanted to tell me had risen up to his throat. ¡°... Caliban.¡± [Hm?] ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡± [Don¡¯t mind me, I know better. There¡¯s no point in questioning you about it.] ¡°...¡± [I know you¡¯re up to some crazy shit like usual anyway. What¡¯s the point?] ¡°...¡± For a moment, I wondered what the heck happened to his evaluation of me, but I didn''t ask him that. Just like what he said, there were things that we didn¡¯t need to ask about. We already knew the answer to them. ¡°...So, since she asked me to, I decided that I¡¯d do it.¡± It wasn¡¯t like I had another choice. She was influenced by the Purple Devil, so she was pretty much dead set on attacking Seras. No words could change her mind. Nevertheless¡­ ¡°I need to do some preparation.¡± Well, of course I did. Victoria was pretty much a master in beating ¡®humans¡¯ to death. She was one of the Grand Assassins, the people who were considered as the best assassins on the continent. Well, Seras was also one. In fact, she held that title for way longer than Victoria did. Anyway, for the ¡®works¡¯ that I needed to do, I had to check out her movements, measure her capability and find the best time to deliver a blow she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid. Once I fulfilled everything¡­ It would spell my victory. And¡­ I decided that the best time to mit into it¡¯ was right now. So, I knocked on the door before my eyes. ¡°Yes¡ª I¡¯ming¡ª¡± ¡®Who is it at this time, seriously¡ª¡¯ Following such grumbling, the door was slightly opened. ¡°...H-Huh? S-Senior¡­?¡± I could see Seras behind the front door, stuttering in confusion at my visit. While I came here right away after I finished talking with Victoria, it was still quitete at night. Her nightcap and polka dot pajamas came into my view. ¡°...¡± What a¡­catastrophic taste¡­ Even Yuria, the youngest one around me, would get angry and run away from me if I were to give her those clothes. She¡¯d told me to not treat her like a little kid or something. Well, to be fair, Seras seemed to feel embarrassed standing before me in those clothes. It was obvious from the way she blushed in an instant. ¡°T-This¡­! I-I mean¡ª! I-It¡¯sfortable to sleep in¡ª¡± ¡°Can Ie in?¡± I said, cutting her words off. ¡°I have something to talk about with you. Just the two of us.¡± ¡°...¡± I could see her whole body stiffened. She seemed to notice that my mood was different than usual. Here I was, a man, visiting her room in the middle of the night with a serious face. Not only that, I even told her that I wanted to talk with her alone. Also¡­ ¡°This is an important matter and it¡¯s something that only you and I can do.¡± ¡°...A-Ah¡­? S-Shorry¡­? There was no way she could keep herposure after hearing all these words. Her white polka dot pajamas and nightcap only served to make her blush seem deeper. Her blush even reached her ears¡ªtomatoes would¡¯ve looked palepared to how she looked right now. ¡°So, would you let me in?¡± ¡°...O-Of course¡­¡± As if she was possessed by something, she let me in dazedly. It seemed like she had forgotten about the embarrassment she felt when I first saw her in those clothes. Her mind must¡¯ve been filled with wild imaginations since it seemed like she couldn¡¯t even make a rough guess about what the heck was I about to talk with her. Also, uhh¡­ Honestly¡­ The current situation probably wasn¡¯t so much different from her wild imaginations. After a rustling sound, she took out a candle. She looked as if she had lost all sense of reality. She probably took that candle out so that we could at least talk while looking at each other¡¯s faces, but¡­ ¡­Honestly, I don¡¯t think we¡¯d need it. I swear, it would be better to do what I had in mind without any lights. It would only make both of us feel ufortable if we were to have it on. So, when she was about to light the candle, I immediately grabbed her wrist. ¡°Seras.¡± ¡°Ihiiiiiik¡ª!¡± ¡°...¡± What? Why was she so surprised¡­? Her body began to shake, as if she had been startled by a ghost. I could even see the tears in her eyes. ¡°...Y-Yes, Seniooor¡­¡± She said as such in a trembling voice. Hearing that, I let out a deep sigh inwardly. Since she didn¡¯t seem to be in a good condition, I figured there would be no need to drag this on. So¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s do something that will make both of us feel good.¡± I said, not trying to be subtle about it. ¡°...¡± Hearing my words, she opened her mouth wide. And so did Caliban apparently. He was probably just as dumbfounded as she was. ¡°...S-Senior?¡± Seras looked at me, her eyes were shaking. Maybe I saw it wrong, but it seemed like she kept on shifting her gaze between me and her bed. As if that was the corrtion she could instinctively find upon hearing what I said. ¡°U-Um¡­ Y-You are just telling a joke to lighten the mood r-right?! R-Right??!¡± ¡°...Hm...¡± I let out a frown while stroking my chin. Right. That was my bad, I phrased it wrongly, that was why she seemed to misunderstand me. Alright, I¡¯ll make it easier for her to understand then. ¡°Let¡¯s do something that will make you feel so good that you¡¯ll feel like dying.¡± ¡°...¡± [...] Seras and Caliban in the Soul Linker went silent at the same time after hearing my words.. [...So, by killing her, you meant doing ¡®that¡¯?] Well¡­ That girl didn¡¯t specify ¡®how¡¯ I should kill her. So, technically, this is a fair game, no? Chapter 240: Midnight Secret Rendezvous (2) Chapter 240: Midnight Secret Rendezvous (2)[As expected.] ¡°...¡± Victoria Evatrice stared at the person on the other end of the crystal ball with an unusual frown on her brows. Then again, anyone would show such a reaction if they were to hear such a casual response, especially after hearing the content of her report. ¡°...Why are you acting as if you knew all this would happen?¡± Hearing her grumble, the person at the other end of the crystal ball, Marquis Bogut, let out a chuckle. [Well, I¡¯d rmend you to just ept your defeat now.] ¡°...What?¡± [You don¡¯t know about this since you haven¡¯t been involved with him prior to this, but the moment you¡¯re trying topete with him in something that¡¯s rted to the ¡®Devils¡¯, you¡¯re already lost.] ¡°...¡±His answer only got Victoria¡¯s frown to grow deeper. ¡°...I¡¯ve never lost in apetition of killing someone.¡± [Well¡­] Like usual, a smile was stered on Marquis Bogut¡¯s face. But, it wasn¡¯t his usual smile, it was more like a sneer than anything. [Then, this is going to be your first time. He¡¯s definitely going to do it faster than you.] Victoria¡¯s frown grew even deeper than before, but Bogut wasn¡¯t done yet. [...Although, there¡¯s a very high chance that she won¡¯t ¡®die¡¯ in the literal sense.] ¡°...What does that even mean?¡± [If I were to exin it to you, I''d actually get punished by the Imperial Law.] ¡°...?¡± [Ah, pardon me for that. You¡¯ve never gone through the Beastkin¡¯sing-of-age ritual, right? That means you¡¯re still a child. Well, by age and Imperial Law, you should be an adult¡­] ¡°...I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Victoria tilted her head and soon cleared her throat before she continued. ¡°...In any case, if I actually manage to kill her, the matter will turn into a big deal. It¡¯s definitely going to affect both the Holy Land and the Empire.¡± Since, ording to the intel she received, Seras was the closest person to the Pope, the matter would probably turn into a bigger deal than expected. Her reporting to the Marquis like this showed her professionalism. She didn¡¯t want to make her client be swept in the aftermath of her actions. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a proper report afterwards, so don¡¯t wor¡ª¡± [No, I don¡¯t need it.] Marquis Bogut said indifferently. [I still have my dignity. At least enough to respect others¡¯ privacy.] ¡°...?¡± She still didn¡¯t understand what in the world this person had been talking about. But either way, she had to do what she had to do. Because she wasn¡¯t the type of person who¡¯d go back on her words. ¡­She won¡¯t be an easy opponent. Her hostility towards her sister aside, she was still able to evaluate the capability of this opponent of hers cool-headedly. Just like her, she was also one of the only two people who could be called as the best assassins in the continent. No matter how much advantage she had, killing someone like that wouldn¡¯t be an easy matter. So, she decided that the first thing she needed to do was to gather data about her opponent. ¡­I believe she¡¯s in the next building. As she was recalling the location of Seras¡¯ room, she made her preparations. After that was done, she left through the window, her movements almost like that of a bird¡¯s. . With each step, her tiny body glided through the air for several meters¡ªit seemed like she was walking in the air. Despite this, there was almost no noise being produced by her. ¡°...¡± And as she continued to glide through the air¡­ She ended up recalling something¡­ About the person who taught her these things and the person she used to train with¡­ The dense forest she used to live with that person, back when they were children, the friends she once had, and¡ª ¡­No. Now, everything was in the past. Because her entire hometown vanished thanks to the mistake that damn woman might have made. Victoria thought so, clenching her teeth tightly. ¡­And yet she dares to flirt around with someone from the Empire¡­ The sight of her sister acting cutely, as if she could give all her being to that Dowd guy just a while ago, still remained in her memory. Her impression about that man was that he was nothing more than an ¡®assassinationmission target¡¯. Of course, she had a lot about the Devil¡¯s Vessels, Fragments, the Key to the World and all those things from her client, Marquis Bogut. She even heard about how she also possessed that Fragment thing inside her body. But, the thing here was, at the end of the day, Dowd was still one of the ¡®Empire¡¯s citizens,¡¯ the group of people who turned her past into a bloody one, and that would never change. Even if she didn¡¯t specifically hate him as a person, she would never have any reason to like him. While she was thinking as such, the next building soon came into her view. Of course, it wasn¡¯t surprising for her to arrive so quickly since she had been using such a tremendous movement to get here. There was also the fact that it wasn¡¯t that far from her room in the first ce. Almost immediately, she found Seras¡¯ room and leaped onto the tree nearby. After a silent and gentlending, she closed her eyes, focusing her whole senses on the ¡®presence¡¯ inside the room. Her Grand Assassin''s super sense was able to give her information beyond what her five senses could receive. With that, she was able to see the scene inside her room vividly, as if she was seeing it directly with her eyes. ¡°...?¡± And¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but to immediately space out after understanding what had transpired inside. Because the scene that she ¡®saw¡¯ was something that waspletely beyond her expectation. Seras wasn¡¯t the only person inside, there was another person. From the figure, it was a man. She suspected that it was probably someone she knew, and if that was the case¡­ Dowd Campbell? Still in bewilderment, she called that name in her head before tilting her head. What the two of them were doing was something extremely strange. They were almost head-butting each other¡ªfacing each other so close that their foreheads almost hit. As if they were exchanging breaths, their lips¡ª ¡­H-Huh. Victoria¡¯s face flushed. ¡­O-Oh, oooh¡ª?! Such a scream passionately echoed inside her. W-What are those bastards doing¡ª?! Even though she said so, she was unable to take her eyes off the scene until the very end. ¡ñ Faenol Lipek did not have many people who she could call a friend. It had been this way when she was a mage of the Magic Tower and when she became an inquisitor of the Heretic Inquisition. Even when she came to the Academy, she still stayed as a loner. Then again, not only did she almost have no chance to be involved with the other students of the same year, there were also a lot of people who hated her because she was the one who had caused the Crimson Night Incident. Even Percy, the person whom she had a master-and-disciple rtionship with back when she was still in the magic Tower, had grown estranged from her since they hadn¡¯t interacted for so long. That was why¡­ The only person she could speak her mind to was ¡®this person¡¯. [I¡¯ve said this before and I¡¯ll say it again. I¡¯m against you getting close to that man.] The Red Devil¡¯s coy voice echoed in her head. She could imagine her crossing her arms, snorting while looking down on her with an overbearing gaze. [Yes, I¡¯ve only met him once, but I could already tell that he isn¡¯t an ordinary yboy. He¡¯s acting nice to you not because it¡¯s you! He¡¯s just treating any woman around him the same¡ª] Faenol, who had been listening quietly, tilted her head, before interrupting her. ¡°But, weren¡¯t you also smitten by him when you met him?¡± [...] Maybe that wasn¡¯t so, but, in the first ce¡­ The Red Devil¡¯s impression of him was a little odd. If she was trying to dismiss him as a yboy, then she should¡¯ve said things like how cunning he was, or how she was able to see through his intentions. But, she said something like ¡®I know he¡¯s a good person, but he¡¯s nice to everyone, you aren¡¯t special¡¯ instead. ¡°I¡¯m sure the other day you told me to not approach Mr. Dowd because he¡¯s the same kind of person as the Gray one, the one who¡¯s always plotting an evil scheme or something?¡± [...] ¡°Why are you being inconsistent with your¡ª¡± [¡ªShut up.] To that, Faenol just giggled and continued walking. Originally, she avoided talking with the Devil like this Because the Devil always tried to ¡®influence¡¯ her mind at every chance she got. The way she tried to interfere in everything like a mother who put her child near the water just annoyed her. ¡°...¡± Actually, she was even wondering if the whole deal about her blocking her senses and stuff was just her being ¡®overprotective¡¯. In any case, she had been saved by Dowd once, so it would be silly of her to keep on dwelling on the past. Also¡­ Even though all those restraints were ced all over her body, she genuinely thought that it was more beneficial than not. Since the restraints were suppressing the Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura with all sorts of spells, she became able to face the Devil as an individual to an individual. And because of that¡­ She became closer to the Devil. It was to the point that the Devil became her conversational partner, a good thing for someone without a single friend like her. The way she said the next words was proof of how well they got along. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice for you to get to know Mr. Dowd better through this opportunity?¡± For context, currently, Faenol was in the middle of chasing Dowd¡¯s ¡®presence¡¯. An easy task for her to do, since she was able to easily remember someone¡¯s ¡®Magic Power¡¯s Wavelength¡¯ and use that to track his location, thanks to her natural talent in handling Magic Power. A secret rendezvouste at night¡­ Such a situation would match the mood of the ¡®match¡¯ she was about to propose to him. She thought so while giggling. [...No.] A blunt answer came from inside her. Seeing the Red Devil acting shyly like that, Faenol justughed at her¡ªto her dismay¡ªand when she was about to say something, the Red Devil interrupted her. [Besides, that man is going to be caught up in big trouble soon.] ¡°...What?¡± [Sure, he has the Seal and all, but there¡¯s no way good things would happen if a human is involved with the Devils so deeply like that. Trouble will naturallye his way.] She said so while letting out a long sigh. It was clear that she was trying to say that something bad would happen to Dowd soon, but Faenol just tilted her head instead of responding. [...Did you even hear what I just said?] ¡°I did. I just ignored you.¡± [...] ¡°Well, Mr. Dowd isn¡¯t someone who¡¯d die so easily, so it¡¯ll be fine. My only concern right now is that I don¡¯t want the others to beat me to ¡®it¡¯... That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll put in a lot of ¡®effort¡¯...¡± [Effort?] ¡°Yeah.¡± Faenol nodded calmly. ¡°He had saved me once, so I should save him once too.¡± Even if she had to risk her life in doing so. Even if she had to devote her everything to him. [...Whatever, you do you.] They shared one mind, so the Red Devil knew that persuading her would never work. So, she just said those words with a snort. Hearing that, Faenol just threw another smile before continuing to walk again. [By the way, what kind of match are you going to propose to him?] However, even though they shared a single mind, the Red Devil just couldn¡¯t know everything. There were some matters that she was bound to not know unless Faenol told her the answer, like this particr matter. ¡°Se-cret-¡± [...] ¡°You¡¯ll know about it. I bet you¡¯ll love it once it starts.¡± [...I¡¯m a little scared now¡­] While they were having such a conversation, Faenol had reached just around the corner of the ce where she could feel Dowd¡¯s wavelength. She could clearly feel that he was close. ¡­Huh? This isn¡¯t his room, is it? ¡®What is he doing in someone else''s room at this time?¡¯ Faenol thought so before raising her hand to knock on the door. But, the moment she heard the sounding from inside, she immediately stopped what she was about to do. The sound she heard was the sound of some things ¡®hitting¡¯ each other intensely. To be exact, the sound of flesh hitting another flesh. Not only that, she could also hear something that was simr to moans. ¡°...¡± [...] Faenol and the Red Devil went silent at the same time. Because there was only one thing that came to their mind when hearing that kind of sound. ¡°...Uh.¡± The silence persisted for quite a while before Faenol finally said something in a subdued voice. "Did someone elsee up with a simr idea to mine?" [...A¡­simr idea¡­to yours¡­?] ¡°You know, the content of the match I wanted to propose.¡± The way she said it so seriously made the Red Devil hold the back of her head in an instant. Chapter 241: Midnight Secret Rendezvous (3) Chapter 241: Midnight Secret Rendezvous (3)If someone were to tell her that her life had quite a lot of ups and downs, and overall was a difficult life to live, Seras Evatrice would agree without hesitation. The Beastkin n¡ªwhere she grew up in¡ªwas a n consisting of people who had to make a living by doing battles through secret attacks in the dark. From the fleeting moments and fierce training, everything could be considered extreme experience and every n member had to umte such experiences so that they could survive in life-and-death situations including herself. However, even if she were to count all those experiences she had¡­ She could say that none of them couldpare to this ¡®difficult situation¡¯ that she was currently experiencing. ¡°...Ngg¡­ S-Senior¡­¡± Even though she had gone through an extreme training where she had to stay dormant, not moving a finger while not eating anything for a few days, it didn¡¯t help her with the situation at all. She couldn¡¯t even calm her shaking pupils and stop her stammers. ¡°A-Are we in the kind of rtionship w-where we¡¯re allowed to do something like this¡­?¡± The absurdity of the situation warranted her to say such things involuntarily. Because, she could never even imagine that she¡¯d be doing ¡®something like this¡¯ with the Senior who suddenly knocked on her door thiste at night.¡°Is there something wrong about this?¡± However, he brushed off her concerns with that casual reply, not even batting an eyelid. ¡°Am I not allowed to do this with my hard-working Junior?¡± After she heard his answer while feeling the ¡®pressure¡¯ entering her body, Seras let out another long moan. She felt as if an electric current was running through her whole body. If she were to rx her body a little more, she was sure that she¡¯d end up drooling due to the pleasure she felt. ¡°B-But¡­¡± Seras quickly tried to cut him off. It seemed like she was barely able to hold everything together. ¡°...W-Where did you learn how to do massages?¡± Currently, she was lying on her belly on the bed. She couldn¡¯t see what Dowd was doing, but she could clearly feel his hands pressing on her arms and legs, sending waves of pleasure to her body. At first, when he said he¡¯d diagnose the twisted muscles on her body while hugging her, she was so startled because she thought he¡¯d kiss her, but it turned out that wasn¡¯t the case at all. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve done all kinds of jobs in the past.¡± An abandoned child that was born in a prostitution district that wasn¡¯t acknowledged by the government had to learn all the skills they could learn just to live to see another day. Dowd wasn¡¯t an exception to that rule. The ¡®thing¡¯ that he was doing to her now was part of the skills he gained back when he was struggling to survive. And it was clear that his skill was proved to be effective. Seras was feeling pleasure from this, even though what he was doing was essentially viting all the senses throughout her body. ¡°...¡± As she was basking in that pleasure¡­ Dowd began to study her condition as she kept letting out loud moans while trembling. The more intimate and stimting his massage was, the more the Purple Aura¡ªwhich, at first, he had to put in a lot of effort to see it¡ªwrapped around her body. From the way it moved, it seemed like Seras wasn¡¯t the only one who was affected by this. It seemed like the Purple Devil was also acting the same way as Seras; As if she was drunk in the pleasure. Then, he narrowed his eyes to give the window before his eyes a re. < system="" message=""> [ The Aura of the ¡®Purple Devil¡¯ is detected! ] [ Fallen¡¯s Seal reacts! ] [ Target¡¯s mood is getting better rapidly! ] ¡­As expected¡­ Back when he found out that Yuria had awakened to¡­strange things¡­after he put the White Devil on a leash and handled her roughly, he formed a hypothesis.. I was right, the Devils and the Vessels share their senses. It wasn¡¯t really the correct way to put it, since the sensation that the Devils received wouldn¡¯t be shared to their Vessels, but the opposite held true. Though, it wasn¡¯t always like this. Rather, it seemed that this was a characteristic that was ¡®added¡¯ after the Fallen¡¯s Seal was enhanced. ¡°...¡± Still, Dowd couldn¡¯t help but find this strange. Because even though this ability was clearly given by the Gray Devil, somehow it could affect all the Devils as well. He could say that it was even too much at times. Since it felt as if their existence was ¡®defined¡¯ by him, by the man called Dowd. The Purple Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura that spread and filled the room proved this conjecture. Though it seemed like she loved it to death to be touched by him, this kind of effect was just too much. And the way Seras gradually loosened up because of his hands¡¯ movements probably elerated the progression of such an effect. ¡­Anyway¡­ This should be enough. After telling himself that, Dowd called out to Seras in a quiet voice. ¡°Seras.¡± ¡°Yeeesshh¡­?¡± The voice she replied in clearly suggested that she couldn¡¯t think straight at the moment, as if she waspletely melting because of the pleasure, and this was exactly the state he wanted her in. ¡°About that girl, Victoria¡­ She¡¯s your younger sister, right?¡± Originally, that question would have got her to put her guard up immediately. However, now she just obediently replied to him. In addition to his massage, it seemed like the Demonic Aura that emerged because of him managed to cloud her mind even more. ¡°Yeesshhh¡­ We parted wayyss a long time agooo¡­¡± It was as if she just replied out of reflex. She was clearly in a daze. Anyone could see that her current state wasn¡¯t normal as she was just saying whatever came to her mind first, as if she was being hypnotized. And this current condition of hers¡­ Could also be seen clearly by ¡®a certain person¡¯ who was watching this scene. ¡°...I reeeeaaally, reeeaaaaaally think that I¡¯m fortunate to see her agaaaaiiiin¡­¡± And the moment she said those words in that kind of state¡­ Dowd could sense that someone who was hiding near the building had their body turned stiff. As if they didn¡¯t expect to hear those words. Then again, those words sounded so out of ceing from Seras¡¯ mouth, especially considering that she was talking about the same sister that wished to kill her so badly. To this, Dowd just smirked inwardly before continuing. ¡°She said she wants to kill you, though.¡± What he was trying to do was to start a ¡®fall-out¡¯. In a sense, these sisters¡¯ rtionship was twisted in aplicated way, just like a knot. The first thing he needed to do to loosen it up was to let out all the truth they were hiding inside. Of course, he wasn¡¯t expecting them to be persuaded immediately. He would already be satisfied if this could be a small ¡®trigger¡¯ that could leave an impact on a certain someone¡¯s hatred, which had already turned as hard as a brick at this point. ¡°I believe that she has her reasons. Victoria isn¡¯t the type of girl who¡¯d do that for no reason¡­ She was such a gooood giiiirl¡­¡± Now, he could sense that the body of the certain someone outside the building just stiffened up even more. He could even swear that he was able to hear the sound of that person grinding their teeth. ¡°Whatever the reason is, she still said that she wants to kill you. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a little too far? Aren¡¯t you two families?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t think it¡¯s too far...¡± She said so in a dazed voice, with eyes that had lost their focus. ¡°Because I¡¯d die for her if she wants me to.¡± However, her tone was firm, and her answer came out almost immediately without any hesitation at all. As if this wasn¡¯t a big deal¡­ And as if it was only natural for her to sacrifice her life for her sister¡­ ¡°All I want is to get along well with her¡ª¡± At that moment¡­ Someone infiltrated the room as if ¡®permeating¡¯ it through the tightly closed window. And that person was Victoria, who appeared like a shadow rising from the dark. ¡°Are you doing all this so I could hear everything?¡± Her growl sounded like that of a beast¡¯s. Then again, considering that she was a Beastkin, that description was quite urate. ¡ñ Damn, that murderous look in her eyes was no joke. She probably thought that she had walked right into my trap, huh? < system="" message=""> [ The Aura of the ¡®Purple Devil¡¯ is detected! ] [ Fallen¡¯s Seal reacts! ] [ Target¡¯s mood is getting worse rapidly! ] The same message as before appeared on the window. Well, almost the same message, because this time the target was Victoria instead of Seras, and unlike Seras¡¯, her mood was getting worse instead of getting better. ¡°Well...¡± Whatever. To that, I just calmly told her¡­ ¡°What do you mean? I was just trying to make this punk speak honestly.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re doing this, but stop with the stupid jokes. Our match is still valid.¡± Victoria said while growling again. At some point, two daggers appeared magically in her hands as she spun them once before grasping them tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll kill her right here, right now. After hearing her spouting all that nonsense, I don¡¯t want to hear her voice anymore.¡± Now, that wasn¡¯t assassin-like of her. She knew of Seras¡¯ capabilities, yet she still tried for a head-to-head match instead of a surprise attack from the dark, even though she could easily lose against her in this situation. Anyway, her decision aside, she looked really angry right now. Well, rather than angry, it was more like ¡®agitated¡¯. Which meant I had aplished my goal for doing all this to Seras. This punk was now aware that Seras held ¡®affection¡¯ for her to some extent. There was no way that this wouldn¡¯t end up affecting her decisionter. And most of all¡­ ¡°It won¡¯t be so easy, you know?¡± Even if she were to pounce on Seras right here, there was no way she¡¯d be able to kill her for real. After all¡­ ¡°I mean, just like you, your older sister is the best assassin¡ª¡± Suddenly¡­ Before I could finish my own words, I clenched my mouth shut. Anxiety filled my being. I could tell that something had gone wrong somewhere. And it was¡­ From Seras¡­ To be exact, her current condition¡­ ¡­Oh no¡­ This punk¡­ Is still out of her mind¡­ She was still acting as if she was drunk or hypnotized. It seemed like she had lost her mind ¡®way too much¡¯ than I expected¡­. [...How good was your massage that she ended up bing like this?] ... [Well, it seems like there would be no woman who can beat you in bedter. You could just kill them with a fore¡ª] Do you think that kind of shit is important right now?! Anyway, this was obvious, but it would be stupid of me to expect Seras to dish out her fullbat power in this state. I hurriedly looked at Victoria¡ªwho had taken out her daggers¡ªand Seras alternately. This¡­ If something goes wrong, a big incident might ur¡ª! Seras and Victoria. I had already been notified in advance that both of them would y an important role in the uing Main Quest. It would be the worst case scenario for me if they were to fight here and ended up seriously hurting or even killing each other. That meant the possibility of a mishap happening during the Quest would rise up and so would the possibility of me dying. Which meant, the best scenario for me would be for the two of them to go through this situation without getting hurt. Actually, screw that, that was the only option for me to take! But how could I suppress a Grand Assassin, who wasing at us with a weapon, with bare hands? Even with Desperation active, I could still end up dying. Forget about fighting them. Can I even suppress both of them without receiving any scar¡ª ¡°...¡± ¡ªHuh? Yeah, I can. Yes, there was a way¡­ Caliban. [What.] It¡¯s better for me to be a trash human rather than for Seras to die, right? [...] Hearing my words, Caliban went silent for a moment. It seemed he had sensed something ominous from what I said. [Let¡¯s put aside the fact that you¡¯ve been a trash human all along. I¡¯m going to ask you this. What are you trying to do here?] ¡­Well, I need to suppress them both, right? [Yeah, but how? Both of them are Grand Assassins. Not only that, they have the Devil¡¯s Fragments inside their bodies. I don¡¯t think you can¡ª] I can. Before continuing, I closed my eyes tightly. There¡¯s a way¡­ [What?] You know, they¡¯re the Purple Devil¡¯s Vessels¡­ Fortunately¡­ Both of them possessed the Purple Devil¡¯s Fragments¡ªthe closest Devil to a ¡®pet¡¯. Which meant, I had a way to make them obey me. [What are you even¡ª] I just have to train them. Both of them. [...] Caliban stayed silent for a while before finally saying his next word. [...So.] It seemed like he was unable to believe what he just heard. [You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to¡­uh¡­do that¡­? Right now? With those two sisters? At the same time?] ¡­Yeah, pretty much¡­ [...] ... He took a deep breath. [...You fucking trash heap of a human being...] ... I had nothing to say to that. Chapter 242: Midnight Secret Rendezvous (4) Chapter 242: Midnight Secret Rendezvous (4)Victoria Evatrice sunk her thoughts deep into her mind. This was one of the things she once learned in the past; If she found herself in a situation where she could get extremely angry, that meant it was the situation where she had to stay cool-headed the most. Even though the person who taught her that was smiling foolishly next to the person who angered her so much, she didn¡¯t care. ¡°...¡± Gripping the two daggers tightly in her hands, she took a deep breath. Then, she erased her emotions and raised the sensitivity of her senses to its fullest. All while keeping her head cool, just like a calmke without a single ripple. With her sharpened mind, she fixed her gaze on her damn sister¡ªthe person that she said she would kill over and over again. But, her sister was currently¡­ ¡°...Hehehehe.¡±¡°...¡± ¡­Laughing like a lunatic in a dazed expression. It was as if she didn¡¯t seem to care about her at all. If someone who didn¡¯t know what happened were to see this, they¡¯d probably think that she was mocking her. Of course, that was also what Victoria felt after hearing herugh. ¡­Is she looking down on me? A sudden anger immediately burst out from the depths of her stomach. Her sister had always been ahead of her ever since they were kids. Victoria knew this for sure, however¡­ Seeing how her sister didn¡¯t even try to lift a finger, even when she had openly expressed her desire to kill her so many times, it was understandable that she couldn¡¯t help but burst out in anger. If Dowd were to hear this, he¡¯d exin that it wasn¡¯t like Seras was looking down on her and even if she were to stab her, she¡¯d probably still act like this, but unfortunately, he just had no time to exin that. ¡­After she abandoned me like that¡ª When that kind of thought came into her mind, cold sparks appeared in her eyes. The image of her past, of the time when she was crying while hugging a worn-out toy amidst the dead bodies hanging on countless poles, came rushing into her head. She remembered¡­ The time when she endlessly.. Waiting for someone in that hell. -U-Unnie, w-when are you going toe¡­? As those memories about a certain someone came rushing in. ¡°...¡± The color that permeated Victoria¡¯s eyes turned even more murky. Grim emotions filled her hands, sticky like soot sticking on the floor. Hatred¡ªto the point where it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that her goal wasn¡¯t just to assassinate her sister, but to tear her to pieces¡ªenveloped both her hands. Grand Assassin was a title that was only given to those who had reached a level where they could end the lives of even the most powerful people on the continent¡ªthose who were at the Saint¡¯s level¡ªif they were to let their guards down. And now Victoria was showcasing a power that was worthy of that title. At that moment, her leg muscles tensed up. A strong power gathered there, creating the impression that she could just jump and cut Seras¡¯ carotid artery from where she was right now. And then¡­ Right before she was about to do exactly that¡­ Something strange suddenly came into her view. A Demonic Aura. Its color was white, with gray mixed in. As if it was a ¡®blend¡¯ of those two colors. ¡°...Huh?¡± Victoria herself didn¡¯t even know why she had made such a sound. It sounded as if she was in a daze. However, the next moment¡­ ¡°...¡± The daggers that she was holding dropped to the ground. Then, she started to hyperventte. She could hear the excitement and joy in her breathing, as if she was delighted by this oue. ¡°...H-Huh?¡± ¡ñ < system="" message=""> [ Two Demonic Auras in the ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯ will bepounded! ] [ Compounding¡­] [ Sess! ] [ ¡®Desire Impact¡¯ is released from the Seal! ] < side="" effect!=""> [ Different properties are given to the two different Demonic Auras due to the sessfulpounding! ] [ With the effect of the ¡®Gray Demonic Aura, all resistance of the affected Target will be weakened significantly! Their defense stat is dropping by two stages!] [ The characteristics of the ¡®White Devil¡¯, ¡®Enthrallment¡¯ is applied! The Target''s basic desire is temporarily increased! ] < system="" message=""> [ All the Demonic Aura in the ¡®Seal¡¯ has been used up. You are unable to use the ¡®color¡¯-rted abilities until you recharge it!] ¡°...¡± I looked at the windows that popped up one after another before my eyes while letting out a sigh. Then I checked on Victoria¡¯s state¡ªwho was affected by the Demonic Aura from my Seal¡ªcarefully. Did it work? She dropped her weapon already, right? But¡­ I stared at her, who was holding her head with a nk gaze. [What happened? What did you do?] ¡­I don¡¯t know! I didn¡¯t think it would be like this¡­! The Seal helped me to handle the Demonic Auras of the Devils I came in contact with. So far, I hade in contact with both the Grey and White Devil¡­quite ¡®dirtyly¡¯ if I may say so¡­ Anyway, that meant two Demonic Auras of different colors were stored inside the Seal. So, I used up everything without hesitation. I figured that if I were to use Grey Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura¡ªwhich would allow me to stop time¡ªand the White Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura¡ªwhich would allow me to enthrall anyone¡ªat the same time, the effect would be enough to overpower her or something. That did happen, but I didn¡¯t expect it to have an ¡®additional effect¡¯ like this¡ª! < tip!=""> [ Because of your action, a special function is added to the Fallen¡¯s Seal! ] [ ¡®Demonic Aura Compounding¡¯ feature is added to ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯. ] [ A special phenomenon will ur in addition to the original effect if more than two different colors of Demonic Auras arepounded! ] [ The effect will be enhanced once you increase the skill below. ] - Skill: Pandemonium King As if responding to my words, such windows popped up one after another before my eyes. ¡­Woah, what the hell is this¡­? At the moment, my main goal was, as the Grey Devil previously said, to raise my specs. This Fallen Seal¡ªthe item that was rted the most to the Devils¡ªwas my best bet. Of course seeing how these additional functionse in unexpectedly like this made me happy. < system="" message=""> [ Target ¡®Victoria¡¯ is strongly affected by the ¡®Desire Impact¡¯ you have created! ] [ Target¡¯s ¡®Basic Desire¡¯ is intensified! ] Well, that was one thing. The problem here was that I didn¡¯t know what effect this unknown thing would have on Victoria. I mean, such a window popped up before my eyes and all. Originally, it would¡¯ve ended with her mind bing a little clouded and going nk afterwards, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case this time. She just stood there like a statue for quite a while, as if she was out of her mind. ¡°...¡± As a test, I waved my hand in front of her eyes. I did it out of concern since she hadn¡¯t shown any reaction whatsoever, but the moment I did, she immediately reacted. Though, I didn''t know if this was a good thing or not¡­ She just followed my waving hand with nk eyes at first, but soon enough, she snatched my hand. ¡°...!¡± Then, she pounced on it as if she was going to bite it, freaking me out to the point that I tried to take my hand off her. But before I could do that, she already held it tightly. Her grip was strong, it felt as if my hand was stuck in a mechanical vise. I thought she¡¯d attack me after grabbing my hand like this, but she just stayed still while holding it. It felt as if she did this out of instinct rather than consciously. As if¡­ The moment I ¡®got closer¡¯ to her, her first instinct was to stop me from ¡®getting away¡¯ from her. ¡°...Don''t¡­¡± I could hear her mutter. It was obvious that she wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind when she said that. Her eyes had lost their focus and I couldn¡¯t sense any intelligence in her voice. But, I could feel the ¡®desperation¡¯ from her grip on my hand. And her next wordspletely fit that feeling. ¡°D-Don''t leave me¡­ D-Don''t l-leave me alone¡­¡± She said stammeringly. Her voice sounded tearful. ¡°I-I''ll do anything, s-so, p-please don''t leave me¡­¡± As she said those words¡­ She brought her face closer to my hand that she was sping with both hands. And licked it. ¡°...¡± At that moment, it felt like my brain had just stopped working. Her appearance as she held my hand was so terrifying that I couldn¡¯t even think to take my hand off her. As I was stuck there, unable to do anything, Victoria stuck her little tongue out before applying her saliva on my hand, as if she was showing her willingness to obey my every word. Her eyes were still unfocused, but her gesture made it seem like she was trying to get sympathy out of me. With teary eyes, she licked my hand while panting. At this moment, when my brain stopped working after facing this mysterious situation¡­ Another voice came from nearby. ¡°...E-Ehehe¡ª¡± ¡°...¡± Seras, looking as if she hadpletely lost her mind¡ªeven whenpared to Victoria¡ªheld my other arm from behind. ¡°... You''re doing something that makes me feel good¡ª Senioooor¡ª¡± ¡°...¡± Did you drink some alcohol while I wasn¡¯t looking? For some reason, she exuded the same vibe as men who came to the bar everyday to drink bottles of alcohol. ¡°Me too, me tooooo~ hehe~¡± After she said that¡­ She took my free hand¡­ And put it in her mouth. Not long after that, she started sucking on it as if it was a candy. In summary¡­ If Victoria was licking my hand carefully¡ªyet somehow looked sadly and almost erotic¡ªthis punk did it purely as her expression of her affection to me. You know, like a pet acting cute to its owner. The way they did this was different but I could tell that this punk was alsomitting herself to her ¡®instinctive needs¡¯. Not long after, only the smacking sound of water echoed in the room. The sisters were on their knees, next to each other, diligently sucking on my fingers. ¡°...¡± Seriously, what the hell is going on? Also, how long is this gonnast?! What if this leaves a negative impact on these two?! < system="" message=""> [ ¡®Desire Impact¡¯sts for about five minutes! ] [ The rted effect would disappear without any side effects when the duration is over! ] As if responding to my questions, that window popped up before me, prompting me to sigh in relief. Good¡­ This meant that there would be no negative impact on these punks and they woulde back to their senses after a while. That was a relief. All I needed to do was to stand here and let them suck my hands until they came back to their senses. ¡°...¡± ¡­This was the first time I had ever been in this kind of weird situation, huh? You know, this still weirded me out a little, but¡­ ¡­At least I could make it through this, I guess¡­ Even though things turned in a weird direction, I prevented those two from killing each other. Which meant, I managed to aplish my¡ª [Sure, brush it off like that, you perverted motherfucker.] ... [What? Wanna refute my words?] I¡¯m not going to, but¡­; Dude, I didn¡¯t even tell them to do this! Why are you acting like this is my fault?! Though, objectively speaking, it was really hard for me to refute his words, considering how I looked right now/ < system="" message=""> [ Target ¡®Red Devil¡¯s mood is getting worse rapidly.] [ Target ¡®Faenol Lipek¡¯s mood is getting worse rapidly. ] [ The Targets are also affected by your ¡®Desire Impact¡¯! ] [ Initiating efforts to implement what was nned in more detail! ] ¡°...¡± I didn¡¯t know what these windows were on about, but¡­ What I knew was that there was no way this would be a good thing¡­ Chapter 244: Really? Chapter 244: Really?¡°That aside, Dowd.¡± After hearing the shocking announcement that Sullivan had be the advisor for the Exorcism Club¡­ Her Imperial Majesty the Empress¡¯ mood worsened rapidly, but of course, Sullivan didn¡¯t care about it and just continued on. ¡°U-Uh¡­ You know¡­¡± ¡­For some reason, she was twisting her waist around, though. What the hell was she doing? The slight blush in her face and the way she repeatedly tried to clear her throat¡­ I could take it as she was feeling embarrassed. Her Imperial Majesty the Empress made a face as if she had just seen a gruesome dead body of a cockroach that had imploded to death though¡­ ¡°...That bet you are doing, you know, about how the members of the club can challenge you to a match¡­¡± ¡°Uh, yeah¡­?¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯ve be the club¡¯s advisor¡­¡±¡°Uh-huh¡­?¡± As I replied to her anxiously, Sullivan continued while trying to read my expression. ¡°...Can I join?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If I win, I want to have you all to my¡ª¡± ¡°As if! Have some conscience¡ª!¡± Before I could say anything, an objection that was like a scream echoed inside the room. Cecil and Sulli. In other words, Her Imperial Majesty the Empress and the Chancellor. I knew that they were on bad terms, just like oil and water, but the atmosphere between them at the moment was beyond even that. But, even though they seemed like they could eat each other alive if left to their own devices, these two had a little more insidious rtionship where they would mock each other with a smile on their faces. ¡°...That¡¯s a big talk for someone who was ready to manipte the match in your favor, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t I be the judge for the match instead?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t think that¡¯s appropriate.¡± Her Imperial Majesty retorted with a smile. But even she couldn¡¯t hide the corner of her lips that were twitching subtly. ¡°After all, how could we let a woman who doesn¡¯t know her ce like you¡ªwho, even though she¡¯s already so old, yet she still lusts over a younger man, be in charge of something so important? I know of your thief-like mindset, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so shameless.¡± After hearing that, Sullivan¡¯s forehead furrowed hard. She was still smiling though. ¡°Oh my, despite my age, I still think I¡¯ll live longer than a certain someone who doesn¡¯t know her ce and has no conscience whatsoever. You know, the woman who¡¯s still trying totch onto a man in his prime with a body that won¡¯tst for long. Also, in regard to the time I can spend by his side, I¡¯ll definitely win against you. And it won¡¯t even be close.¡± ¡°...Are you done?¡± ¡­Correction. These two had a rtionship where they¡¯d pour out toxic words on each other while smiling. After that, a fierce exchange of words ensued between the two of them. ¡°You clingy bitch¡ª!¡± ¡°Are you really proud of all the fat inside your body, you old ass hag¡ª¡± ¡°...¡± Even though this was supposed to be a conversation between two stateswomen who practically ruled the Empire, all the grace, semnce of intelligence and even human¡¯s dignity were thrown away into the gutter. Listening to them drained my energy as well, so I decided to just close my eyes and let their conversation go in one ear and out the other. I¡¯m a tree¡­ I¡¯m a wind¡­ I¡¯m ake¡­ ¡°...You damn brat¡­¡± ¡°...How could you still have such a disgusting mindset at that age¡­¡± After a while, they seemed to have poured all emotions they had to let out as at this point, they were only ring at each other while breathing heavily. And while they were doing that, I just calmly drank my tea with a detached expression. Well, now that both of them seemed to have calmed down, I guess I could speak out now. Actually, whatever was going on in this room, it really didn¡¯t matter. Because there was one thing that took precedence over everything else. ¡°...By the way.¡± I called out to both of them. Almost instantly, they fixed their gazes on me. ¡°Who¡¯s running the Empire at the moment¡­?¡± Both the Empress and Chancellor were here, so who the hell was in charge of the country¡¯s administrative work? Also, was it okay for people of their level to pull off such ridiculous antics just because of me? My question was filled with these kinds of implications¡ªwhich they should be able to tell¡ªbut they only shrugged it off. ¡°Radu is doing his best.¡± ¡°I just assigned a substitute to do my work.¡± ¡°...But, isn¡¯t something like that is only used in an emergency¡ª¡± Before I could finish my words, I ended up clenching my mouth shut. Because these two red at me, as if saying ¡®This IS an emergency situation¡¯. ¡°...¡± What the fuck did they think my club was? Why did they even do this¡­? I just established it because of the school regtions¡­ [Dowd, think about it.] What? [You can actually make these two, who are bound to be political enemies until the end of times, to get along if you were to use your lower¡ª] Before he could finish, I took the Soul Linker off my arm. This fucker was totally enjoying this situation. He had been going on and on about that bullshit for a while now. Meanwhile, Chancellor Sullivan let out a bitter smile as she brought up a topic I couldn¡¯t just dismiss. ¡°The problem is that there¡¯s someone who¡¯s very happy if both of us are out of the office.¡± Hearing her words, the Empress¡¯ expression also turned stiff. ¡°...Are you talking about the Upper Nobles Association?¡± ¡°No. While Marquis Bogut is a troublesome person to deal with, he won¡¯t cross the line. The problem is¡­¡± For a moment, her gaze shone meaningfully. ¡°The other bastard, his substitute.¡± Indeed¡­ ¡°...Count Nichs, the number two person in the Upper Nobles Association. I believe Your Imperial Majesty heard of his name as well.¡± ¡°Count Nichs?¡± There was a slight frown on the Empress¡¯ face. It seemed like just by hearing his name was enough to displease her. ¡°In regard to his ability, there¡¯s actually no problem at all. He¡¯s apetent man.¡± After studying the Empress¡¯ expression, Sullivan also seemed unable to hide her bitter smile. ¡°...The problem here is his reputation.¡± Her Imperial Majesty the Empress let out a sigh while taking out her pipe¡ªwhich I had seen before¡ªfrom her inner chest pocket. I hadn¡¯t seen her using it often whenever she was around me, but it seemed like talking about that guy made her feel the need to smoke. ¡°ughterer.¡± She said such a word as if spitting it out. ¡°There is a rumor that he had a hand in the ¡®eradications¡¯ of the Cardinal Humans in the Empire. They said that he acted as if he had a sense of duty to kill them all.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Right, there are a few Cardinal Humans around you. I guess this isn¡¯t a pleasant thing to hear.¡± I narrowed my eyes at that. How did she know? I thought Seras and Victoria managed to perfectly hide the fact that they¡¯re Cardinal Humans? After seeing my expression, for some reason, Her Imperial Majesty tilted her head instead. As if it would be weird if she didn¡¯t know that. ¡°I¡¯ve heard various stories about the Grand Assassin of the Holy Land¡­ While her younger sister¡­ Well, she revealed her identity right in front of me, no?¡± ¡°...¡± Wait, did that mean¡­ When I made Seras acting cute like a dog in front of Professor Walter¡­ Also,e to think of it, I wronged her so greatly back then¡­ As I was busy with my thoughts, Her Imperial Majesty suddenly said something that I couldn¡¯t just ignore. ¡°Also, her younger sister¡­ I believe her name was Victoria¡­? She seems to be rted to Marquis Bogut through a contract.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± That didn¡¯t make any sense whatsoever, though¡­ ¡­Why would she even work with that guy¡­? While it might be Count Nichs whomitted all those atrocious deeds, Marquis Bogut was undoubtedly the same kind of person as him. Unlike Seras¡ªwho belonged to the Holy Land¡ªVictoria was pretty much a frencer who¡¯d ept anymission, but there was no way that she¡¯d epted the contract without knowing that fact. ¡°...There is a big possibility that their goals are aligned, although I don¡¯t know what they are exactly.¡± It seemed like Her Imperial Majesty was questioning the same thing as I did. There was a bitter smile on her face as she said that. ¡°In any case, the problem is that Marquis Bogut is going toe here for Elfante¡¯s School Festival. Which means, for a moment, Count Nichs would be the person with the highest authority.¡± Her Imperial Majesty continued with a serious expression. ¡°...And he is the type of person who¡¯d set up a disgusting plot in such a moment. He is extremely good at walking a fine line, after all.¡± ¡°...¡± I could tell what she was trying to say. Since he was someone who was so obsessed with killing the Cardinal Humans¡­ He would eventually cross paths with me. The moment he got the information about the two Cardinal Humans around me, he¡¯d definitely set his eyes on me. ¡°He used to act as the hunting dog of the Upper Nobles Association. Once he sniffs you out, he¡¯lle to bite you to death. That¡¯s why, please try your best to avoid catching his attention while we¡¯re away from the office.¡± ¡°...In the first ce¡­¡± I continued with a sigh. ¡°If you know that such a person would stir up such trouble, why did you evene here?¡± ¡°...Do you really not know why?¡± Hearing my words, Sullivan looked at me strangely. ¡°Her Imperial Majesty and I aren¡¯t stupid. We didn¡¯te all the way here and assigned our substitutes to do our work just because you made a club.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...I¡¯m serious. Um, that is part of the reason, but it¡¯s not the entire reason!¡± After facing my doubtful gaze, Sullivan cleared her throat before replying. I guess it was safe to assume that me establishing a club was half of the reason why they were here. Anyway¡­ Sullivan continued her exnation. ¡°...Even after putting your ¡®Devil-rted power¡¯ that could even draw the Magic Tower¡¯s attention aside, you¡¯re still in an important position, Dowd.¡± ¡°An important position¡­? Me¡­?¡± ¡°People with good eyes and ears are everywhere. Just look around you. Elfante has tried so hard to suppress all the information about you, but you¡¯re already quite popr.¡± ¡°...¡± She had a point. They really did try to suppress most of the incidents I was involved with, but due to the scale of them, it was simply impossible to cover up everything. ¡°You are someone who¡¯s acquaintanced with the Tribal Alliance¡¯s Chieftain, the only outsider who had entered the Imperial Pce, someone who could hang out in Tristan Duchy as if you¡¯re at home, the best friend of the current Hero and someone who¡¯s able to maintain friendship with most Devil¡¯s Vessels¡ªthe most dangerous beings in the continent.¡± Sullivan listed those things one by one before letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Just think about it, such a person is creating a ¡®force¡¯ by gathering all his acquaintances. It¡¯s hard to consider your club as a simple club at this point.¡± ¡°What does that even¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re aware of it or not, but each of the people you are gathering in your club is able to start a war of conquest against some small nations. There¡¯s even a high chance that they¡¯d win against them.¡± Hearing her words, I suddenly felt suffocated. I understood what she was trying to imply. ¡°...Such people are ¡®grouping up¡¯ together, even if it¡¯s not your intention to, there bound to be people who¡¯d misunderstand you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡¯re creating a new party, Dowd Campbell¡¯s party, a party that is more than likely to shake the ¡®continent¡¯ itself. There are plenty of people who have already started to make that kind of connection, you know?¡± ¡­Was that why there was such a huge crowd when we started the club¡¯s application? I thought it was because of Iliya¡¯s and my poprity¡­ ¡°Not only that, your party has met enough conditions for all those people to think that you¡¯re going to take the ¡®next step¡¯.¡± Sullivan continued while spinning a pen in her hand. ¡°To be a ¡®King¡¯. You have the perfect environment for it, as long as you could meet the rest of the conditions.¡± ¡°...¡± At that, my head went nk. ¡°Two Major Nobles with the highest authority in the Empire are sponsoring you. Not only that, it¡¯s already an open secret that you have a close rtionship with the Tristan Duchal House since everyone had seen you dance with Lady Tristan at the Social Gathering back at the Imperial Pce.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You only need to get married with Lady Tristan to gain ¡®authority¡¯, now,bine that with the ¡®capable personnels¡¯ you¡¯ve gathered, it doesn¡¯t take a genius to tell that you¡¯ll have enough power to be independent and create a whole new ¡®principality¡¯.¡± ¡°...Those busybodies and opportunists who consider themselves smart would think that you¡¯d definitely do it. Since that¡¯s the only thing they could see from the outside after considering the power level of your force.¡± As I stayed silent, unable to say anything, Her Majesty the Empress expressed her agreement with a snort. ¡°But, you need to keep this in mind¡­¡± Sullivan opened her mouth again, there was a slight frown on her brows this time. ¡°While there are many who are trying to build connections with you, there are also many who¡¯d be wary of you in the Empire.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t your fault for gathering such people and establishing a club on your own, only crazy idiots would think that, but¡­ It still won¡¯t change the fact that there are a lot of things going on¡­¡± Sullivan swept her hair before continuing. ¡°The Upper Nobles Association, Her Imperial Majesty¡¯s subordinates, the nobles on my side¡­ There¡¯s a strong friction among us, that¡¯s for sure, but you see, we could at least coexist with each other before all this. And now, the hostility among us is slowly resurfacing. I¡¯m not ming you, but, your existence is like a hot potato that identally lit up a fuse¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...While her Imperial Majesty probably came here half jokingly, I came here for a good reason. We don¡¯t know who would try to y tricks on you and how they¡¯d do it.¡± But, the number one person you need to look out for is definitely Count Nichs. She added as such, but by that point, I was already in a daze. As I kept listening to her, I finally understood¡­ < system="" log=""> [ How the uing Main Quest - Chapter 5, ¡®The Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil¡¯ will progress depends on how you run the Club! ] ¡­I finally knew the reason why such a message popped up before my eyes. ¡­Caliban. [I''m all ears.] Caliban replied in a rather unfriendly tone, but I still continued in a daze. ¡­They tried to tone it down by a lot, but¡­ [Mhm?] They¡­ I continued with a dumbfounded tone. ¡­They are trying to say that a war could happen just because I established the club? [Mhm.] Because some fucker misunderstood my intentions? [That sounds about right.] ... Seriously? Fuck. Chapter 245: Blue Flavor (1) Chapter 245: Blue vor (1)Iliya¡¯s daily routine was quite simple. Everyday after ss, she¡¯de to the ¡®club room¡¯ to organize all the stuff inside. Well, that was really just what she ended up doing. What she actually tried to do was to set up the club atmosphere so she could be all lovey-dovey with Dowd behind the others'' backs. Thoughtely, she felt that what she could do was more restricted than usual since others would also stop by the club room after realizing what she was doing, but at the very least, the ce was still under her control. Ever since she was officially appointed as the Hero, the other women wouldn¡¯t just blindly rush at her like they did before. Well, save for one person. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± An awkward silence enveloped Eleanor and Iliya, who hade across each other by ident. Both of them were well aware that they had nothing good to say to each other.But, both of them also felt that it was inappropriate to just start growling at each other in public for no reason at all. They had bad blood between them, that was for sure, but¡­ The problem here was once they fought, the fight would turn into something big and spiral out of control. In summary, they had a lot of ¡®unresolved¡¯ things between them. That was why whenever they came across each other out in the open like this, they¡¯d try their best to maintain a friendly attitude to each other, at least only outwardly. They had been maintaining this kind of status quo even after Iliya went out of her way toe strong at Eleanor back in the Tristan Duchy. ¡°...Hello.¡± That was probably why Iliya greeted the other person first, even though it was clear that she was feeling awkward over it. Hearing her greeting, Eleanor just nodded expressionlessly. ¡°I have thrown away all the strange things in the drawer.¡± ¡°...¡± Iliya¡¯s face twitched intensely. Then again, anyone would show a simr reaction if someone were to respond to their greeting in that way instead of returning the greeting back. ¡°...You scoured through the room?¡± To that question, Eleanor only nodded expressionlessly. ¡°This ce is where Dowd is going to stop by, is it not?¡± With a t tone, she continued. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s only a given that I¡¯d inspect the ce thoroughly.¡± Her tone suggested what she had done was something so natural and obvious. As if there was nothing in the world that could interact with him before going through her first. ¡­Self-righteous bitch¡­ Her attitude that made it seem as if that man was hers and hers alone had risen up from merely unpleasant to downright irritating to Iliya. Ugh¡­ This is why I can''t get along with her. Iliya thought so while holding her forehead that was beginning to throb. ¡°...What were you even thinking? You have no right to touch someone else¡¯s belongings like¡ª¡± ¡°Hey, Hero.¡± Eleanor called out to her, wearing a dumbfounded face after hearing Iliya¡¯s grumbling. She made such a face, as if suggesting that Iliya was going too far. ¡°You seem to keep on forgetting it, but I am the Student Council President. Keeping everything within the school¡¯s regtions and moral standards is part of my duty.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Now put a hand on your chest and tell me. Are those items that I put away really appropriate to be brought into the Academy?¡± ¡°...¡± Using politics to argue, that¡¯s just cheap¡­ Since she felt like she¡¯d lose if she were to stay silent, Iliya muttered a rebellious reply. ¡°...Those are contraceptive devices at best. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s illegal for me to buy those.¡± ¡°...Think carefully about what you have just said.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Though, from the situation, it seemed that it would be better if she were to back off here. Even Margrave Kendride said that running away from a battle one couldn¡¯t win was not something to be ashamed of, after all. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t just give up so willingly, so she let out another grumble at the end. ¡°...Are you trying to brag that you¡¯ve done it with him or something¡­?¡± It was something that could lead into another verbal fight, but the reaction that Eleanor gave her was a little far from that. Let alone getting angry or annoyed¡­ She only asked Iliya back with widened eyes, as if she did not know what Iliya was talking about. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything like that with Dowd. What did you hear and from where did you hear, that made you say such a thing?¡± ¡°...¡± To this, Iliya blinked silently. She remembered what Kasa Garda, the Fist Saint, had told her. Her ¡®Eye of Truth¡¯ was the result of her developing her logically unexinable ¡®intuition¡¯ to the extreme. She told Iliya that if she was feeling sure about something, then it must have been true. Which meant that what Iliya ¡®felt¡¯ when she saw Dowd wasn¡¯t a mistake. He definitely had lost his ¡®virginity¡¯. But, the problem here was¡­ What Eleanor said was also the ¡®truth¡¯. This woman never had sex with him. ¡°...Huh?¡± Then¡­ Who the hell did it? Iliya felt a tingling sensation at the back of her head as her eyes widened. At that moment, their surroundings suddenly turned noisy. The whole building was bustling with various voices. And the source of said voices came from a crowd of students moving like a herd nearby. ¡°What the¡­?¡± ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s going on¡­? Why do so many people¡­?¡± They simultaneously turned their gaze outside. A terrifying number of people, to the point that they could see the cloud of dust as they marched, entered their line of sight. What happened? Why are those people crowding together like that? ¡°Hey, there! Wait a moment!¡± Seemingly interested in the phenomenon, Eleanor immediately stopped someone who was passing by. ¡°What kind of fuss is this? Where is everyone going?¡± ¡°Ah, Student Council President! Everyone is on their way to the sparring room in the Knight School¡¯s building!¡± ¡°...The sparring room? Why?¡± ¡°To watch a duel!¡± The student replied in all smiles. As if he was happy that something which could brighten his dull academy life was happening right now. Upon hearing his answer, Eleanor¡¯s brows were furrowed instead though. After all, it seemed to be only a simple duel, something that happened often enough in Elfante, considering what kinds of people that gathered here. There was no reason for this many people to gather to see one of those. But, before she could ask, she already found the answer she wanted to hear. ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary duel, of course!¡± The student that she stopped immediately added so. Though, his next words left her blindsided. ¡°Because the Chieftain¡¯s daughter and that crazy yboy are going against each other! The news has been spread all over the Academy!¡± ¡°...?¡± ¡°...?¡± Not only Eleanor, even Iliya¡¯s expressions went nk when they heard those words. ¡ñ Today I learned, Elfante¡¯s cafeteria was more considerate of people who were eating by themselves than I first expected. In other words, I could sit in a corner while ring at this system window without being afraid that anyone would bother me. < skill="" info=""> [ Fallen¡¯s Seal: Transformation ] [ . . . Currently stored Devil¡¯s Aura Purple Devil ( 95% ) Brown Devil ( 5% ) Red Devil ( 5% ) White Devil ( 0% ) C????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????? ????????????¡ã???????????????3??????????????????????? ( 0% ) . . . ] As I stared at such a window, I stroked my chin. It listed the Devil¡¯s Auras that had been stored in the Fallen¡¯s Seals as I¡¯vee into contact with each of them. ¡­There aren¡¯t much more Auras stored except for the Purple¡¯s though¡­ White¡¯s and Gray¡¯s especially, werepletely empty because I had used up a lot of their Auras during that whole thing with Victoria a while ago. ¡°...¡± Also¡­ There was quite a high chance that this would turn into a problemter on. ¡°Caliban.¡± I called out while turning my head towards the big calendar on the wall. There were only a few days left before the School Festival started. [Hm?] ¡°...Do you think I could go against all of them in these few days? We don¡¯t have much time left¡­¡± [Hmm¡­ So, the reason why you said you¡¯d let them have matches with you was to collect Demonic Aura of each color in that Seal, right?] Yeah. The more intense the contact I had with the Devils and the more I could move their emotions, the more of their Aura that I could absorb. I thought a ¡®match¡¯ with them was the most suitable thing to bait out such an interaction. I assumed that something was going to happen at the uing School Festival, so this was my way of preparing myself for it. The information that I got from the Chancellor and Her Imperial Majesty earlier made me realize that things were more urgent than I previously thought. [...Because there are a lot of people who¡¯d pick a fight with you?] "And among them, there¡¯s that one guy they mentioned.¡± Count Nichs a.k.a ughterer. As long as Seras and Victoria were by my side, we were bound to go against each other one day. Since both the Chancellor and Her Imperial Majesty had even personally warned me about him, there was a good chance that he¡¯d pick a ¡®fight¡¯ with me even before the School Festival started. That was why I decided to raise my specs as soon as possible in case that happened, but¡­ ¡°...At this rate, I¡¯ll really run out of time¡­¡± Except for Victoria¡ªwho immediately came at me without a second thought¡ªI barely even saw the others around. Her Imperial Majesty the Empress tried to challenge me, but due to the circumstances back then, nothing ended up happening in the end. [...Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s because you¡¯re their opponent? All of them must be thinking that they can¡¯te up with an ordinary method against you. They¡¯ll only challenge you after they¡¯re fully prepared.] ¡°And that won¡¯t do because, like I said, we¡¯re running out of time.¡± I¡¯d rather them challenge me to a match that we could finish quickly, even if the match was something absurd. As I was thinking so while sighing¡­ ¡°Hey.¡± My worry was wiped off much faster than I thought. I looked at the person who called out to me. ¡°Uh, Riru?¡± I hadn¡¯t seen her for a while, so I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°...What¡¯s with that appearance of yours?¡± I wasn¡¯t trying to say ame joke or anything. She really didn¡¯t seem to be in a normal condition. Even though she always gave off the impression of being strong and athletic, this woman always dressed up neatly. But, her brown skin that used to look so healthy and glossy now had turned dull. Her hair was also in aplete mess, as if she had been suffering on her own in these past few days. She calmly answered my question. ¡°...I trained hard.¡± ¡°Trained¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out what kind of training it was. Also, regarding that, there¡¯s something I need to say.¡± Instead of answering my question, she changed the topic with a shrug of her shoulders. ¡°I''ve been looking for you.¡± ¡°Something to say? Then why don¡¯t we move¡ª¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m going to tell you right here and now. I¡¯ve been pondering about this for a few days. If I don¡¯t say what I have in mind right away, I have a feeling that I will just chicken out.¡± ¡°...¡± With how serious she looked, my expression turned serious as well. What is this about? Why is she like this? ¡°...Alright. I¡¯m listen¡ª¡± ¡°Let''s fight.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If I win, I¡¯m going to fuck you.¡± ¡°...¡± Look at this alpha female over here¡­ Chapter 246: Blue Flavor (2) Chapter 246: Blue vor (2)Despite the calm atmosphere that their title gave off, many generations of Elfante¡¯s Student Council Secretary were actually among the mostbative students of their years. It wasn¡¯t a strange thing, of course, since they were in a position to oversee all student-rted matters in Elfante, where all kinds of Major Nobles frequently went in and out. Whether they liked it or not, being involved with such people for too long would make anyone grow bolder and more strong-minded. But, even with that in mind, the current secretary, Beatrix, still found it difficult to deal with the person in front of her. ¡°...Wee to Elfante, Count Nichs.¡± She said as a perfectly soft smile hung on her face. Though, her smile only made the situation feel more bizarre, especially considering the reputation of the person in front of her. The ughterer. He was none other than the one person who had the highest kill count in the Empire. And also the person who had yed the biggest role in wiping off the Cardinal Humans from the country.¡°We¡¯ll do our best to make sure you won¡¯t feel ufortable while staying here¡ª¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Dowd Campbell?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing his words, Beatrix almost lost her smile, but she managed to maintain her expression before replying. ¡°... With all due respect, Count, disclosing information about any students is against the school regtions.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± To that, Count Nichs tilted his head expressionlessly. ¡°That sure is strange, though. When I asked the faculty, they told me to ask you guys, the Student Council.¡± Beatrix cursed inwardly. Read the room already¡­! What the faculty said practically meant a refusal. The Headmistress sending him to the Student Council meant that she wanted the Student Council to kick him out for her since she found him too much of a hassle for her to deal with. ¡°...They probably did it because we have the authority to, but we¡¯re very sorry to say that it¡¯s not quite possible to ept your request.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He continued in a calm tone. ¡°Alright. It can¡¯t be helped then.¡± For a moment there, it seemed as if he got the note and was backing off, but the sudden ominous sensation running down her spine made Beatrix thought otherwise. And what Nichs said next pretty much exined why she felt such a sensation. ¡°I¡¯ll look for him myself and contact him with my authority as a member of the Upper Nobles Association, since Elfante doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention to cooperate with me.¡± ¡°...¡± Practically, what he said was, even if Elfante tried to hide that student from him¡­ He didn¡¯t give a shit and he¡¯d find him himself, forcefully if needed to, since that was what he wanted. ¡­This crazy bastard¡­! Beatrix thought so while holding her head. The surge of headache that struck her was too much for her to handle calmly. ¡°...Count.¡± She continued in a slightly lower voice than before. ¡°Elfante is an Imperial Academy and it¡¯s under Headmistress Atnte¡¯s protection.¡± But, Count Nichs only tilted his head expressionlessly at her words. ¡°So?¡± ¡°...¡± This bastard... He understood everything and yet¡­! Beatrix ground her teeth. This wasn¡¯t something appropriate for her to say as a student, but she had no other choice left. ¡°...If you do something that vites the school regtions, we would have no choice but to impose sanctions on you.¡± She went out of her way to not only bring the Headmistress¡¯, but even the Empress¡¯ authority. But, he still spouted out his reply without an ounce of hesitation. ¡°Sounds good.¡± He even wore something that looked like a smile on his face as he said so. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Try to stop me if you can. I¡¯m also curious how far you guys can go.¡± As Beatrix¡¯s mind went nk the moment she heard that, he continued. ¡°Nevertheless, I have to see that man. I don¡¯t care what you guys have to say about it.¡± After that, Count Nichs immediately left the Student Council Room. His steps as he walked away looked so cheerful that even the other Student Council members¡ªwho had been watching the conversation with nervous expressions¡ªwent nk, just like Beatrix. ¡°...S-Senior¡­¡± A good while after Count Nichs left¡­ One of the juniors¡ªwho barely managed toe back to their senses¡ªasked in a trembling voice. ¡°D-Did that person really say that he¡¯d rather pick a fight with Her Imperial Majesty and the Headmistress than be unable to see that Dowd person¡­? ¡°...¡± You don¡¯t need to say those out loud to me¡­ This is already giving me a headache¡­ ¡ñ Alright, let¡¯s throw this obvious fact out of the way first and foremost. Riru wasn¡¯t an easy opponent, never had, never will. The ¡®Entrance to the Spirit Realm¡¯ event, which was the closest thing to her final power boost, hadn¡¯t urred yet, but even so, seeing her current state, it was clear that she was an extremely strong opponent for me. Her Fighting Arts alone had reached a master level, and then there was also her Law Power, the Blue Devil¡¯s Authority ¡®Pulverization¡¯, and her abilities to see through the future¡ªthough still imperfect¡ªall of those were enough to make anyone had troubles going against her. While my stats were good enough for a fight, against her, I¡¯d actually end up dying if I were to let my guard down. As I thought so while looking at her, who was standing across the gymnasium, she suddenly called out to me. ¡°You¡­ You learned Fighting Arts from my grandmother, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°...I guess I did, yeah.¡± It was more like I facerolled it with my skills rather than learning from her, but yeah. ¡°You also know how to use Law Technique.¡± ¡°...Yeah, kinda.¡± I also facerolled that one. ¡°You also know how to use bizarre abilities rted to the Devils or something.¡± ¡°...¡± That one, I also facerolled it¡­with the Seal the Gray Devil gave me¡­ [Fucker really got stronger like that¡­ Have some conscience¡­] ¡°...¡± What? Look, if I didn¡¯t faceroll shit, I¡¯d be dead by now. Conscience could go to shit. While I gave out that retort to Caliban, Riru let out a deep sigh. ¡°So, I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± She said that in a mutter. It was too vague for me to respond though, so I just stood there nkly. I didn¡¯t have to wait for long as she continued her mutter almost immediately. ¡°The only thing I¡¯m good at is fighting, but nowadays, I always have this feeling that you¡¯ve gone so far ahead of me¡­ You¡¯ve be stronger by yourself¡­¡± ¡­I understood what she was trying to say. The gap between us must¡¯ve felt unreasonable for her as someone who spent most of her time training. ¡°On top of that, the more I let you be, the more strange people you ended up seducing...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°None of them is ordinary, either¡­ The Hero, the best assassins on the continent, a mage who enrolled at the Magic Tower, even the Empire¡¯s Empress¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Did you even try to give me a chance topete¡­? If so, at least make it fair for me so I could be motivated to challenge you¡­¡± ¡°...Riru¡­?¡± I could feel that I was starting to break out in cold sweat as I called out to her. Her state was strange as she kept on muttering with the eyes that had lost their focus. What¡¯s wrong with her all of a sudden? It¡¯s scary¡­ Suddenly, she let out a deep sigh. ¡°...Well, it doesn''t matter.¡± She raised her head with an awkward look, scratching it while trying to get into position. ¡°This is all that I can do anyway.¡± The next moment, her attack came in a sh. ¡°...!¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time I went up against her and I knew that she was incredibly fast, but it felt like this time, she was several times faster than back then. TITLE [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the Target is trying to severely hurt you! ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to A ss. ] [ Skill: Swordsman Focus is activated! ] The familiar window that popped up in every critical situation I¡¯ve been in appeared in front of me. At the next moment, my surroundings slowed down as all my skills that were activated in an instant ovepped. In the past, this would be enough to make her movements look a little slower, but now she has only slowed down to the point that I could only follow her with my eyes. That was how fast she had be. Just how hard has she trained¡ª?! By looking at the momentum, I could roughly tell what she had been through all this time. She was significantly faster than back during the Crimson Night Incident. For her to grow this much in such a short period of time, it just showed how arduous her training had been. ¡°...Hmph!¡± One breath. In that moment when I could inhale a single breath, at least ten bouts were exchanged between us. I raised my leg slightly to defend against her sweeping low kick, rolled my shoulders to block the streak of fist strikes flying at my blind spots, and raised my hand to catch the high kick that came out towards me the moment she withdrew her fists. Every exchange of moves produced an ear-splitting sound that cut through the air and echoed in all directions. The tiles of the sparring room moved up and down, the walls and ceilings were shaking. ¡°Huu¡­¡± The moment I exhaled, Riru, whose leg I caught, raised her whole body by using that leg as a pivot point. Her body stayed in the air for a second, as if sheunched her body using my hand as a lever. ¡°Woah¡­!¡± It was such a series of fluid movements that someone from the spectator seat couldn¡¯t help but let out such an exnation. Meanwhile, Riru, who had jumped up, defied thew of physics and used her heel to strike me. I let go of her leg and stepped aside. Her leg hit the floor where I was, breaking the floor into pieces. After that, we entered a state of lull. Both of us slightly distanced ourselves from each other and got into positions. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± The people around us who came to watch us could only open their mouths wide, speechless ¡°...I did hear that everyone in the Exorcism Club is a monster, so that was true¡­¡± ¡°Are all of them on that level¡­?¡± ¡°Those two aren''t even sweating after all that¡­¡± Voices filled with their owners¡¯ dejection and shock spread around the air. That exchangested for a second. It was pretty much a warm up for both of us. But that was enough to wreck our surroundings. ¡°...Are they really students¡­?¡± ¡°...Life is just unfair¡­¡± ¡°What have we been doing all these for¡­? ¡°...¡± Somehow, we also caused a side effect; Discouraging all the students around us who had been training hard to better themselves. I could understand their feelings. It was like this in the game as well. Fights between the superhumans in Savior Rising were simr to the fights in those martial arts books¡ªthey happened in less than a second. Of course we weren¡¯t on the level of those monsters bearing the Saint titles, but both Riru¡ªwho was talented to begin with¡ªand me¡ªthe guy who facerolled everything¡ªcould at least mimic those Saints. Though, the one who created such a scene clearly looked displeased as she swept her hair back. ¡°...You.¡± Riru called out to me while narrowing her eyes. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you attacking me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only been parrying my moves. Our rtionship aside, this is still a spar. I¡¯m not going to go easy on you if you think that we¡¯re just ying around here.¡± ¡°...¡± Instead of replying to her, I told myself¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t want to hurt you¡­ Of course, I didn¡¯t say it out loud, I just smiled bitterly instead. Because, knowing her and her hot-tempered personality, who knows what she¡¯d do if I were to actually say that. ¡°...Hhmm.¡± Upon seeing me just standing there without saying anything, Riru narrowed her eyes. ¡°Are you trying to say that this much is nothing to you?¡± As she said such words¡­ A blue aura emerged from her body. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take you on for real this time.¡± TITLE [ A moment of danger has been detected. ] [ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ] [ Skill: Desperation raised to EX ss. ] ¡°...!¡± W-Wait¡ª! This crazy bitch¡­! ¡°W-Wait, wait a moment¡­!¡± I said, breaking out in a cold sweat. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You said it, no? This is a spar! If you use an ability that could crush anything just by making contact with it¡ª!¡± ¡°I¡¯m using this because I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to defeat you without it.¡± ¡°...But, why are you going so far¡­?¡± This is just a spar, isn¡¯t it a little strange to go that far? That was what I was trying to imply with that question. ¡°...¡± She went silent for a moment. Then, she took a deep breath, looking as if she was struggling to say her next words. ¡°...Riru?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± When I carefully called out to her, her face blushed instantly. There was a hint of shame, shyness and determination in her voice¡ªas if there was no turning back from this moment onward for her¡ªas she screamed out her reply to me. ¡°I-I want to have a sex with you too¡­!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°A-All the other punks keep on overtaking me¡­! I¡¯m doing this because I also want to get hot and sweaty with you! Is that wrong, huh?! Do you have anyints?!¡± ¡°...¡± Oh my God. Did she really just say all that in front of all these people¡­? There were actually some people in the spectator seat who were dumbstruck by her words just now. ¡°...What the heck is the rtionship between those two?¡± ¡°As expected of Elfante¡¯s best casanova, the legendary trash, the greatest yboy of all time¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Somehow, I could hear some weird titles being thrown at, though¡­ [Dude, just let her fuck you already.] ¡°...¡± [Just look at how desperate she is. Stop being petty, it isn¡¯t like she¡¯s going to milk you out or anything anyway¡­] I swear, one day I¡¯m going to kill you, you fuck¡ª! Just wait, I¡¯ll find a way to revive you and turn you into a ghost again! Just you wait¡­! Chapter 247: Blue Flavor (3) Chapter 247: Blue vor (3)Alright, let¡¯s take a look at the positives first! The reason why I started this whole match thing was to charge all the Devils¡¯ Demonic Auras into the Seal. With that in mind, it was a good thing that Riru was charging towards me with her Demonic Aura wrapped around her like, since the Seal would be charged with that Aura in real time while our fight was going on. That being said, the negatives still existed¡­ ¡°Still, you don¡¯t need to go this far, no?!¡± ¡­I might actually die if something went wrong here. My whole body went weak as I barely managed to avoid the hook that she fiercely threw into my side by a hairbreadth. The Blue Devil¡¯s Authority, ¡®Pulverization¡¯ would allow her to crush her opponent even with the slightest touch. I had the King of Pandemonium to resist it, but that was probably why she had been attacking me wildly without an ounce of hesitation. But, I could still get quite hurt and turn into a mess if she got to touch me for real! Hearing what I said, Riru replied quietly.¡°Hey.¡± Meanwhile, her chain of strikes were still going on like a storm. ¡­Her dead-looking eyes only amplified the terrifying atmosphere she exuded. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°You patted that punk called Seras'' head before, no?¡± ¡°...Um, yeah?¡± ¡°The moment you did, she immediately lost her mind, she rolled on her back as if she was your pet, as if she could give you her everything.¡± ¡°...¡± That was what we demonstrated in front of Professor Walter, yeah¡­ But why was she suddenly talking about that? ¡°Also, I heard you¡¯ve been kissing that Faenol or whatever the name of that punk was?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Your face seems like you¡¯re wondering how I knew this. Well, it¡¯s because she kept bragging about it at every chance she had!¡± Faenol¡­! Trust is really the mother of deceit¡­! What the hell has she been doing behind my back¡­?! ¡°And, what''s worse¡­¡± Riru went on. Now, not only did her eyes look dead, they also exuded a terrifying coldness. ¡°The things that you did to the Saintess and her sister, what were they again, can you tell me?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t, this punk sticking on my back already¡ª¡± ¡°...Please ignore that, I beg you.¡± Stop it¡­! I beg you¡­! My reputation would fall to the point of no return if you were to mention that here¡­! ¡°...Whoa¡­¡± ¡°Seriously, whoa¡­¡± The students who heard everything from the spectator seat already started to look at me as if I wasn¡¯t a simple trash, but something awfully lower than that. Seriously, why is she acting like this so suddenly¡­?! ¡°But, the problem here is that¡­¡± As I was drowning in my agony, Riru continued, her gaze was still cold. ¡°All of the other punks have at least one thing like that.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Except me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m the only one¡­ Who hasn''t done anything hot and passionate like that with you¡­!¡± ¡°...¡± No, wait... Are you trying to tell me that you¡¯re jealous over how I put another punk on a leash and walked her? Or how that one punk threw herself willingly at me while disgracing herself in front of the other people? ¡°I don¡¯t care about the details, I just want you to do something to me. Anything.¡± ¡°...¡± Riru¡­ Girl, please, what the hell are you on about? ¡°-W-Wait, Riru! Calm down¡ª¡± ¡°Do you think I can just calm down?! Do you know how miserable it feels to only get to do something hot and sticky with you only in my dreams every day?!¡± ¡°...¡± What? She dreamed of doing something like that every day?! Also, why the hell did she say all that in front of all these people?! What¡¯s wrong with her head?! I knew I couldn¡¯t say those words out loud, though. Because her attacks only got stronger the more she talked. ¡°That¡¯s why, don¡¯t say those kinds of things! Because I¡¯m desperate¡ª!¡± No need to say that out loud, I could tell¡­! At this point, her movement had grown significantly fasterpared to her ¡®warm-up¡¯ earlier. -! -!! -!!!! Some people in the spectator seat turned pale because the aftershock of the collision reached where they were. My bones trembled everytime we exchanged our moves. Actually, it felt like my bones weren¡¯t the thing that was trembling, but the whole building itself. However¡­ ¡­I can still stand this much. While her attacks were fierce, I could somehow parry them all. At this rate, I should be able to achieve my goal; To get her tired so that she could stop this whole thing herself. [...Sorry to interrupt you, but do you have a specific reason for doing that?] What? [I mean, this is a spar, no one would say anything if you were to attack her.] ¡­Yeah, but¡­ The thing was, I felt instinctively repulsed¡­ Just the thought of ¡®attacking¡¯ someone close to me already brought me that feeling. ¡°...¡± At least for me¡­ Even if I had to die¡­ I didn¡¯t want to raise my hand against someone precious to me. As I was lost in such thoughts¡­ Blue mes appeared in Riru¡¯s eyes. ¡°-Even until now¡­ All you¡¯re doing is parrying¡­¡± She said with a snort. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll stop holding back.¡± After she said that¡­ The Blue Aura started wrapping around her fists. But that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°-!¡± The moment I saw it, an indescribable chill ran down my spine. That¡¯s¡ª! Valkasus,e out quick! [Uh, w-what?] The answer that came from the Soul Linker soundedpletely flustered, as I had just woken him up from his sleep. Use all the Forbidden Sorcery you can use! Quick! For defense! Even while I said so, I quickly took out everything I had to prepare for her blow quickly. Everything, from Divine Shield that was created by Ultima, the Nullification Spells that I could cast with the Forbidden Sorcery Tattoos in my body, to my durability that had been boosted by both Iron Man Mastery and Desperation. Meanwhile¡­ Riru raised her fist. In this short moment of lull amidst the hectic battle, I could hear the audience¡¯s mutters from where I was. ¡°...Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Both of them suddenly¡ª¡± But, before that one person could finish their words¡­ Riru extended her arm. Even though the world seemed to be moving very slowly in my eyes thanks to my skills, her blow was almost like a sh of light. And then¡­ -... -... -...!! Everything was torn apart. The scene, the current state, everything that was between her fist and me waspletely ¡®pulverized¡¯. ¡­Fuck¡ª! I could immediately tell how big was the force behind that blow and it made me feel nauseous. Even the ¡®air¡¯ where she extended her hand was pulverized to the point that a void space was created for a moment there. Before I could even finish a cycle of breathing. Her fist was already right in front of my face. -!!! -!!!!!!!!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ¡°Whoa, whoaaaaak!¡± ¡°What is this¡ª!¡± Meanwhile, the entire building shook, as if it was being bombarded due to the shockwave created by the collision between her fist and the Shield that I had created. Cracks were forming like spiderwebs on the walls and ceiling. Clouds of dust and rock debris fell down from up there. It only took the aftermath of that sh to partly destroy this entire building. And¡­ I looked at her fist that had stopped right before my face with a stunned gaze. ¡°...¡± This was¡­ The force that she let out just by standing there and extending her hand. If this was a real battle, if she were actually trying her best to hit me¡­ My head would¡¯ve burst out already¡­ ¡°...Hehe.¡± She then retrieved her fist with a grin. ¡°Seeing your expression made me feel proud. Shocked?¡± Fucking hell, of course I was. ¡°...Yes. Yes, I was.¡± I ended up using everything I had back then. From the Shield that was created through Divine Power that had been adjusted as my stats got boosted by Desperation, One Punch through Law Power, and Nullification through Forbidden Sorcery. If something went wrong, things would¡¯ve been disastrous for everyone, even though I had used up everything. Even though it was the Blue Devil''s Authority that pulverized everything she touched, I didn¡¯t expect that a void would be formed after the Authority got rid of ¡®everything¡¯ in her wake. That kind of force would even threaten the lives of the people who possessed the title of Saint if they were to be hit by that directly. ¡°Did you mix your Demonic Aura with Law Power?¡± ¡°Yeah. I trained hard.¡± Instead of borating further, she just smiled bashfully. As if trying to say something like, ¡®Ah, you noticed!¡¯. ¡°...Still, you blocked that blow anyway.¡± Only because I had seen it once before. Kasa Garda. The Tribal Alliance¡¯s Chieftain, the Fist Saint. She had shown me something simr before. Back then, she obstructed the state of the world itself with only her fist and Law Power. If Kasa¡¯s fist was refined, polished, and sublime¡­ Riru¡¯s was way more violent and simple. But, its ¡®destructive power¡¯ could match Kasa¡¯s. ¡­Did she use the Demonic Aura to make up for the parts where she wascking? This was a matter of course, but¡­ She used the Demonic Aura, which only she could use, at the right time and somehow ¡®imitated¡¯ Kasa¡¯s technique. And she did that on her own. ¡°...I got to learn something from that. You¡¯re amazing, Riru.¡± It never crossed my mind to bine¡¯ Auras with other kinds of power like that. As someone who was trying hard to increase my strength, this was huge. Hell, this was easily in the realm of enlightenment. Basically, I got a new weapon thanks to her. The fact that you could mix the Demonic Aura with another Aura meant that the power I could use, as someone who could ¡®collect¡¯ all Demonic Auras, was limitless. ¡°...Let¡¯s skip the smooth talk. Ugh¡­ Even so, I still can¡¯t win against you¡­¡± ¡°You were the one who held back at the end, though?¡± Yeah¡­ If she didn¡¯t do that, I would¡¯ve actually eaten that blow even though I had deployed all the defensive measures I could take out. While I wouldn¡¯t have died, I¡¯d definitely get hurt from that. ¡°Idiot.¡± Hearing my words, Riru answered with a grin. ¡°Do you think I¡¯d really hurt you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m also like you. I don¡¯t want to hurt you because you¡¯re precious to me.¡± ¡°...¡± I didn''t know how to respond, so I just kept my mouth shut. It felt as if my chest was stabbed. My head ached even more than her terrifying strike earlier. ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯te to win. I have no regrets.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I came here knowing that I¡¯d lose, you dummy.¡± She said as such as she showed a painfully clear smile on her face. So clear that it suffocated me. ¡°...I noticed you strangely seem rushed, as if you¡¯re being chased by something.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡­Yeah, I was¡­ There was the thing with Count Nichs and the Gray Devil telling me to get stronger¡­ I¡¯ve been trying to adhere to a really tight schedule because something would definitely happen in the future. But, I made sure that I didn¡¯t tell or show anyone about this. How did she find out? ¡°Well, uhm, you know¡­¡± She continued while scratching her head, with a blushing face. ¡°...I-I just wanted to tell you that¡­ U-Um¡­ Y-You don¡¯t need to do everything yourself, b-because I also worked hard¡­ I-I can support you¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°B-Because you are¡­ U-Um¡­¡± Her stammer continued and slowly became a mumble. ¡°The p-person I l-li¡­I-I mean, you know, uh, someone I really li¡­¡± ¡°...Yeah?¡± ¡°...N-Never mind! What, do you have anything toin?!¡± Though in the end, she just yelled at me out of embarrassment. I couldn¡¯t say anything either this time. Nor could I brush it off yfully like what I¡¯ve always done. Because she had conveyed her feelings through her desperation. As I could only stand there, awkwardly scratching my cheek, a voice was heard from the Soul Linker. [Did you see that, Boy King? This bastard is all shy now¡­!] [Oh wow, does that mean there is a little bit of humanity in him¡­?! That¡¯s surprising¡­] [Right?! He hasn¡¯tpletely lost it yet! He¡¯s still a human somehow, at least he could feel shy after receiving someone else¡¯s kindness¡­!] ¡°...¡± Must be fun teasing me like that, huh? You fuck¡ª As I thought so while ring at the Soul Linker. Suddenly¡­ A window that I hadn''t seen for a long time popped up before my eyes. < system="" message=""> [ Skill: Fatal Charm has been activated! ] [ A viin is greatly interested in you! ] [ Target ¡®Nichs Alte Grayber¡¯ just watched the spar! ] [ The favorability level has been upgraded to ¡®Interest Level 1¡¯! ] [ Rewards are added to the Gift tab! ] [ Target-rted event will ur soon! ] ¡°...¡± ¡­I knew it. It seemed like the person I didn¡¯t want to meet the most had seen through the whole thing. Chapter 248: Nicholas (1) Chapter 248: Nichs (1) < skill="" info=""> [ Fallen¡¯s Seal: Transformation ] [ . . . Currently stored Devil¡¯s Aura Purple Devil ( 95% ) Brown Devil ( 5% ) Blue Devil ( 100% )Red Devil ( 5% ) White Devil ( 0% ) C????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????? ????????????¡ã???????????????3??????????????????????? ( 0% ) . . . ] ¡°...Hm.¡± Nice. At the very least, I got Blue Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura full thanks to the spar with Riru. This basically meant I got what I wanted, pretty much. My goal was to at least fill up four Demonic Auras since that should be the minimum condition for me to be able to deal with any situation rather safely. [You¡¯re halfway there then? You should get enough from those Cardinal Humans sisters, no?] ¡°...It¡¯s a little bit different with them¡­¡± I replied while looking at the 95% number attached to Purple Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura¡¯s gauge. You see, I could only use the Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura if that number reached 100%. That had always been the case, or at least, I had never experienced otherwise ever since the exnation about the Seal was partially disclosed to me. Though, I didn¡¯t know why this one stopped at 5%... < tip!=""> [ The higher the Devil¡¯s Vessel''s favorability level towards you, the easier it is to collect Demonic Aura! ] [ Low favorability level will spawn some difficulties in the collection process! ] As I was questioning that, such a window popped up, making me narrow my eyes. Was this why it only capped at 95%? ¡­Which means, the problem isn¡¯t with Seras. It was because Victoria¡¯s favorability level towards me was low¡­ [So, have you found the problem?] ¡°...I think it¡¯s because Victoria doesn¡¯t like me very much.¡± [Seduce her, then.] ¡°...¡± [She¡¯s a woman and she¡¯s a Devil¡¯s Vessel. All you need to do is just to go for it.] This guy talked about getting someone to deeply love me was something as easy as breathing¡­ [So, can you do it or not?] ¡°...Of course¡­¡± [...] ¡°I mean, it isn¡¯t difficult, it¡¯s just¡­ She doesn¡¯t even want to show up in my presencetely, you know¡­?¡± Ever since the time when she ended up sucking my finger, she always ran away every time it seemed like she¡¯d run into me. If I wanted to get along with her, I had to meet her first, of course, but¡­ ¡°Ah.¡± As I was deep in thoughts like that, suddenly¡­ A very unpleasant voice entered my ears. ¡°Found you.¡± An innocent sounding voice. I¡¯d believe it if someone who didn¡¯t know him would perceive him as someone naive. However, someone with a better perception would definitely feel an ominous feeling creeping up their skin at the unknown ¡®twistedness¡¯ beneath his voice. When I turned my head around,someone with droopy eyes¡ªwhich made him look as if he was a little sleepy, was approaching me with slow steps, befitting his voice. His hair was ck, his eyes red, add those to his pretty face, anyone would mistake him for a young noble. ¡°I''m Count Nichs. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°...¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time someone approached me in this way. Marquis Riverback back in Chapter 1 had done the same. He tried to trap me by acting like he coincidentally ran into me. This fucker was simr to him. He didn¡¯t lose out to him when it came to the danger level he brought. They both also threw themselves at me even though I didn¡¯t want to meet them at all. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you. The Academy has been hindering me, so I¡¯ve had quite a hard time.¡± But, the difference here was¡­ Compared to Marquis Riverback who was hiding his insidious intentions, this fucker wasn¡¯t the type to do so. Instead, he¡¯d shamelessly show it around like this. ¡°Let''s talk, Dowd Campbell.¡± Seeing how he said that while yawning, he didn¡¯t seem to expect me to say no at all. To be exact, rather than not expecting me to say no, he was prepared to drag me by ¡®force¡¯. ¡°I have a tempting offer for you.¡± ¡°...¡± This part wasn¡¯t a trap, I could tell this much. He wasn¡¯t the type to be up to something like that in the first ce. However¡­ If I were to follow this punk, I¡¯d be forcing myself to go through an unpleasant experience. ¡­Haa. But still¡­ I replied to him coolly with a smile stered on my face. ¡°...Color me interested, then.¡± Since he came to me without any hesitation like this, I couldn¡¯t help but respond to him. ¡ñ [...So, this is the guy who has killed the most people in the Empire?] Yeah. Seriously though, how could such a high-ranking noble could live with a terrible nickname like ughterer? Normally, having such a terrible nickname would bring a huge disgrace to one¡¯s family, so any sane noble would deny that nickname using whatever it cost. However, this person ain¡¯t sane. He wouldn¡¯t give a shit even if that was his official nickname. Calling him a freak wouldn¡¯t cut it anymore, he was just straight up a crazy bastard. [...He looks barely over twenty. Also, he looks like a slightly depressed handsome guy instead of a lunatic¡­] That¡¯s why everyone falls for it. This bastard¡­ Was a scum. The only person who could bepared to him in terms of being a trashy person was the Holy Land¡¯s Pope. As I mulled over such information, we walked inside Elfante under the setting sun. Our walk was quiet, the cool breeze that tickled my ears felt pleasant. If only this fucker beside me wouldn¡¯t say something so unpleasant the very next moment¡­ ¡°First, I want to apologize.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I wanted to be courteous, but I don¡¯t have much patience, so I¡¯ll be getting right to the point.¡± ¡­As expected from the bastard who suddenly came to me without hesitation, his pretentious act was something else. While I was sighing inwardly, Count Nichs continued. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m looking for and I think you¡¯re keeping it around you.¡± He said so before holding out a paper filled with facialposites of people and written rewards. It was a wanted poster issued by his household. As for the people he was looking for¡ª [...Hey, aren¡¯t they¡ª] ¡­Yeah. There''s no way I¡¯d mistake their faces for anyone else¡¯s. The facialposites were drawn roughly, but I could clearly tell who they were. Seras and Victoria in their Beastkins shape. ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a little hard to exin, but¡­ If you take off their tails and ears, are there people who look like this around you¡­?¡± There are. Both of them, in fact. ¡°Who knows, I can¡¯t be sure just by looking at this.¡± ¡°Is that so? I clearly heard from the rumors that there are people who look exactly like this loitering around you.¡± ¡°...With all due respect, Count, may I know why you''re looking for them?¡± Count Nichs tilted his head. His expression suggested that he was wondering why I was asking the obvious. ¡°ughterer¡­ That¡¯s the name that people call me.¡± He replied in a nk voice. ¡°I didn''t get that nickname for no reason. Isn''t it obvious what I''m going to do once I find them?¡± ¡°...¡± I could feel rage bubbling up from the bottom of my stomach. Even though he was talking about killing those two, he didn¡¯t even blink an eye. ¡°...I want to hear your reason.¡± At the very least¡­ I wanted to know what his motive was exactly. The reason why he came to me at this time and asked me directly to give them to him. ¡°Are Cardinal Humans not simr to humans? Save for their race that¡ª¡± ¡°...Pardon me?¡± He suddenly interjected in a slightly stunned voice. His face still looked nk. With the same sleepy expression, he¡ª ¡°...Do we have to consider those things humans?¡± ¡ªUttered such nonsense. At that moment, I could feel chill running throughout my body. ¡°While there are a lot of humans who got deceived by their looks and are holding such a wrong perception about these things, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they¡¯re merely pests. They¡¯re unqualified to live in the same space as the Imperial citizens who naturally possess the perfect genes.¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve heard of this sort of thing. That was exactly the ideology of the bastards who had put the world into the pit of war back in my previous world. Eugenics, racism, the Holocaust, genocide. Those lunatics supported such an insane ideology. Count Nichs wasn¡¯t any different. Even though he was spewing out such crazy delusions, his eyes were very clear. Only people who werepletely sure that they had been doing the right thing throughout their life could have eyes like that. Eyes that were filled with so much positivity towards oneself. In other words¡­ ¡­He¡¯s a fucking lunatic. It was the sign of a sickening and deeply diffused fanaticism. This fucker believed that ¡®exterminating¡¯ countless Cardinal Humans was the right thing to do. No, to him, it was more than that. Because his expression suggested that it was a ¡®natural thing to do¡¯. It was obvious that he had never even thought of whether this was good or bad. ¡®The Cardinal Humans are not humans¡¯. ¡®They''re almost like pests, like cockroaches or mosquitos¡¯. ¡®So, ¡®exterminating¡¯ them is a natural thing to do¡¯. That was his logic. [...This bastard, what the fuck is he on about?] Caliban said so in a dark voice from inside the Soul Linker. This was the first time I¡¯ve ever heard him talking in this kind of tone. ¡®Killing intent¡¯ that could make my spine tense up was condensed in his voice. Back when he met the Red Devil, he hadn¡¯t even exuded such a terrifying vibe. [That''s the reason he killed them all? For that absurd reason?] Of course, this fucker in front of me couldn¡¯t feel what I felt. So, he went on and said something that made me blind with rage just from hearing it. ¡°It''s my mission to exterminate all of those pests so that they won''t end up harming the Empire. The reason why I came to you and asked you is because I believe you¡¯d understand how honorable this work is.¡± ¡°...¡± If I were to think cool-headedly, The best course of action for me was to control my temper here. ¡°You don''t have to worry. If they''re not Cardinal Humans, I¡¯ll send them back to you immediately.¡± ¡°...And what if they are?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going to execute them after torturing them in all possible ways. I¡¯ll make them suffer the most pain a being could suffer from as a payback for them daring to deceive you, an honorable Imperial citizen. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°...¡± Controlling my temper here as the best course of action¡­ ¡°Especially these¡­ Two things...¡± As I thought so while looking at Nichs, he swept his forehead with an expression as if thinking about them had irritated him enough. I knew I shouldn¡¯t cause trouble here, but¡­ ¡°During the extermination, their parents were the strongest Cardinal Humans I had ever met. When I asked them where they hid their children¡ªwhile mashing each of their limbs, of course, they refused to answer me until the end.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I had set the whole vige on fire and killed every single one of these pests regardless of gender and age, but I missed these two things. Guess that wasn¡¯t my lucky day, huh?¡± The way he said those words was as if he wasining about having a breakfast that he disliked. ¡°Since they were both children at the time, I figured using the dead bodies of their parents as bait would work, so I hung up their heads in the square, but those things weren¡¯t fooled by that.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Usually, young Cardinal Humans would run out crying, crying out mom, dad, and whatever, you know? I¡¯ve caught and killed plenty of them by doing that.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But I guess children of the strong ones are different. Their survival skill is rather tenacious. Crazy, isn¡¯t it?¡± This fucker was the person with the highest authority in the Upper Nobles Association, just below Marquis Bogut and his secretary, Count Ravel. Since I was rted to both the Empress and the Chancellor, the moment I messed with him, it would turn into a huge incident that would lead straight to a civil war. There was also a high chance that the main viin in the next main scenario was this punk. Coming at him right now would only raise the probability of everything going in a bad direction, unlike when it was with the Pope. The best thing for me to do was to wait for a bit and make sure that I was prepared enough to mash this punk. That time would surelye. ¡°...¡± That would be the best thing for me to do¡­ I fucking knew that, but¡­ Caliban. [... Yeah.] Caliban replied in a voice that sounded as if he wasughing. Right¡­ I guess since he had known me for so long, we were on the same wavelength. [We¡¯ll be calling them then?] Yes, please. As we were having such a conversation, Count Nichs rolled the facialposites he was holding out to me and put it back into his inner chest pocket. Even after that, he still spewed out his insane ramblings. ¡°Too bad that you don¡¯t know them. Those things are so persistent, I need to catch them as soon as¡ª¡± ¡°Count Nichs, I''m sorry to interrupt you.¡± I said while grinning. ¡°But would you shut up?¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, he instantly shut his mouth. It felt as if his nk expression had turned even more nk. ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just...¡± I replied, throwing an even wider grin at him. And then¡­ The Seal on my chest shone in deep blue. < system="" message=""> [ Using ¡®Blue Devil''s Demonic Aura! ] [ Copying Target¡¯s Authority, ¡®Pulverization¡¯! ] ¡°I don¡¯t even want to hear yourst words.¡± The next moment¡­ My fist, wrapped in Blue Demonic Aura, hit Count Nichs straight in his face. Chapter 249: Nicholas (2) Chapter 249: Nichs (2)There was one thing that I found out when I was out experimenting this and that. The fact that Caliban¡¯s speed was much faster than I originally thought. He was so fast to the point that he had already ¡®summoned¡¯ them and returned here right before my fist reached Nichs¡¯ head and made it explode. We concluded that it was probably the case because he was a ghost, which meant he wasn¡¯t quite affected by the principles of the Material Realm. [ ¡®Skill: Swordsman¡¯s Focus¡¯ has been activated! ] [ Reflexes and cognitive abilities have been heightened ] That also meant I could afford having a conversation with him even when my senses were heightened. While the world significantly slowed down around me, I asked Caliban, who was already back inside the Soul Linker. You called them all already? So, there were a few people who¡¯d immediatelye when I called them over if I were to tell them that ¡®it was an emergency¡¯.Caliban should know who they were. [Of course.] As expected, he gave me such a clear answer, living up to the trust I had given him. But soon, he continued in a slightly ufortable voice. [...But¡­] He looked at my fist that was about to touch Nichs¡¯ head. [Is it really okay for us to do this?] What was that? Are you trying to say that ¡®We shouldn¡¯t kill him¡¯, or ¡®Think about the aftermath¡¯ or¡ª [Nah. Don¡¯t you think he¡¯d get off too easily like this? You know, after all that he had done.] ¡°...¡± Wow, guess Nichs disgusted him that much, huh? I agree wholeheartedly with that though, so I won¡¯tin. Well, don¡¯t worry about that. I said with a smirk. You know that I¡¯m not the type who¡¯d half-ass something like this. [That¡¯s true.] ... Somehow, hearing him agreeing with me in such confidence made me feel moreplicated than happy¡­ Anyway, I ignored that and activated some of my skills in sequence. [ Using Skill: Image World! ] [ The advantages you have currently are shared with nearby targets! ] After that one, I casted Caliban¡¯s Unique Skill; the ability to share buffs with people around me. I specified the target to be Nichs, whose head was about to be pulverized by me. [ ¡®Mastery: Iron Man¡¯ is shared with target. ] [ ¡®Skill: Swordsman¡¯s Focus¡¯ is shared with target. ] [ ¡®Skill: Desperation¡¯ is shared with target. ] [ ¡®Skill: ¡­. ] Like this¡­ This bastard wouldn¡¯t die peacefully. ¡ñ It was known that most deaths that would be categorized as a painful death at a nce, actually weren¡¯t as bad as expected. Like burning at the stake for example. It was said that the rate of people dying from suffocation because of the smoke was higher than them actually dying from the fire. But¡­ The situation that Count Nichs was going through was extremely strange. It began with the man before his eyes throwing a punch at him all of a sudden. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person who¡¯d indulge himself in fistfight, but it didn¡¯t mean he had no ability to immediately deal with this kind of sudden attack. It was just, his death came upon him so quickly, leaving him without any time to react. As soon as the man¡¯s fist contacted his head, it just exploded, and his consciousness was immediately cut out. Or, rather¡­ That was what was supposed to happen. Instead of that¡­ The moment the man¡¯s fist touched his face, time immediately ¡®stopped¡¯. Well, not really. Actually, it was just his senses became heightened due to the effect of ¡®Swordsman¡¯s Focus¡¯ that Dowd had shared with him. And after that¡­ ¡°...!¡± Pain that made him feel like his soul was being torn apart struck him. ¡°---!!! -!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± It made him wish that he¡¯d just die from that. In fact, he prayed so hard to the existences above so that he¡¯d die immediately and end this pain. However, let alone dying, he didn¡¯t even lose his consciousness. Or rather, he was not ¡®allowed¡¯ to lose his consciousness. This was the effect of ¡®Desperation¡¯s stat boosts, coupled by enhanced vitality from ¡®Iron Man¡¯ Mastery. Even when his whole body was being torn apart by the Blue Devil¡¯s Authority, ¡®Pulverization¡¯, he could still clearly feel all the pain thanks to his heightened senses. His skin being torn apart, muscles dismantled. The Demonic Aura even prated into the deepest part of his internal organs, mashed his insides to an extreme degree and returned his whole body to nothing. He felt pain that was filled with indescribable malice all over his body¡ªin each of his cells, muscle fibers, the ends of his bones. And during that whole process¡­ Even though his whole body was torn to pieces, he tenaciously survived. His nerves remembered all the pain he suffered from every single part of it. It was as if he had lost his mind. His mouth was agape because of the pain that prated deeply into his soul, but he couldn¡¯t let out a scream. Only a second or two had actually passed. However, to him, whose nerves were slowed down by the Swordsman¡¯s Focus, it felt like an eternity had passed. And, during that moment¡­ He managed to capture something with his optic nerve that had not been crushed to bits yet. The eyes of the man who was using his fist to ¡®pulverize¡¯ him. -... His clear pair of eyes. So clear and so calm to the point that it was hard to believe that he was doing such a horrible thing to someone else. Not only that, there was also some kind of ¡®aloofness¡¯ under his gaze. As he met those eyes in the world that was flowing slowly, as if it had stopped¡­ Count Nichs suddenly shuddered. -Ah, I see. A realization struck him. He wasn¡¯t sure how to describe it, but¡­ This realization made him feel some kind of ¡®joy¡¯. -I see, this man is the same as I am, he¡¯s¡ª However, before he could even finish his line of thoughts¡­ His consciousness waspletely severed. Forever. ¡ñ ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± A rare sight was unfolding. Where the empress and chancellor, sharing simr thoughts as both of them were having a meltdown at the same time. While Dowd was amused by the thought that it took a headless body of a high-ranking noble to unite the two people whose rtionship was like oil and water, Sullivan suddenly asked him in a deeply subdued voice. ¡°...I know that hearing it directly from you won¡¯t help me understand anything, but I still have to ask. What made you do this?¡± ¡°He¡¯s disgusting, so I killed him.¡± ¡°...¡± Thankfully, the chancellor could rte with this reason. Because in her eyes, Count Nichs was indeed a disgusting human being. She also believed that Dowd wouldn¡¯t do something like this for no reason, even though he usually did a lot of things that would attract a lot of attention. Which meant, the count had iting. While that was good and all, the aftermath that his action would bring was apletely different matter entirely. ¡°...¡± Sullivan tried to keep a cool head. She could look for the reason, hold him responsible, and resent him while asking why he did that all she wantedter. Because for now, her priority was to analyze this emergency situation and put up some countermeasures. But, even when she tried to think positively, did all the best she could and tried to resolve this matter as smoothly as possible¡­ The most ideal future that she could reach after all the political maneuvering she could do was¡­ ¡°...Dowd, with this, a civil war will definitely start.¡± That was the inevitable oue. ¡°The Upper Nobles Association, who has been cowering so far, would use it as an excuse to start one. They¡¯ve been somewhat behaving well all this time¡ª¡± ¡°Really? Do you really think they¡¯ve been behaving well?¡± Dowd said in a t tone of voice. Hearing that, both the empress and chancellor¡¯s bodies stiffened. Because they noticed what he was trying to say from the nuance of his voice. And truly, what he said afterwards confirmed their thoughts. ¡°Just be honest with me. You two are already aware of it, no? Those guys have been itching to fight you. An excuse? Ha, they don¡¯t need one, they could just make it up and do it if they want to.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± The empress said while looking at the count¡¯s dead body lying on the ground with a frown on her face. ¡°But still, giving them a ¡®reason¡¯ in this way will breed apletely different problem.¡± Her point was, since the civil war was inevitable, ¡®when¡¯ it would happen became a very crucial variable. ¡°The Upper Nobles Association holds most of the military. If a civil war happens when we aren¡¯t prepared enough, we¡¯ll be easily crushed by them. This is the reason why both Sullivan and I had been trying our best to not give them the excuse to¡ª¡± ¡°I just need you to buy me a moment. Just hide the fact that I killed him.¡± However, Dowd¡¯s nonchnt reply shut the empress¡¯ mouth. From his tone, it seemed like he had expected that the Upper Nobles Association would react like this. And it seemed like he already had something in mind. ¡°Burying your heads in the sand like an ostrich is okay. This sort of thing is possible as long as both of you work together anyway, no? Just tell them that he died in an ¡®ident¡¯, not because he was killed by someone. This much will do, for now.¡± If giving those guys the reason to do it was the problem, then you just had to hide that ¡®reason¡¯. That was what Dowd was trying to say here. Even if the Upper Nobles Association tried to investigate, both the empress and the chancellor could just abuse their authority and block them from even questioning such a ridiculous cover story. However, there was still a problem with this n. ¡°...But, that still won¡¯t stop them. They¡¯ll definitely do anything to get that reason.¡± If they were to use such means, the Upper Nobles Association would pull off all sorts of dirty things to face them head on. ¡°Nichs Comital Household¡­and by extension, the Upper Nobles Association, were the Magic Tower¡¯s biggest sponsor. With what they have, there¡¯s a high chance that they¡¯d ¡®call the soul¡¯ of Count Nichs and ask him the truth, or even attempt a limited-resurrection on him. The Magic Tower is definitely capable of doing that¡­¡± To that, Dowd let out a snort. Because he was familiar with all those means that she mentioned. In the middle of Chapter 5 in the original game, there was a scene where Count Nichs would strangely be resurrected through a Magic Tool brough by the Magic Tower during a boss battle. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if the Magic Tower really did resurrect him this time. However¡­ ¡°If anything, I¡¯d hate it if he doesn¡¯t return to life once again.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Killing him once is not enough.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I really hope he''lle back to life again, so that I can tear him apart more carefully next time.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, the empress and the chancellor could only stare at him speechless. Ignoring them, Dowd just smirked before continuing. ¡°We know the civil war is approaching, so don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better for us to make it so that it ends a little quicker?¡± ¡°...Have youe out with a n for that?¡± ¡°It was just something I came up with on a whim.¡± After hearing the chancellor¡¯s question, Dowd immediately replied without hesitation. His reply came so quickly that both the empress and the chancellor narrowed their eyes at the same time. ¡­This man. ¡­This person. No matter how they looked at it, it seemed like he had killed the count by ident. After all, considering his disposition, this man was someone who would never n to ¡®kill¡¯ someone and actuallymitting it like this. But¡­ Somehow, he already had the way to ¡®deal with this situation¡¯ in his mind. In that short period of time. ¡­What kind of a monster is he? Every time, he surprised me¡­ The empress and the chancellor thought so to themselves while letting out a groan inwardly. Meanwhile Dowd continued with a calm voice. ¡°Of course, we¡¯re gonna be busy from now on to prepare for that.¡± He was right. But, the thing here was, he sounded too calm. Then again, this man was someone who had dered that he could just end a whole civil war quickly, and he came out with that n on a whim. ¡°...I¡¯ll have to deal with a few things I have to take care of first though.¡± Hearing that, the empress and the chancellor couldn¡¯t help but hold back their murmurs, unable to even guess what kind of terrifying acts this man would do next¡­ ¡ñ ¡°...Mr. Dowd.¡± Lucia hurriedly called out to Dowd, who was standing before her eyes. She was actually quite pleased to see him after a long time, but the moment she heard his words after he suddenly barged into the chapel made her almost lose all of that feeling. ¡°...Could you¡­repeat that again¡­? My hearing isn¡¯t so good these days¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go on a date. Tomorrow. Downtown.¡± First of all, there was a lot to be said about this part. A date invitation? So suddenly?? Him and me?? This already made her chest tightened, but the other thing he said was even more ridiculous than that. ¡°...No, no, not that. The other thing that you¡ª¡± ¡°Which one? The part where I told you to bring Yuria with you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Or the part where I told you, if you want, I¡¯ll bring two leashes, one for you.¡± ¡°...Are you trying to say that Yuria wearing it around is already a done deal?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...Also, downtown?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± So I didn¡¯t hear it wrong¡­ At that moment, Lucia¡¯s vision darkened. Chapter 250: Contact (1) Chapter 250: Contact (1)¡°Iliya.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Iliya!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t answer, I¡¯m going to break the door and go in! Something really urgent is going on right now!¡± ¡­Huh? That sounds like something I¡¯d say to Teach¡­ Hearing someone else telling me that feels a little weird¡­ Iliya, who was lying down on bed while staring at the ceiling with vacant-looking eyes, thought so nkly. ¡°Seriously, Iliya¡ª! Forget it! I¡¯m going in!¡± Apanied by such words, the door to Iliya¡¯s room was crushed open.¡°It¡¯s been days! What have you been doing?! You even skipped all of today''s ss¡ª!¡± Trisha was about to finish her sentence before she was struck speechless by Iliya¡¯s vacant-looking eyes. Though, she didn¡¯t really know which one actually left her dumbstruck more. Was it Iliya¡¯s herself, who was extremely drunk while sprawling only in her undies, or the pyramid of empty alcohol bottles piled up next to her bed? ¡°...¡± The silence went on for a while before Trisha eventually held her forehead with both hands, groaning due to the headache she suddenly felt. ¡°...I knew I should¡¯ve forced myself to stay with you.¡± ¡°...Mmm¡­?¡± ¡°I knew that something like this would happen the moment you decided to move to a single room after you were appointed as a hero. You¡¯re quite weak-minded, after all¡­¡± ¡°...¡± Actually, those words she hurled at her made Iliya feel extremely wronged. After all, she wasn¡¯t usually like this. In any case, Trisha did not need to see Iliya¡¯s emotions with her eyes. Because there was only one reason why Iliya, who was always so affable and smart in every single aspect, to act like this. ¡°...This is because of Mr. Dowd again, isn¡¯t it?¡± Seriously¡ª! I knew that love could really make someone blind! More than anyone! I could see it with my own eyes! But that doesn¡¯t excuse her to turn into such a loser like this¡ª! ¡°So, what the heck is wrong with you? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°...¡± After hearing that, Iliya just silently tried to tilt the alcohol bottle towards her mouth again. Though it only remained as an attempt because Trisha immediately snatched the bottle away from her. ¡°What¡­ What are you¡­¡± Iliya mumbled, trying to voice out aint, but her voice subsided quickly. Then again, anyone would do the same if they were to see the re in Trisha¡¯s eyes, which gave off a fierce impression like that of a tiger¡¯s. ¡°Tell me. Right now. Or I¡¯ll get really mad at you.¡± ¡°...¡± Once again, Iliya realized that when that one kind friend who was always full of smiles and listened to you well suddenly got angry, they¡¯d practically turn into a demon from hell. After hesitating for a bit, Iliya finally relented and said out in a stammer. ¡°...I¡­confessed¡­to Teach¡­¡± Hearing that, Trisha¡¯s mouth became wide open. ¡°S-So? What did he say?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t given me an answer yet¡­¡± Trisha narrowed her eyes. What? She hasn¡¯t been dumped yet, then? Why is she acting like this? That was what Trisha was about to say, but she changed her mind and kept her mouth shut. Because she saw Iliya¡¯s emotion suddenly fluctuated from the corner of her eye. Based on the movement, she had a rough guess what it was. ¡°...¡± But, there¡¯s no way, right¡­? Though she thought so¡­ ¡°Iliya.¡± ¡°Mhm?¡± ¡°You¡­ Is the reason why you¡¯re acting like this is because ¡®you¡¯re afraid that he¡¯d dump you¡¯?¡± ¡°...¡± To that, Iliya clenched her mouth shut. Trisha could see her emotion fluctuate again, this time, it was because she was startled. She red at her friend dumbfoundedly before holding her head in her hands. ¡°You idiot! I get it that your love blinded you, but how the hell did you get so scared and turned into a loser like this when you haven¡¯t even gotten his answer?! You¡¯re THE hero, THE hope of the human race! Even a dog passing by wouldugh at you if it heard that you¡¯re acting like this just because of a man!¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t the entire reason, though¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t? Then what else?¡± ¡°...Also, Teach isn¡¯t just any man, you know¡­?¡± Instead of answering Trisha¡¯s question, Iliya just timidly mumbled. Meanwhile, Trisha red at her again, dumbfounded. After a while, Trisha facepalmed while letting out a deep sigh. ¡°...Whatever, let¡¯s talk about thatter. Hurry up and get dressed. If you were to go out like that, the person who¡¯sing to see you now wouldn¡¯t evenugh at you!¡± ¡°Who is it? Is it Her Imperial Majesty the Empress? If it¡¯s her, I¡¯ll deal with her somehow.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°If shees to me to say more nonsense I¡¯ll just kick her out. Or if the nonsense is rted to Teach, I¡¯ll give her a piece of my mind.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...You know, the way she looks at Teach recently has been a little sus¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who needs to stop talking nonsense here! Just hurry up and get dressed already!¡± Before Iliya could disrespect the empress even more, Trisha threw Iliya¡¯s pants and uniform top to her face with a scream. While Iliya got up and picked up the clothes with a sullen expression, Trisha cleaned up the messy room at a terrifying speed. Had the maid in charge of the senior students¡¯ dormitory seen how fast she was, she¡¯d probably try to pull all the stops to get her as her junior. ¡°By the way, who was it that wanted to see me so badly? You even made a great fuss about it¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find outter!¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t think anyone wouldin even if I looked quite shabby. I¡¯m still a hero, you know¡­?¡± ¡°If they¡¯re an ordinary person, sure, but they aren¡¯t!¡± While Iliya talked in an exhausted voice, Trisha said each of her words in half a scream. The way thetter seemed so desperate made Iliya narrowed her eyes. She also noticed that when Trisha said the person wasn¡¯t ordinary, it felt as if she emphasized the word ¡®person¡¯ more than the word ¡®ordinary¡¯. As if the issue here wasn¡¯t whether the person was ordinary or not, rather whether they were a person or not. ¡°The one who came¡ª!¡± Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take too long for Iliya to find out why Trisha was acting like that. Because that person had entered the room before Trisha could even finish her words. And when Iliya saw them, she opened her mouth wide. When that person, no, that ¡®thing¡¯ entered her room¡­ A terrifying and alien atmosphere fell upon the room. This being¡­ Seemingly to be very far apart from the regr ¡®principles¡¯ that made up the world¡­ Its build was several times bigger than ordinary humans as it made loud stomping sounds every time it took a step. Although it was hidden under the robe that reminded Iliya of a monk, she noticed that its entire ¡®body¡¯ was made of smooth metal¡ª ¡­No, that isn¡¯t any ordinary steel¡­ There are¡­countless ¡®functions¡¯ hidden under it¡­ This being was like a giant of steel, walking on two legs. If Dowd were to see it, the word ¡®cyborg¡¯ would be the first thing that came to his mind. ¡°...Nice to meet you, Hero.¡± As soon as Iliya heard its voice, her hand, which was running through her hair, stopped. Under her clothes, she could feel goosebumps all over her body. It wasn¡¯t because she felt an amazing aura from its voice. Rather, it was the opposite. She couldn¡¯t feel anything. Vibe, emotion, nothing. She couldn¡¯t feel anything that she could rte to ¡®human¡¯ from its voice. If Dowd were here, the words ¡®machine sound¡¯ would immediately pop up in his mind the moment he heard it talked. ¡°Nice to meet you, Hero. I am Magic Tower¡¯s Marshal, Alpha-11.¡± As it revealed that it was the Magic Tower¡¯s Marshal, the ¡®thing¡¯ held out its mechanized prosthetic arm towards Iliya. Its prosthetic arm was entirely made of smooth metal with no joints. ¡°I came here to see someone.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Iliya suddenly felt some kind of fate. Because usually, if someone were toe all of a sudden like this, there would only be one person that they were trying to look for. ¡°May I ask who you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°...¡± And her guess was right. ¡ñ Standing before a crowd was always something like a vocation to Lucia. Leading big religious events, asional social gatherings, simple daily masses or prayer meetings had always been her role. After all, she was THE saintess. ¡°...Wait, is that the saintess¡­?¡± ¡°No way. There¡¯s no way such an exalted person would evene¡ª¡± That was what the two passersby said when they passed by Lucia, before suddenly staring at her. ¡°...Wait, is that actually her¡­?¡± ¡°Right¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone would recognize her upon seeing her beauty and those two weren¡¯t any different. But still, there was a reason why they still harbored doubts toward her being the actual saintess¡­ ¡°But, who¡¯s the person she¡¯s with then¡­? Also who¡¯s the tiny woman next to him¡­?¡± Of course, they were none other than Dowd and Yuria. Currently, Lucia was walking in a section of the city with these two. To put it in other words, she was in the middle of a double date. ¡°...¡± This situation alone, where they were roaming around with both her and Yuria clinging to Dowd¡¯s arms, was enough to make Lucia¡¯s mind go nk. But, there was another reason that made her couldn¡¯t help but hang her head down¡­ ¡°Is it okay for the saintess to go on a date¡­?¡± ¡°I-It shouldn¡¯t be, right¡­? T-That means, she isn¡¯t the saintes¡­¡± That. That was the reason. Of course, it had been long since she relinquished her duty as a saintess, but her reputation would still get ruined to oblivion if all these passersby, who were pouring nearby the moment they three were out on the street, found out what exactly they were doing right now. I-I can¡¯t¡­! Lucia felt dizzy and her body felt like it was heating up. If someone were to find out that I am the ¡®real¡¯ saintess¡­and rumors were to spread¡ª! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, people won¡¯t be as interested in others as you thought they would. Like, people can¡¯t even recognize those celebrities covering their faces a little when they go out¡­¡± ¡°...Mr. Dowd.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel so scared if I wasn¡¯t wearing ¡®this¡¯ right now¡­!¡± Lucia said so shakily, tears welled up in her eyes. She pointed at Yuria and her necks. To be exact, at the thing that was wrapping around their necks¡­ The ¡®Invisible Leashes¡¯ that others couldn¡¯t see. ording to Down, he told Professor Vulkan to put Ectosm in it to make it this way. ¡°...¡± But that only made Lucia wonder, why the hell would he go out of his way to pour out such a precious ingredient to make these Invisible Leashes. It was as if walking her and Yuria with these leashes was a big deal or something. ¡°...Did you think I¡¯d actually put Yuria on a leash and walk her as if she was a dog in font of others¡­?¡± ¡°...To some extent, yes.¡± ¡°Oh my God, how could you think like that¡­!¡± ¡°Think about the things you¡¯ve done so far before you talk¡ª!¡± If anything, it¡¯s even stranger for you to not do that! Considering your reputation, that sounds extremely like something that you¡¯d do! Also, why are you acting as if you¡¯ve been usingmon sense?! When Luciained as such inwardly, Yuria, who was walking next to Dowd obediently while fidgeting, opened her mouth and said quietly. ¡°...I¡¯m fine with this though.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...Does Unnie not like it¡­?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t hate it that much¡­¡± Lucia answered as her cheeks trembled. She just couldn¡¯t bring herself to say harsh words to her sister, who had been in a pretty bad state for a while. That was why she red at Dowd while pouting instead. ¡°B-But still! You need to know the limits! Even though we¡¯re doing everything you¡¯re asking us to do, you¡¯re still making such an unreasonable¡ª!¡± ¡°...I¡¯m not the one making that kind of demand, you know?¡± ¡°...¡± Lucia shut her mouth, stunned. It was only after a while that she managed to speak again. ¡°...Sorry, what did you say?¡± ¡°I said it wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°Then who¡­?¡± At that moment, Yuria interjected. ¡°...It was me. I asked Mr Dowd to¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...I also asked him to do this with Unnie too¡­¡± Lucia felt a shock as if a thunderbolt had hit her head. The way Dowd shrugged before her eyes, as if saying, ¡®See?¡¯ snapped her awake, annoyed her greatly. ¡°...W-Why would you¡­!¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s this sense of immorality...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Receiving this kind of treatment from Master, n-no, Mr. Dowd, f-feels quite good¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And I wanted Unnie to know how it feels too¡­¡± Yuria mumbled her reply. Though she said it with a red face, her expression was firm. There was also a kind of heat in her voice that she failed to hide. ¡°...¡± This almost made Lucia pass out from the shock. Meanwhile, Dowd was looking at a window that appeared before his eyes with a satisfied look. Regardless of the situation, it seemed that he had achieved his goal. ¡­It charged up quickly. The White Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura was filling up terrifyingly quickly. Demonic Aura would be charged faster into the Seal if the more he had an ¡®intimate contact¡¯ with the target, this was one thing that he figured out. That was why he met up with Yuria and asked her what it was that she wanted to do the most, and this was her answer. Walking together with her sister, both on leashes. ¡°...¡± While he genuinely thought that she might need some kind of moral education, this development was actually in his favor for now. Suddenly, as he was thinking contentedly, a shadow cast before his eyes. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like the sky suddenly turning dark or anything. ¡®A giant body¡¯ just suddenly appeared before his eyes. ¡°...¡± Dowd unknowingly looked up and when he did, his whole body stiffened. Because something he had never expected to see in this kind of ce was right there in front of him. ¡°...A cyborg?¡± ¡°I am sorry, but such a being cannot be identified. I think you are mistaking me for something else.¡± Even its voice is a machine voice. As Dowd thought so while blinking, the Cyborg suddenly stared at Lucia. This shift of its gaze made Luciae to her senses. Then, it nced at her neck and Dowd¡¯s hand alternately. As if it could see what was ¡®connecting¡¯ the two. ¡°Ectosm Leash. Such fascinating equipment. I cannot believe you used such a high-end ingredient to make such junk. There must have been a great goal behind your action.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°May I ask what made you wear something like that, Saintess?¡± At that question, Lucia¡¯s face turned so red that she felt that it was about to explode. Chapter 251: Contact (2) In this city, built near Elfante, you could find a lot of interesting things. It was probably because there were all sorts of people wandering around here, since it was near the Golden Triangle. With various races, cultures, and merchants filling up the streets, there were just a lot of things you could see and enjoy. But, because of this, it meant it wouldn¡¯t be easy to attract people¡¯s attention no matter what you do. ¡°Welc¡ª Heeek!¡± However¡­ Even this city still found this ¡®thing¡¯, which had all Magic Tower¡¯s technologiesbined, strange. As we entered a cafe, the waiter who was about to greet us with a smile, screamed in fright as soon as he saw the massive cyborg who came in with stomping sounds. The drinks on the tray he was going to serve ttered, but luckily, a firm arm that was powered by hundreds of thousands of tiny pistons managed to hold the tray firm in ce. ¡°Be careful.¡±¡°¡­¡± What a gentle cyborg¡­ The waiter¡¯s face only got paler when he did it though, since the pressureing from his appearance was that strong. ¡°A-Ah, y-yes, t-thank you¡­¡± Still, the waiter didn¡¯t drop his professionalism. Even though he was facing such a terrifying humanoid metal thingy, he somehow managed to force a smile and led us to our seats. ¡°¡­First¡­¡± The moment we both sat down, facing each other, I said so while scratching my head awkwardly. ¡°Would you like something to eat?¡± [¡­Are you serious? What, you think he¡¯d eat sd or something?] Caliban threw a jab at me with a dumbfounded voice. Lay off! I didn¡¯t know what else to say! He came to me out of nowhere, I didn¡¯t even know how to treat him to begin with! If there was someone else with me, it might be a different story, but the saintess¡ªwho got caught by this guy for walking outside on a leash¡ªhad taken Yuria with her and ran away, looking as if she would cry. [¡­Apologize to herter.] ¡­I know¡­ It wasn¡¯t the first time this happened, so I just agreed with Caliban while sighing inwardly. That was that, but there was another thing¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t know much about the Magic Tower¡­ Even in Savior Rising, the Magic Tower was almost like a MacGuffin. They were mostly just there so that the developers could have an in-game lore for adding those dubious items that would normally change the genre of the game. The dev barely provided any information about them. You¡¯d only see them being mentioned in certain bizarre items¡¯ descriptions, saying things like ¡®This item was made by the Magic Tower. End of exnation!¡¯. I had been dismissing them adding shit like lightsabers, railguns, or cyborgs into the fantasy world as them having some weird-ass preferences¡­ As I thought so, the cyborg in front of me answered my question. ¡°No need. I brought my lunchbox with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± So he could eat¡­ As I thought so, the cyborg took out several pieces of steel bars from his inner chest pocket. A lot of them in fact, to the point that the table tilted to one side. ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Ah! Does he eat steel bars since he¡¯s made of steel? I don¡¯t know what the principle behind that is, but it seems like that¡¯s how he gets his nutrition from. While I was having such an absurd thought, the cyborg also took out a lump of metal, about the size of a ping-pong ball, from the cartridge inside his arm. He then put it on top of the pile of steel bars on the table. After that, that pile scattered like a swarm of bugs, and he started to devour it in that state. ¡°Machine Type Monsoon. It¡¯s a nano kit for self-repair.¡± ¡°¡­A nano kit?¡± ¡°Yes. An item which existence earns my gratitude. It¡¯s able to break down any well-smelted metal to repair my body.¡± Hearing that exnation, I could only clench my mouth shut. ¡­The fuck? After a cyborg, you told me you guys gave nano-machines? Are you kidding me? How the fuck do these kinds of items exist in a world where the main transportation is carriage?! ¡°¡­¡± This gap of technology was beyond insane. While Tribal Alliance also had a lot of things that would make you think the same, it was still kinda reasonable for the genre. Meanwhile, the shit that the cyborg pulled out only ever appeared in sci-fis! Is this why even all the superpowers¡¯ higher-ups are wary of the Magic Tower¡­? Of course if any of them were dead set on beating the Magic Tower, they probably could do it since their countries had enough resources to make up for the difference in technology and more, but the problem was that the Magic Tower would still be able to deal great enough damage to those countries. As I finally began to understand with my whole being why the Magic Tower was called the most powerful group, the cyborg started talking again. ¡°I apologize for the sudden visitation.¡± He said calmly. ¡°However, this matter is quite urgent, so please forgive me.¡± ¡°¡­How did you find me?¡± ¡°I came here after asking the Hero and all the people close to you. Although, all of them seemed to be taken aback by my presence, since they¡¯ve never seen a ¡®battle doll¡¯ like me prior to this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Of course they would. Imagining Iliya¡¯s stunned expression when she suddenly ran into this punk, a smile appeared on my lips. Though, it disappeared right after I heard what he said next. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve killed Count Nichs.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± In that instant, my mind tensed up. And I immediately began to try and analyze the implication behind this guy¡¯s words. How the Magic Tower found out about this information aside¡­ What was his reason for bringing it up right in front of my face like this? ¡°Just in case you misunderstood, please let me clear something up. I¡¯m here because of someone¡¯s request and I came here to help you.¡± ¡°¡­You came to help me?¡± When I asked that in a slightly doubtful voice, his optical lens glistened as he looked at me. That was probably how he expressed a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve grown to be an attractive man, Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon me?¡± ¡°You look exactly like how your mother bragged about you.¡± Hearing that, my whole body froze. My mother. I could hear the respect in his voice as he said so. This punk¡­ Was talking about my mother, whom I had never seen once in my life, the woman whom my dad never wanted to talk about. ¡­My mother is in the Magic Tower? This was the first time I had ever heard about this. My father never said anything about her, so that was one thing, but¡­ The empress, the headmistress, all those people who were close to me also never mentioned anything about her once. ¡°I owe Dr. Astrid a lot. After all, she was the one who remodeled my body that almost died like this.¡± While I was mulling over the new revtion, he continued. ¡°While I could see if you came to think that it¡¯s funny how the Magic Tower¡¯s Marshal is acting as a messenger, it¡¯s just how it is. It¡¯s her request, after all.¡± I kept my mouth shut while ring at him. This information just caught me so off guard, I didn¡¯t know what exactly it was that he wanted. There was a chance that he was trying to deceive me while talking about things like this as a pretext. [¡­No, actually, I think he¡¯s being sincere.] What?¡± [It¡¯s natural for you not to know about this since there¡¯s just almost no information about the Magic Tower, but there¡¯s something that I heard during my days as a Guardian.] Caliban continued from inside the Soul Linker, as if he was groaning. [If it¡¯s true that he is a marshal, then he¡¯s in a way too high of a position to be doing such a¡­me¡¯ thing like deceiving you. The entire empire would¡¯ve gone crazy if they knew who this punk was.] ¡­So, what¡¯s a marshal? [Basically, he¡¯s the one in charge of the Magic Tower¡¯s military force.] He continued with a sigh. [Just keep that in mind for now. I won¡¯t tell you more, I don¡¯t want to scare you for no reason.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡­This was the first time¡­ That he was being ¡®overwhelmed¡¯ by someone. And this was the same guy who risked his life and charged toward the Red Devil without hesitation during the Crimson Night Incident. Before I realized it, a frown had formed on my face. The cyborg then started to speak again from across the table. ¡°Dr. Astrid told me to tell you two things.¡± For what it¡¯s worth, at the moment, he seemed to be devoted to being a messenger since that was what he was asked to do. ¡°She also told me not to leave anything out and make you understand everything.¡± Even though I had been treating him with suspicion he still went and said all that. ¡°First, in order to aplish what you¡¯re nning to do, three kinds of Demonic Auras should be enough.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon me?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve used the Blue Aura to kill Count Nichs, you only need to gather the Red, Brown, and White¡ªwhich you already got from the Homunculi Sisters¡ªto aplish what you¡¯re trying to do. In other words, you don¡¯t need to waste your time collecting all the Auras.¡± He said all those words with a gentle and calm attitude, it took me a while before I could understand what he was talking about. However, when I finally managed to understand¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± I felt chills running up my spine. This punk knew about my exact condition. Or rather, the Magic Tower did. My mother, who was there, did. She managed to see through even the things that I hadn¡¯t grasped yet, when the Holy Land hadn¡¯t even touched the surface of it. From the Seal, the rtionship between the Devils and I, even what I was about to do in the future. ¡­What the fuck¡­? I couldn¡¯t understand what this was all about. Like, why would they suddenly tell me about all this? Because she was my mother? But we never even had any contact with each other¡­ Their goal, their intention, anything, I knew nothing. As I had just been staring at him in confusion, the Marshal continued. ¡°The second thing¡­ Ah, please pay attention to my words. Dr. Astrid said that this part is way more important than the first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Did she know that I¡¯d react like this? I focused my gaze on the Marshal, my expression had turned stiff at one point. Then he continued. ¡°She said that you need to hang in there, and that she¡¯s looking forward to the School Festival. Also, no matter what, she¡¯ll always stand by your side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She also added, considering your personality, you¡¯ll be fidgeting nervously, trying to figure out our hidden intention, but there¡¯s no need to do such things.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, she also said that she will personally evaluate all the candidates for her daughter-inw.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She expressed her disdain after seeing all these insignificant fox trying to flirt with her son and that she wille in person soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± After hearing all that, my expression just went nk. Uh¡­ So¡­ ¡°¡­¡± It seemed my mother¡­ Was quite the entric¡­ That was the thought I barely managed to make with my mind that had turned into a fine mess. ¡ñ Cecilia the 11th¡¯s room, or rather, Cecil, the first year student of Elfante¡¯s room, was rather weird. No one had ever seen the inside of her room or even visited it, since everyone in the building knew not to disturb her out of consideration since her body was extremely weak despite how beautiful and mysterious she was. And now,te at night, visiting that exact room, Faenol was very grateful that it was the case. Because if it was anyone else who was doing this, they¡¯d instantly lose their heads the moment they opened this door and came in. ¡°¡­¡± Faenol, who was about to enter the room, went slightly pale as she looked at the ¡®sh¡¯ that wasing towards her and stopped right before her eyes. Had she taken one more step¡­ Had she formed her Magic Defense Shroud a littleter¡­ Her head might¡¯ve been sent flying just like that. ¡°¡­I¡¯d like to ask for your understanding.¡± She entered the room, her eyes opened a little wider than before. Meanwhile, the Empress looked at her with a bitter smile, closing the book she was reading while lying down on her bed. ¡°My guard is a worrywart, you see. He has this tendency to cut an unknown person that approached me without a warning¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just now¡­ That sh came out of nothing¡­ It was as if such an attack had been ¡®stored¡¯ and would automatically be fired if someone was approaching the empress without permission. Saints. They were those who had reached the pinnacle of their fields. I know he¡¯s the Sword Saint and all, the strongest even among them all, but¡­ He can even do something like this¡­? Faenol swallowed dryly. ¡°¡­Please forgive me foring in without permission, Your Imperial Majesty. When I knocked, I received no answer¡­¡± ¡°Cecil. In here, I¡¯m a student, not the empress.¡± The empress said while yawning. ¡°So, what brings you here at thiste hour? I don¡¯t believe we¡¯re close enough to be spending the night together.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m here to discuss something with you.¡± Rather than discussing it¡¯s more like plotting, though¡­ Hearing that, the empress tilted her head, as if she found her words strange. ¡°¡­Discuss¡­something?¡± ¡°I came to ask for your cooperation, Cecil.¡± Faenol took a deep breath before continuing. ¡°Because then its sess rate will increase a little, since our opponent has an extremely tough defense¡­¡± ¡°Sess rate? Defense? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about squeezing out Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right, sexually, of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My n is to make it so that even if one of us fails, the other will definitely seed. You see, at this rate, I feel like no one will seed, so I thought it¡¯ll be better if¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Enough.¡± The empress held her head, looking as if she was having a bad headache. It was the first time she had ever heard something so absurding out of someone¡¯s mouth. ¡°So you came here, at thiste hour, just to say that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­Does it look like I¡¯d obediently cooperate for something like that?¡± Faenol tilted her head. Her expression made it seem like she was asking something along the lines of ¡®Why are you asking the obvious?¡¯. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh, while our goals seem a little different, it seems like Your Imperial Majesty is quite interested in having sex with¡ª¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Cecil cut her words off with a sigh. ¡°What a load of nonsense.¡± Her gaze that fell on Faenol looked genuinely terrifying, her expression, so sincere and serious, as she continued¡­ ¡°So, how could you tell exactly what I want?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Spill out everything.¡± Hearing that, a wide smile appeared on Faenol¡¯s face. It was the kind of smile only those who seeded in acquiring a partner-in-crime could make. Chapter 252: Locked Up (1) The next day after I met the Magic Tower¡¯s Marshal. When I looked at the calendar, a sudden headache struck me. [Three days left.] ¡°I know.¡± Like Caliban said, there were only three days left until the day I had marked with a red circle, the day of the School Festival. ¡­Right now, I don¡¯t have much Aura left¡­ I had no more reason to get involved with Riru for now, I finished my business with Yuria yesterday, while Seras and Victoria were both quiet¡ªat least none of them seem like they¡¯d do something that would attract any attention until the day of the School Festival. ¡­So, I really just need three Auras? I recalled what my mother told me through the Magic Tower¡¯s Marshal. The conversation was a little chaotic, but it was sharply on point.[You¡¯re really going to believe his words?] ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know. Doesn¡¯t really matter, I still need to collect the Auras anyway.¡± Because I¡¯d still collect the Auras sequentially, I could always check whether it was true or not that I¡¯d only need three of them after collecting them. Although, the way she specifically mentioned ¡®Red¡¯ and ¡®Brown¡¯ actually bothered me¡­ < system="" log=""> [ Target ¡®Red Devil¡¯s mood is worsening rapidly. ] [ Target ¡®Faenol Lipek¡¯s mood is worsening rapidly. ] [ The targets are also affected by your ¡®Desire Impact¡¯. ] [ Starting efforts to carry out the n in more detail! ] ¡°¡­¡± This window¡­felt like it was connected to simr ones that popped up in the past¡­ Even now, when the others were all quiet, this one was plotting something¡­ [¡­You seem to care about something else morepared to that, though.] ¡°What?¡± [Like you suspected, that Red punk is obviously trying to do her best to bed you right now, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be your biggest worry.] ¡°¡­¡± He was right. My biggest worry was something else entirely. ¡°¡­Caliban.¡± I said in a slightly trembling voice. ¡°¡­Eleanor¡­ Where is she right now? And what is she doing¡­?¡± [¡­I see, I get it.] Caliban agreed, as if he had just realized this. Yes, the one person who should¡¯ve been bothering me the most was now the quietest among them. There was no way I¡¯d think that this was a good sign. It felt more like a calm before the storm if anything. ¡°¡­She tried to bed me before but she failed, right¡­?¡± [¡­] ¡°So, what is she nning now¡­?¡± Just imagining it already made me tremble with fear. Caliban also went silent, as if he agreed with how I felt. [¡­It¡¯ll be fun.] ¡°¡­¡± [I¡¯m already excited to see what kind of awful thing you¡¯ll be going through¡ª] ¡­Or not. I forgot that this guy was a tactless psychopath. ¡°¡­Anyway, why is it so chaotic around here?¡± The whole building had been noisy for some reason. There shouldn¡¯t be any reason for it to be this noisy, since I wasn¡¯t even in the freshmen dormitory anymore. Instead, I moved into a quite nice room, since I had be a senior. Since this ce was the ¡®Imperial¡¯ Academy, Elfante, there should be no one who was able to directly defy the empress¡¯ authority, save for madmen like Count Nichs or¡ª -P-Please, Marquis! Y-You¡¯re putting us in a difficult situation if you just barge in like this! P-Please obey the school regtions! -Ahaha, don¡¯t you worry! Even if Her Imperial Majestyes here in person, she won¡¯t stop me¡ª Ah, there he is! When I was holding my throbbing head after hearing that familiar voice, my room suddenly burst open. ¡°Nice to see you again, Dowd Campbell!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Marquis Bogut¡­ The leader of the Upper Nobles Association, where Count Nichs, the guy I¡¯ve murdered, belonged. When a frown appeared on my face after seeing the guy who was sitting in the top three on my list of people I didn¡¯t want to meet now, Marquis Bogut walked into my room. ¡°Wow, Elfante hasn¡¯t changed at all since back when I still attended it!¡± ¡°¡­Why the hell are you here?¡± I asked him in an exhausted tone. To that, he shrugged before answering cheerfully. ¡°I came to warn you and also to apologize!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dealing with this person was always tiring, but it was particrly worse today. I barely managed to say my next words, since it was hard to say anything at all to him. ¡°Just get to the point and¡ª¡± ¡°Nichs¡¯ ¡®resurrection¡¯ using the Magic Tower¡¯s technology will happen in less than a week.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Marquis Bogut said so without smiling. Naturally my expression turned tense as well. ¡°You can treat that as the starting point of the civil war outbreak. I¡¯m not sure what you are trying to do, but you need to do it quickly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®warning¡¯.¡± He continued, now his smile was back on his face. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for the trouble that motherfucker has caused!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Believe me! I¡¯ve told him! Multiple times! That he¡¯s a disgusting motherfucker! But he never understood me since he was a hopeless idiot!¡± I didn¡¯t expect the marquis to be this blunt. Especially considering that he always acted like a clown. ¡°Anyway, to make up for it, I¡¯ll do you a favor! You can ask me for anything!¡± This guy¡­ He knows that we¡¯re enemies, right¡­? Holding my throbbing head, I forced out a reply. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t need it. Just answer my question.¡± Putting aside whether I could just believe this guy or not, it would be very strange for me to just receive anything from him. After all, I was close with both the empress and the chancellor, who both stood in direct opposition with the Upper Nobles Association. Everything would turn into a mess if I became close with him too. However¡­ There was still a question that I needed him to answer. ¡°I heard you and Victoria Evatrice are in a cooperative rtionship.¡± Then, I continued in a subsided voice. ¡°¡­What do you want from her? And why are you two working with each other?¡± There was one thing that had been bugging me when I was lopping off Nichs¡¯ head. Even in the Empire, the bastards who ¡®cleaned¡¯ the Cardinal Humans were considered trash that people refused to be associated with. And yet, Victoria cooperated with the leader of such bastards. Why was that? ¡°Ah, that? Nothing big.¡± He said with a smile on his face. Though what he said next contrasted his expression. ¡°I just needed a skillful assassin. As a price, she¡¯d get what she wanted the most.¡± ¡°What is it that she wants to get that made her cooperate with someone like¡ª¡± ¡°My head.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I said, I¡¯d give her my head.¡± Upon hearing that, I stared at him in a daze. [¡­What? ] His words were so surprising that even Caliban was dumbstruck. ¡°I actually was going to give her Nichs¡¯ head as well, but you beheaded him first, so that part of the deal is off.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, there are still so many detestable people below me, so I could use them instead. Also, if she really wants it that badly, I could just resurrect him.¡± ¡°Your head? What are you even talking about? Also, are you expecting me to believe¡ª¡± Before I could finish my words, Marquis Bogut rolled up his sleeves. And as soon as I saw the ¡®Seal¡¯ engraved on his arms, I was dumbstruck. ¡°Ah, you recognized this? Good, I don¡¯t need to exin it then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡­was the Crimson Pact, the Crimson Contract. The most vicious one among all the ck Magic in Sera. Because how the ¡®contract¡¯ worked was using one¡¯s soul as a coteral during the process of engraving it. ¡°My head in exchange for her fulfilling her contract. Do you believe me now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I stared at Marquis Bogut, speechless. ¡°¡­But¡­¡± Why? The moment he got it engraved, he practically set a time limit on his own life. It meant that he would set himself on dying quicker and there was nothing he could do about it. ¡°Well, if I¡¯m going to die anyway, I¡¯d rather make it quick and easy. Also, one would need another Grand Assassin to be the ¡®counterweight¡¯, you see?¡± ¡°¡­Counterweight?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to give her to you soon, so use her well.¡± Once again, his words left me dumbstruck. What the fuck was he on about? ¡°With those two, the best assassins on the continent, and you, as the one handling them¡­ Heh, you¡¯ll definitely use them efficientlyter. Our circumstances aligned, that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°¡­Marquis Bogut¡ª¡± ¡°By the way, the Upper Nobles Association has the biggest support from the Imperial¡¯s military.¡± Before I could say anything else, he cut my words. ¡°We, quite literally, are controlling the strongest military force on the continent. What I¡¯m trying to say is, we¡¯re way more terrifying than you thought.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, best of luck to you, Dowd Campbell.¡± With a smile still on his face¡­ He said something that was close to a deration of war. ¡°You have to hang in there for a few days so that I¡¯d get to do what I have to do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He looked at me, who was standing still with a stiffened expression, before bowing his head while smiling. It was such a polite gesture, as if he was sincerely showing respect to his ¡®opponent¡¯. ¡°Ah, also onest thing.¡± Before he left the room, he suddenly stopped and said¡­ ¡°I heard you came in contact with the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Try to turn every second of your time with your mother into precious memories, Dowd Campbell.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most valuable advice I can give you.¡± Our eyes met as he said so. Like usual, her eyes were curved, just like the crescent moon. However, Those eyes¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t want to regret itter, as there¡¯s nothing more painful than that in this world. I¡¯m speaking from my experience here.¡± ¡­Somehow seemed to have a hint of grief inside. And that was thest thing that he said to me. I could only look at him silently as he left my room. [¡­I can¡¯t make head nor tail of him.] ¡°¡­Same.¡± Everything else aside, I became sure of one thing. That I¡¯d need to finish what I was going to do at the School Festival no matter what. ¡°Alright¡­¡± I got up with a sigh. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s refine our n a little, to make it more perfect¡­¡± First, I needed to avoid meeting anyone else today. Because it seemed like I¡¯d need to spend a long time thinking alone. ¡ñ Just a few hours after I decided as such¡­ I really thought that at least for today, I needed to mull over the brutal matter hard and gloomily, and yet¡­ What the hell am I doing here? ¡°¡­Exin.¡± After hearing my viciously cold voice¡ªwhich surprised me too, the two people in front of me averted their gazes at the same time. Around me, the only things I could see were¡­ A soft bed and a bunch of pink objects. The room where I was in was decorated with a bunch of girly items and frilly curtains. Meanwhile, the two people in front of me¡ªwho were averting their gazes, also had their faces painted in pink. Well, to be exact, the people who ¡®kidnapped¡¯ me here. ¡°¡­T-That¡­¡± ¡°¡­U-Uhm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing them stutter, unable to say anything, I could feel my blood pressure rise. Seriously, just tell me. That¡¯s the only thing I want to hear from your mouths right now. I thought so while looking at the huge letters written on one side of the walls. [You can¡¯t leave this room if you don¡¯t do it.] ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Tell me in detail. What is it that I need to do so that I can leave this room? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 253: Locked Up (2) Chapter 253: Locked Up (2)Kidnapping Dowd Campbell wasn¡¯t actually difficult. What they did was just lighting an incense that could make people sleep in his room in advance. After that, they only needed to drag him to the room that had also been ¡®prepared¡¯ in advance. Of course, having a great deal of courage was a prerequisite since this man was quite powerful¡ªjust as he had shown so far, but to Faenol, this wasn¡¯t a problem, since she had a Devil inside her. ¡°I¡¯ll put that man to sleep using all means I can.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll even risk my life if I have to¡­!¡± ¡­Um¡­ Isn¡¯t she treating her life a little too lightly¡­? Is it because she died once already¡­? The empress thought so. Even though she said so, in the end, Faenol was still a Vessel who had gathered all her Fragments. It only took her a single try to put Dowd to sleep, using thebination of her Magic Power and Demonic Aura, befitting her confident remarks.If anything, renovating a whole room in the way she wanted was more difficult than kidnapping Dowd. That was why she left this part to Her Imperial Majesty the Empress to handle. ¡°Okay, Cecil¡­ I understand what you¡¯re trying to say, but¡­¡± Elfante¡¯s Headmistress said so, looking as if she was ready to off herself right there and then. ¡°Every building in Elfante is rich with historical value. While it isn¡¯t difficult for me to rent them out, but the procedures we have to go through is¡ª¡± ¡°Just tell them that this is an order from Her Imperial Majesty the Empress herself.¡± ¡°¡­I believed you said that you¡¯re going to be a regr student and not the empress while you¡¯re here¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I am acting as a regr student here. It¡¯s just, me and that personage in the pce are quite close.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We did everything together, from eating to showering. If they have anyints, tell them to bring it up to that personage themselves.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Who knows how the faculty members felt when they found out that the leader of the Empire had such a gangster-like nature. In any case, just like that Cecilia the 11th¡¯s and Faenol¡¯s preparation was done in lightning speed. After they managed to put him to sleep, they dragged him into the room they had prepared in advance after psyching themselves ready. Not long after, the man finally woke up. And that was when the problem arose¡­ ¡°¡­What are you guys doing?¡± Right in front of them, Dowd Campbell showed them such a different vibe and reaction, the one that they had never seen before. ¡°¡­Uh.¡± ¡°¡­Uhm.¡± Seeing him being ¡®actually angry¡¯ for the first time, Fanol and the empress¡¯ bodies stiffened. ¡ñ ¡°Yes, I told you guys you can challenge me to whatever match you like, but I never told you to straight upmit a crime.¡± His words were prim, his voice was calm, and his expression was frighteningly clear. Even so¡­ This only made both of them even more certain of one thing¡­ ¡°I genuinely can¡¯t believe you two would kidnap me and lock me in this kind of ridiculous room. Why can¡¯t you just ask me directly? I¡¯d be more than happy to spare some time for you guys. What the hell were you thinking?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The fact that Dowd Campbell was genuinely angry at them. It was to the point that they couldn¡¯t even bring themselves to meet his eyes properly. They averted their gazes while gulping dryly at the same time. Dowd¡¯s anger was too great for them to endure, this was the only way for them to handle it. ¡°Where¡¯s my answer?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± As an empress, her apology bore a lot of political meaning behind it, but even so, she didn¡¯t hesitate to apologize to him, together with Faenol. Rather, she actually didn¡¯t have any choice but to do it. That was how terrifying Dowd¡¯s anger was in her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± However¡­ Even though he was clearly angry at them, both the empress and Faenol felt a strange feeling inside. ¡­Uh. ¡­Huh¡­? It was¡­ A little hard to describe, but¡­ This was their very first time seeing him like this, and this shouldn¡¯t be a pleasant sight to see for them. But¡­ For some reason, the same thought came to those two¡¯s minds¡­ W-Why¡­? Unbelievable¡­ The two of them gulped dryly at the same time, as if they had nned to do it beforehand. Does this man¡­ Has Mr. Dowd ever looked so¡­ Then, both of them ced their hands on their chests together, at the same time. They could feel their heart rates go up rapidly. Look so cool¡­? Manly¡­? Both of them held their throbbing hearts as such words appeared in their minds. This was a weird feeling. Extremely weird, in fact. Because, even though he was clearly angry, they ¡®fell in love¡¯ with him even harder instead. What they felt was a sensation that one would feel when they found out something new about their crush; the sensation that made their hearts drop. They had seen how sometimes this man was a little unreliable. Like, he was easily flustered and caught off guard, and everyone could easily drag him around here and there¡­ And they also knew that he was a little crazy, and that he had a serious side of him where he¡¯d do something properly whenever he did something. But, it was the first time that they had ever seen him acting so ¡®manly¡¯ and assertive. [¡­It¡¯s hopeless. Those two are far too gone¡­] As he saw both women wearing that pletely lovestruck¡¯ expression on their faces from the Soul Linker, Caliban made such a remark. Meanwhile, Dowd only let out a sigh before getting up from the bed he was sitting on. ¡°So, how do I open this door?¡± He asked after approaching the tightly closed door with an annoyed voice. Upon hearing his voice, the empress flinched for a moment. Hearing his cold voice somehow made her feel as if her whole body was struck by electricity. ¡°¡­U-Um¡­ I-It¡¯s a specially made door, so it¡¯s hard to open it from inside¡­¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yes, just as she said¡­¡± Faenol added hesitantly, affirming the empress¡¯ words. ¡°T-The door won¡¯t be opened until we get some kind of ¡®strong stimtion¡¯¡­¡± ¡°What kind?¡± Hearing his cold voice again, Faenol blushed even harder. The more she listened to his voice, the more her eyes began to lose focus and the more she became restless. She definitely wasn¡¯t in a better state than the empress. ¡°I-I¡¯ve casted a spell on that door, so that it will only respond to¡­u-um¡­r-romantic close contact¡­? C-Could I call it that? A-Anyway, that kind of stimtion¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± At this point, he didn¡¯t even bother acting politely. But this only made Faenol¡¯s eyes shake even more. Not only that, her breath also grew even more disorderly, and her eyes gradually lost their focus. ¡°That means, something like this will do.¡± Dowd said before walking towards Faenol and held her chin. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°This is for what you did in the past.¡± Those words and his next action¡­ Made Faenol¡¯s eyes widened. Because right after he said that, he grabbed her chin before kissing her lips. She barely managed to register what was going on, but his tongue already pulled and lifted her tongue upwards before entangling itself with it, licking it and rubbing against it, as if viting it. Those three movements flowed smoothly, one after another, like water. Its sequence came like a surprise with perfect timing. The notable thing here was that he was actually so good at it, making Faenol¡ªthe same woman who did the exact same thing to him not too long agopletely flustered as her breath grew even more disorderly. Oh no, this is bad¡ª Surrender. Copse. Such words seemed to be shing in red in her faint vision. If she was ¡®kissed like this¡¯¡­ By him ¡®in that state¡¯¡­ While she was ¡®in this state¡¯¡­ Then, she wouldn¡¯t be able to help but to¡ª ¡°P-Please¡­¡± She said with teary eyes. ¡°P-Please, more¡­ I-I¡¯ll do anything¡­¡± Faenol herself wasn¡¯t sure what it was that she asked him to do. Rather, she didn¡¯t even know why she was saying all that. She was sure of one thing, though. That she didn¡¯t want him to stop here. And that she wanted this man to relish her a little more, to ¡®enjoy¡¯ her a little more. She would even be fine if he were to treat her entire existence as a tool to serve him. Please, I beg you¡­ Do it¡­ More and more¡­ Don¡¯t stop¡ª ¡°What¡¯s with your expression?¡± When he said those words coldly, as if mocking her, Faenol flinched as her body started to tremble again. ¡°You seem like you want something from me?¡± ¡°Y-Yess¡­ P-Please let me serve you¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ah, uu, uuu¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything more here.¡± ¡°¡­B-But¡­ W-Whyyy¡­¡± ¡°As a punishment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°For trying to control me to do something you want.¡± He said before letting go of her chin, as if mocking her. Immediately after, Faenol sank to her knees, panting. Deep shade of red painted her face, and it was clear that she wasn¡¯t aware that what she had just said was something extremely embarrassing. It was as if she actually felt bad that she couldn¡¯t serve him. ¡­W-What kind of impertinent¡­ Meanwhile, the empress was blushing at the sight while twisting her body. Intuitively, she realized something. The tightly closed door was half open. ¡°¡­¡± From what she heard¡­ The door would only open if one of them felt extreme pleasure. She felt that kind of pleasure from him degrading her after kissing her like that¡­? ¡°¡­¡± Is she being serious right now? Isn¡¯t she the one who said that she¡¯d milk him even if she has to risk her life? And that one of us has to seed no matter what¡ª?! But she got defeated so easily¡ª ¡°As for you, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± While she was agonizing about her frustration in that way, the man in front of her suddenly called out to her. When she turned to look at him with a trembling gaze, she noticed him looking down at her coldly. His gaze looked so domineering that her legs unknowingly lost their strength. ¡°I won¡¯t go this far with you.¡± He said while walking towards her. Then, he gently raised her chin with the tip of his finger. With that alone, she could feel as if her whole body was being ¡®restrained¡¯. As their eyes met, she intuitively realized¡­ ¡°But, I think I still have to punish you as well this time.¡± That perhaps¡­ It wasn¡¯t them who dragged this man here and locked him up in this room. But it was them who were being locked up with him. Chapter 254: Locked Up (3) Chapter 254: Locked Up (3)There were only a handful of people who were allowed to touch Cecilia the 11th¡¯s body. Which was understandable, given that there was barely anything that was more important than both her body and her health. It was to the point that there was a specific term to refer to her body; the empress¡¯ body. This was why no one would ever have the chance to touch even the tip of her hair, save for doctors and the maids who directly attended to her. With that in mind¡­ What this man was doing¡ªapproaching her and raising her chin with the tip of his finger¡ªwas practically l¨¨se-majest¨¦. But, the strange thing here was how Cecilia the 11th was just letting him do whatever he wanted without saying anything. ¡­Ah¡­ When her eyes met Dowd Campbell¡¯s eyes, she unknowingly swallowed dryly. She could see his stern gaze, making her feel that he was trying to show her that he was clearly at the ¡®top¡¯ here, and was ¡®looking down¡¯ on her. Given the status she was born and grown up with, she knew that she should¡¯ve felt offended by this, that she had to put him in his ce due to how discourteous his actions were.But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She could feel her legs shaking as heat was rising throughout her body. It was hard for her to admit this, but, deep inside¡­ She felt ¡®satisfaction¡¯. The fact that this man was ¡®handling¡¯ her like this made her shudder; goosebumps appeared all over her body. But, she didn¡¯t hate this feeling, and instead, she felt a tingling pleasure from it. Meanwhile, Dowd slowly lowered his head and brought his lips close to her ear. ¡°What were you thinking¡ª¡± His voice sounded so sweet that she could feel poison in it. The kind of sweetness that one could feel wafting through silk. It was like drugs¡ªone would know it was harmful, but they just couldn¡¯t stay away from it. ¡°Dragging me here with Faenol?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you really have such a vulgar desire towards me? Just like her?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer.¡± Hearing him saying that in a cold voice, the empress¡¯ body flinched, trembling as she tried to avoid his gaze. ¡°¡­I¡¯d be lying if I say I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Eventually, she closed her eyes tightly before admitting as such. Of course, she was embarrassed. She felt as if her liver and intestines were melting. But¡­ What else could she do besides telling him the truth when facing such a gaze? Besides, it would be a fool¡¯s errand for her to lie to him since they hade this far. However, the man before her didn¡¯t seem like he had the slightest intention of letting her go, even though she had just admitted something so embarrassing. The empress tried to cast her gaze down, but he used the hand that was holding her chin to forcefully get her to see him eye-to-eye again. ¡°Her Imperial Majesty the Empress, everyone¡¯s mother who¡¯s supposed to care for all of the empire¡¯s citizens, came here ¡®expecting¡¯ to be handled roughly by one man?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer.¡± ¡°¡­Y-Yesss¡­ I-I¡ª¡± She admitted with a red face and trembling body. Seeing that, the corners of Dowd¡¯s lips curled up a little more. ¡°Shameless.¡± His cynical sentence sharply cut off the sentence that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to continue. Her legs gave out as she plopped down on the bed, but that didn¡¯t seem to be enough to make this man stop what he was doing. ¡°In public, you always acted so elegantly, so pitiable, all while wearing the mask of benevolence¡­¡± ¡°¡­U-Ung¡­¡± ¡°But look at you here¡ª¡± She could see him getting closer and closer to her. It was as if her breath was taken away; she couldn¡¯t help but let out a gasp. ¡°Look at you, being handled roughly by a lowlife like me.¡± ¡°¡­Y-You¡ª¡± ¡°And look at your expression. It seems like you¡¯re really ¡®enjoying¡¯ this, aren¡¯t you?¡± As he said so, Dowd turned her head to the side. Towards a mirror that just happened to be there, letting her see her own reflection on it. ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s¡­ My face? Such a question crossed the empress¡¯ mind that was filled with heat. He was correct. Even though he had been treating her roughly like this¡­ Her expression suggested that she ¡®enjoyed¡¯ it. As if something inside her was satisfied by it. And probably¡­ She was looking forward that he¡¯d be doing ¡®something more than this¡¯¡ª ¡°What are you thinking about right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer me, Your Imperial Majesty.¡± The empress gritted her teeth. Her head felt so hot, as if her brain was boiling. She couldn¡¯t even tell how hot her body was, as it definitely felt even hotter than her head. She could even feel her lower abdomen flinching multiple times for some reason. And in such a state¡­ She blurted out something unknowingly. ¡°¡­I-I¡¯m not expecting you to go all the way¡ª¡± She said as such, as if pleading. Her voice sounded so desperate, making even herself wonder if she had ever talked to anyone in such a voice before. ¡°T-That¡¯s why, p-please¡­ I-I want to hold you¡­j-just for a little longer¡­ P-Please show me yourpassion¡ª¡± She was the ruler of the empire. Someone who could cause an upheaval on the continent with just a word. And yet she was pleading to be embraced by this man. Hearing what she had said, Dowd¡¯s smile grew even wider. ¡°Well, if you say so.¡± He then slowly lowered his head. The empress slowly closed her eyes, containing her shaking pupils, all while imagining the ¡®intense contact¡¯ that was about to happen next. However¡­ -Chu. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± She let out such an exmation, as if she was bewildered. Because she could feel the light touch of his lips¡­ On her forehead. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your Imperial Majesty, you need to cherish your body more.¡± She blinked in a daze. He had given Faenol¡ªwhose body was currently plopped down due to her legs given in¡ªat least a wet and intimate kiss. But for her¡­? He just gave her a kiss on the forehead. Are you for real?! ¡°A-Aren¡¯t you being too¡ª¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Before the empress could finish the sentence she was about to utter in teary eyes, Dowd pointed behind her with a grin. It was the proud smile that she usually saw from him when he took ¡®a cheap shot¡¯. What he was pointing at was the door, which hadpletely opened wide. What he was trying to say here was that, a kiss on the lips and a kiss on the forehead was enough for them to feel the level of pleasure that people would usually only feel from a ¡®passionate sexual contact¡¯. ¡°As you can see, I don¡¯t have any reason to do anything more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And thus, the Faenol-Empress duo. Suffered a disastrous defeat in the match. ¡ñ After escaping that bizarre room, a while after walking the corridor. I slightly looked around to make sure that there was no one around me. After that¡­ ¡°¡­Haaa¡­¡± I copsed while letting out a deep sigh. ¡°I liiiveeed¡­¡± Honestly, at this point, I already became somewhat desensitized to such things because they happened quite a lot so far. But, ¡®sleeping together¡¯ was like thest bomb that could turn my entire rtionships with all the Vessels¡ªwhich I could barely even maintain¡ªupside down. While yes, my virginity was already forcefully taken by the Gray punk, it didn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d tell others, considering that she barely showed herself up. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want them to keep forcing themselves on me like that¡ª! I swear, the moment I actually ¡®did¡¯ it with anyone other than the Gray punk, arge-scale war among the Devils would begin, and that would definitely lead to the world being destroyed¡ª! [¡­By the way, that was amazing. I can see you turning into an actual yboy as long as you keep on doing this.] ¡°¡­¡± Did you think that would make me happy, huh?! I thought so while ring at the Soul Linker. At that moment, an annoying window popped up before my eyes. Come to think of it¡­ This thing existed¡­right¡­ < system="" message=""> [ Legendary melting females¡¯ hearts! ] [ Proficiency of ¡®Title: yboy¡¯ has increased! ] ¡°¡­¡± But seriously though, what the fuck was this again? I knew I had this, but what was it again? < system="" log=""> [ Currently, the Title granted to you is ¡®yboy¡¯! ] [ When you flirt with women, you can perform more skillful, versatile, and proficient techniques than before! ] [Your techniques surpassed the ability derived from the title!] [ Bonus proficiency is added to the Title as deep as the feelings they have for you as you made them fall in love with you! ] What the window was saying was basically¡­ They upgraded my Title since my flirting actually outperformed the Title¡¯s buff¡­ ¡°¡­¡± This just pisses me off¡­ So far¡­ One lesson I had learned while getting myself involved with these Vessels was¡­ The more they tried to cross the line and force themselves on me like this, the easier for me to make them fall just by turning the table back on them. It was even easier than I previously thought. Also, it was easier to deal with thempared to those who were silently watching from a distance while looking for an opportunity. You know, the dogs who bite and don¡¯t bark. Since my skill in pushing-and-pulling had gotten quite good ¡ªI had gone through all kinds of chaos after all¡ªI could easily deal with such a sloppy surprise¡ª [Disgusting¡­] ¡°¡­¡± [You don¡¯t even think of denying the fact that you¡¯re a fucking womanizer.] Oh, shut the fuck up. Who did you call a womanizer, huh?! ¡°¡­You know that¡¯s not what¡¯s important now, Caliban.¡± I thought so while ring at the window before my eyes. Putting aside this annoying window, I noticed something strange. < system="" log=""> [ Confirmed there was a very intimate contact with a Devil¡¯s Vessel. ] [ Target¡¯s Demonic Aura is being charged into the ¡®Fallen¡¯s Seal¡¯! ] [ Target ¡®Red Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura is filling up! ] Not this part, though since this was a familiar message that I had seen often. The strange part was¡­ ¡­It didn¡¯t collect the other one? There was no change to Brown Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura. To be exact, It was as if she didn¡¯t respond to my ¡®Fatal Charm¡¯ skill at all. There was the case with the Red Devil back then, but that was because she just didn¡¯t have much favorability towards me. This Brown punk seemed to be a little different than that. Compared to Faenol back then when she wasn¡¯t even interested in me, the Brown Devil was¡­ How should I put it¡­? ¡°¡­It feels like she¡¯s avoiding me¡­¡± [What?] ¡°You know how it feels just by the atmosphere itself¡­¡± I held back myself from saying it. Because even I thought it sounded a little weird. ¡°¡­It feels like she actually hates me¡­¡± [¡­What?] Caliban replied in a dumbfounded voice. I mean, a Devil¡¯s Vessel that hated me? That assumption was ridiculous, even to me¡­ [¡­You fucking disgust me, you know that?] ¡°¡­¡± So what? Look, this is literally the first case of this ever, of course I¡¯m surprised by it! Actually, I had a feeling that it wasn¡¯t just a simple hate¡­ Because I could smell danger wafting from her. I assumed that the hate she held towards me was one that was filled with extreme malice. . The kind of hate that would drive one to harm the recipient of that hate whenever they had the chance¡­ ¡­Brown Devil, huh¡­? Considering her character setting in the game ¡®that I knew of¡¯, I genuinely think that she wasn¡¯t so bad. But, the problem here was that she was in the kind of environment that could easily twist one¡¯s personality. [So, what are you nning to do?] As I was thinking as such, Caliban asked from the Soul Linker. [There are only a few days left before the School Festival starts. You¡¯d need at least three kinds of Demonic Auras, no? So, you need to at least get one more no matter what.] ¡°¡­I mean, there¡¯s only one left, no need to n for anything else¡­¡± I replied with a sigh. While I could just call Riru and charge her Demonic Aura again, there was someone who was ¡®bothering¡¯ me more. The person who had been staying quiet when the other women were throwing themselves at me, even though she usually was the one at the forefront of the charge. She was the only one left¡­ In a lot of ways¡­ ¡°¡­Time to meet up with Eleanor.¡± The final boss herself. Chapter 255: School Festival (1) Chapter 255: School Festival (1)In the end, I faced a different kind of difficulty than the ones I thought of when I first decided to meet with Eleanor. At first, I thought she had plotted a very evil scheme¡ªmainly rted to my lower body¡ªor would force me to do her biddings¡ªmainly rted to my lower body. But, what actually happened, every single day, until the day before the School Festival was¡­ ¡°¡­Today too?¡± As I asked so, Beatrix, whom I had been meeting for a few days¡ªgiving us enough interaction to be familiar with each other¡ªreplied with a sigh. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry but she said she doesn¡¯t want to meet anyone right now.¡± This was also the same thing I heard from the helpless looking Beatrix when I first visited the Student Council Room to meet Eleanor. Yes, this had been going on for several days.Hearing what she said the first time, even though it sounded some of me, I couldn¡¯t help but ask¡­ ¡°¡­Am I included in that ¡®anyone¡¯ category?¡± ¡°Yeah. Actually, this is meant for you, since she knew that you¡¯de and visit her. That¡¯s why she specifically requested me to tell you this if you were toe.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her answer to thatme question of mine only served to make me look even worse. And as someone who knew how infatuated Eleanor was with me, Beatrix seemed to be flustered by the situation as well. Her question proved it. ¡°¡­So, did you do something that made her angry or what?¡± [Well, I can¡¯t even think which one it would be this time.] ¡°¡­¡± [But I¡¯ll bet that she¡¯s angry at you because of what you¡¯ve done to the other women just a while ago. I mean, considering that you did all that after giving her a wedding ring.] I ignored the unhelpful ghost¡¯s rambling and mulled over the situation while scratching my head. As Caliban said, the chances that she was angry at me because she found out about that wasn¡¯t low. When you do something wrong repeatedly for a long time, you¡¯re bound to get caught. If anything, it was a miracle that she hadn¡¯t caught me yet so far. I mean, let¡¯s get real. There was no way that she was unaware to some extent that I had been involved with all kinds of women here and there. ¡­But, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. [Why?] Because if that¡¯s what this is about, she would¡¯vee to kill me instead of locking herself up like this. [¡­] Caliban¡¯s silence meant that he agreed with me. Actually, even though Eleanor seemed intolerant, she was actually extremely tolerant. That was why she had only been sighing whenever she saw me meeting another woman. But, the moment someone else did ¡®something she hadn¡¯t done yet¡¯ with me, she¡¯d definitelye to kill me. Actually, if that were to happen, I wouldn¡¯t be the only one who¡¯d get my neck chopped off, the woman I was doing with would end up like that too. Of course I haven¡¯t done anything like that so far¡­ That was true, I swear! I did all my ¡®first¡¯ intimate contacts with women with Eleanor and no one else! Though, it felt like I was now walking between fine lines with most of them¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Huh? Wait. ¡°¡­What?¡± When Beatrix saw the change in my expression, she narrowed her eyes. ¡°Something came to your mind?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Yeah¡­ There was one¡­ Someone who took away something that even Eleanor hadn¡¯t done yet¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t know if I could call her ¡®someone¡¯, but anyway, she was inside Eleanor¡¯s body, so there was a very high chance she had a ¡®contact¡¯ with her¡ª ¡°¡­¡± Oh no¡­ This is more dangerous than I thought¡ª ¡°¡­Eleanor?¡± As I thought so, Beatrix¡¯s voice suddenly hit my ears. At that moment, I could feel my face turning pale as I turned my head towards her¡ªto be exact, toward the person whose name she had just called, who was standing next to her. From the way she dressed, it seemed like she had juste out of the training center inside the Student Council Room. She was wearing a tank top and pants made of practical materials. I could see traces of her working-out all over her body. ¡°¡­What the? I thought you said you don¡¯t want to meet anyone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Beatrix asked her that, but Eleanor didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, she silently stared at me with an emotionless gaze that was hard for me to read. Without saying anything. This went on for quite a while. To the point that I was actually getting terrified. ¡°¡­Um, nor?¡± That was why¡­ I decided to greet her first with an awkward smile on my face. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we saw each other, right? Have you been well¡ª¡± Before I could even finish my sentence, she already walked toward me, making my voice unknowingly trail off. Her movements looked daring and there was no hesitation in her gait, making it look as if she was charging forwards to attack her enemy. Uh-oh¡­ ** This might be really really dangerous¡­ ** ¡°¡­Uh, Elean¡ª¡± Before I could even say anything, she already closed the distance between us and then¡­ She hugged me tightly. Since her body was soaked by her sweat, my clothes were also drenched by it. A fragrant aroma wafted into my nostrils. Then¡­ [ Sensing a movement of ¡®Demonic Aura¡¯! ] The Demonic Aura was charged. Actually, describing it that way was a little inurate. . To be exact¡­ That single contact, fully charged the Gray Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura in the Seal. ¡°¡­¡± I could only speechlessly stare at nor, who was still hugging me tightly. Demonic Aura was greatly influenced by the emotional state of the Vessel. Based on the kinds of contacts I had with the other Vessels so far, the fact that her Demonic Aura was fully charged in one go by such a light contact meant that deep inside, she was dealing with a great torrent of emotions. ¡°¡­Eleanor?¡± What is this? Everything was so sudden, so I couldn¡¯t keep up with it. When I called out to her with wide eyes, she replied in her usual emotionless voice. ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­I thought you¡¯d been avoiding me because you¡¯re angry at me.¡± ¡°Mm, I was.¡± She replied. Then, while still hugging me, she slightly looked up. Her eyes were still hard to read. It was to the point that I felt puzzled while looking into her eyes. She was someone who always expressed her feelings honestly in front of me. But what was this? It was as if she was hiding something from me. As if there was ¡®something she didn¡¯t want me to see¡¯. That was how it felt when I saw her eyes. ¡°¡­But, I have seen something more important than that.¡± ¡°What did you¡ª¡± ¡°Dowd.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Even if the whole world turns their back against you, I will stay by your side until the very end.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, do not give up.¡± That was quite the strange thing to say. She just said that so suddenly, without context or prelude. Of course I couldn¡¯t understand what she was on about. However¡­ The tone that she used to say such words were strangely ¡®sincere¡¯. And I could feel the heartbreaking sorrow andmentation in her voice. ¡°¡­¡± That was why I could only speechlessly stare at her eyes. After a while, she let out a sigh before pulling away from me. When she did that, the atmosphere she was exuding returned to ¡®normal¡¯. To thedy that I knew; the woman whose face was expressionless, yet was showing her vibrant emotions. ¡°¡­The School Festival¡­will start tomorrow, right¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± ¡°Best of luck.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If anything happens, make sure you call me.¡± And that was thest thing she said to me. After leaving such an encouragement, she left the Student Council Room. As if that was all she had to say. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leaving me and Beatrix staring at each other in confusion. Anyway, that was¡­ Uh¡­ Everything ended in a much more moderate way than I previously thought¡­ ¡°¡­What was that?¡± ¡°¡­Beats me.¡± But what the hell was this situation? ¡°Ah, also¡­¡± Beatrix, who finally came back to her senses, suddenly said as if something came to her mind. ¡°¡­Can you two stop rubbing salt in my wound, please?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a rtionship before, you know that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± My bad, I didn¡¯t know. ¡ñ ¡®Sword Saint¡¯ Radu Varphon was considered very trustworthy and religious by many people, unfitting the fact that he was an important figure of the empire, who had a weird atmosphere going on with the holynd. Anyway, he had a habit that whenever he was extremely stressed out, he¡¯d spend quite a long time in the temple, venting his piled-up frustration. Including now. This was something almost necessary. After all, he was the guard of a certain ¡®important person whose identity could not be disclosed¡¯ in Elfante. Inspecting his own mental state every now and then was important. Though it didn¡¯t seem so, one could consider this a decent activity to relieve one¡¯s stress. Even Lucia¡ªthe one he asked for the ¡®counseling¡¯¡ªwas d to find out that the Sword Saint did such a thing. Ever since she came to Elfante as a saintess, she had been going through all kinds of bizarre situations, because of Dowd. This was finally the time for her to live up to her title as a saintess¡ª ¡°Sometimes, I want to beat the hell out of the immediate superior I¡¯m serving.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Or, that was what she thought, until she heard his violent sentence. She could tell that the ¡®avatar¡¯ of the man across the confession room looked especially gloomy. As a Saint, apparently he was able to demonstrate such a divine skill using only Magic Power to create an autonomous avatar. But, even the disy of such an amazing technique couldn¡¯tfort Lucia¡¯s mind that was about to fall apart. There was only one person who could be his immediate superior; the empress herself. Which meant, what he said could make him lose his head for l¨¨se majest¨¦ the moment it was out publicly. ¡°Whoops, forgive me, that came out a little strange. Please allow me to correct the part where I said I want to beat the hell out of her.¡± Hearing that, a relieved smile formed on Lucia¡¯s face. Right! Those words were a little harsh to say, after all! ¡°Alright¡ª¡± ¡°I want to put her on myp and hit her cheeks until she has no tears left to cry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡¯s even worse than before! As Lucia¡¯s face went pale, the Sword Saint continued with a sigh, ¡°I understand that her position is a little special, considering that the only person she could confide in ever since she was a child was Lady Tristan¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is that so¡­?¡± She didn¡¯t know what it was, but now she finally felt that he was about to say something normal. After Lucia let out such a response, the Sword Saint continued to mutter with a gloomy look. ¡°Mm. She¡¯s never shown it because of her position, but she¡¯s someone who¡¯s craving for love¡­¡± This was something that Lucia had heard about before. Apparently, Cecilia the 11th, the ruler of the empire, had a tough childhood from a very young age due to her political opponents. Most of her family died when she was a little, so she grew up with almost no one on her side. ¡°That¡¯s why I understand her feelings of wanting to find someone who can love her, I really do, but¡­¡± The Sword Saint let out another deep sigh. ¡°¡­But why did she choose that damned yboy of all people?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I can¡¯t refute that. Lucia thought as she barely managed to maintain her twitching smile. Considering what that man did to her sister and her a few days ago¡ªshe meant no offense to Dowd¡ªthe Sword Saint was hitting the nail on the head. ¡°B-But still, that man has quite a lot of good things about him, you know?¡± Lucia struggled to say while sweating profusely. ¡°He¡¯s a much more considerate person than anyone thinks, also, he¡¯s quite reliable! When he does something, he¡¯d do it properly. In my eyes, there are quite a lot of things about him that make him popr with women¡ª¡± ¡°With all due respect, Saintess.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How the hell do you know all that¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It feels like you¡¯re telling me your personal feeling¡ª¡± ** Yes, yes I am! ** Just think of it like that! Lucia gritted her teeth while thinking so, but she couldn¡¯t exactly say it out loud. ¡°T-Then!¡± Instead, she did her best to change the subject while drawing Divine Power. ¡°I-I¡¯ll show you the proof myself!¡± The application of Divine Power was quite diverse, and one of its applications was the ability to show a ¡®yback¡¯ on certain events that had happened somewhere else. Of course, even though she possessed strong enough Divine Power as a saintess, using such an absurd ability would dry her out of her Divine Power, but her desire to end this dangerous confession as soon as possible was way bigger than her worry of exhausting herself. And so, she drew her Divine Power, trying to search for the most recent scene of ¡®Dowd and the empress together, all while doing her best mentally calcte everything. She figured that if the Sword Saint were to see that the empress was enjoying her academy life, he might be less worried about her. After all, even the headmistress mentioned that the empress had been smiling more ever since she came to the Academy. As long as Dowd hadn¡¯t lost his mind, there was no way that he¡¯d do anything strange to the empress. That was her intention. And it was such a good and kind intention too. But, inside the miraculous ¡®scene¡¯ Lucia had created, the empress, who was in another ce now, was shown. -In public, you always acted so elegantly, so pitiable, all while wearing the mask of benevolence¡­ -Look at you, being handled roughly by a lowlife like me. And look at your expression. It seems like you¡¯re really ¡®enjoying¡¯ this, aren¡¯t you? - ¡­Y-You¡ª To be exact¡­ The sight of Dowd, who was degrading the empress openly, and the empress, who was twisting her body around, as if not knowing what to do with him, was shown. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy silence filled the chapel. Ah. I made a mistake. When Lucia realized that¡­ ¡°¡­This damn lowlife.¡± She could hear the Sword Saint¡¯s murderous voice from across the confession room. ¡°¡­Saintess.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± As Lucia replied in a stiff voice, he uttered his next words, still sounding like he was about to murder someone. ¡°When is the Elfante¡¯s School Festival again?¡± Uh-oh¡­ This is turning into an even bigger deal! Lucia thought so while breaking out in a cold sweat inwardly. ¡ñ Finally, the day of the School Festival. ¡°¡­¡± [¡­] ¡°¡­¡± [Say something.] ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± [Look, I understand how you feel, but¡­] ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Know.¡± I stubbornly said so, trying hard to deny the reality in front of me. You know, I never expected that things would go smoothly. Because, it never had, ever since the first time I became Dowd Campbell. But still¡­ [My sooooon¡ª!] ¡°¡­¡± [Why won¡¯t you look at your moooom¡ª!] How was I supposed to ept that this five meter giant robot was my actual biological mother?! ¡­I wish this was all just a one big joke¡­! Chapter 256: School Festival (2) Chapter 256: School Festival (2)Let¡¯s go back in time for a little bit. The morning of the D-day of the School Festival, the day of the showdown. [By the way, what kind of event is the Elfante¡¯s School Festival exactly?] ¡°¡­You were a student here, how the hell did you not know?¡± [I didn¡¯t even attend for a year before getting assigned to the military, how am I supposed to know?] ¡°Ah¡­¡± [After I got into the military, I immediately joined the Guardian, so all of my personal information was kept confidential. How can I know what a School Festival or whatever is?] I see. Come to think of it, the reason why Iliya came here was because this was where hisst traces could be found. Alright, guess I¡¯ll exin the gist of it since he didn¡¯t know what was going on.¡°Well, as I¡¯ve said before, it¡¯s something like a fair.¡± I said while opening the curtain on the window of my dorm. Yeah, it was something like a fair, but¡­ The scale was significantly bigger. I looked up to see the huge letters written in the air with mana sparks. It was as if a huge calligraphy was carved into the sky, reminding me of the skyshows I used to see back in my previous life. [ Wee to the Elfante¡¯s 1022nd School Festival. ] The extremely high number there was the number of times they had held this event¡ªwhich was proportional to Elfante¡¯s own history. While the number itself stood out, the thing that was worth more to pay attention to was the fact that they ¡®spent all that money¡¯ for this kind of thing. To carve mana sparks of that size in the air, you¡¯d need to pour mana as if it was water¡ªwhich meant they¡¯d need to spend a bunch of money. I didn¡¯t know exactly how much, but they should¡¯ve spent at least about a month¡¯s worth of a big city¡¯s operational expenses for this thing only. Spending all that money only for a wee message was basically a performance to match the ¡®level¡¯ of the people attending this event. ¡°¡­People from all around the Empire¡ªno, from almost the entire continent gathered here. Because this event is not only one of the biggest events in Elfante, but also in the entire Empire.¡± Actually, both the Holy Land¡¯s Great Temple and the Tribal Alliance¡¯s Forge of Struggle also held simr events, but Elfante overwhelmingly outssed them in terms of scale and ¡®quality¡¯ of each booth. They¡¯d only hold the event every few years, but you could see all kinds of inventions and research results that you couldn¡¯t see anywhere else all over the ce during this event. [¡­And an event of this scale is still called a School Festival?] Caliban said, in a dumbfounded tone, but I couldn¡¯t help but agree with his words. Honestly, considering its scale, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if this event was held in the Imperial Pce. ¡°Well, they weren¡¯t like this originally, but¡­ You see, the Empire didn¡¯t really have many things to ¡®brag¡¯ about to the other countries¡­¡± In terms of technology, the Tribal Alliance beat them promptly, while in terms of academics, cultural achievements, and symbolism, they lost to the Holy Land¡ªthetter two especially, considering that these guys were the ones who produced the First Hero. While the present hero was an empire¡¯s citizen, Iliya, it still didn¡¯t feel like they got the upper hand against the Holy Land in cultural achievements by a great margin. If there was one thing they could brag about as their strongest strength, it would be the quantity and quality of their ¡®human resources¡¯. ¡°That¡¯s why they feel the need to show this kind of thing off every few years. Like, they want to tell everyone that ¡®This is the one thing we¡¯re the best at¡¯ or something.¡± You could say that they were trying to get the drop on the other countries. The ¡®quantity¡¯ of their various resources was on a different level from the Holy Land and Tribal Alliance, as everything was big, massive, and luxurious. Now, if they were to invest in such resources, creative and innovative things would naturally appear sometimes. That was why the other countries had no choice but toe and visit, even though they knew what the Empire was trying to do. ¡°¡­And the nature of this event is perfect for me to reveal what I¡¯m trying to do.¡± I could call it Dowd Campbell¡¯s showcase. It would be difficult to shake the ¡®whole continent¡¯ with what I had prepared unless I did a showcase in an event of this scale. As I said so, I left my room to go to the booth assigned to the Exorcism Club. And as soon as I left the dorm room, ¡°Oh, we meet again.¡± I ran into the gentle Cyborg again. ¡°¡­¡± From Caliban¡¯s reaction when he heard the fact that he was the Magic Tower¡¯s Marshal, I presumed that he was a higher up of the Magic Tower. Apparently, the entire Empire would freak out if they were to find out about him. But why is he loitering around freely like this? ¡°Why such a bitter reaction? This is not the first time we met, no?¡± ¡°¡­Uh, well¡­¡± I replied while scratching my head. His name was¡­ Alpha-11, right¡­? As I trailed off awkwardly, the Magic Tower¡¯s Marshal followed me until he was walking alongside me. From his gesture, he looked friendly. I could feel the eyes around us were focused on us at once. ¡°¡­What brings you here?¡± I asked,pletely sure that there was no way he came here just to see the School Festival. Seeing the way he shrugged his shoulders, my guess wasn¡¯t entirely off. ¡°I¡¯m here to act as a guard. Since that person is overly eager to see you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing his words, I could feel an ominous premonition. I remembered what he said when he came to visit me a while ago. A certain burdensome person kept throwing hints that she woulde here to make an appearance. And as soon as I arrived at the Exorcism Club booth while shaking at the thoughts of such a fact¡­ My anxiety was proved right. [Soooon¡ª!] ¡°¡­Professor Astrid. Are you trying to kill your biological child?¡± Even looking back on it now, the five meter giant robot, who was held back by Alpha-11 as she tried to hug me roughly, looked like something out of a sci-fi horror movie. ¡ñ [Oh my, oh my~ Look at them all! They¡¯re all beautiful!] ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seras, Victoria, Faenol, and even Iliya, could only stand there frozen, unsure what to say. Then again, everyone who was in their position would make the same expression. The biggest reason for their reaction would probably be the steel giant¡¯s existence itself, talking loudly at the entrance since she couldn¡¯t even get inside due to her size. There was also another reason for it, and that was¡­ [Son, how did you gather all these beautiful women?] ¡°¡­¡± [Son?] ¡°¡­¡± [Son¡­?] ¡°¡­¡± Dowd Campbell, who was trying hard to ignore the steel giant. Acting like an iron wall, hepletely ignored the steel giant¡¯s pathetic attempt to talk to him. ¡°¡­¡± However, even though he was keeping his mouth shut, inwardly, Dowd did have a lot to say. A lot of things just don¡¯t make sense¡­ If she could municate¡¯ with me using this kind of method, then why hasn¡¯t shee to see me all this time¡­? Also, how did she expect me to believe that she¡¯s my mother, especially when I¡¯ve never even seen her ever since I was born? It¡¯s only now that she has ever met me at all. To put it simply, Dowd had more than enough reason not to wee her existence, no matter how desperate she was acting right now. But, the biggest reason of them all was¡­ ¡­What about father? Even though his father kept avoiding to talk about his mother, as his family, Dowd knew how important this person was to him, to the point that he could feel it in his soul. Because his father¡¯s room was still full of her belongings. Since he was a child, until he became an adult, that one thing never changed. All this time, his father had been meticulously taking care of her belongings. Sometimes, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much his father missed her. And how much this person meant to him for him to be doing all that. And yet¡­ Even though she was able toe to see him like this¡­ She had never¡­ Not even once had shee to that man. ¡°¡­¡± Dowd Campbell¡¯s frown only grew deeper. Wearing an expression that suggested that he did not want to deal with her, he got up from his seat with a sigh. ¡°¡­I¡¯m going to start my presentation.¡± [Ah¡­] Before the steel giant called Professor Astrid could say anything else, Dowd had left the booth without looking back. An awkward silence soon filled the booth. Not only the Exorcism Club members, even Alpha-11 could not help but try to read Astrid¡¯s mood. ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± He asked worriedly in his synthesized voice. Professor Astrid let out a chuckle. [Well¡­] The steel giant crossed her arms while letting out a deep sigh. [As expected, I seem to be unweed.] ¡°¡­¡± Only the quick-witted ones among everyone managed to notice the subtle ¡®change¡¯ in her. The ¡®emotion¡¯ mixed in the steel giant¡¯s voice became very subtle as soon as Dowd Campbell left. [But still, he grew up well. I¡¯m d I came outside even though I have to strain myself like this.] It was as if¡­ The person she had to ¡®be wary of¡¯ was not there anymore. [¡­Although, from my memory, I could tell that I was very annoyed¡­] The ¡®warmth¡¯ that was in her voice hadpletely disappeared. Non-human, imperson¡ªeven worse, inanimate. It was as if her ¡®human nature¡¯ that remained in a chiseled form was turned off like a switch as soon as Dowd left. What came out of her was a terrifyingly inorganic voice. [So¡­] By this point, more people should¡¯ve noticed the change in her. While she did not look different on the outside, there was one thing underlying her words¡­ A deep ¡®contempt¡¯ towards someone else. [These are the bitches who didn¡¯t know their ces, huh?] ¡ªIn a blink of an eye¡­ The air began to freeze rapidly. ¡ñ Selim Bronx, a member of the Imperial Security Council, was extremely bored. Since all kinds of people from all over the world gathered, Elfante¡¯s School Festival was pretty much a hotbed of incidents. That was why elite agents like her were often deployed, since the Empire didn¡¯t want this big event to get ruined. ¡­They did way worse than the previous School Festival. However, even though she was entrusted with such an important duty, all she felt was a terrible boredom. Because all the presentations she saw were either just bizarre discoveries with no clear applications, or pretentious researches without any semnce of practicality. There wasn¡¯t even anything grand that could catch her eye. Of course, since the School Festival wasn¡¯t just any random event, there were a lot of things that she hadn¡¯t seen yet, but since her first impression of it was already this bad, she found it hard to have high expectations on the rest of the event anymore. Since she heard that even members of the Magic Tower woulde to attend, she was actually quite looking forward to the event, but now she felt like she was just wasting her time here. The number of the presentations that made her think so only increased as time went by, but then¡­ ¡­Exorcism Club? She spotted a club with a bizarre name. Not having much expectations, she expected them to present another useless thing just like the previous ones she had seen. Especially when the man who presented it seemed like nothing special, even as a student. ¡°Everyone.¡± As Selim thought so while yawning. ¡°What do you think is the best way to get rid of wars from the world?¡± Out of nowhere. A very suspicious topic was brought up. Chapter 257: School Festival (3) Chapter 257: School Festival (3)¡°¡­Um, Professor Astrid, right?¡± It was Iliya who managed to break the silence in the booth. Due to the strange sentence she had just heard, there was a light hint of anger in her voice. Bitch? I hadn¡¯t done anything to be called¡ª [Hero. The Astral Realm¡¯s spy.] As she said so, the giant¡¯s optical lens rotated smoothly before focusing its gaze on Iliya¡¯s sword. [In general, the angels don¡¯t do anything violent, but they¡¯d plot a lot of things behind everyone¡¯s backs. That Seraphim¡­ She would only ever contact you when she wants to, correct?] ¡°¡­Pardon me?¡± [She¡¯s normally unresponsive to whatever you say, correct? The only time when she ¡®responds¡¯ is when she has something to say.] T-That¡¯s¡­true¡­Leaving the speechless Iliya, the optical lens rotated again, turning to the other group of women nearby who were staring at the giant with wide eyes. [Ah, the Devil¡¯s Vessels. The cleaners in charge of the ¡®end of the world¡¯. While I feel sympathy for you guys since you guys get cussed out too much for your roles, even though you guys didn¡¯t choose that fate, I still can¡¯t bring myself to see you guys in a good light.] Cynicism, ridicule, and contempt filled her voice. The level of hostility she was exuding in that sentence, through her synthesized voice even, was something else. ¡°¡­What does that¡ª-¡± Someone said in a slightly suppressed voice in the suffocating atmosphere. And what she got in return was¡­ A flood ofpletely iprehensible information. [I believe you guys aren¡¯t at fault here. Apart from that damn ¡®Gray¡¯ who created this stopped-cogwheel like mechanism, I believe none of you guys became a host for such things because you wanted to.] ¡°Professor.¡± [That¡¯s why, please don¡¯t get me wrong. I don¡¯t hate ¡®you guys¡¯. What I hate is the things inside you guys. ording to the results of the multi-dimensional analysis of cause and effect, all of you have killed Dowd at least once. That¡¯s why, to me, you are all potential killers¡ª] ¡°Professor!¡± A thunder-like roar filled the space. ¡°Kyaaak?!¡± ¡°W-What the?!¡± It wasn¡¯t just an ordinary roar. His voice actually produced a turbulence that caused a ¡®physical impact¡¯ on the surroundings. Light items were shattered into dust, people were pushed down and fell, the structures that were loosely built were crushed unceremoniously. The noisy ce instantly became quiet. ¡°¡­¡± Iliya stared at the scene dumbfoundedly, her mouth slightly agape. T-That¡­ H-He just shouted ¡®slightly loudly¡¯¡­and a small storm immediately urred in the surroundings¡­? She had often seen those super superhumans changing the whole scenery just by swinging their swords once, but this was her first time seeing the surroundings turned into a mess just because of a loud shout. Meanwhile, Alpha-11, the one who caused such a situation, let out a sigh before continuing in a quiet voice. ¡°You¡¯ve revealed too much, Professor. I believe you¡¯ve spilled more than ten confidential secrets of the Magic Tower just now.¡± [So what? I was the one who predicted all of that.] ¡°I understand that your love for your son runs extremely deep, but these people here haven¡¯t done anything to him.¡± [Yet. More specifically, they haven¡¯t done anything serious yet.] The steel giant snorted while crossing her arms. [I believe these women have manipted my son into doing something intimate with them at least once prior to this.] ¡°I kept telling you this, making wild spections like that is a bad habit¡ª¡± Before Alpha-11 could finish his words, he noticed that none of the women around was holding their heads up. Seeing this, he promptly stopped and just cleared his throat instead. Because theirck of retorts and their blushing faces gave him the clearest answer he could receive at that moment. ¡°¡­All of them are in the prime of their youths.¡± As Alpha-11 awkwardly said so, Professor Astrid just let out another snort before continuing. [Well, it¡¯s true that there¡¯s nothing toe out of them for the time being. Raise your heads, all of you. I¡¯m not going to nag you anymore.] As she said so, the steel giant¡¯s gaze was fixed on Dowd, who had gone up the podium in the distance. This was one of the School Festival¡¯s main events. Presentations of ¡®research results¡¯ in front of everyone. Anyone inside the Academy could see it through a huge projector that was provided by the Academy. ¡°I don¡¯t under¡ª¡± [You don¡¯t need to. It¡¯s going to ¡®start¡¯ soon anyway.] Astrid said while waving her hand. [While I¡¯m at it, let me tell you one weird story¡­ You¡¯ve heard the words that they used to call that kid, no? ¡®The Key of the World¡¯? It isn¡¯t just some nonsense. The fate of the entire world genuinely depends on that kid.] ¡°¡­¡± I knew that¡­! Iliya clenched her fist tightly while thinking so. She had heard the Seraphim tell her that Dowd Campbell was the Key of the World a few times. That he was a more important person than she thought. What this weird woman was trying to say was definitely rted to that. [¡­The one who will put the world to an end¡­] However, the next thing she said¡­ [In some cases, it may not be you guys but someone else¡­] Was something that she had never expected. [Starting from today, the continent would turn noisier than ever before.] Such nonsensical remarks spread into the air coldly. At that moment¡­ -What do you think is the best way to get rid of wars from the world? Such words fell from a certain someone¡¯s mouth. ¡ñ Some people said, contrary to what the general masses thought, the most dangerous lunatics in the world didn¡¯t look like lunatics at all. ¡®A honey tongue, a heart of gall¡¯, that was what those kinds of people called; people who hid their swords under their smiles. And the man who was sitting on the chair on the podium right now, almost perfectly fit that description. He didn¡¯t look dangerous at all. With hisid-back behavior, the gentle smile on his face, and a calm voice¡­ Selim Bronx thought that there was no one in this world that could be more harmless than this guy, Dowd Campbell. Perhaps most of the people who were looking at him right now shared the same thought as her. His next words, uttered in a warm voice, were clear. Even though the words itself weren¡¯t warm, at all. ¡°Since the beginning of history, humans have been pointing guns and swords at each other for all sorts of reasons¡ªa great cause, their own belief, or simply because they don¡¯t like how the others looked.¡± Thetter¡¯s case had a prominent example in Count Nichs, whom he met not long ago. Humanity was a race in which its members could antagonize others over a very trivial reason. The so-called ¡®politicians¡¯ who were ready to spill blood over a ¡®struggle of interests¡¯ in the huge group of humans called the empire were also a prime example of this, except that their range of activities were on a muchrger scale. ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered why people act so ferociously against each other like that? There should be a way where we all could live a little more peacefully. A way for everybody to live without hurting anyone. I used to think about those things often¡­¡± His voice made him sound like aid-back gentle dreamer. That was why¡­ ¡°But a while ago, I had a conversation with a ¡®human hunter¡¯.¡± When a ¡®change of atmosphere¡¯ in him urred after he said that sentence, everyone could feel it clearly. ¡°He told me an effective way to hunt children, which is to use their parents as bait.¡± After he said that, a suffocating silence spread. His voice still sounded calm. He just conveyed a in fact without exaggerating anything, but that only served to deliver his points more clearly. ¡°That experience taught me that humans could indeed act so viciously over a mere trivial reason.¡± That was why it was easier to make a conclusion. Since humans could act so viciously¡­ The ¡®civil war¡¯, of which the fuse had already been lit, would definitely happen. It was only a matter of time. ¡°Humans would willingly point their swords at someone to achieve what they want, for whatever reason¡ªthey would even make up one if they didn¡¯t have any.¡± That was why¡­ ¡°So, I¡¯ve been thinking about this; is there a way for ¡®me¡¯ to solve that?¡± The audience¡¯s expressions turned weird. This particr topic, his t deration that came out of nowhere¡ªnone of them were things that were supposed to be conveyed in a presentation by a mere school club. As people¡¯s expressions started to be filled with confusion and they began to buzz with doubts, Dowd ced something on the podium. A small box that he had brought with him. ¡°Let¡¯s see. I believe I could exin it a little better if everyone were to take a look at this.¡± Back in his previous world, all kinds of media on Earth reported that offending someone was the most vicious thing a human could do to each other. It could also be seen as the era was so peaceful that even such a level of ¡®threat¡¯ could attract everyone¡¯s attention. Then, what caused it? What was the precondition to maintain such a peace? The answer was very simple. ¡°The conclusion I reached is¡­a ¡®suppressing power¡¯.¡± Dowd said before opening the box. And from inside of it¡­ ¡°Something that could put the entire world together.¡± The ¡®entire world¡¯s public enemy¡­ Was released. Chapter 258: School Festival (4) Chapter 258: School Festival (4)Anyone who knew about Duke Tristan¡¯s reputation would definitely be questioning his recent moves. Gideon was always regarded as the ¡®model student¡¯ of the Empire¡¯s nobility; he never did anything out of the ordinary, he¡¯d carry out all of his schedules, no matter how tight it was, and he¡¯d always maintain a fair, yet strict attitude even towards his subordinates. That was why, seeing how he did not show up through all kinds of major incidents that happened recently¡ªlike the Harvest Festival or the incident in the Imperial Pce¡ªa set of questions popped out in everyone¡¯s head. Where did he go? What has he been doing? ¡°¡­T-This is¡ª¡± Marquis Bogut, who managed to find the answer to those questions, looked at the other person, flustered. The Duke Tristan¡ªGideon¡ªhe remembered always carried an aura resembling that of a strict prosecutor; always looked on edge, and always wearing an expressionless look. But his current looks werepletely different. Unshaven, rough beard, a training suit that had turned into something like an old straw mat¡ªsomething that couldn¡¯t even be called clothes anymore, a worn-out sword which even its handle had worn away, implying that it had been swung around more than it could handle. The sharp atmosphere which always reminded people of a de that used to envelope him had been reced with a rather softer one.To be exact, it felt as if he had be more posed¡¯. Instead of a duke, he now looked more like a wandering swordsman. ¡­And yet, despite looking like that, he still appeared in Elfante¡¯s School Festival, which prompted a lot of questions from Bogut. ¡°¡­What the hell have you been doing, Duke Tristan?¡± ¡°I did what I had to.¡± His answer was curt, but¡­ If this was the old him, he would¡¯ve just nced in Bogut¡¯s direction with a disgusted look before going on his way. After all, he was a noble of the Pro-Empress Faction, while the other man was the leader of the Upper Nobles Association. There was no way that they got along well. ¡°¡­In any case, we could consider running into each other like this as fate. Why don¡¯t we sit together while we watch these presentations?¡± Well, it seems like I can talk with him now, at least. Bogut thought so before offering the seat next to him, but Gideon only asked him a question without responding to his offer. ¡°Where¡¯s Dowd Campbell?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hmm¡­ That guy¡¯s name is always brought up everywhere, huh? ¡°¡­Do you need something from him? I believe he must be extremely busy right now.¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± Gideon replied briefly. ¡°¡­I came here to thank him. I¡¯m finally ready.¡± Relief, assurance, and determination. His voice was filled with a mix of those emotions. His attitude made it seem like he was about to receive a reward after finishing the biggest mission in his life. ¡­I¡¯m not sure, but¡­ It seems like he has achieved a great thing recently. ¡°Well, then that¡¯s all the more reason we should watch it together!¡± Watching this man would be quite fun as well. Marquis Bogut thought while pointing at Dowd Campbell, which was shown on the huge screen. ¡°Let¡¯s watch him together.¡± An aplishment that made even someone on Duke Tristan¡¯s level felt this kind of relief wouldn¡¯t be something ordinary. That roused Bogut¡¯s curiosity more than it should have. ¡°Right now, that man is presenting something that could open up a new era.¡± An expectation that was like a bad habit¡ªhe was curious of Gideon¡¯s reaction. His reaction once he realized how insignificant his aplishment was after he heard the topic Dowd Campbell was about to bring up. ¡ñ Perhaps, no one was able to tell what exactly it was that they were seeing at that moment. Because the thing that came up from inside the box that Dowd had opened only looked like different colored ¡®smokes¡¯ing up like clouds. ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± Such questions spread among the audience. Because in contrast to the grand speech he delivered just a moment ago, he only showcased shabby hazes on that venue. However, some people¡­ People with good senses, people who had achieved some kind of aplishments, people who studied the Devils to some extent, and sincere priests¡ªall those people¡­ Felt an anxiety that made their whole body frozen stiff. ¡°¡­Dean?¡± Somewhere in the Academy, a student from the Theology School muttered as such.. Because Dean Walter had jumped up from his seat, barely holding a Catalyst with his trembling hands. His face was pale. ¡°¡­Stop him.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± At his words, which sounded like a groan, the student asked in a confused tone. Because he did not expect the professor to react in such a way, as he had always said some iprehensible things. ¡°Stop that thiiiing¡ª!¡± As Professor Walter shouted so, Somewhere else, Saintess Lucia unknowingly grabbed her Rosario spasmodically. In her stunned mind, the first thing that she said was¡­ ¡°Yuria, look down.¡± ¡°¡­Unnie?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at that¡ª!¡± Those two weren¡¯t the only ones who reacted that way. Simr reactions came from various people in different parts of the Academy, but even amidst all that, Dowd just continued his presentation calmly. ¡°The Exorcism Club proudly presents¡­¡± After that¡­ The vague anxiety which only a few people could feel¡­ Was dramatically realized¡­ ¡°The suppressing power that could put the entire world together. Its name is¡­¡± In the worst form possible. ¡°The world¡¯s public enemy.¡± Red Demonic Aura, Purple Demonic Aura, and Gray Demonic Aura. With thest one as the most important one of them all¡­ The different colored smoke rose slowly from the open box before gathering in one ce. They all entered Dowd Campbell¡¯s chest. To be exact, into the Seal on his chest. The Fallen¡¯s Seal shone. Light particles spread thinly and scattered around Dowd Campbell¡¯s body as if permeating him. And then¡­ At that moment¡­ ¡°¡­Ah¡ª¡± Someone opened their mouth. ¡°Ah¡ª¡­¡± They wanted to let out a scream, yet nothing came out. Nothing except cold breaths, simr to those of a dying person. And starting with that weak sound of breathing¡­ Everyone in the venue was betrayed by their own body. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­h¡­¡± Major Nobles, researchers, sessful entrepreneurs, retired generals¡­ The people who participated in Elfante¡¯s School Festival, those who would have prioritized their dignity and honors more than anything else, copsed, crawling on the ground like beasts. No one dared to raise their heads. No one dared to stand on two feet. The cause of the horror that was enveloping them was¡­ Because they were deprived of control of their body just by facing that thing. The fact that they were facing such an indescribable existence was etched on their whole being. Such a creepy sensation made them abandon their reason and screamed in terror. All kinds of indescribable emotions poured out like torrents, but if one were to sum all the feelings they were feeling in simple words, it would probably be¡­ -Run away. Now. The thing before their eyes was not something they could resist. As humans managed to adapt to the changing environment ever since they managed to establish their civilization, after they could no longer easily suffer from the horror of death, they lost one ability in exchange. Their instinct to sense a crisis. But now¡­ Emotions that were produced by that particr ability, which humans used to experience before civilization was established, were evoked by the thing before their eyes. [The World¡¯s Public Enemy] Its presence was overwhelming, to the point that no one would object to its grand name. Some of them thought of cutting out their eyes, some of them tried to move their bodies that would not listen to escape the venue, some of them could not do anything but lie down crying. However, even after doing all those, everyone came to the same conclusion. They could not free themselves. From ¡®that thing¡¯ before their eyes. ¡°¡­Huuk¡ª huuk¡ª¡± Lucia let out rough breaths, closing her eyes tightly. She knew clearly in her head. What was inside it was ¡®Dowd Campbell¡¯, the same man that she knew, the rude and perverted man that somehow she found attractive. However¡­ Her body reacted, as if saying that person wasn¡¯t him at all. Mr¡­Dowd¡­! She opened her eyes as if praying. She did not know why she was doing that, but it was probably because she felt a strong desire to help him. And at that moment, what she saw was¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Something extremely strange. The Dowd that she saw with one eye, was the Dowd she knew. From his Academy Uniform, his smiling eyes that she always found detestable, and his mouth that always said strange things, everything was familiar to her. However, that was only half of him. If she looked at him with her other ¡®half¡¯¡­ What was there was¡­ -Dark, pitch ck. It put on a human mask in the form of Dowd Campbell. But its ¡®essence¡¯ was¡­ Death. The world¡¯s destroyer. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lucia¡¯s legs gave out and she copsed right there. ¡°Ah, ah¡­ Haa¡­¡± Holding her head while crying, she¡­ She didn¡¯t even know what it was that she saw. It felt as if a scream was echoing in her ears. That, that was¡ª! ¡°-So, this existence¡­¡± But¡­ At some point¡­ All of the pressure vanished without a trace. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence filled the venue, which had turned into a mess at this point. The ce was so quiet that everyone could only hear their loud breathing. Everyone looked as if they could not recognize clearly what they had just seen, and what they had been here with. At that moment, Dowd Campbell¡¯s quiet voice echoed. ¡°What would happen if this thing falls upon on ¡®whichever side who started the fight first?¡¯¡± After pulling that kind of stunt¡­ He continued to speak nonchntly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think this thing is going to be a pretty cool suppressing power?¡± The expression he was wearing was definitely the ¡®human¡¯ Dowd Campbell¡¯s. Just like when he first went up the podium, he wore a gentle and peaceful look, one might think that he wore an indifferent look even. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, no one could take it the same way as before. Because that expression looked as if¡­ If he wanted to¡­ He could bring out ¡®something like this¡¯ whenever he wanted. ¡ñ Marquis Bogut smirked while looking at Gideon next to him, whose eyes widened after witnessing all that. Even though he wasn¡¯t there personally and only saw it through a ¡®screen¡¯. There was no way that he, out of all people, did not know. ¡®What kind of influence¡¯ the thing Dowd Campbell had just shown could have on the entire world. And what kind of a butterfly effect it would cause to the empire¡¯s internal situation. ¡­Too bad I can¡¯t see a big reaction out of him. Gideon¡¯s whole body stiffened up, and it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t move a muscle anytime soon. So, Bogut decided to just congratte that guy in the meantime. ¡°Congrattions for finally entering the ¡®evolution¡¯ stage.¡± The man on the screen, who was still full of smiles. This was something that had been foreseen from the moment he received the Fallen¡¯s Seal from the Gray Devil. Finally, the ¡®achievement¡¯ was revealed in earnest. ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to also take up thest seat of the Seven Powers that¡¯s still vacant soon.¡± Marquis Bogut muttered while swirling the wine in his ss. ¡°-ck Devil.¡± That was the name that man would be called by in the future. Chapter 259: Aftermath (1) Chapter 259: Aftermath (1)[Amazing job back there.] A voice came out of the Soul Linker as soon as I left the venue. Just like what he said, everyone around focused their attention on me to the point that it was overwhelming. However, none of them had the courage to talk to me directly. Probably because they hadn¡¯tpletely ¡®understood¡¯ what they had just seen yet. ¡°¡­Huu.¡± I walked slowly while exhaling through my nose. Meanwhile, everyone backed off hesitantly, matching my steps. Implying that, not only did they indeed not understand what they had just seen yet, but also didn¡¯t want to get involved with me. And that was probably for the better. At least for now.Because if they didn¡¯t, they¡¯d definitely take up too much of my time when I was pressed for time to meet a certain someone now. [They¡¯re probably postponing the whole event because of this.] ¡°Of course. It wasn¡¯t something ordinary people could bear to see, after all.¡± I replied with a bitter smile. From the moment I received the Fallen¡¯s Seal from the Gray Devil, I already guessed that it would have this ¡®function¡¯. [¡­How did you even guess that?] ¡°Because her possessiveness is on a different levelpared to the rest of them.¡± Thinking back, the Gray Devil was the punk who immediately crushed the White Devil¡ªeven though they were of the ¡®same kind¡¯, just because thetter touched me. So, there was no way that she¡¯d let the obvious biggest obstacle in her ideal life¡ªbeing lovey-dovey with me forever¡ªbe. [Biggest obstacle?] ¡°My lifespan.¡± The nature of our rtionship was one between a Devil, a half-divine, and me, a mere mortal. Anyone could see that there was an enormous obstacle between us from that fact alone. Of course, that obstacle might as well not exist if she were to give me ¡®immortality¡¯ by putting a certain seal on my chest. [¡­Ah.] Caliban eximed, as if he had realized something. Hearing that, I burst outughing. This was the reason why the Gray Devil always said that we¡¯d be together forever until the end of the world everytime we met in the past. [Then, you¡­] Caliban continued with a hollowugh. [¡­Received that seal knowing from the very beginning you¡¯d turn into that¡­?] ¡°¡­Well, I didn¡¯t expect her to actually turn me into something simr to a Devil, though¡­¡± I just guessed that this thing would be rted to my lifespan somehow, but I never expected that it would be this terrifying. Though, I kinda noticed this already back when I was cut in half by Yuria. [If you only need three Auras to get this level of an effect¡­] Caliban trailed off. It wasn¡¯t hard to understand what he was trying to say, though. If I were to charge the remaining Demonic Auras from the Devils¡­ How far would it get? ¡°¡­Nevertheless, we have to see it through to the end.¡± I gave him a firm answer. After all, this was just the beginning. As I had said to the Fist Saint before, my goal was to turn the world into a ce where the Devil¡¯s Vessels ¡®were not hated¡¯. [¡­Isn¡¯t what you¡¯re doing exactly the opposite of that goal?] ¡°For now, yes.¡± Because this is like a failed version of what you could do with a Devil¡¯s power. [Are you implying that there¡¯s a sessful version of it¡­?] ¡°Of course.¡± I replied with a grin. ¡°Why do you think I did all this willingly?¡± Without a proper buildup, everything would have less impact. Just by showing these people a glimpse of how terrifying the Devil¡¯s power could be, they¡¯d remember the horror they had been forgetting all this time. After that, what I¡¯d need to do was just¡­ ¡®Turning over¡¯ that umted emotion in one fell swoop. I only needed a properly constructed ¡®stage¡¯ for that. [Not like I had ever understood what you were thinking, but this time I really don¡¯t get it. What the hell are you up to now?] ¡°Well, I¡¯m just trying to create a future where I could do polygamy in peace.¡± [¡­Ah, right, I forgot you¡¯re this kind of fucker.] Hearing his sigh, I snickered. Not long after that, I asked him a question that I had been wondering about. ¡°¡­By the way, you¡¯re calmer than I expected.¡± [Hm?] ¡°Honestly, I thought you¡¯d make a fuss out of this the most out of everyone I know. I mean, I¡¯m turning myself into a Devil and all¡­¡± I was being honest. It was true that I was worried to some extent. Like, what if he were to undergo some change in his mental state after seeing me actually turning into a Devil? I mean, he was the one guy who¡¯d always stay together with me no matter what. If he were to undergo such a change for real¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, it would¡¯ve been a little¡­ Heartbreaking. As I was having such thoughts, Caliban answered in a t tone. [If it was me in the past, probably. Now, I just think it¡¯s fun to see how far you¡¯ll go.] ¡°¡­¡± [Rather, I¡¯m curious to see how much stronger you motherfucking scum will get from now on.] I thought you¡¯re a knight of justice or something? What the fuck with that sudden change in character? [So what?] Caliban replied while snickering. [I¡¯m basically your closest panion¡¯. Except for me, who else would watch you until the end?] ¡°¡­¡± I stopped my steps. My eyes unknowingly widened before fixing my gaze on the Soul Linker. [Do your best, you idiot. Whether you¡¯d seed, fail, or fall into hell, I¡¯m the only one who can watch over you as you pull off all of your absurd stunts.] ¡°¡­¡± [I¡¯ve been bound with you as a ghost for too long, I can¡¯t help but get attached to you. And yet you thought that I¡¯d hate you just because you got a longer lifespan?] ¡°¡­Caliban.¡± [Why do you sound so emotional? What, you are moved by my words?] ¡°¡­¡± [Then fuck Iliya already. Get engaged with her while you¡¯re at it. Oh, right, when you fuck her, do it somewhere I can¡¯t¡ª] ¡°¡­Oh, shut the fuck up.¡± I let out a chuckle at the snickering Caliban before starting to walk again. [Anyway, why are you in a hurry? Where are you going?] ¡°Let¡¯s just say, to receive a performance evaluation after all that work.¡± The people who was affected the most in that amazing Devil show I pulled up, which was basically my deration of, ¡®Unless you¡¯re confident to have a battle to death with me, don¡¯t even think of starting a civil war¡¯, was the Upper Nobles Association, who were definitely just waiting for the moment to start the civil war now. And the perfect person to measure its ¡®effect¡¯ was here. In fact, I could see him from where I was now. ¡°Ah, there you are, Dowd Campbell! I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡± From a distance¡­ Marquis Bogut, who always wore a smile on his face, just like a clown, was waving his hand at me with all his might. ¡ñ ¡°The civil war will happen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your demonstration is impressive, of course, but even if I were to do my best to stop them, it still won¡¯t work. The nobles under me are already in an unusual state, they¡¯ve lost their mind over their privileges. They¡¯re going to charge towards you, uncaring whether they¡¯d end up dying or fainting.¡± If there was one thing I wanted to say to Marquis Bogut¡­ It was that this person needed to learn how to do some proper buildup when he talked. I received the ss of wine he offered with a deep sigh. ¡°¡­Why the hell would they go so far, even when I¡¯ve done something like that just now?¡± ¡°Because they didn¡¯t see it with their own eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯d just think of it as a groundless rumor, even if they heard enough testimonies about it.¡± That was such a simple reason¡­ But, it was convincing enough. I mean, if I were to hear that ¡®The Holy Land was shaking, the Empire¡¯s key figures fainted, and the Tribal Alliance¡¯s valiant forces peed themselves because of Dowd Campbell¡¯s presentation,¡¯ even I would say something along the lines of, ¡®The fuck you¡¯re on about?¡¯. No matter how close to the truth it was. ¡°Still, what you¡¯ve shown here won¡¯t be a lie just because they think of it as a false rumor.¡± Marquis Bogut grinned while raising his ss. The richly-colored wine, as deep as blood, swung roughly as the tips of our sses hit each other. The liquid swirled like a whirlpool. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that, the stage will beid for you. You will have the ¡®opportunity¡¯ to dig deep into their hearts through what you showed here.¡± He continued while smiling. ¡°They¡¯ll ¡®resurrect¡¯ Nichs soon, and once they hear what he has to say, they¡¯ll hound at you from all directions to kill you.¡± ¡°¡­I guess so.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s exactly where the important phase of your n is, no? The perfect stage for you to show how overwhelming the ¡®Devil¡¯s power¡¯ is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Those people are nice, don¡¯t you think? They willingly provide you the opportunity to ¡®prove¡¯ what you had just said. All you need to do is just to pulverize them then.¡± While listening to him quietly, I stared at Marquis Bogut. ¡°¡­You.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Are you really my enemy?¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡± ¡°But why are you telling me everything?¡± ¡°Because it won¡¯t be fun if you lose too easily!¡± He replied, still smiling, but I only stared at him silently. ¡°If you go to the booth of my Club, there¡¯s someone called Professor Astrid.¡± For a moment there¡­ Although it was a very short moment¡­ Marquis Bogut¡¯s smile became slightly stiff. Of course I didn¡¯t miss that, but I just stared at him. ¡°I believe that you two have met before. Why don¡¯t you go over there and say hi?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not in a rtionship where it would be a good idea for us to see each other!¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± In an instant, his expression returned to normal. I replied calmly as I watched him. ¡­One thing that I noticed though¡­ Was that they really didn¡¯t have the rtionship where it would be a good idea for them to see each other. I suspected that this man used to be in a very ¡®deep¡¯ rtionship with that Professor Astrid person in the past, whatever the rtionship was. ¡°¡­Ah, right.¡± Marquis Bogut, who was silent for a moment, suddenly brought up another topic. I knew why he was trying to do this, but what he said wasn¡¯t something I could ignore. ¡°Duke Tristan wants to see you. Shouldn¡¯t you meet him as soon as you can?¡± ¡°¡­Duke Gideon is looking for me?¡± ¡°Yes. He said that he¡¯s ready to attain his long-cherished desire or whatever. I think he said that he can finally cut what he wanted to cut or something like that.¡± ¡­Ah¡­ This matter was rted to the ¡®curse that had been passed down in Tristan Duchal Household. It was the content of Eleanor¡¯s ¡®Special Quest¡¯ that was unlocked a long time ago. This meant that I had finally achieved the cut-line I drew in order to achieve that. Good. The timing was perfect. Because the way topletely erase the Branching Route of Eleanor¡¯s ¡®going berserk¡¯ was supposed to happen in the Main Chapter, the Empire¡¯s Great Turmoil. If Gideon had reached such a level, it meant that he would be a big help in the Event¡¯s progression. ¡°¡­Thanks for the advice. Is that all about the duke?¡± ¡°Ah, there was one more.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Then what is it? Seriously, don¡¯t make me ask twice just quickly¡ª ¡°He said that he will finally consider the official procedure of your marriage with Lady Tristan once he attains his long-cherished desire.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon me?¡± ¡°It was hrious to see him beating around the bush, all flustered while saying that though. Hard to think that he was a guy who abandoned his daughter like that. Anyway, that was what he said.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He said that it was the best expression of gratitude he could give you.¡± ¡­I shouldn¡¯t have asked. Chapter 260: Aftermath (2) ording to my memory, Gideon¡¯s death was the trigger to the biggest Branching Route of Eleanor¡¯s going berserk. ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, when I first heard about a Vessel going berserk, it really didn¡¯t click with me. But, after ¡®experiencing it myself¡¯, I just felt that I had to prevent those people who were close to me from turning like that, even if that meant I¡¯d have to risk my life. Seeing what I had done back then, it was horrifying to think that a Vessel could go down to such deep ends when their minds were hazed by the Demonic Aura. [¡­It¡¯s that, right?] What? [You know, back when you did something that felt like no human would ever do without any hesitation? Like back during the Crimson Incident?] Yeah¡­ Before Eleanor made mee back to my senses, I always had this feeling as if everything I had done wasn¡¯t done by me.That was why, this would be the perfect time to repay that favor I owed her. In that sense, Gideon¡¯s ¡®long-cherished wish¡¯ was the surefire ticket to prevent Eleanor from going through that. Or at least, that was how it should go, but¡­ ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Although, I think I still need to hone myself a little more¡­¡± After seeing Gideon¡¯s ¡®trial performance¡¯ sword dance with my own eyes¡­ I was left speechless. His words left me with nothing to say. What did he just say? Hone himself a little more? What kind of bullshit was that? Yeah, I usually told him to ¡®practice this¡¯ and ¡®practice that¡¯ even when we were apart, but I only did all that to help him reach the pinnacle of the strength he wished for¡ªbased on the diary he had left¡ªquickly. And as a result of that, he, who stood right before my eyes¡­ ¡­This guy is already at a level where he could just face Radu directly¡­ Yes. It seemed more than possible for him to match that monster¡ªthe current Sword Saint who was on his way to be the strongest human of all time. Of course, it would be impossible for Gideon to win against him, since in the first ce, Radu was the one who taught him the basics of the sword. Not to mention that he also had his own hidden special abilities¡­ ¡°¡­Tell me what you think of it.¡± And yet, such a person was now looking at me nervously, as if he was a student waiting for the announcement of his admittance to a college. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a pass for me, it¡¯s enough.¡± The fact that I had to evaluate someone of his stature made me feel ashamed. Nevertheless, what I said wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°With this, you¡¯d definitely be able to cut the thing you want to cut.¡± As I said so, Gideon closed his eyes for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. Relief, a sense of achievement, and determination. I could feel all these emotions mixed together on his face. Though that was a natural thing, since he was so close to attaining his ¡®long-cherished wish¡¯ of his lifetime. ¡­Speaking of, this person¡¯s long-cherished wish was¡­ To cut off the root of the curse that had been passed down in his family. It was rted to Eleanor¡¯s mother, who had died a long time ago. ¡®The person¡¯ who had killed her should be rted to the root of this person¡¯s long-cherished wish. ¡°¡­¡± But, in order to look for that person, I¡¯d need to dig deep into the darkest and deepest part of the empire¡¯s politics. And during that process, I¡¯d be involving myself with¡­ ¡­Her Imperial Majesty, Chancellor Sullivan, Eleanor, Gideon, Faenol, Iliya and¡­ ¡­This person. I thought so while looking at the Soul Linker. [¡­Why?] Nothing. It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that all the members of the Guardians were sent to quell the Crimson Night Incident and ended up perishing that night. While this person probably had gone there half-voluntarily, there were some ¡®work¡¯ involved that led to that kind of ¡®situation¡¯ in the first ce. I thought silently to myself while changing the topic so that such thoughts ¡®wouldn¡¯t be heard by Caliban¡¯. ¡°I¡¯ll bring the ¡®thing you¡¯d need to cut¡¯ to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing my words, Gideon¡¯s eyes slightly widened. ¡°¡­You knew about that as well?¡± ¡°You could act more surprised, you know?¡± ¡°After being involved this deeply with you, I have gotten used to this to a certain extent. After all, you always act as if you already know all the secrets that everyone tries to hide.¡± I nodded, letting out a bitter smile. ¡°¡­In any case, no one could find him except for me.¡± That person was definitely still lying low right now. Hiding themselvespletely, refusing to show themselves until the very end under severalyers of protection, both social and political. However, even such a punk would definitely be dragged out of his ¡®shell¡¯ during the civil war, given the extreme scale of the incident. The opportunity to drag him out would definitelye. ¡°Right, there¡¯s also something else we need to discuss.¡± When I heard that, I suddenly could feel a chill running down my spine. ¡°When this is over, your marriage with Eleanor¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t we talk about that at ater date?¡± I said so while sending Gideon away. The fuck do you mean marriage? At this kind of timing too! The empire is about to be divided into pieces! A massacre might happen everywhere because of the war, and yet what you¡¯re concerned about is marriage?! [Actually, I could see where he¡¯sing from.] ¡°¡­¡± [I mean, you¡¯ll prevent the civil war from happening anyway, that¡¯s already a certainty. The marriage though, now that¡¯s something you can¡¯t prevent, and at the same time, something to look forward to¡ª] ¡°¡­What the fuck do you think I am?¡± Dowd Campbell¡­ The man who could prevent the civil war from happening but was helpless against women who tried to milk him in bed¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know if that was apliment or an insult. ¡°Anyway, even for me, there¡¯s still someone I¡¯d be having difficulties to stop if something were to go wrong.¡± A certain crazy count¡¯s face came to my mind. The lunatic who told me ways to hunt humans without the slightest change in his expression. [¡­Right, I kept hearing about his resurrection or whatnot, but is that fucker really going toe back to life?] ¡°Yes.¡± I replied curtly. He¡¯s going to be resurrected, that much is certain. The thing with him was that he was one of the key characters of this chapter. While I managed to kick him out the moment I saw him, since this world was built based on the game, that bastard would definitelye back. Although, he¡¯de back in a way more¡­¡¯monstrous¡¯¡­appearance. ¡°With that in mind, this is going to be my busiest time ever.¡± This time, I had to prevent the civil war from happening, deal with Gideon¡¯s problem, and find a way to deal with Count Nichs and Marquis Bogut. I had to do those things all at once. Actually, calling myself busy was an understatement. That was why, I¡¯d definitely need someone to lend me a hand. ¡°¡­Although, honestly, this one right here gave me the greatest confidence.¡± While Iliya with the Holy Sword or Eleanor would do¡­ It¡¯d be better for me if I¡¯d get the help of someone who wasn¡¯t rted to the Astral Realm or Pandemonium, especially when the ¡®stage¡¯ was structured in a way that such people would have no choice but to bear a huge penalty ¡®as it went on¡¯. That was why, based on the scene before my eyes¡­ ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone stronger than him among the people who met all those conditions.¡± I said so while stealthily ncing at the thing Gideon had just ¡®cut¡¯. ¡°Caliban.¡± [Hm?] ¡°Would you be able to do something like this?¡± [Are you out of your mind?] I figured he¡¯d react that way. When it came to a fight between Saints or superhumans who had reached such a level, it was more urate to call it the shing of natural disasters than a fight. But, what Gideon had just done was just something else even if I were to judge it with such standards. ¡°¡­That person really just cut the ¡®sun¡¯, huh?¡± Up there in the sky, the sun¡­ Looked clearly distorted, as if someone had cut it. ¡ñ Now that I got all that, there was no more reason to dy the next step. And so, I decided to make my move right away. Although, like usual, every time I showed such willingness to act, there was a certain someone who¡¯d suffer because of it¡­ ¡°¡­What the hell is this?!¡± Headmistress Atnte snapped at me while ring at the document I submitted to her. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you tell by reading it?¡± ¡°Yes. I could tell that everything will turn into a mess the moment I sign this!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an application for external club activities, though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just your nonsensical excuse! If that¡¯s really what it is, you would have brought it to your club¡¯s advisor, not me, the headmistress!¡± ¡°See? You understood.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The moment she heard that, I could see that she was contemting to either p me in the face or punch herself in the head for forming a partnership with me in the first ce. In the end though, she just facepalmed and called out to me in a serious voice. ¡°All the areas you¡¯re going to go through during this ¡®external club activities¡¯ you requested are the Upper Nobles Association¡¯s military hubs. Going there when you¡¯re still attracting this much attention is like throwing yourself into a lion¡¯s den.¡± ¡°Headmistress.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you know what is the most effective way to subdue the punks who¡¯ve gone crazy and wanted to start a war so badly even though a suppressing power is still in ce?¡± Even on Earth, in the era where nuclear weapons had been developed, there had been constant conflicts, whether they were big or small. Wars still went on here and there, even though there was a looming threat of nuclear weapons. But guess how those wars ended? ¡°It¡¯s to show them directly why a suppressing power is called as such.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The headmistress held her head. ¡°¡­I could tell that you¡¯re going to say something crazy again by your expression¡­ Fine, I¡¯ll listen to it. What is it?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to say anything.¡± I said with a grin, meanwhile the headmistress¡¯ expression went nk. ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll show you with my actions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As the one in charge, you can just deploy me there as long as you make up some kind of an excuse, no? Trust me, as long as me and my club members roam around those ces, the civil war wouldn¡¯t end up happening. I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°¡­You motherfucking lunatic¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Headmistress, please, keep your dignity. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll think about it. Don¡¯t count too much on it, though.¡± If it was any other person, those words were basically a refusal, but for her, it pretty much meant a yes. It was pretty easy to convince this person. As long as I pushed what it was that I wanted like this, she¡¯d lend me an ear even though she¡¯d grumble about it. Of course, I knew that it was because I kept showing her achievements after achievements every time I did it. [¡­You know, she feels like your mom, if anything.] What? [Like, even though she knew that request is dumb and unreasonable, she epted it anyway¡­] ¡­ I ignored Caliban¡¯s words¡ªwhich were filled with sympathy¡ªfor now, and cleared my throat. ¡°Speaking of, do you know where my other club members are? I can¡¯t see them anywhere.¡± I left them with that Professor Astrid personst time. Normally, when I did something that attracted attention, some of the punks woulde to me and make a fuss, but they were nowhere to be found. ¡°Professor Astrid took them somewhere. She said that she has something to talk about with them.¡± ¡°¡­Is she out of her mind? I swear if she¡¯s bullshitting them¡ª¡± Hearing the curse that I unknowingly said, Atnte tilted her head. ¡°¡­Do you guys know each other?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Right. Not many people knew that she proimed herself as her mother. And honestly, it was kind of hard to say that she was someone I knew. Well, I knew her, but not personally. We weren¡¯t close at all. In any case, I asked the next question I had in mind. Although, because of my state of mind, it was clear that my voice sounded hurried. ¡°Did you hear what it was that she wanted to talk about?¡± ¡°¡­Um, she said that they had something to plot about together.¡± Atnte replied while scratching her head, looking as if she didn¡¯t understand the circumstances either. ¡°When that huge steel golem took them, she said that there¡¯s something she needs to notify in advance before ¡®the first daughter-inw selection¡¯ urs¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± What the fuck did you just say? Wait, wait. Is she doing that for real? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 261: Date (1) While a certain headmistress was agonizing over a certain student¡¯s ridiculous demand somewhere, a certain count was letting out a sigh over a simr ridiculous demand. ¡°Is this some sort of a joke?¡± Asking for entry permission for club activities? At a time like this? Could it be any more ridiculous than this? While the count yed a role as an assistant or some sort for Marquis Bogut, he was still ranked third or fourth of the most important people in the Upper Nobles Association. For this person to demand something like this to him¡­ Calling him audacious wouldn¡¯t even cut it. ¡°Seeing how confident they are in demanding something like this, it¡¯d be safe to think that they have some tricks up their sleeves.¡± ¡°I thought so too, Chief Aide.¡± Count Ravel replied while sweeping his hair. His annoyance was clear in his voice. ¡­What¡¯s the point of doing this now? The civil war was about to break out and there wasn¡¯t much time left before it happened. There was no way that this person was such an idiot that he wasn¡¯t aware of that. ¡°How is Nichs¡¯ ¡®resurrection work¡¯ going?¡±Hearing what Count Ravel said, a slight disgust passed through the chief aide¡¯s face. The count ignored it though, since even though they were in the same group, the general consensus of Nichs was that he was a disgusting human being. Then, the chief aide replied to him, and his answer was a little unexpected. ¡°Currently, it¡¯s going smoothly, but we¡¯re seeing some¡­¡®side effects¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Side effects?¡± ¡°¡­To quote the people involved in the progression itself¡­¡± As he went on, the disgust in the chief aide¡¯s face grew deeper. ¡°¡­His ¡®appetite¡¯ has increased quite a lot.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Regardless, that isn¡¯t important for now. You have to consider that man¡¯s intention behind sending this kind of request, Count.¡± The chief aide forcefully changed the subject. From his expression, it was clear that he didn¡¯t want to talk about that topic anymore, prompting Count Ravel to tilt his head, but what he had said was also a topic that was hard to ignore. ? ¡°¡­Either the empress or the chancellor is backing him, Count.¡± ¡°That¡¯s obvious. Unless he¡¯s out of his mind.¡± The chief aide, who was also his personal secretary, nodded in agreement. Count Ravel had been informed several times that the punk called Dowd Campbell was close to both the empress and chancellor. That was why, both the count and the chief aide concluded that there was a high chance that the man was carrying out some important mission given by these two characters. If it wasn¡¯t the case, there was no way he¡¯d willingly enter the enemy¡¯s line all by himself like this. At the very least, he was definitely ¡®hiding¡¯ something. If Caliban or Atnte, the two people who knew the truth of the situation, heard the content of this conversation, they¡¯d have burst outughing hysterically. Because, they already said it themselves; neither the empress nor the chancellor were backing Dowd, he was simply just acting like a lunatic. However, there was no way these two people knew that, so they just flesh out their conspiracy theories instead. ¡°The fact that either the empress or the chancellor is moving in times like this means that he is intending to provoke us.¡± ¡°¡­Agreed. As for why he¡¯s doing it, he¡¯s pressed for time.¡± The two men exchanged cunning gazes. In their eyes, the fact that their opponent was going out of his way to provoke them like this meant that there was a high chance that he ran out of resources to carry out his thing, and this was just his defense mechanism. After all, a dog who wanted to bite someone wouldn¡¯t bark. It would keep an eye on the person¡¯s movements and look out for a ¡®chance¡¯. To put it simply, there was a high chance that this was merely a bluff that came out of his desperation. Which meant, the way to deal with him was simple. ¡°¡­Make sure we won¡¯t be negligent in weing our guests, Chief Aide.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± There was no need to unnecessarily engage in a battle of nerves against a dog who couldn¡¯t even bite. What they needed to do was to deal with him enough before ¡®humiliating¡¯ him and sending him away. Then, they could orchestrate for ¡®something horrible¡¯ to happen to that Dowd Campbell punk and used it as a trigger for the civil war. ¡°Keep this in mind though, do not rush anything. The reason why he¡¯s here is because someone is backing him up.¡± ¡°No need to worry. I¡¯ll only start dealing with him after everything is ready from our side.¡± Both of them then exchanged gazes that were even more cunning than before. ¡°¡­Speaking of, do you believe in that?¡± ¡°No. Rumors are rumors. They¡¯re always exaggerated.¡± And so their conversation went. Little did they know that this conversation would serve as a prologue to all kinds of tragedies that would happen afterwards. Even after making all kinds of those spections, there was only one thing that the two of them guessed correctly. The fact that Dowd Campbell was indeed hiding something. ¡ñ ¡°Uh, Caliban?¡± [Mm?] ¡°¡­Could it be that these Upper Noble Association people are actually good people?¡± [Are you seriously thinking that?] I knew right? That was what I thought too. But still, was there ever any reason for them to treat me, their enemy, kindly like this¡­? The way they treated me today, I could only describe it as a ¡®warm hospitality¡¯. As soon as I entered their territory, they received me with courtesy. They showered me with good food and a cozy amodation. From the atmosphere, it felt as if they were doing all this with sincerity. There was nothing toin about. Even if I were to pick a fight with them, they¡¯d just respond amicably to me¡ª! ¡°I thought they¡¯d throw me into jail the moment I came in, then they¡¯d torture me, or worse, just outright try to execute me! Why aren¡¯t they doing all that¡ª?!¡± [¡­You crazy bastard.] I knew that this was a strange attitude to have for someone who was trying to barge into their enemy¡¯s military hub, but I really meant what I said. What I was trying to do was to showcase the ¡®suppressing power¡¯. If I were to use violence on them unprovoked, it would just turn me into the viin. ¡°¡­Well¡­ I still have faith¡­¡± [What faith?] ¡°Faith that the Upper Nobles Association are bad guys who¡¯d subject me to terrible things.¡± [¡­] ¡°Surely they¡¯d pull up a sword to cut me in half. Right?¡± If they don¡¯t, I swear I¡¯m gonna be screwed, so please, do something horrible on me! Please¡­! [This crazy motherfucker¡­] As I heard Caliban muttering that quietly, the sound of someone knocking on the door entered my ears. Right, I called someone toe around this time. ¡°Are you there?¡± ¡°Yeah. Come in.¡± The person who entered the room with an expressionless face upon hearing my answer was Victoria, the only person I took here with me. Well, I thought of taking only her with me from the beginning anyway, it was just strange that the other punks didn¡¯t even try to get in the way at all. ¡­It¡¯s really strange. I mean, the punks who would¡¯ve even risked their lives just to ask why I only took one of them with me were unusually quiet. When I asked them if something bad was happening to them, they just told me over and over again that there was nothing like that at all. And it wasn¡¯t like I had any evidence against it. I mean, if those punks were really going through something horrible, their Demonic Aura would¡¯vee out in the first ce. [¡­I think your suspicion towards that person is too much. In the first ce, she was the one who advised you that you¡¯d only need three different Auras charged into the Seal, no?] ¡­Yeah, but still¡­ I couldn¡¯t trust her yet. Sure, I could believe that she was my biological mother, but I knew nothing about her. I didn¡¯t know what she was trying to do either. ¡°What is it? You were the one who called me here, but you aren¡¯t saying anything.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, are you really not going to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± I knew that this punk escaped Professor Astrid¡¯s clutches. That was why I wished that she¡¯d tell me what was going on before she managed to get away. On our way here, I asked her over and over again about it, but her responses were the same. ¡°I¡¯ve told you already, I don¡¯t know anything. The moment I heard what she wanted to talk about, I just left.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s worth something, I¡¯d tell you that the others, Seras included, seemed to be listening to her intently.¡± ¡°¡­¡± That¡­was a weird thing for sure. In any case, it was hard to even say that Astrid¡¯s move could be considered favorable. Especially when she said that she was going to evaluate her daughter-inw while looking all pleased with herself. Those women might be able to stand her antics because she was my mother, but they still weren¡¯t so easy to deal with. Even so, they still willingly cooperate with her just like that. Seriously, what the hell were they talking about that those women would act like that¡­? ¡°What? Is that all? I¡¯m going to leave then. It¡¯s annoying enough that I had to follow you all the way here, don¡¯t add to the annoyance even more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the first ce, the thing that you¡¯re asking¡­ The matter with daughter-inw and all, it¡¯s just stupid. Honestly, I don¡¯t even understand why someone like you attracted so many women at once to begin with.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Why the hell is she badmouthing me all of a sudden? Come to think of it, this punk¡¯s attitude had changed dramatically ever since I made her suck my finger that one time. Before that, she¡¯d only act ¡®indifferent¡¯ or ¡®wary¡¯, but nowadays, she¡¯d pick fights with me like this often. [¡­That¡¯s just how it is.] What? Caliban said something iprehensible, prompting me to tilt my head. Then he continued, sounding as if he was unable to hold back hisughter. [You see, that girl¡¯s confused because it¡¯s her first time experiencing such emotions. That¡¯s why she¡¯d take it out on you every time she sees you.] ¡­Is it simr to how a child would try to bully someone that they like? To think that I¡¯d see such an attitude from a Grand Assassin. What was she, a shy tiger? Anyway, I could see what Caliban was trying to say, at least to some extent. Because her reaction if I were to tease her proved his words. ¡°If you hate me that much, you could¡¯ve just refused to not follow me.¡± By the way, I stressed the point to her that this time, I was going to an extremely dangerous area. In other words, this punk came here knowing what was up. Hearing my words, Victoria pouted her lips as she replied. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve promised¡­¡± ¡°Promised?¡± ¡°That I¡¯d follow you no question asked if I were to lose against you in our match.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I hate to admit it, but I lost that match since I failed to kill Seras¡­¡± Hearing that, I could barely manage to hide my smile because this punk would throw a fit if she were to see it. Considering what would happen ¡®next¡¯, I shouldn¡¯t make her angry now. < tip!=""> [ The higher the Devil¡¯s Vessel¡¯s favorability level towards you, the easier it is to collect Demonic Aura! ] [ Low favorability level will spawn some difficulties in the collection process! ] I remembered such a window popped up a while ago. That window most likely popped up as an exnation as to why the Purple Devil¡¯s Demonic Aura wasn¡¯t only charging slowly, but wasn¡¯t charged to 100%. The window definitely didn¡¯t apply to Seras, that was why I concluded that it was this punk¡¯s favorability level that was the problem. I figured that I should clear this matter out as soon as possible. Because I had a feeling that there was a high chance that both Seras and Victoria¡ªor even the Purple Devil herself, would be the key in subduing Nichs, the biggest obstacle in this chapter. That was why it would be better for me to clear up even the smallest obstacles as soon as possible. In that regard¡­ Caliban, do you remember what I said in the past? [Hm?] You know, the thing that I said to Faenol. [Which thing? How the fuck am I supposed to know if you¡¯re being this vague?] The part where I said that I could seduce her in a day as long as the conditions have been met. [¡­] I didn¡¯t say that for no reason. Because that was the reason I summoned this punk all the way here. This was pretty much an opportunity for me to create a situation where I¡¯d be ¡®alone together¡¯ with her, despite the ce being a dangerous area for me. ¡°Victoria.¡± ¡°What? Also, don¡¯t call my name in that way. It isn¡¯t like we¡¯re friendly to each other. I¡¯m getting goosebumps just from hearing¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to have a date today.¡± I said those words in a matter-of-fact manner, as if that had already been decided. This way, she¡¯d have no way to refuse. It was basically me telling her, ¡®Whether you like it or not, we¡¯re going to have a lovey dovey time together today¡¯. ¡°¡­Uh.¡± Hearing what I said, she let out a subdued voice, just like a death throe. She stood there for a while as her eyes moved around uncontrobly while scratching her chin and kicking the ground a few times.. After that, a deep red blush appeared in her face as she looked up at me. ¡°¡­W-What?¡± Her body stiffened as she let out a weird sound. Seeing that, I just continued. ¡°The reason why I came here with you, leaving the others behind, is so that we could do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, is there anywhere you want to go?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I gotta admit. The way Victoria moved her lips, not making any sound while blushing, was cuter than I expected. Chapter 262: Date (2) Anyone who could mention that they spent aid-back afternoon on a boring holiday was definitely someone who had a leisurely life. Because most grown adults often couldn¡¯t spend their holidaysnguorously even if they wanted to. Especially those with a job that required hardbor. In that sense, from their title alone, one could tell that Grand Assassins were the people who had considerably distanced themselves from suchnguorous breaks. That was why¡­ Strutting down the street on a ¡®weekday¡¯ wasn¡¯t a familiar activity for Victoria Evatrice. Considering that the purpose of this walk was something called a ¡®date¡¯¡ªsomething she was even more unfamiliar with¡ªshe waspletely lost on what to do. ¡°¡­D-Does it look strange on me?¡± She didn¡¯t even know what kind of voice she just let out as she said that. The poor girl was too upied with her spinning vision after a full night of agonizing over ¡®What clothes should I wear?¡¯. While she had tried out all kinds of clothes due to the nature of her job, this was the first time she ever tried to dress up to make herself ¡®look beautiful¡¯. On the other hand, the person she¡¯d be going on a date with was dressed up neatly. He looked calm, and he seemed to be confident that he wasn¡¯t wearing anything strange. As if he was ¡®used¡¯ to being with a member of the opposite sex like this.¡°No, it looks good on you.¡± In fact, he even took the lead in such a natural way like this. Victoria couldn¡¯t help but feel upset. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t need your empty praises.¡± She said curtly while fiddling with the end of her one-piece dress that was filled with flowy frills. The girl was pouting, but it seemed that she hadn¡¯t realized it just yet. ¡°You can¡¯t move around easily in this kind of clothes, you can¡¯t hide any hidden weapons while wearing it, and I know for a fact that there¡¯s no way this dress would look good on¡ª¡± ¡°But it does.¡± Dowd cut off her words. His voice sounded so firm that Victoria found it hard to refute him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you think of yourself, but you look really beautiful in it. At least for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing that answer, Victoria could only clench her fists and gritted her teeth tightly. Her body shook greatly, while her face turned red. ¡­Humiliating me like that¡­ So annoying¡­ She badmouthed him inwardly, but of course that didn¡¯t stop him from continuing calmly. Who knows if he knew how she felt or not. ¡°Alright, shall we go then?¡± ¡°¡­Do whatever.¡± Dowd let out a chuckle before grabbing the still pouting Victoria¡¯s hand tightly. The way he did it was like a raptor snatching its prey. ¡°W-What, what are you¡ª!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go.¡± While saying such a word, Dowd immediately dragged Victoria, as if she was a snatched mouse. ¡°Wait, at least tell me where we¡¯re going¡ª!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know where yet. Honestly, I don¡¯t care whatever it is that we¡¯re going to do.¡± Hearing that, Victoria¡¯s eyes sparkled. Good! Finally, an opening I can use to ¡®attack¡¯ him! ¡°Don¡¯t you know any manners? Someone who invites the other should prepare everything before¡ª!¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t bury ourselves under the thought that we ¡®have to do¡¯ something on a date.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°As long as we can spend time together, it doesn¡¯t matter what it is that we¡¯re doing, no?¡± This was one of the mistakes that inexperienced couples often made. Experienced couples who had been together for a certain amount of time would have realized that whatever it was they were doing didn¡¯t matter at all, because the important thing on a date was spending time together with the other person. ¡°¡­¡± This guy pisses me off! So annoying! Dowd had a lot of experience with women, and he didn¡¯t even bother to hide that fact from her. Instead, he openly showed it to her with such confidence, as if he was sure that Victoria wouldn¡¯t hate him for it. And he showed such ¡®confidence¡¯ in his every movement and attitude. ¡°Ah, why don¡¯t we go there first?¡± Beingpletely defeated by him, Victoria could only shake in embarrassment. Meanwhile, Dowd suggested they go downtown. Even when she was being dragged by him, Victoria kept trying toe up with ways to express her dissatisfaction. Too bad for her, the sky was very clear. It would be one thing if there was a natural disaster going on, but the sun was shining warmly without any clouds covering it right now. The weather was so nice that she could feel her whole body being hit by a sudden strike of calmness. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Seeing this, Dowd asked such a question. He was still holding her hand, with his other hand inside his pocket. Victoria tilted her head slightly before telling him what she was thinking about. ¡°Rxing things.¡± And she revealed that she actually felt rxed. Realizing what just happened, she burst outughing. ¡°It feels nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°All this time, you¡¯ve always lived your life busily. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever tried to think of such thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Victoria narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­Of course. No time to dawdle when my goal is to cut off Seras¡¯ throat.¡± She said such words curtly before continuing in a cynical tone. ¡°Anyway, that was definitely something someone like you, who entered the enemy¡¯s base and thought of flirting first, would say.¡± ¡°Well, seeing their current condition, I doubt they¡¯d do anything to me before they¡¯re ¡®ready¡¯. How can I miss such a great opportunity?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Like, they gave me a perfect opportunity to flirt with you. Who cares if this is the enemy¡¯s base, you¡¯re more important to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you thought about it, but when I said that I wanted to get close to you, I meant it.¡± It was a short sentence, but its connotation was quite heavy. ¡­Every time he opens his mouth¡ª! It was as if he only spouted out words that could tickle someone¡¯s heart, and he was doing that without a change in his expression. Among those words, there were even those who did not just tickle her heart, but outright stab it. ¡°¡­Shut it.¡± Thanks to that, Victoria could only weaklyin at him, unable to snap anymore. From then on, they continued walking, barely any words were exchanged between them. After they went through the main street, they turned to an alley and passed through it while watching people passing by. They¡¯d peek around the windows of the various stores they passed by without buying anything. Though they did buy some snacks at a street vendor they found. ¡ªActually, they bought too many snacks. It was only after they saw both their hands full with the snacks¡¯ wrappers did theye to their senses, letting out a few series of chuckles after that. After that, they agreed to sit on a nearby bench to finish eating enough of these snacks before continuing. ¡°¡­Hm.¡± At one point, Victoria eyed the sandwich with meat and a lot of red sauce in her hand suspiciously. It was something that Dowd bought for her, as it was apparently the local specialty. The problem here was that she could tell that the food didn¡¯t look healthy at all. However, she¡¯d feel a little guilty if she didn¡¯t eat what he had bought for her. In the end, she didn¡¯t contradict Dowd¡¯s opinion of her that she was ¡®earnest in the weirdest things¡¯, as she took a bite of the sandwich after hesitating a little more. It¡¯s tasty¡­! Ever since she became a Grand Assassin, she had never run short of money, and she had eaten all kinds of high-ss food. Even in Elfante, she had eaten all sorts of wonderful food. But this was her first time having ¡®this kind¡¯ of food. Quoting Dowd, someone who had always eaten healthy food and formal dinner would not be able to resist the typical spicy, salty street foods with lots of MSG. And this girl was no exception; she ended up finishing up the whole sandwich in no time at all. She barely noticed the odd gaze from across her only after she finished all of it. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± The moment she saw him smiling while casting a fatherly gaze at her while watching her cramming the food into her mouth, she curtly said those words. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking that I did good by taking you here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Seeing you looking so happy is making me feel happy too.¡± ¡°¡­Shut it.¡± Victoria¡¯s face turned red as she took out another sandwich and bit it. As she did that, the man across from her continued. ¡°I believe¡­that everyone has the right to enjoy such a moment.¡± Although, his tone was slightly lower than before. Delicious food and peaceful boredom¡­ Both were things that Dowd didn¡¯t have much in his life. ¡°That¡¯s why I can¡¯t forgive those who try to take that away from others.¡± Victoria quietly raised her head to look at him. She couldn¡¯t sense any trace of emotion in his expressionless face. Which meant that he knew exactly what he was talking about. At that moment, he casted his gaze into the sky slowly. She could see the light that reflected in his eyes flickered a little. At that moment, he looked as if he was daydreaming. ¡°Going out with someone you like on a holiday, eating delicious food, walking while holding each other¡¯s hands under the warm weather¡­ With my heart and soul, I wish for a world where everyone could do all that¡­¡± For that, from now on, he¡­ Swore that he¡¯d bleed and make other people bleed. To deceive others and be deceived by others. ¡°In order to make people keep such rights¡­someone has to step up. I can¡¯t bear to see such things being taken away in this world where ¡®you guys¡¯ and ¡®I¡¯ exist.¡± He dered as such in a calm voice¡­ That he would walk a thorny and hellish path made of sulfur. Victoria managed to read what was between the lines and stared at him. He still wore the same expressionless face, thinking that perhaps, if she were to peel off ayer of skin on his face, she could see what it was that he had ¡®given up¡¯ for the sake of the thing he had just talked about. Although, it was possible that only rotten bloody pus might drip down if she were to do that. She had clearly seen what this man did back at the School Festival. That was definitely¡­ Something that could only be achieved after sacrificing a lot of things that made up a ¡®human being¡¯. Human nature, mortality, emotions that made up the mind, the core foundations that made himself him¡­ Everything¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Victoria knew that irrational violence only urred because the world went on in an irrational way. An obvious example of this was those idiots who tried to start a war solely for the sake of their interests. And in order to fix such irrationality, this man willingly ruined his ¡®dignity¡¯ to the very end. ¡°¡­What?¡± Before Dowd realized it, Victoria held out the sandwich in her hand to him, prompting a chuckle out from him. Because until just now, she had been eating heartily, he didn¡¯t expect that she¡¯d offer him the same sandwich she had been eating, albeit hesitantly. ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Victoria puckered his lips before continuing a few moments after. ¡°I¡¯m just full.¡± She resolved to herself, even if her mouth were to be ripped apart, she wouldn¡¯t say it out loud¡­ That even though she admitted that this man¡¯s intentions were very praiseworthy, she found him pitiful. So pitiful that she had the urge to ¡®hug him tight¡¯. ¡ñ ¡°So, how was it?¡± As the day wasing to an end, Dowd asked Victoria that question. ¡°¡­¡± She hesitated for a moment before eventually replied with a sigh. ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t bad.¡± She hated to admit it, but it wasn¡¯t like she could deny it. The time she spent with this man was significantly better than she expected. To the point where she thought that maybe this man was not as trashy as she first expected. As she thought so¡­ ¡°Then, why don¡¯t we go there next?¡± Dowd said while pointing at a certain ce. When she turned her gaze all the way over there¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She decided to throw away all of the thoughts she just had into the trash bin. What the hell was I on about? He? Not trashy as I thought? Bullshit¡­! ¡°¡­You perverted bastard¡­!¡± She said such words while growling, her face blushing crazily. That was because the ce Dowd was pointing at was¡­ An amodation that was painted in glowing ¡®pink¡¯. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 263: Date (3) ¡°¡­You know¡­¡± Victoria called out, her tone sounded as if she was tolerating something. In fact, she was indeed tolerating something. Everything, actually. First of all, even if she were to concede the way that he entered such a ce so indifferently¡­ Although it was obvious what he was trying to do here, she knew that going on a ¡®date¡¯ meant that there was a huge chance that they¡¯d end uping here. However¡­ Even if that was the case¡­ ¡°At least get separate rooms for both of us¡ª-!¡± No matter how unfamiliar Victoria was with dates, she knew that ¡®staying together in one room¡¯ on the very first date was apletely absurd thing to do. That discounted the fact that he chose an exceptionally strange ce of amodation.Even though she knew practically nothing, she knew what it meant for a room to have a bed that was unnecessarily big for two people to use. Not to mention that the room¡¯s structure was like this; the living room wasbined with the bathroom for some reason. ¡°No.¡± However, despite her desperate request, his answer was firm. ¡°In the first ce, the reason why I took you out was to do this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is he trying to say that he had been nning to drag me all the way here from the moment he called me to his room earlier this morning?! I¡­! This guy¡­! This perverted trash¡­! His bad reputation precedes him¡­! Seriously, why did I¡­?! For this man¡ª?! At that moment, her thoughts were halted, and her body stiffened. Huh? What do I¡­? For this man¡­? What was the sentence I was about to think¡­? ¡°¡­¡± Did I just¡­? Admit it to myself¡­ That when I hang out with this man, all day long today¡­ My heart had been ¡®fluttering¡¯¡­because of him¡­? ¡°¡­¡± While Victoria was shocked by such a revtion and unknowingly showed her hesitation, Dowd, who had been watching her, tilted his head. ¡°Are you not going to take a shower?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°No, I mean, of course we should. There¡¯s no need for me to ask.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What do you mean by that?! What is it that we are going to do that requires us to take a shower first?! Just what is it?! Also, what do you mean we should?! While such questions filled Victoria¡¯s head one after another, Dowd just continued while staring at her as if finding her strange. ¡°I mean, if we don¡¯t take one, we¡¯re going to stink, no?¡± ¡°Are you trying to stay that I stink¡ª?!¡± ¡°¡­No I am not.¡± Victoria yelled out in anger, prompting Dowd to say such words reluctantly as he got up. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to, can I take it first, then?¡± Do whatever! Victoria let out a rough huff while saying so in her head. But, her body stiffened again as soon as she heard his next words. ¡°In the meantime, get ready.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Get ready? For what? What should I be getting ready for?! Another storm of questions popped up in Victoria¡¯s head. Meanwhile, Dowd just entered the bathroom the moment he finished saying his words. ¡°¡­¡± Leaving Victoria sitting on the bed on her own, facepalming while stuttering. As hot steam flowed out of the bathroom in the corner of the room, her confusion only intensified. Who am I?? Where am I?? What the hell am I supposed to be doing with that man after this?? What am I supposed to get ready for??? As her questions started to almost turn into a study of ontology, Dowd, who had quickly cleaned his body, walked out of the bathroom, water dripping from his body. ¡°¡­¡± And as soon as Victoria saw him¡­ Her already overheating headpletely stopped working. She immediately covered both her eyes with both hands and screamed. ¡°W-W-W-What are you doing?! W-W-Wear your clothes beforeing out¡ª-!!¡± ¡°¡­Why do you think I came out¡­? To grab my clothes¡­¡± Dowd just responded to her words¡ªor rather, her scream, nonchntly, before continuing walking. Along with the pping sounds from his steps, the water dripping down his body created sexy traces. ¡°¡­¡± Victoria knew that she¡¯de to regret this. But in the end, she still opened the hands that were covering her eyes little by little. O-Oooh¡­ H-His body is nicer than I thought¡­ Dowd didn¡¯t have a sturdy and big body, instead, he had a strong and sleek body. If she were to use animals asparison, he was more like a leopard than a bear. Of course she could already tell that he had a nice body since he could see the outline of his body even when he was clothed. It was just, seeing how nice it was directly was a whole different experience for her. She swallowed dryly because of it. W-Whoa¡­ His shoulders, back, chest, arms and legs¡ªall those parts were nice to see. But the thing that especially stood out in her eyes was¡­ His abs. To be exact, the six pack which outline was so clear, as if it was sculpted onto his body. Of course, due to the nature of her job, she had seen countless men with trained bodies, but¡­ This was the first time she had ever seen such a thing in this kind of suggestive atmosphere. As she ¡®observed¡¯ his body in a daze, Dowd, who was wiping his body with a towel, called out to her while tilting his head. ¡°Hey, Victoria.¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t see¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­I haven¡¯t said anything though¡­¡± He said before continuing with a sigh. ¡°Um, anyway, could you not stare at me too intently¡­? I¡¯m a little embarrassed¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± All this time, he had not said anything about it, but it seemed like he had noticed her stare from the beginning. Realizing that, Victoria¡¯s face turned extremely red, even redder than a red radish. ¡°¡­I¡¯m not staring at you! It isn¡¯t like there¡¯s anything to see! You¡¯re being too self-conscious!¡± ¡°Is that so? Good then.¡± He replied with a bitter smile. ¡°My body is a little ugly, so I don¡¯t really like to show it to others.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Hearing his words, Victoria scanned him from head to toe with a confused gaze. Ugly? This strong and sleek body¡ª ¡­Ah. It was only then that she managed to notice the things she failed to notice because of the atmosphere. The scars that covered his whole body. ¡°¡­¡± Among people with a job that required them to fight, there were bound to be idiots who loved to bluff when they received injuries. Quite a lot of those idiots had visibly horrible scars umted on their bodies. Even Victoria herself had seen countless of such people. However, she could be sure that none of those people¡­ Had ever been treading ¡®close to death¡¯ countlessly like this man. Just by looking at his scars, she could already tell the level of the threat he had been facing. She was well aware that this man was considerably skilled in various aspects, but even so, that didn¡¯t stop him from umting those injuries on his body. ¡°¡­¡± If that¡¯s the case though¡­ There¡¯s nothing for him to feel embarrassed about. That was the first thought that came to Victoria¡¯s mind. In her eyes, he should have been proud of it instead, as the reason why he was ridden with such scars was because he was fulfilling the heavy responsibilities that he bore. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that bad.¡± She said hesitantly. ¡°At the very least, in my eyes¡­ It looks fine¡­¡± Hearing her words, Dowd¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± He replied to her with a mncholic smile. It was as if he was genuinely thankful for her for saying that. ¡°¡­¡± Ugh¡­ I¡¯d rather he doesn¡¯t make such an expression¡­ For some reason, she found her heart beating louder when she saw his face, much to her annoyance. ¡°I-I mean, t-technically, i-it¡¯s quite cooler than I¡ª N-No! I mean!¡± Halfway through her sentence, Victoria came back to her senses, struggling to keep ring at Dowd. ¡°Seriously! If you keep making me say strange things, I swear I¡¯m gonna leave!¡± ¡°¡­¡± But¡­ I¡¯ve never asked you to say anything like that¡­ Dowd said inwardly, but he had the tact to not say it out loud. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be like that. Anyway, we got quite some time. Why don¡¯t we talk about some important things until then?¡± ¡°What?¡± Something¡­important¡­? Victoria blinked her eyes as she stared at him nkly. ¡°Thankfully, this ce has better soundproofing than I thought. Anyway, so¡­ I killed Count Nichs.¡± At that moment, Victoria stopped moving. Her body, which had been burned by an unknown heat, and her heart, which had been pounding uncontrobly until just now, suddenly cooled down. ¡°I knew that he was involved with both Seras and you at the same time, so please forgive me for doing that. I have no right to take away his st¡¯ as I wished like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That He continued, smiling awkwardly at Victoria whose whole body was stiff as she sat there silently. ¡°I¡¯m going to pass his ¡®second time¡¯ to you two.¡± ¡°¡­His second time?¡± ¡°That bastard is going to be resurrected soon. Though his appearance would look a little¡­horrible¡­¡± He continued calmly. ¡°But as horrible as he looks, he¡¯d also be a lot ¡®stronger¡¯¡­ So, it¡¯s going to be hard to kill him in the usual way.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about¡­?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about that too much. Just know that the bastard is going to be resurrected and you two are going to kill him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t sure about anything else, but¡­ There was one thing among his words that bothered her a lot. What did he say? That woman and I are going to do what ¡®together¡¯? The next thing that Dowd said was also in line with that sentence. ¡°So, in order to kill that bastard, I need to reconcile you two.¡± At that moment, Victoria¡¯s expression turned menacing. Anyone could tell where this conversation was going, unless they were aplete fool. However, before she could evenin¡­ Dowd casually dropped another bomb. ¡°That way, I could sow my seeds in both of you at the same time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What the fuck is this crazy bastard on about? ¡°Sow¡ª What?!¡± ¡°Sow my seeds inside of you guys.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I need to do it with both of you at the same time for it to be effective. Because it¡¯s, uh, the best way I can do to strengthen you two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I need you two to reconcile¡ª¡± ¡°¡­Shut the fuck up for a bit. Please.¡± She meant what she said. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 264: Picking a Fight (1) Although Victoria told Dowd to shut up for only a moment, she actually only managed to calm down long after that. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear all that.¡± After barely regaining herposure, she said those words while pressing on her temple. Though, even after that, there was still a trace of embarrassment in her voice. ¡°In any case, me? Reconciling with that woman? I¡¯d rather die.¡± Assuming that she conceded his¡­goal¡­that made her doubt her ears¡­ The premise that she had to be in such a rtionship with Seras itself was already absurd enough for her. At least, until all the problems between them ¡®in the past¡¯ had been resolved, she had no intention of getting along with that woman at all. However, the tone he used when he replied to her sounded so firm¡ªthere was no hint of him trying to persuade or argue with her. ¡°Is that so?¡± The way he just shrugged off his shoulders without saying anything, as if he didn¡¯t care what she was saying, infuriated her.It was as if he was confident that whatever it was that she was saying right now, in the end, she¡¯d end up doing what he said. This man is so annoying¡­! Seriously, he pisses me off! ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk about this againter.¡± ¡°¡­Why are you suddenly acting as if you have something else to do right now?¡± ¡°Because I do actually have something else to do right now.¡± Hearing his words, Victoria narrowed her eyes. Come to think of it, before he brought up this ridiculous topic, he did say something along the lines of, ¡®Let¡¯s talk since we still have time¡¯ or something¡­ Is there something else to do around this time, in here¡­? She looked around her surroundings. But she couldn¡¯t find anything. There were only Dowd and her here. ¡°¡­Let me be clear, if you¡¯re thinking of doing something weird to me¡ª¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. At least, I won¡¯t if you don¡¯t want me to.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Does that mean he will do something to me if I want him to?! Victoria secretly nced down at her body. Compared to other women around him, she¡­wasn¡¯t as ¡®curvy¡¯¡­ And yet, even though he knows I have this kind of body, he¡­ ¡°¡­¡± As expected, this man is a pervert! I should just¡ª ¡°I could tell you are having strange thoughts.¡± Suddenly he said as such across from her. ¡°But, could you lower your head for a moment?¡± When Victoria lowered her head¡­ Dowd already made his move. He wasn¡¯t moving at a speed that made it impossible to react to. Someone with her level of ¡®skill¡¯ could still avoid him. However, that speed was enough for him to dodge the ¡®hidden weapon¡¯ flying from behind her. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡ªWhat?! Victoria widened her eyes. I¡¯m the best assassin on the continent, but someone came all the way here and I failed to notice their presence¡ª?! They even managed to throw a ¡®blow¡¯ at me¡ª! As her mind was upied with surprise, Dowd, who had blocked that attack, already made his next move. Meanwhile, the unidentified assant was left dumbstruck because his move had been ¡®read¡¯, making him susceptible to Dowd¡¯s Joint Lock Technique, and he was lifted into the air. Thanks to Riru and Kasa, Dowd was quite proficient in Fighting Arts. There weren¡¯t many people who could beat him in battles at a close range, so he was able to handle the man with ease. After the man was thrown onto the ground and fainted without making any noises¡­ ¡°As expected.¡± Dowd eyes glinted with a cunning light. ¡°There¡¯s no way ¡®a reason for me to pick a fight¡¯ won¡¯te.¡± His face made it seem like¡­ He was extremely ¡®relieved¡¯ that this thing happened to them. ¡ñ ¡°¡­I told you already, no need to be so depressed.¡± Seeing Victoria being all depressed, I said those words in a pleading voice. By this point, I already tied up the bastard who made a sneak attack on us tightly, and took off his ¡®stealth outfit¡¯. The outfit was a full body suit that perfectly fit the guy¡¯s whole body. It had a ¡®cloaking device¡¯, something you¡¯d see in sci-fis, not in this kind of world. Said device was able to erase the guy¡¯s appearance and presencepletely. It was even able to fool someone on Victoria¡¯s level¡¯s senses. Not only that, it seemed to be able topletely erase anything rted to ¡®aura¡¯ as well. There was only one group on the entire continent who was able to procure something like this. ¡°The source of the skill ispletely different than what you used to, it¡¯s only natural that it bypasses your eyes. Even people at Saints level would find it difficult to notice.¡± In the first ce, this thing was Magic Tower¡¯s doing. Following the principle of one wouldn¡¯t be able to notice something they weren¡¯t aware of, if someone wearing this thing was trying their best to hide, they could ambush even people of her level. Although, whether they would seed in killing those people or not was a different story. ¡°¡­But you knew.¡± My words offort were met with such a depressed response. Victoria, who had been down since earlier mumbled as such¡­ ¡°I¡¯m a disgrace of an assassin¡­ How could I let someone bearing a hostile intentione up so close to me¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Uh¡­that was¡­ < system="" log=""> [ Found a life-threatening Target. ] [ ¡®Skill: Desperation¡¯ raised to A-Grade. ] Because you didn¡¯t have this excessively high-performance ¡®radar¡¯ to look for such things, I guess? In my case, I¡¯ve been noticing this guy prowling around the whole time I was hanging out with Victoria because of this window popping up. Honestly, if it wasn¡¯t for this thing, I would probably have to tank a hit at least once. [¡­That¡¯s just so you, crazy fucker. You knew someone was following you and yet you still brought him all the way here. You even took a shower without a care in the world.] Well, that¡¯s because he didn¡¯t have any intention to attack us at first. [What?] He¡¯s probably a snooper or something, he knows that the chance of such a surprise attack to seed is low considering the things I¡¯ve aplished. At first, Desperation¡¯s grade had been hovering between C and D because this fucker was nearby. The grade suggested that he wasn¡¯t out to hurt us, he would only use violence ¡®in an emergency¡¯. Well, that was the case after a certain something happened¡­ [Then how did you know this bastard was going to make a surprise attack?] When I said I killed Count Nichs, he just got mad somehow, so I used that to provoke him further. [¡­] Indeed, me mentioning that I had ¡®killed¡¯ Count Nichs was the trigger to his change of attitude. This guy was probably his best friend or something like that at the very least. Because from that point on, he began to think of seriously harming me. Since the Desperation¡¯s grade was increased drastically. [So you¡¯re using a dead person as a bait?¡±] Said dead person is that bastard, so it¡¯s okay. [¡­] Besides, the guy lost his temper the moment he heard about Count Nichs. I reckon he¡¯s just as fucked up as the bastard is. Caliban made a ¡®Hmm¡¯ sound as he was lost in thoughts. I could imagine him stroking his chin as he did so. [¡­I guess that makes sense.] See? Dowd-Caliban Season 1: United. In any case, an attack from their side, no matter what it is, is the perfect excuse for us. I said so while sweeping the corner of my mouth. Seriously, I had been waiting for them to jump on me like this for God knows how long. I gambled with the possibility of them ambushing me if I were to walk around the street with Victoria. Turned out they even went out of their way to provide the ¡®cause¡¯ without making any fuss. [So, you invited her to a date with that kind of aim?] To some extent, yes? [¡­I feel sorry for that woman¡­ Because a bastard like you has the hots for her, now she¡¯s fated to live like this from now on¡­] I just ignored what he said and looked at the System Window instead. Regarding what Caliban just said, there was ¡®something I had to reflect on¡¯. < system="" log=""> [ ¡®Skill: Fatal Charm¡¯ is activated! ] [ The favorability level of target ¡®Victoria Evatrice¡¯ has been upgraded to ¡®Trust Level 5¡¯! ] It was this, the fact that I hadn¡¯tpletely seduced Victoria yet. My goal for today was to at least have it upgraded to ¡®Love¡¯. [¡­Dude, what?] Look, I boasted that I could seduce her in a single day, this result just falls off shorts, no? [¡­] As Caliban went silent, as if he had nothing to say to that, the other person in the room just kept on mumbling to herself in a gloomy manner. ¡°I¡¯m not qualified to be an assassin¡­ How could I be so absent-minded¡­?¡± Holding her head, Victoria hadpletely fallen into the swamp of self-deprecation. I tried tofort her again with a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s okay, sometimes, things like this happen to anyone.¡± ¡°But that should never happen to me! That¡¯s the reason why I¡ª!¡± ¡°Well, you can me me for that instead. Weren¡¯t youpletely distracted by me back then?¡± I actually didn¡¯t think much when I said those words. Since she seemed to be in a very bad mood, I just said that as a joke to cheer her up, thinking that she¡¯d snap at me, calling my words bullshit as usual. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Instead of the expected reaction, she just stopped moving. She let out an ¡®Oh¡¯ sound. As if she was caught off-guard by my words. Then¡­ A blush so red that it actually impressed me appeared on her face before she jumped from her seat and pointed her finger at me. With eyes trembling from anxiety, she snapped at me. ¡°T-T-There¡¯s n-no, there¡¯s no! W-W-Wa¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Did she just crash¡­? Why is she acting like this all of a sudden¡­? I thought so while staring at her nkly as she continued to point her finger at me with a face so red that I feared that it could explode at any moment. Then, suddenly, as if she finally realized that she was acting quite weird, she stayed still. ¡°Ah, euh, euuuuuuh¡ª!¡± And she let out such strange noises before going off somewhere. ¡°¡­What the fuck?¡± [¡­Agreed. What the fuck?] Caliban and I couldn¡¯t help but exchange such words, soundingpletely dumbfounded. As Victoria left the room in such a¡­chaotic state¡­a window popped up before my eyes. < system="" message=""> [ The favorability level of target ¡®Victoria Evatrice¡¯ has been upgraded to ¡®Love Level 1¡¯! ] ¡°¡­¡± Sorry? What? Why the fuck? [¡­Calling her reaction weird is an understatement. Can I guess that there¡¯s a background story behind that?] ¡°Probably you can, yes¡­¡± I should probably ask Seras about itter¡­ In any case, the oue was good enough. With her favorability upgraded by that much, that meant I had achieved my goal of taking her out. Which meant, I¡¯d need to do the next important thing¡­ ¡°¡­To use this opportunity well.¡± I muttered as such¡­ As I looked down at my ¡®right to pick a fight¡¯ that was sprawled before my eyes, all tied up nicely. Not gonna lie, I couldn¡¯t stop my smile from showing up on my face. ¡ñ ¡°What a carefree punk.¡± In his bedroom, Count Ravel said so while letting out a deep sigh. He had just been briefed by the Chief Aide on what Dowd Campbell was up to after they sent a ¡®personnel¡¯ to him. I can¡¯t believe that he went out to have fun with a woman the moment he entered the middle of his enemies¡¯ base. What a lunatic. Count Ravel, whose judgment of Dowd¡¯s character became significantly more urate than before, then continued while letting out a deep sigh. ¡°Let him continue walking around casually like that. Don¡¯t ck off in managing the informants we¡¯ve put around him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll follow your order.¡± Normally, that would be the end of their conversation¡­ If a roar that sounded as if the sky was about to copse didn¡¯t resonate in Count Ravel¡¯s mansion. ¡°W-What is that?¡± ¡°It came from the mansion¡¯s main gate!¡± Count Ravel and his Chief Aide hurriedly looked outside the window. They could see dust was flying around, followed by the sound of walls sporadically copsing. In that mess where screams and shouts were echoing everywhere, the count turned his gaze around, trying hard to find its cause. And then¡­ When he finally found the cause, all rationality and logic in his mind was immediately blown away. ¡­What¡­? I¡¯m not just seeing things, right¡­? Count Ravel said in a dumbfounded tone. Because the sight he saw was so absurd that he ended up reacting that way before he could even feel any sort of emotions. ¡°That¡¯s Dowd Campbell, right¡­?¡± ¡°¡­It seems to be the case, Count.¡± ¡°That bastard came in by crushing the main gate of my mansion¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even though this ce is in the middle of his enemy¡¯s base¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All by himself¡­ With only his bare body¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Chief Aide couldn¡¯t do anything but to remain silent in affirmation. Chapter 265: Picking a Fight (2) ¡°Count Ravel~!¡± A man¡¯s voice echoed, filled with confidence. It was Dowd Campbell, who had crushed the main gate and barged in. ¡°I brought you a present~!¡± Following those words, he dropped someone¡¯s body onto the yard. The body was a man¡¯s, tied up nicely as if he was ¡®gift-wrapped¡¯. His body was dropped with a particrly loud sound that stood out even among the buzzing noises and screaming voices around Dowd. ¡°¡­¡± Count Ravel silently narrowed his eyes. He quickly recognized that the tied-up man was one of the informants that he had assigned to watch the punk. The count also remembered how fired-up this particr man was about this task because he was one of Nichs Comital Household¡¯s confidants. At first, he thought that assigning this task to him might be a little dangerous. After all, the risk of himmitting a mistake was high, and if he were to get caught because of it, things would turn messy really quickly.But eventually, he decided to do it anyway. At the end of the day, it was just a possibility, not something that would actually happen. And yet¡­ Just¡­how¡­? Magic Tower¡¯s ¡®stealth outfit¡¯ that they had brought here with great difficulty boasted an overwhelming performance when it came to stealth. It was to the point that he was confident that an assassin could easily assassinate anyone he wanted to kill¡ªsave for the empress, since the Sword Saint always sticks to her like glue. With this tool, even if the informant made a little mistake, the count was confident that no one would be able to catch him, let alone getting tied up like that. While the count was racking his brain, trying to guess what had happened, Dowd continued with a smile on his face. ¡°This guy visited my room and tried to pry a hole into my body. What a mannerless guy, don¡¯t you think? Well, I don¡¯t know which idiot thought that it would be okay to send a guy like this to me, so¡­ Can you tell that idiot to just stop? He won¡¯t aplish anything by doing this.¡± ¡°¡­You have no right to talk about manners, Viscount Campbell.¡± Count Ravel said those words, barely managing to suppress the rage that was trying to seep through his voice. ¡°Then again, what should I expect from someone hailing from such a humble bloodline?¡± Even though he was barely able to suppress the rage boiling up inside him that had reached its boiling point¡­ His mind was colder than ever. He beckoned his Chief Aide, who was not in his view. Telling him to get the other ¡®equipment¡¯ in the mansion ready. The fact that the biggest sponsor for the Magic Tower was the Upper Nobles Association was already well known. With that in mind, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that Count Ravel¡¯s mansion was well-equipped with ¡®the most advanced equipment¡¯ created by the Magic Tower. Even now, he only needed to give out the signal, all the equipment¡ªeach could kill the punk ten times over¡ªwould be activated without dy. ¡­He has gone this far, I have no reason to put up with his nonsense anymore. There wasn¡¯t much time left until the members of the Upper Nobles Association, including him, would carry out the ¡®insurrection¡¯. All this time, they had been trying their best not to give the opponent the excuse to attack them, but, since the punk in front of him was provoking them so openly, the count figured that there was no reason for him to tolerate him anymore. While it was true that they were the one who had provided him with an excuse for such a provocation, the punk had crossed the line he should have never crossed. ¡°That¡¯s why, we will take it into our own hands to educate you in regards to manners, Viscount. So please, don¡¯t resent us too much.¡± ¡°Oho.¡± However, even after he heard Count Ravel¡¯s cold voice¡­ Dowd still responded to him calmly. It was as if he liked where this was going, and he¡¯d wee this oue with open arms. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing his response, Count Ravel gritted his teeth. Teaching him manners was a done deal, but he felt the need to strike a heavy blow with ¡®his words¡¯ before his rage would be quelled. ¡°¡­Once I¡¯m done with you¡­¡± That was why he decided to let out an ¡®efficient¡¯ sentence, even though he knew that he would drag his dignity to the ground if he were to say it. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll work my way with Lady Tristan to hold her ountable for your actions, because I know that it¡¯s either the empress or her who made you think you can do all this without a care in the world.¡± But, perhaps because of his boiling rage¡­ He failed to notice the subtle change in Dowd Campbell¡¯s attitude the moment he heard those words. ¡°I¡¯ve never been fond of that ursed murderous monster household to begin with. Especially their eldest daughter who always acted as if she¡¯s better than everyone.¡± Count Ravel said with a cunning smile. Of course he didn¡¯t really n to go that far, but if the situation indeed turned out like that¡­ It was quite well-known that Lady Tristan was a woman of great beauty. If the opportunity arose, he wouldn¡¯t refuse to ept the side pleasure of a ¡®conquest¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m genuinely looking forward to it. It would be quite fun to overpower you arrogant and reckless punk and who you the sight of Lady Tristan who had became ¡®submissive¡¯ to¡ª¡± Only after he said that sentence did Count Ravel realize¡­ ¡°Let me tell you one thing,¡± That his words were more ¡®effective¡¯ than he ever expected. ¡°I don¡¯t particrly like someone talking about the people around me in that way, Count.¡± A bright smile was still stered on Dowd¡¯s face. But his tone had turned quite polite now. However, beneath that polite tone was¡­ ck. A ckness that was akin to mmy soot that was sticking to one¡¯s heart. Everything who casted their gaze upon that ckness felt a sensation that akin to their nerves rotting away. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The people around them suddenly went silent. Or rather, they couldn¡¯t say anything. ¡ªWhat the¡­ Inside the ce that turned deathly silent, as if time was frozen¡­ Only Count Ravel managed to rack his brain. Rumors were always bound to be exaggerated, and they always gave birth to all kinds of strange misinformation. At least that was what Count Ravel had believed. -There¡¯s a human-shaped monstrosity inside Elfante. When such rumors spread, he was the first person who sneered at them. What nonsense, people couldn¡¯t move an inch because they were suppressed by mere ¡®presence¡¯? Those outstanding warriors, knights, and mages? Every single one of them? Pfft, whoever it was, the empress, Duke Tristan, how desperate are they to even think of spreading such a groundless rumor? However¡­ The moment he saw ¡®this¡¯¡­ With his own eyes¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but understand¡­ The feeling of an ant being forced to face an elephant. ¡°In any case, I only stopped by to say hello. I appreciate you for your warm wee.¡± Even after he said such words in a mocking way, nobody said a word. However advanced their equipment was, at the end of the day, they were operated by humans. And for humans to not fear this ¡®thing¡¯ before their eyes? It was impossible. Never in a million years. ¡°Alright, I will be waiting for you to send me something a little more¡­¡¯wild¡¯ next time.¡± That was thest thing Dowd Campbell said before leaving the ce. ¡ñ ¡°¡­Strange.¡± As I said that word in a tone that sounded as if the whole world was going mad, Victoria, who was stuffing her face with cake next to me, quickly turned her head to look at me. ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t theying to kill me? I¡¯ve even gone and did all that¡­¡± I literally entered someone else¡¯s mansionte at night, half-crushed it, and even insulted its owner. After all that, shouldn¡¯t they send me an official challenge or at least another assassin? ¡°¡­¡± Victoria stared at me as if I was some kind of lunatic before turning her attention back to her cake while letting out a deep sigh. As if gesturing that her paying attention to something like this would just tire her out or something. ¡°¡­¡± So mean. [She seems to be getting used to your dumb shit by now.] That aside¡­ Why the hell are these bastards staying still even after I clearly picked a fight with them? [¡­Because you overdid it, of course.] What? [Look, if you wanted to pick a fight, you should¡¯vee out a little weaker so they¡¯re more tempted to attack you. In this case, you¡¯reing out too strong.] ¡®¡­¡¯ [You were literally going around exuding ¡®Try fucking with me, I¡¯m going to grind you to dust,¡¯ of course they wouldn¡¯t just fuck around and find out.] ¡­Huh, really? In the original game, those civil war rebels didn¡¯t even care when they had to cut off the empress¡¯ neck and create a sea of blood just to monopolize the empire¡¯s political and military authority. But when I gave them a little scare, they actually got scared and gave up trying to fight me altogether? ¡­Was I really that scary? [What? Did you really do all that without knowing that?] I held my power back though¡­ Well, I knew how much the Devil¡¯s power could affect humans, but I didn¡¯t expect that those guys would just give up like that even after I picked a fight with them. As I was having such thoughts, Victoria, who hadpletely finished her cake, let out a sigh. ¡°Actually, I understand your feelings halfway. I could tell that you were trying to ¡®make your opponent angry¡¯.¡± Hearing what she said, my body flinched. Because there was a part in her words that I couldn¡¯t ignore. ¡°¡­By halfway you meant, you don¡¯t understand the other half?¡± ¡°Yeah. From the part where Lady Tristan was mentioned.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°From that point onwards, I only understand the other guys more. Because you became so terrifying to the point that everyone who saw you would think that it would be suicide if they were to go up against you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was I really that terrifying? I remembered that my mood swing subsided pretty quickly back then. Of course, I couldn¡¯t know how it might¡¯ve looked to others. ¡°If Lady Tristan knows that you¡¯re thinking of her that way, she¡¯d definitely be happy. Must be nice.¡± ¡°¡­Hey, Victoria.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just me or what, but¡­why do you look upset when you¡¯re saying all that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s just you. Keep staring at me like that, I swear I¡¯m going to stab you.¡± Victoria said while stabbing her cake with a fork. As if demonstrating that she was going to do exactly that if I didn¡¯t shut up. ¡°¡­Anyway, about the thing that you asked me to do¡­¡± Seeing me shutting my mouth, she let out a sigh while changing the subject. ¡°First, it¡¯s good news for you. Due to what you have done, military activities have been increasing in Count Ravel¡¯s territory, they¡¯re making a fuss about it everywhere.¡± There you go. While celebrating the news inwardly, I eagerly waited for her next words. ¡°Is that so? Good, good. Finally they¡¯reing out to hurt me¡ª¡± ¡°Wrong. You see, the news of the possibility of them harming you has reached ¡®someone else¡¯s ears.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What? ¡°Following that, the Upper Nobles Association¡¯s military hubs nearby are being smashed to pieces one by one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Most of the reports have one thing inmon¡­ The culprits are ¡®several women¡¯.¡± ¡­What the? [Right, of course it would turn out like this.] What is it? [This is exactly what happenedst time. You always thought that you¡¯d need to do everything ¡®on your own¡¯, so you never considered the possibility that ¡®someone else might do it in your stead¡¯.] What¡­? [Seriously, you didn¡¯t learn anything fromst time, huh?] Caliban continued while letting out a chuckle. [As much as you cherish the women around you, they also cherish you.] ¡­Why are you talking about them all of a sudden? [Think of it like this. The news of the possibility of you being under ¡®threat¡¯ had reached those women¡¯s ears. How do you think they¡¯d react?] ¡­ ¡­Huh¡­? W-Wait¡­ That means the thing I should be concerned with isn¡¯t whether Count Ravel would pick a fight with me or not¡­ But the fact that he might just be killed by them soon¡­ Chapter 266: Skip (1) Chapter 266: Skip (1)Going back in time for a bit¡­ Due to the nature of their job, the servants from Elfante were used to dealing with all kinds of people. From royalties, members of different species, to even beings from another dimension. After all, Elfante was like a treasure trove of those kinds of mysteries and unknowns. However¡­ Even those servants couldn¡¯t just deal with this particr scene as if they were ¡®familiar¡¯ with it. Then again¡­ Anyone would feel the same way if they were to see a giant machine and the Devil¡¯s Vessels sitting around for a tea. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± An awkward silence filled the space.Professor Astrid had made it known that she wasn¡¯t fond of the Vessels, while Dowd had done the same exact thing to the giant. And so, it was hard for the Vessels to decide how to behave themselves around her. In the end, the only thing they could do was to just shut their mouth while reading the room. ¡°Everyone.¡± Suddenly, a synthesized machine voice broke the ongoing silence. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you something for just three seconds. Watch carefully.¡± The tip of the giant¡¯s finger that she slightly raised opened slightly. From it, some kind of image was projected into the air. If Dowd were to see this, he¡¯d probably recognize it as a hologram. Although, if he was really there, he¡¯d be dealing with a massive headache upon seeing what she did with such an advanced technology. ¡°This is Dowd¡¯s picture from when he was a baby.¡± Following her words, a picture of baby Dowd, who was sleeping soundly, popped up above the round table everyone was sitting around. She did this so suddenly, but everyone gave out quite a dramatic reaction. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± While they kept their mouths shut, their piercing gazes would suffocate anyone whoid their eyes upon them. If a gaze possessed some kind of physical force, sparks would probably have flown all over the room. Their ¡®observation¡¯ was so intense, as if they were trying to burn this sight in their eyes for as long as possible. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± As Professor Astrid stayed true to her words¡ªonly showing the picture for three seconds before closing it¡ªone of the Vessels let out a disappointed sigh before asking¡­ ¡°¡­Why only three seconds?¡± The one who asked that was Faenol. Compared to the others, she looked considerably more rxed, probably because she had used her magic to ¡®store¡¯ the picture inside her brain as soon as she saw it. ¡­She really did all that¡­? Meanwhile, Iliya¡ªwho had seen her doing exactly that from the side¡ªthrew a look of disbelief at her. ¡°Because I cherish this picture.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just be grateful. Normally, I¡¯d rather kill myself than showing this picture to others.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you, but if that¡¯s the case, why did you show it to us?¡± ¡­At least they can still feel thankful in the midst of all this. Iliya thought so while checking her surroundings with a displeased expression. Meanwhile, Professor Astrid continued. ¡°Because I figured I¡¯d show you some evidence.¡± ¡°Evidence¡­?¡± ¡°Evidence for the fact that I have a lot of ¡®information¡¯ regarding that boy that you people don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As if they started to understand where the conversation was going, each of the Vessel¡¯s expressions changed. Although, whatever it was that they had in their minds werepletely overwritten by Professor Astrid¡¯s next words. ¡°Look, I dislike you guys and you guys probably bear the same feelings toward me, so let¡¯s just get this over with and only talk about ¡®what we need to talk about¡¯, got it? ¡°¡­By what we need to talk about¡­¡± Eleanor, who had been sitting silently, said in a serious voice. She was the one who threw the most piercing gaze at Dowd¡¯s baby picture¡ªit was as if she was about to eat it¡ªbut now, she was the one who seemed to be the mostposed out of all the women. ¡°What exactly did you mean by that?¡± ¡°This time as well, that boy is thinking of doing everything by himself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But, the moment she heard those words, her brows immediately twitched. ¡°If you guys are smart enough, you should¡¯ve noticed by now. A civil war is going to break out soon and Dowd seems to be trying to prevent that from happening. However¡­¡± Professor Astrid continued while letting out a deep sigh. ¡°I believe there¡¯s no need for him to go through the hard way when you guys can just aplish the same thing easily.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°All of you here can overthrow a whole country as long as you work together. Are you guys trying to tell me that with all that power you¡¯re going to let Dowd struggle all by himself?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Riru said while crossing her arms. ¡°Back when the Crimson Night or whatever incident happened, that punk actually tried to do everything by himself. And even after all that mess happened, he still hasn¡¯t changed. That fool!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! The Chieftain¡¯s daughter knows what¡¯s up.¡± Professor Astrid chirped to Riru¡¯s words before looking around. Then she continued with a voice that sounded slightly mixed withughter. ¡°That¡¯s why, I want us to help that boy before he asks us to. Surely you guys can do that much?¡± She paused before continuing again. ¡°Also, that bastard, Count Ravel or whoever, is trying to harm him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing that, everyone¡¯s expressions turned quite¡­¡¯threatening¡¯. Riru rested her chin in her hand while snorting, Faenol held back a sharp smile, while Iliya crossed her legs as if finding the news ridiculous. ¡°¡­How foolishly brave of him.¡± As Faenol said coldly, Professor Astrid continued¡­ ¡°That¡¯s to say, I have a suggestion; I will give anyone who helps out that boy the most, a present.¡± ¡°¡­By helping him, you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Take care of the cause so that the civil war won¡¯t end up happening.: Professor Astrid said with a smirk. ¡°That should be possible as long as ¡®all¡¯ of you step up, no?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her words made everyone lost in their thoughts. It was because they didn¡¯t know what her goal was of offering them such a suggestion. However, their stances immediately changed the moment they heard what she said after that. ¡°All of you want to strip him down, no?¡± Every one of them could swear¡­ That they definitely saw an illusion of ¡®a cunning smile¡¯ behind the machine giant¡¯s expressionless face. ¡°¡­Although it is a little weird, I know that everyone here is dying to win the ¡®race¡¯.¡± Iliya looked around with a bitter smile. Actually, upon hearing those words, everyone tried to avoid Astrid¡¯s gaze while showing an ¡®embarrassed¡¯ gesture. Everyone, save for one person. Eleanor, who was looking down pensively at the table. ¡­What¡¯s wrong with her? Iliya had thought that when it came to this kind of topic, this person would immediately explode the moment she heard it. While saying ¡®Dowd is mine¡¯ and ¡®Don¡¯t even think of having an eye on him¡¯. However, before Iliya continued having such thoughts, Astrid said something that even she couldn¡¯t just ignore. ¡°You see, I might know of some sure ways that will ¡®definitely work¡¯ on him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They still couldn¡¯t trust this person fully. After all, they didn¡¯t even know what she was trying to do. However¡­ ¡°¡­Hm.¡± There was no doubt that¡­ The ¡®bait¡¯ she was throwing at them was way too attractive to pass on. ¡ñ That was probably the root of everything. The main reason why Siston¡ªthe person in charge of Ravel Comital¡¯s military force¡ªwas experiencing the most disastrous night in his life. In short¡­ Ravel Comital¡¯s military force was currently copsing because of an attack from a few female students. ¡°What did you say, Adjutant? Can you repeat that?¡± ¡°We¡¯re fucked, Sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Holding an important position in the count¡¯s territory wasn¡¯t easy. For starters, one needed to always have a calm judgment that would never waver in front of their subordinates, intelligence that would never wane against all kinds of nder, and outstandingbat capabilities. These three were the most fundamental things, but it was also important to have absolute dignity so that their subordinates wouldn¡¯t stab them in the back. That was why Siston looked extremely calm outwardly. Even though inwardly, he just wanted to scream because of everything that had happened. ¡°Uh¡­¡± He cleared his throat before continuing. ¡°Adjutant, tell me. Am I having a hallucination?¡± ¡°¡­¡± But, even though he tried his best to act calm, his words clearly suggested that he wasn¡¯t. ¡°¡­Would you please tell me first what it is that you¡¯re looking at, Sir?¡± Good, that¡¯s the right answer. Siston nodded before continuing. ¡°From what I can see, it seems like a dark-skinned woman is destroying all of our mounted division barehanded.¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you¡¯ve described, Sir. You aren¡¯t hallucinating.¡± ¡°¡­¡± If anything, Siston would prefer it if his adjutant just straight up called him crazy. Ravel Comital¡¯s military had been pushing themselves to train day and night for the uing ¡®revolt¡¯ that would decide the fate of the country. They had been simting something that was as close as possible to a real battle. It was as if they would actually kill anyone who dared to interrupt their training. And yet, their terrifying cavalry were being smashed by a woman who seemed to be around half their age. The horses and the knights riding thembined should be unimaginably heavy, but they all flew into the air the moment they met every punch and kick she made. It was such a surreal scene. ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t remember Count Ravel doing something that could earn him the grudge of such a powerful person. There must have been some kind of misunderstand¡ª¡± ¡°Count Ravel, you bastard¡ª! Come out¡ª!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Siston¡¯s optimistic outlook was immediately crushed to pieces by the female warrior¡¯s thunderous shout. That was enough proof that she came here with a very clear purpose. ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t seem to be the case, Sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I know already, you punk. Siston barely managed to suppress the urge to p the adjutant as he continued¡­ ¡°I have one more question.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± ¡°The outer rampart seems to have been split into several cuts.¡± Said outer rampart was made by a very famous architect, using only the best materials. But everytime the two women outside the rampart swung their swords, everything was cut down like rotten old trees. The defense facility that could even withstand a battering ram was being crushed to pieces by the swords of the two women¡ªwho seemed to be also less than half their age. ¡°¡­You surprised me, Yuria. It seems like you¡¯ve gotten a little stronger.¡± ¡°Y-You too, Lady¡­¡± Not only that, the two women nonchntly continued their ¡®work¡¯ while talking to each other. They made the rampart look more fragile than a sand castle¡­!! As he thought so, the Adjutant next to him cut off his words heartlessly. ¡°Yes, Sir. You described the scene urately, Sir..¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± Siston stroked his chin a few times. All while suppressing his urge to scream like a girl while holding his head before letting himself faint with foam in his mouth. Although, he was struggling to even do that. He couldn¡¯t even care about his subordinates¡¯ opinions if they were to see his trembling legs and point it out as he had no leniency to do that. ¡°¡­Alright, take out all of the Magic Tower equipment we have. We should be able to face them somehow if we were to use that.¡± Though crazy stuff was going on everywhere, to the point that he was wondering if he was currently dreaming, they still had the equipment that the Magic Tower gave them. If we were to deploy all of those, maybe¡ª! ¡°Sir! Look at the sky!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Fucking hell! What is it again this time? Siston turned his head around while stroking his chin, almost as if he was going to tear it apart. And what came into his view was¡­ The sky, which was ¡®turning red¡¯. And a huge column of fire, the source of such a phenomenon. ¡°¡­What the fuck is that?!¡± ¡°Sir, you dropped your dignity in your speech.¡± So what?! Is that something I should care about in this kind of situation?! He managed to not say those words out loud, thanks to him holding onto thest semnce of restraint he had, but he still couldn¡¯t help but point at the sight while shouting with apletely reddened face. ¡°Is that¡­the Red Devil?! Is the Crimson Night Incident going to start again?! Wait, does that mean they brought a Devil¡¯s Vessel here?!¡± Siston¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the fuck they are, but are they out of their mind?! We could turn the entire continent into their enemy if we were to spread a rumor that a Devil is involved¡ª!¡± ¡°Sir, with all due respect.¡± The adjutant called out to the furious Siston calmly. ¡°I believe they won¡¯t need to deal with that kind of aftermath as long as they manage to destroy uspletely right here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is that how it¡¯s gonna be? Siston grounded his teeth while quickly flicking an abacus bead in his head. ¡°¡­Seek help from the other Upper Nobles Association forces nearby. They should be able to make it here in the nick of time!¡± At the end of the day, the Upper Nobles Association still held one of the best military organizations on the continent. Actually, if they were to pull out their full force, they would probably be able to suppress this attack somehow. Of course they wouldn¡¯t just do that since they still had a whole civil war to fight next, but seeing that they were facing this kind of situation they might just¡ª ¡°Sir! The hero ising towards us! She¡¯s holding the Holy Sword¡ª!¡± The moment he heard that, Siston immediately passed out. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!