Absolutely Do Not Touch ELdmia Egga – Chapter 161

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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Gish, who had entered the fray with overflowing confidence like a belligerent warmonger, was finally gone.

“You’ll be remembered in my mind as ‘Boastful Gish’ from now on.”

Eldmia muttered.

He had certainly put up more of a fight than the others, a testament to his different caliber, but that was it.

Still, the fact that he immediately recognized the imitation of the demon Eldmia had encountered in the abandoned dungeon suggested he wasn’t all talk.

Perhaps his title, “The Demon Slayer,” wasn’t earned through sheer quantity, but the sheer messiness of his kills.

Butchering, of course, was a profession that demanded specialized knowledge, but nicknames weren’t always so literal.

“His swordsmanship was certainly impressive, though.”

Eldmia picked up the discarded sword and examined it.

Despite the numerous clashes, it remained pristine, not a single chip marring its surface.

He had been channeling most of his mana into reinforcing his body, leaving relatively little for his sword, but even so, ordinary swords would have shattered after four or five strikes.

This was intriguing.

“I almost wanted to overload it with mana just to see how much it could take, but I’m glad I resisted.”

Imbuing a sword with mana was akin to transforming a regular blade into a chainsaw.

It wasn’t intentional; the flowing mana simply took that form.

Almost like a disposable chainsaw that easily stripped when encountering strong resistance, but with unparalleled cutting power.

Of course, replicating the level of output he’d used against the thugs in the alleyway would be incredibly inefficient, so he had toned it down for this fight.

Even so, the sword’s pristine condition was a testament to its quality.

He sheathed it, along with Gish’s scabbard, on his right hip and ascended the shattered staircase to the second floor.

There was no time to waste.

The entire capital’s nobility would be in an uproar over this baseless rampage soon enough.

He had to kill Envelde before he lost his chance.

Fortunately, noble mansions were all quite similar.

He easily located what he assumed was Envelde’s office.

He briefly considered smashing his way in, but sensing no immediate presence, he opted for a more conventional entry.

Inside, Envelde leaned against his desk, a melancholic expression mirroring the dreary weather.

His face seemed to be a mixture of resignation (50%), bewilderment (30%), annoyance (10%), and rage (10%).

Finding the expression rather amusing, Eldmia raised his left hand in a casual greeting.

“Hey Envelde, why the long face?”

Ignoring the friendly gesture, Envelde spoke, his voice flat.

“…That sword. It’s Gish’s.”

“Yeah, it’s pretty good.”

“He was a broken man, but he wouldn’t let go of his sword before he died. Which means he died by your hand.”

“He did die by my hand, but he dropped his sword before he died.”

It was technically true. He had dropped it to attempt a sneak attack.

Eldmia shrugged, offering the correction, but Envelde simply ran his hands over his face.

“I’ll give you one last chance, Eldmia. Even after killing Gish, and remaining unscathed, I recognize your value.”

Envelde straightened, his brown eyes holding a strange calmness as he addressed Eldmia.

“Become my subordinate. All the killing, all the chaos you’ve caused… it means you’re capable of much more. Help me overthrow Itsiel, end this wretched war, and become a hero.”

He struck a rather grand pose, and Eldmia almost wondered what profound words would follow.

Instead, he was met with utter bewilderment.

Even now, the man was delusional.

Before Eldmia could even process his disbelief, Envelde continued.

“Lagnis was originally a pawn to be discarded, but if you cooperate, I won’t harm her. It won’t be difficult to cover this up. It all happened in my mansion, after all. But if you refuse, you’ll pay the price.”

The sheer audacity, the utter lack of self-awareness, was astounding.

Before he could even formulate a response, Eldmia reacted instinctively.

“Save your breath and make your last words count. Cut the crap.”

Envelde’s gaze lingered on Eldmia’s extended middle finger, his expression unreadable.

“Yes, I thought you might say that.”

When his eyes met Eldmia’s again, the calmness had vanished, replaced by a burning rage.

“Your arrogance will be your downfall, Eldmia Egga.”

“Damn it, that’s the third time I’ve heard that today…”

Eldmia was about to retort, tired of the repetitive threat, when a sudden impact cut him short.

Not metaphorically, but literally.

Something struck his face, his head snapped back, his back slammed against something hard, and he found himself tumbling uncontrollably across the floor.

Only after the disorienting sequence did he understand what had happened.

“That lying bastard, Gish…!”

It was simple.

Envelde had moved with blinding speed and punched him in the face.

“What the hell did he mean, saying he was the strongest…!”

He hadn’t lost consciousness, thanks to years of training, but his vision swam, and his ears rang.

If he hadn’t been reinforcing his body, anticipating a decapitation attempt at any moment, that single blow would have broken his neck, perhaps even severed his head.

“I trained in the Levien family, became a knight, and earned the title of Count with my swordsmanship alone. Did you truly believe I lacked the strength to deal with your insolence?”

Still, a concussion was a concussion.

He registered Envelde’s approach, but his body refused to cooperate.

“What gave you the right to be so arrogant? I even released my Aura to warn you.”

“Gah, ptoo! Damn it, I’m a bit slow on the uptake with that kind of thing.”

What was the point of releasing Aura if he couldn’t sense it?

Ekaf’s Aura was noticeable, but this…

“Ekaf’s is more… noticeable.”

He finally managed to sit up, realizing he’d been embedded in the mansion wall.

Hmm, could he do that?

It seemed different from denting a metal gate.

“You’re still conscious.”

“Hell yeah, this is just the beginning.”

Years of training had honed his body, but his practical experience in such situations was still lacking.

He should have realized sooner.

Exceptional physical abilities and abundant mana were all he had.

The average, ordinary man from his previous life shed a silent tear.

First, he had to deal with this bastard.

“You’re awfully confident. Aren’t you going to draw your sword?”

“Do I need my sword to end your pathetic life? Yours will suffice.”

“Wow, you’re a real chatterbox, aren’t you? I guess you need to be on the verge of death for your tongue to loosen up. I’ll have to remember that one for later.”

He was starting to understand why people rambled when they were dying.

It seemed to help him think more clearly.

Perhaps it was the imminent threat of death, but as long as his mind was clear and his body could move, he didn’t care.

“Let’s see what you’ve got, Count Fancypants!”

Feeling his body regaining some control, he closed the distance, bringing himself within striking range of Envelde.

He knew he couldn’t fight like he had before.

He channeled mana without restraint, enhancing his body and imbuing his sword.

He lunged, aiming for Envelde’s neck.

“Predictable.”

Barely within striking distance, Envelde leaned back slightly, easily evading the blow.

Which was exactly what Eldmia had intended.

“Arrogant bastards always fall for that.”

He hadn’t expected a killing blow, but he needed to set up his next attack.

He released his grip on Gish’s sword, letting it fly towards Envelde’s face.

He had drawn it for this very purpose.

If Envelde had blocked it, that would have been fine, but by dodging, he had left himself open.

Eldmia quickly drew his own sword and swung.

But in that fleeting moment, their eyes met, and Envelde’s expression remained unnervingly calm.

A chill ran down Eldmia’s spine as he realized what Envelde had seen.

His gaze had tracked Eldmia, his sword, and the trajectory of Gish’s flying blade.

He knew what Envelde would do.

He twisted his head, dodging the incoming sword, and in a single fluid motion, snatched the hilt of Gish’s sword as it whizzed past his ear.

He swung, deflecting Eldmia’s attack.

Clang!

There was no dramatic clash, no grinding of steel.

The metallic ring was immediately followed by a flurry of attacks and parries.

This was Eldmia’s forte, years of practice honed to instinct, but after the fifth exchange, a wave of dread washed over him.

Envelde was strong.

Stronger than him, in both Aura and skill.

“I’ll admit, you’re better than I expected.”

Even amidst the intense exchange, Envelde’s voice remained calm, mocking.

“But with such talent, you should have known your place.”

It was like watching a Go match between professionals.

He could see the inevitable loss, dozens of moves ahead.

Seven.

He knew he would be pushed back on the seventh exchange.

His sword would be deflected downwards, leaving his abdomen exposed to Envelde’s blade.

Six moves left.

He couldn’t rely on his gauntlets and preemptively drop his sword to protect his abdomen.

There wasn’t enough time.

Five moves left.

Even channeling all his mana into his sword wasn’t enough.

A careless move would invite a devastating counterattack.

Four moves left.

What could he use?

What did he have?

Three moves left.

His superior physique, his sturdy sword, his magic-resistant gauntlets, his curse-repelling ring.

And…

Two moves left.

One…

Clang!

Envelde’s blade snaked around his sword, twisting it from his grip.

Before he could even register the loss, his sword clattered across the floor, sliding out of reach. Envelde spoke, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Time to pay the price, Eldmia.”

Envelde’s sword plunged into his abdomen, precise and unwavering.

The sensation was all too familiar.

Though the location was different, the chilling feeling, reminiscent of his pathetic end in his previous life, sent a shiver down his spine.

“Damn it, life.”

Why was there no middle ground in this life?

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[Im sorry did PEAK call?? cuz my cock is THROBBING over this chapter like holy JESUS JOSEPH AND MARY wtf did i just read???]