Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: If It's to Draw the Big Picture (2)
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The moment he confirmed the opponent was a demon, Regen finished his analysis.
*Can't win.*
To put it bluntly, even if all three of them ganged up, demons were impossible to beat.
At best, based on the information he had, Regen surviving alone might be the optimal outcome.
*But the demons appearing at this point in time can't be in perfect condition.*
A full-fledged demon's raw racial power alone rivaled that of a 4th-circle mage.
And those who trained and grew even stronger easily surpassed the 5th circle.
That was their baseline, so with even a little proper growth, reaching 10th-circle strength wasn't hard.
From there, even facing off against Nuada-level powerhouses became no easy task.
*If things have already reached that point... there's no way they'd be bothering with the back routes.*
No need to watch Serpa's every move, either.
Even if that side was lined with Nuada-grade experts.
They still couldn't win a war against demons.
*In the end, this guy's a half-baked demon. Probably born from Igna Olivian's demon project in league with the black mages.*
If he was still just a half-baked demon.
Meaning, if his power wasn't at full strength, the situation changed dramatically.
*I can win.*
Not just escape—he could take the bastard down.
Convinced, Regen pulled out one of the souls from the portrait.
*...Filthy blood runs through your veins.*
A ghost dressed like he was wearing a leather coat emerged.
Though Regen had summoned him, the ghost's gaze fixed not on Regen, but on the demon.
*To slay demon spawn even in death... Dying wasn't so bad after all.*
Unlike the other ghosts, this one acknowledged his own death as he drew his sword.
*Probably a dragonkin in life.*
He eyed the demon with the distinctive reptilian glare of his kind.
A chilling aura gathered around the blue ghostly figure.
*I can't use mana, but I can wield an energy that rivals it. I'll use this to purify your blood.*
It was straight out of DAT's lore.
Dragons and demons were mortal enemies through and through.
They despised each other, and even in death, considered the other's existence profane.
*...An annoying pest crawled out.*
Crunch—
Horns sprouted from the demon's head.
His mana began to press down heavily from all sides.
A far cry from when he'd been facing Regen and his group.
*...Demon power.*
Part of the project the back-route organization Verdante was plotting.
It was about turning humans into demons, and those horns proved its success.
As long as the horns remained, he could wield power nearly on par with a true demon.
Slash!!
Clang!!
The demon and dragonkin powers clashed.
The demon gathered all his mana into both hands and blocked the dragonkin's sword.
The dragonkin fluidly spun his body, chaining attacks.
*...A real dragonkin soul?*
*Yes.*
*You're insane. Did you know the ghost in that portrait was a dragonkin?*
Watching the fight, Greg's jaw dropped.
Two races that even seasoned explorers rarely saw clashing—it was a spectacle.
*I knew it was no ordinary one. Reading soul power instead of mana, I couldn't be sure...*
In the Portrait Room, ghost powers were mostly random.
It wasn't something you could memorize from the paintings.
But a few portraits always produced fixed ghosts.
*The dragonkin one, the human royalty ones, etc... About four portraits were always tricky.*
That was why so many died in the Portrait Room.
Some ghosts always appeared at full strength.
Stronger than anything on the 8th floor, forcing Regen to lose a few characters there.
*If I could awaken the other ghosts too...*
*...*
*Ghosts that aren't dragonkin would prioritize us over the demon.*
*...Yeah. The ghosts in the portraits attack their summoner first, right?*
*Yes.*
It would've been great if he could wake them all to attack the demon.
Unfortunately, only the dragonkin ghost was usable.
Any others would target Regen's group first, since they weren't mortal enemies with the demon.
*For now, we need to grab Seria while we have this opening.*
*Right.*
Even as a ghost, the dragonkin's power was formidable.
The demon had unleashed his full strength, yet the man was holding his own for a while.
Seizing the chance, Regen and Greg moved to Seria, feeding her a potion.
*She's completely out.*
*...They focused her down. Probably trying to eliminate the biggest threat first.*
Fortunately, she was still breathing.
The potion would bring her around soon.
*...*
Now, all that was left was to gauge the fight.
*What do we do...? If the dragonkin takes out the demon...*
*Well, we'd have to fight the dragonkin then.*
The opposite held true as well.
Both their gazes turned to the demon and dragonkin.
They were pouring everything into annihilating each other.
*Whoever wins...*
They hoped it'd wipe out the loser's forces completely. Regen and Greg thought simultaneously.
* * *
Slash!!
The ghost dragonkin's sword relentlessly assaulted the demon.
*Advancing Fist.*
The demon knocked away each strike with his fists.
His innate physical prowess easily kept up with the ghost dragonkin's speed.
The mana gathered in his hands deflected the sword effortlessly.
*That's why I hate you pretentious types. Acting all superior when all you've picked up is human swordplay? Shameless race.*
Boom!!
*Demon God Kick.*
The demon's foot sliced through the air toward the opponent's head.
*Talks too much. Typical of those who inherit filthy blood.*
*...*
*Always trying to cover their filth with words.*
The ghost dragonkin gathered power at his sword tip, blocking the demon's kick.
*True strength needs no explanation.*
Crack—
From the sword's tip, the demon's leg began to freeze.
Fighting with soul energy rather than mana, the ghost dragonkin.
He knew what that power most resembled.
Soul energy laced with chill was akin to ice-element magic.
Crack!!
He decided to freeze the demon's entire body through it.
True to his race, which had researched magic based on vast mana in life.
*Falling Petals.*
Boom—!
Before his body fully froze, the demon slammed his leg into the ground, expelling the energy.
The ensuing exchange followed a similar pattern.
A fierce battle, neither side gaining the upper hand.
Their strengths balanced perfectly.
A half-baked demon versus a dragonkin long dead and bereft of flesh.
Their duel dragged on without the equilibrium breaking for quite some time.
*...Hup!*
Ironically, Greg was the one tiring from their clash.
Already injured from the demon's earlier attack.
When the shockwaves from their mana collisions hit, blood poured nonstop from Greg's mouth.
*Greg. Time to use that.*
*...That?*
*The 3rd-circle potion from last time... Now's the moment.*
Greg pulled a red vial from his bag.
The one he'd barely obtained from Apelion amid the botched smoke screen.
*Better fully recover.*
No sooner had Regen spoken than Greg downed the potion.
The agony of his ruptured organs burning inside raged on.
The bleeding stopped, but he groaned, drooling, eyes bulging.
*...Gonna die.*
Good performance didn't mean no pain.
Unless it was divine power healing, all potions came with agony.
And Greg's internal injuries had been worse than thought.
*...If we had time, it'd be best to pull out now and heal him with holy power.*
Regen keenly observed the battle's flow.
*It's ending.*
An end was in sight to their fierce clash.
*...!!*
At some point, the ghost dragonkin, unable to land proper attacks, took a direct *Advancing Fist* from the demon.
Even as a ghost, he'd matched the demon evenly, but lacking a body proved a fatal flaw.
Boom!!
The balance tipped in an instant.
Boom—!!
The demon, refusing to let up, pressed the assault relentlessly.
Compared to before, when landing a clean hit was hard, he was now savagely cornering the dragonkin.
*Demon God Kick.*
His leg gleamed black as it smashed into the ghost dragonkin's head.
*The end of a filthy demon is...*
The ghost dragonkin tried to speak, but his face vanished on impact.
The kicked face burst away, his soul crumbling into slowly scattering dust.
At the end of the tense fight, the demon claimed victory with a triumphant expression.
*...Puhaha. You didn't run while watching? Just stood there gawking?*
Turning back, the demon eyed Regen. His face still overflowed with leisure.
Despite the heavy mana drain from fighting the dragonkin.
He figured his remaining mana could easily handle Regen's group.
*Guess even carrying your knocked-out friend, you wouldn't get far. Smart call.*
The demon gathered mana in his hand and walked toward Regen.
*I'll just take that horn for Igna. Though he can probably extract the info just from your head.*
No more talk of sparing even one.
The previous fight had frayed his nerves.
Sizzle—
Regen didn't hesitate, tearing a scroll at him.
While the battle raged, he'd endlessly pondered what to do if the demon won.
His mind brimmed with rules and info.
*First. A half-baked demon... reverts to normal once mana runs out.*
The mana aura from his horns was fainter than before.
Barely any left.
*Lightning Spear.*
Flash!
As the scroll tore, currents gathered, spearing toward the demon like a lance.
The demon scoffed, raising both hands to block.
It was the same skill Regen had used minutes ago—one he'd blocked effortlessly.
*...Kuh!*
In that instant, the demon's body arched backward.
This mana he couldn't block.
The unfiltered currents seared through him, burning away his remaining mana.
*Should've looked at the scroll closer.*
The purple leather scroll Regen tore lay on the ground.
A higher-grade one, qualitatively different from the brown one before.
*The last one I had.*
Perfect timing.
The bastard hadn't noticed the difference and took it full-on.
Sss—
As his mana burned away, the demon's horns vanished.
Regen didn't miss a beat, pulling another scroll.
His mind aligned the prepared rules and data.
*Second. All rooms on the 8th floor don't deform from internal or external shocks.*
Meaning, impacts inside transferred fully to the targets.
No shock-absorbing walls—just structures that repelled force.
*So if an explosion happens, everyone inside takes the full brunt.*
Tear—!
Even Greg recognized the signature scroll at a glance.
Regen's custom explosion scroll, circuits twisted for max effect.
Version 2, improved with various advice, flew toward the demon as it tore.
Whoosh!
Greg raised his arms, bracing.
Regen hugged Seria's body and ducked behind Greg's back.
*Third. The black mana stone coating Greg's armor... gives strong magic resistance.*
Not a demon's mana-laced punch, but an explosion... it could handle.
*Gave him the black mana stone for this combo.*
The demon, just rousing from the lightning, belatedly spotted the incoming scroll.
Too late—the explosion had already ignited inside.
KABOOM—!!!
An explosion rocked the entire Portrait Room on the 8th floor.
The black-and-white flames and shockwave ravaged everything.
Regen's group, plastered to the wall, endured it.
*If we survive this, we'll be the ones standing.*