Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Boy King (5)
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“Got him!”
Eliya clenched her fist tight and said that.
Because it was a blow that looked like a sure hit no matter who saw it.
“...”
Instead of responding, I silently prepared for the next move.
-!
Alchemy formations writhed nearby.
Valkasus’s body didn’t crumble and stayed standing as is.
“...!”
And then.
Seeing the eerie light bursting from the formation—one whose intensity hadn’t diminished at all compared to before—Yuria’s eyes widened as she staggered back.
Eliya and Lucien stared in that direction with dumbfounded expressions.
“Still...”
A low voice echoed through the ruined top floor of the clock tower.
“...not enough. This won’t do it.”
I agree.
The shackles on you aren’t something that comes off just from stabbing a sword into your heart.
From the start, the constraint on that man is “die in combat in a 1:1 situation.”
Beating one person with three doesn’t count as killing him.
And probably.
Even if he could die, he’d refuse.
If his life ends before the constraint is satisfied, the alchemy binds to that flesh forever.
“I alone... can’t... do it. My kingdom... is still...!”
That’s why, even with a fatal wound piercing his heart.
He clings on desperately.
The formations surrounding him erupted with light like explosions. Yuria’s body let out a short scream as it was flung away.
“...Even this doesn’t kill him? What the hell is that thing...!”
“Hey.”
I cut off Eliya’s words with a sigh as she tried to say something.
“Get down from the clock tower. Take the Saintess with you. If you don’t go now, you’ll get swept up.”
“...Pardon?”
“From now on, I handle it alone.”
Eliya and even Lucien widened their eyes.
At a glance, Valkasus’s condition was worse than before. You could say he was rampaging.
Hearing I’d face that alone, even I’d react like this.
“Please stop saying crazy things...! How are you gonna handle that alone, Teacher...!”
“I’m not crazy.”
But.
You’ve all done as much as you could.
From the start, pushing that man to that point and landing a hit on his “heart” was already a huge accomplishment.
Something I absolutely couldn’t have done alone.
“...”
Even so.
From here on, I have to do it alone.
[ ‘Skill: Domination of Evil’ is activated. ]
[ Command authority is exercised over targets ‘Eliya’ and ‘Lucien’! ]
[ The targets will absolutely obey your words! ]
“Go. It’s better if I do it alone. Saintess. Take Yuria with you too.”
“...”
“...”
If I didn’t use something like this, they wouldn’t listen no matter what.
Lucien seemed to take it well enough and nodded after a moment’s hesitation.
But Eliya.
She stared at me like she’d been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.
Her eyes trembled. She looked extremely shocked.
[ Target ‘Eliya’ has received tremendous shock from your statement! ]
[ Confidence drops sharply! ]
[ Negative influence is imprinted! ]
[ Negative Imprint triple stacked! ]
[ Major change occurs in personality. ]
[ Change occurs in behavioral patterns! ]
[ Dominance over the target increases! ]
[ Receivable reward is granted! ]
[ Skill: Domination of Evil is activated. Gain 1 usable command on the target! ]
“...”
I have no idea why she always refills commands every time I use one on her.
No, more than that.
The floating messages look ominous.
Confidence drops sharply?
Dominance increases?
“Teacher.”
“Go.”
I just tell her that as she speaks in a voice tinged with moisture.
Deal with this later. Right now, it’s Valkasus.
Only after Lucien, Yuria, and the still-hesitating Eliya disappeared down the clock tower stairs.
“...Alright then.”
I gaze at Valkasus, darkness surging from his heart.
I take the Essence of Evil from my pocket and press it against the Soul Linker.
For Kalliban inside—who once served as Guardian, one of the highest holy knights—it must feel utterly horrifying.
[...Hmph.]
Only a scoff came from within the amulet.
[What are you scheming now?]
“What do you mean ‘scheming’? You act like you saw it before. You just sleep all the time.”
[Even if I look asleep, I see everything, you punk. I know everything you do has a reason.]
Right. Then you saw it clearly.
[ Would you like to combine ‘Essence of Evil’ with item ‘Soul Linker’? ] [ Y/N ]
I immediately tap Y.
[ Soul Linker ] [ Exclusive Equipment ]
[ Enchant: Epic ]
[ Fused: ‘Fragment of the Hero’ ] [ Fused: ‘Essence of Evil’ ]
#1
[ Spirit: Kalliban – Guardian, Knight of Dawn ]
[ Current Mana Charge: 0% ]
[ Current Synchronization: 12% ]
[Additional Functions]
[ ■ Skill: Mental World ]
Such messages scrolled up, followed by.
[System Message]
[ A new function is added by fusing ‘Essence of Evil’! ]
[ Evil Spirit exclusive slot is unlocked in the Soul Linker! ]
[ Only evil-aligned souls can be added to the slot! ]
I nod while looking at the window.
Right.
This is the only way to take down Valkasus in “combat.”
“Prepare to take in a neighbor, Kalliban.”
[...You’re really insane.]
Kalliban let out a hollow laugh.
[You’re going to bind ‘that thing’s’ soul?]
The words he spat out—with even a Guardian finding it horrific—naturally referred to Valkasus before my eyes.
A grotesque aura poured from the hole in his chest.
Millions of alchemies were embedded in his body, but controlling them all came down to the heart, the prime medium of alchemy.
What Yuria did was open the path for me to reach it.
“...No.”
Not bind.
“I’m going to save him.”
If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t have escalated things this far.
I check the clock.
2 minutes left.
“Kalliban.”
[Yeah?]
“You were top-tier talent in your empire too, so I figured you’d know. Just asking.”
[What?]
“How do you endure pain?”
A chuckle came back.
[With grit.]
“...I’m never taking advice from you again.”
With those words.
[ ‘Skill: Proof of Faith’ is activated. ]
[ All additional stats are converted to ‘Endurance’ and ‘Holy Power’. ]
[ ‘Skill: Stigmata’ is activated. ]
I hurl my body toward Valkasus.
-!
-!!!!
Countless vicious spells rained down on me simultaneously.
Before, the four of us shared the burden, but now I take it all alone.
Even with Desperate Situation maxed to EX and converted entirely to endurance and holy power via skills, plus the barrier affected by it.
My whole body rots and festers. Skin necrotizes, blood vessels burst, muscle fibers melt and tear.
“...Fucking... shit...!”
Spark-like pain surges through my entire body. I ignore it and press forward. Only 2 minutes left. No time to hesitate.
Even amid pain like my body is being torn apart. I keep moving.
Agonizing pain like my whole body is being seared by fire engulfs me. Even my internal organs feel like they’re burning.
Still, one step.
Like squeezing my lungs mid-exhale. I open my mouth, but breathing is hollow. Can’t inhale air.
Still, one step.
Terrifying pressure on my chest. Limbs’ muscles won’t respond.
Still, one step.
“...”
Surpassing pain that blacks out my consciousness repeatedly.
Finally.
My hand touches this man’s chest.
The Soul Linker, which can “hold” souls.
Makes contact with the core of this man’s soul, his heart.
If Yuria hadn’t stabbed it first, I couldn’t have even shoved my hand in.
“...”
At this point, the boss fight is as good as over.
Just forcibly “binding” him to the Soul Linker with the Essence of Evil would be my victory.
It’s an epic item. Even for a boss, once you touch the soul’s core, it’s possible. Forcefully shatter the consciousness and seal it in the item.
But I don’t want to do that.
At least not to someone I don’t see as an enemy.
That’s why I phrased it as “save” to Kalliban.
“...”
So.
I prepare for what follows.
Just looking at the conditions for this man’s “death”—covered in all sorts of constraints—you can tell Valkasus wasn’t made to be beaten in combat.
The battles I’ve fought so far don’t even compare to this man’s full power.
Even so, the one trick only I, who first unlocked the combat route with him, know.
The “curse” on this man was cast by the game’s strongest Word Sorcerer, as far as I know.
But even so.
Word sorcery has limits by nature.
For example.
As long as you meet the “form,” you can twist the situation to fit the wording.
If the curse condition is “die only in a fair 1:1 duel with full power.”
“...No.”
Not binding.
“I’m going to save him.”
If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t have escalated things this far.
I check the clock.
2 minutes left.
“Kalliban.”
[Yeah?]
“You were top-tier talent in your empire too, so I figured you’d know. Just asking.”
[What?]
“How do you endure pain?”
A chuckle came back.
[With grit.]
“...I’m never taking advice from you again.”
With those words.
[ ‘Skill: Proof of Faith’ is activated. ]
[ All additional stats are converted to ‘Endurance’ and ‘Holy Power’. ]
[ ‘Skill