Chapter 74: A Matter of Status
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: A Matter of Status
“Aven!? Aven!”
Thud—
Crimson blood sprayed from Yoo Eon’s mouth, and a violet flame flared up like a fire catching on oil.
Whoosh!
The bloodstains scorched and dried in an instant. After coughing up a handful of blood, Yoo Eon collapsed face-first onto the floor and lost consciousness.
“My Lady, please step back.”
“Al—Alfred!?”
Sensing something was wrong, Alfred quickly grabbed Theodora and threw her a safe distance away before casting a powerful protective barrier around her.
It was a physical force so strong that even Theodora herself, trapped inside, could not break out. As the spherical barrier instantly enveloped her, Alfred rushed to Yoo Eon and flipped his prone body over.
“Alfred! What’s happening!?”
“This is...!”
Alfred suddenly reached out and seized Yoo Eon by the throat. He hoisted the unconscious man high into the air, casting a strength enhancement spell on himself to ensure his grip wouldn't falter.
“My Lady, be careful. Something is waking up...!”
“Something!?”
Alfred was a man of immense capability, serving as the sole manager of Auction Lymain—the Lymain family’s primary source of revenue in the Labyrinth City of Calax. Though his prime years of strength were long behind him, that did not mean his combat prowess was negligible.
Flash!
Yoo Eon’s eyes snapped open. He grabbed Alfred’s arm and twisted it with terrifying force. Even though Alfred possessed combat power equivalent to at least a Cobalt-grade explorer, he found himself being physically overpowered.
What incredible strength...!
Yoo Eon, having lost consciousness and become something else entirely, possessed a grip strength that even Alfred could not ignore. The pressure on his forearm felt as if a massive beast were trying to crush the bone.
In reality, the masseter muscles of a Colossal Croco—capable of several tons of bite force—were currently integrated into Yoo Eon’s grip.
“Phew...!”
Alfred quickly wrenched his hand free and delivered a precision strike toward Yoo Eon’s heart. Yoo Eon might have been a man Theodora was fond of, but as a servant of the Lymain family, Alfred’s highest priority was not his lady’s favorite toy, but her life.
His open palm slammed into Yoo Eon’s left chest. Using a unique technique that detonated force internally, he dealt a massive blow intended to shatter the heart.
It was a strike that would have caused instant death in any normal human.
BOOM—!!
A specialized martial art that hammered a massive shockwave directly into the internal organs. Alfred’s hand forced the impact into Yoo Eon’s chest, stopping his heart instantly.
However, the body did not stop functioning just because the heart had failed. Alfred, using a vision skill that allowed him to see through the human body, observed the truth.
His hearts...!
There were no fewer than four hearts currently functioning inside Yoo Eon’s body.
“Just what on earth is going on...!”
Alfred couldn't understand how Yoo Eon was still moving, or why he was fighting while unconscious. He kicked Yoo Eon away toward a wall, then checked his own forearm, healing it with magic while assessing Yoo Eon’s condition.
“That is...”
A red, cross-shaped pupil bloomed over a black sclera in the left eye, while the right eye glowed with a distinct violet light.
Alfred swung his hand like a blade, carving a circle into the floor. As he kicked the severed stone tile into the air to use as a shield, Yoo Eon’s movements momentarily ceased.
Those are the eyes of an Umbra Valkyrie and an Evil Eye...!
The exact nature of the vision of those two monsters was not fully understood. However, it was known that their sight was abnormal and that they lacked the ability to see through solid obstructions.
Alfred thrust his hand into the center of the circular tile, holding it like a shield. Keeping his body hidden, he moved quickly to position himself between Yoo Eon and Theodora.
Currently, there were no organic beings within Yoo Eon’s line of sight. Since both Umbra Valkyries and Evil Eyes had dull senses other than sight, Alfred hoped that staying out of view would be enough.
Of course, that tactic only worked against an Evil Eye, which lacked auditory organs, or an Umbra Valkyrie, which identified targets from kilometers away through sight alone.
“...!”
It was a method that would not work against Yoo Eon, who also possessed highly developed hearing.
Screeeech—!!
CRASH!!
Something surged forward, instantly shattering the stone wall Alfred was holding.
“Wh—What is that?!”
“I couldn't tell you even if you asked, My Lady.”
Muscle fibers and tendons were intricately woven over an arm that had stretched out long like a tentacle. At its tip, hard Drake scales were clumped together like a mace, repeatedly forming and dissolving as it lashed out at Alfred with blinding speed.
“My Lady, this is no good...!”
“U-Use this!”
Theodora handed him a choker. It was a teleportation artifact that would transport the user to the Lymain Treatment Center at any time.
Since it could teleport up to two people simultaneously, sending Yoo Eon along with Alfred would allow them to get reinforcements immediately.
To prepare for contagious spores or similar hazardous situations, the teleportation coordinates were set to an open lot cushioned for impact.
“My Lady, I will send a carriage for you immediately, so please wait here...!”
Holding the artifact, Alfred fended off Yoo Eon’s attacks and managed to close the distance. The moment he was within reach, he activated the artifact, and both he and Yoo Eon vanished in a flash.
Flash—!
With Alfred gone, the spherical barrier protecting Theodora dissipated. Had Alfred used that barrier for himself instead of her, he would have had a much easier time dealing with Yoo Eon, but as a loyal servant of the Lymain family, such a choice never crossed his mind.
“Oh, what do I do...!”
Theodora composed herself as best she could and headed up to the surface. Since the Auction Lymain building was constructed with a fortune, the minor incident in the basement hadn't caused any visible external damage. It was the middle of the night, the doors were closed, and there were no customers around.
A few minutes later, a carriage arrived for Theodora, and it raced toward the Lymain Treatment Center.
“What happened?”
“When I left, Lord Alfred and that fellow were still fighting.”
“Who is at the treatment center? Is there anyone who can help?”
“Th-there is, but...”
“Who?”
That was a relief. Although it was a treatment center, it was a facility used by high-ranking guests of the Lymain family. It was only natural that a certain level of security was stationed there at all times.
“The thing is...”
“What is it? Speak up.”
The coachman hesitated, looking flustered by Theodora’s questioning, before finally opening his mouth.
“What?! Really?!”
* * *
THOOM—!!
With a massive roar, two men crashed into the open lot behind the Lymain Treatment Center.
One was a white-haired old man, Alfred. The other was something that appeared to be a man with pitch-black hair.
Now that Theodora was out of harm's way and they weren't in the Auction Lymain basement—where even slight damage would cost an astronomical sum—Alfred began to push Yoo Eon back as he fought in earnest.
However, Alfred himself found the situation increasingly strange.
This power... what is it!?
They were in a wide-open space. Alfred was unleashing high-output magic that could slice through flesh with a mere touch, but even though he knew Yoo Eon’s skills were suited for endurance, he hadn't expected him to hold out this well.
Crunch!
The moment Alfred’s magic severed Yoo Eon’s extended limbs, mouths sprouted from the cross-sections, devouring the severed parts to regenerate and drastically reduce the loss of mass.
All the while, the constant bleeding triggered the effects of Bleeding Berserk, which had stacked to its limit, increasing the power of every single one of Yoo Eon's attacks.
Rumble!
In contrast to Yoo Eon, who stood perfectly still without moving a single step, Alfred’s condition was deteriorating. His mana was rapidly depleting from the barrage of high-level offensive spells, and his aging body was incomparably weaker than it had been in his prime.
At this rate, it was clear that the mindless Yoo Eon would eventually deal Alfred a grievous wound.
That is, if she hadn't intervened.
“Halt.”
Snap—
A small whisper echoed through the lot, amplified by magic. Yoo Eon’s extended limbs, which had been surging toward Alfred, instantly lost their momentum and stopped, falling limp to the ground.
When Yoo Eon began to sprout new flesh to attack again, the voice spoke once more.
“Reverse Calculation.”
The limbs that had expanded through his skill began to squirm and suddenly recede back into Yoo Eon’s body.
A woman leaped from a third-story window of the treatment center, gliding slowly through the air before landing gracefully in the center of the lot. Beast ears poked through her golden hair. A tail hung low, swaying slowly, and a massive magic circle followed her movements.
“Reverse Calculation.”
As her voice rang out again, Yoo Eon’s body lost all strength and collapsed onto the ground.
“Madam Chairwoman.”
“Alfred, what is the meaning of this? What on earth is that thing?”
“The thing is...”
She was the current head of the Lymain family and the Chairwoman of the Golden Glove Syndicate.
And she was Theodora’s mother. Renart Lymain placed a hand on Alfred’s shoulder, and the wounds covering his body began to heal.
“It is the one I mentioned before, the young lady’s...”
“Ah.”
Renart Lymain walked over to the fallen Yoo Eon and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, lifting him up. Due to the height difference, even with her arm fully extended, Yoo Eon’s feet didn't leave the ground, but she could lift him high enough to see his face.
“This is the toy Theodora found?”
“Yes, Madam.”
He looked as if he were peacefully asleep, as if he had never been on a rampage. Renart handed the unconscious Yoo Eon over to Alfred as he approached, letting out a deep sigh.
“Where is Theodora?”
“I instructed the coachman to bring her here... but she was at Auction Lymain. It will likely take some time.”
“I see.”
As the situation settled, servants who had been waiting nearby began to clear the wreckage in the lot. Alfred hurried to take the unconscious Yoo Eon into the treatment center.
Renart stretched slowly and walked toward the main gate to wait for Theodora.
“A noble... should play with expensive toys to match their status.”