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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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Groan!
Clang!
Edwin’s party clashed fiercely with the incoming horde of magical beasts. As the monsters fell, one by one, their movements were becoming increasingly restricted.
Rustle…
“!!!”
The deathly pallor of Abelline, lying beside Aria, began to recede. An unseen force closed her wounds, and her eyes slowly opened.
“Lady Abelline…?!”
Aria stared, wide-eyed. Had a miracle happened? Her Healing Revelation hadn’t worked.
“You saved me.”
“…?”
Confusion swirled within Aria, but Abelline’s voice, calm and peaceful, echoed in her ears.
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‘Cough. Hahaha!’
Marcosias manifested, using Abelline’s body as a vessel. The magic tower’s unstable activation had delayed him. He took a deep breath, inhabiting the disgusting creature’s body.
‘Ah, that scent.’
His excitement surged. The scent of humans, the intoxicating aroma of a saint’s purity.
‘Such a shame!’ he lamented inwardly.
‘If only I’d possessed a male, I could defile her purity right now.’ He gazed at Aria for a moment, then composed himself and spoke.
“Aria Bluebell. Thank you.”
“…Are you… really alright? I didn’t really… do anything…”
She was right. Aria possessed the potential to become a saint, but her powers hadn’t awakened yet.
This was good news for Marcosias. It meant Psyche, the saint who’d disappeared after being mortally wounded, was nearing death.
‘This girl will be a problem once she awakens as a saint…’
He chuckled inwardly. The solution was simple: use his power of subjugation and make her his subordinate. Unlike the previous demons, he wouldn’t be careless.
‘Lev Denec…’
That creature had taken Darian. He would inflict ultimate despair upon him. Marcosias’s next target was Lev Denec’s body. He’d steal his soul and body, then savor Aria Bluebell.
‘gasp’
A demon and a saint. Such a forbidden union. He’d defile her until he was satisfied, then reveal his true identity as a Great Demon, showing her, through shared memories, how her parents were violated by Andras. She wouldn’t be able to escape or commit suicide.
‘By then, she’ll be my subordinate. Heh heh.’
He imagined her despair, her hatred, her pain. While Andras wasn’t interested in the emotions of mere creatures, a saint’s despair was a delicacy. She would become his eternal tool, a source of black mana.
-The number of monsters is increasing! We should tighten our formation!
-Yes!
-Understood…!
‘Hmm…?’
He observed his surroundings. These pathetic creatures were busy fighting. They were skilled, putting up a decent fight, but…
‘I wonder who will betray their comrades first when the monsters close in?’
Once the magic tower stabilized, the monsters would multiply and devour them all.
Shift
Aria, who’d been checking on Abelline, stood up.
“Lady Abelline, please rest. The situation is worsening. I’ll report to Lady Violet and assist the others.”
“No, Aria Bluebell. Wait.”
Marcosias grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer, whispering seductively, “Look… into my eyes…”
“…Yes…?”
Sensing something amiss in his tone, Aria gazed into his eyes and was lost in their depths.
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Finally, it was time to check Kaeran’s skills.
Ding!
“He really went all out, huh?”
What if he still had the Copy skill? I shuddered at the thought.
-Groan… groan…
“…”
I watched him writhe in pain, organizing my thoughts. Simply put, if he could activate Demonification ‘normally,’ he’d become an unstoppable, constantly evolving powerhouse.
‘Invincible, even.’
The conditions for Demonification were: 1) Voluntarily activating it by consuming a large amount of mana. 2) Automatically activating it upon receiving a near-fatal attack in human form. A simple, overpowered skill with no significant drawbacks, even covering his weaknesses.
But unfortunately for him, he couldn’t meet either condition. The first was impossible, as he’d depleted most of his mana activating the magic tower. The second? I just had to avoid killing him in human form.
-Buzz! Buzz!!
“L-Lev… Da…”
He was currently in an unstable Demonification state due to the forced injection of black mana.
‘I’m probably the only human who can freely manipulate black mana.’
Crow Fey hadn’t accounted for me when they implanted the magic circuit in Kaeran. I was his Achilles’ heel.
And the Parasite skill, which neutralized his Copy and Immunity skills, was a godsend. With Immunity, he wouldn’t have been affected by the Holy Bolts, giving him time to use a mana potion and activate Demonification. I might have been dead.
-Groan… groan…
Corruption: 232/500
He’d lost his mind due to the abnormal Demonification. Dozens of crossbow bolts were embedded in his body, his form barely recognizable, viscous fluids oozing from every orifice. Suddenly, he convulsed.
-Raaaaaargh!!!
“!!!”
A monstrous roar, like a pterodactyl’s screech.
‘That startled me.’
Ding.
“Hmm…”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t maintain the status ailments indefinitely. Infinite crowd control was a basic game mechanic restriction, another penalty of the Gamer passive skill.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
His body swelled as his Corruption increased, his form shifting towards that of a monster.
Ding.
Corruption: 245/500
At this rate, he’d enter Rampage as soon as the status ailments wore off, before ranking up. But that was fine. He had this passive skill:
It seemed overpowered, but it was more of a troll skill right now. If I reduced his HP to 1 when his Corruption reached 250, he’d be forced to rank up.
“Ready for the finale?”
As I loaded a Holy Bolt into the Ashen Crossbow, Kaeran, sensing his impending doom, slowly raised his head.
“Blame the author who created you.”
I aimed the crossbow at his forehead.
Groooan!!!
He roared pathetically. I was saving Wind Kill, which instantly dealt 20% of max HP as damage, for Marcosias. At this range, Wind Blast, a shotgun-like attack, would be more effective. I took a deep breath and focused on the numbers in my status window.
Ding!
Corruption: 247/500
“3.”
-Groan!
I adjusted my aim. I needed to damage the magic tower with this attack to optimize skill cost.
Ding!
Corruption: 248/500
“2.”
“D-D-D…!”
He seemed to regain a flicker of sanity, but I didn’t care. I deployed the Anti-Magic Shield and Wind Barrier I’d acquired from Boone.
Ding!
Corruption: 249/500
“1.”
All that remained was to pull the trigger. The Ashen Crossbow trembled, awaiting my command.
Ding!
Corruption: 250/500
“Nothing to say to you.”
“!”
Click.
…
The island, the demons’ playground, was bathed in a brilliant white light as if an angel had descended.
…
Ding…
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