Parasite α (13)
"Bloodsucking Authority."
I stealthily extended the hand I'd hidden under the table toward the Silver Knight, invoking the app's power.
Yustia's expression went blank for a moment before she lowered her head. It had worked. Far more easily than I'd expected. Or maybe it was only natural. This world's magic resistance operated differently from the app's power. No matter how strong she was, she had no choice but to fall helplessly.
Part of me wondered if detouring like this had been pointless. If I'd targeted her from the start, things would have gone much more smoothly.
"Well then..."
Just as I was about to implant a suggestion—
Yustia twitched ever so slightly. If I hadn't activated Succumea Support: Combat Assist in preparation for a possible fight when she burst through the door, I might not have noticed.
Sensing the danger, I cast a spell to shield my body. Sure enough, Yustia drew her sword in an instant and slashed at me. The barrier shattered, sending me flying far back.
"So you're the virus."
Yustia readjusted her stance and said. I had no idea what that meant, but one thing was clear. I was fucked.
Chains of Binding
"Chains of Binding."
I raised my hand toward Yustia and chanted the black magic spell. Iron chains materialized in the air and lashed out at her. She deflected them all with flashy movements before charging straight at me. Even under the influence of Succumea Support: Combat Assist, she was the first one I'd ever felt was fast. No need to confirm it—this bitch outclassed me in stats.
I summoned my staff to counter her assault. The clash of staff and sword produced a dull thud, pushing me back. As my balance crumbled, her blade sliced in sharply through the opening.
Blink
"Blink."
I vanished in an instant, reappearing far away.
"You're not Karl. Has Karl been virused? Or did the virus latch onto Karl? Either way, it doesn't bother me. No guilt in killing you."
Yustia said leisurely. I checked her status window.
Level 100. Overwhelmingly higher than mine. But the gap in combat power wasn't just from levels. Elia had been 95 before absorbing levels herself. Even judging purely by base stats, the monster before me was several times stronger than pre-level-drop Elia.
Then, a voice echoed in my mind.
"Right now, the Silver Knight is enhanced by the ark's power. They must have noticed something and taken countermeasures."
It was Succumea. Meaning a head-on fight was impossible. I glanced at Elia. Our eyes met, and she nodded as if she understood.
Hellfire
"Hellfire!"
I raised my staff high and chanted the black magic. Yustia immediately assumed a defensive stance, but she wasn't the target. I fired the spell at Elia. Realizing it, Yustia swiftly threw herself in front of Elia to protect her. Exactly as planned. Elia grinned sinisterly from behind Yustia's back and stabbed her exposed back with the hidden dagger.
"Kuh...!"
Yustia grimaced and turned, kicking Elia far away.
"Not surprised, huh."
Her eerie calmness threw me off more than anything.
"Kuh... I already expected my foolish disciple had fallen to you somehow."
"Then why protect her?"
"I couldn't not!"
Yustia gnashed her teeth and shouted, charging in with a sword swing. But compared to before, both power and speed had dropped. The dagger I'd given Elia was a unique item coated in deadly poison. Its attack power was negligible, but once the poison was injected, it had served its purpose. Even a full-power sneak attack from the depowered Elia couldn't inflict a fatal wound on Yustia anyway.
Adrenaline
"Adrenaline."
I dodged her attack with Blink, retreating far away before casting the spell on her. A buff that accelerated the target's speed—and buffs ignored magic resistance.
"Ugh...!"
As Adrenaline accelerated her blood flow, Yustia staggered and dropped to one knee. Clearly, the deadly poison spreading through her body made movement difficult.
"It's a deadly poison bought for a fortune at Poly Market—potent enough to fell a dragon. Just stay put."
"I... swore an oath. To protect the city's future...!"
Suddenly, a golden glow began emanating from Yustia's entire body. It wasn't mana. Something more alien. The opposite nature of the dark energy Succumea had exuded.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
Yustia slammed her sword down. Silver sword energy burst from the tip, hurtling straight at me.
Dark Shield
"Dark Shield!"
I deployed a barrier to block it, but it wasn't enough. Realizing I'd be swept away, I hesitated for a split second before abandoning the host and fleeing. I leaped from the nape of the possessed body's neck in my first-ever—and possibly final—emergency escape.
The result?
"Uwaaaaaaaaagh—!"
My host was engulfed by Yustia's full-power sword energy, reduced to a handful of ash and gone. I barely survived, wriggling on the ground.
"Haa... haa... ugh...!"
Having squeezed out her last reserves, perhaps? Yustia panted heavily, staggered, and finally collapsed, losing consciousness.
In other words... my survival meant my victory.
A short while later.
When Yustia opened her eyes again, she was lying in a bed in the guild's infirmary. Staring blankly at the wooden ceiling, she turned toward the sound of the door opening.
"You're awake, Master."
It was Elia who entered.
"Your swordsmanship has improved since you were a kid."
Yustia gave a wry smile and joked.
"...I'm sorry. I let that man exploit my weakness again... I've been under his control the whole time."
"You're okay now?"
"Probably."
Elia's uncertain tone reflected her lack of confidence in herself.
"Considering I nearly died because of you..."
"On the flip side, your foolishness is why I survived. I'd have gone for the throat."
Yustia said, poking her own neck with her index finger.
"Seeing you talk like that, I guess I don't need to worry too much."
Elia managed a bitter smile, her expression easing.
"What about Karl?"
Yustia asked, recalling the final scene before blacking out. If memory served, he was dead. But why this nagging unease in her heart? A vague premonition that it wasn't over.
"Dead. Definitely. Swept away without a trace. The problem is... with him gone like that, dealing with the riots in the city just got trickier. Not that I'm blaming you, Master."
"We'll sort that out in time."
If Elia was telling the truth, the virus was gone. The world was safe again. For now, that was enough for Yustia.
"Well, I should get going..."
Yustia tried to rise from the bed. But the poison's lingering effects made it hard to steady herself.
"Ugh...!"
"You need more rest. I'll explain to the governor."
Elia approached with concern. Seeing her up close, Yustia suddenly felt a new emotion toward her long-time disciple—one she'd never sensed before. This child has grown so much. It wasn't the sense of mental maturity. This was physical.
"Then... maybe I will...?"
"Yes. Rest easy. No more danger now."
Elia gripped Yustia's shoulder and laid her back down. A gentle yet forceful touch. As her head hit the pillow, drowsiness washed over her. Yustia chalked it up to exhaustion from expending so much energy and closed her eyes without suspicion. The last thing she saw was her disciple's serene smile.
"Right, Papa?"
Just before sleep claimed her, a small voice whispered those words.