Chapter 223
Chapter 223
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 223
Chapter Title: The Stalker's Face
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I said that and opened my eyes.
At the same time, his mana flowed from my cheek down to the nape of my neck.
Boom—
A blast of wind unlike any other swept across my face.
The scenery changed. I was atop a clock tower I'd never seen before, with the unfamiliar sight of a strange city—not Berlin or Munich—stretching out below.
He must have layered spatial magic over it and warped me away to keep my friends from finding me, just in case.
The fierce wind whipped my long platinum hair across my cheek. The moment I realized his gaze was quite a bit lower, I couldn't help but chuckle.
*Ah, this bastard.*
The person before me was an ancient human woman, the most harmoniously beautiful one I'd ever seen among them. Her features embodied every standard of beauty from this era, making me mistake her for a Wittelsbach ancient human at first glance.
Separate from my heart racing due to the drug's effects kicking in, this was honestly so obvious it was transparent.
Coming to meet me not in his true form but using transformation magic again?
*Her transformation stats are impressive.*
Not because of her looks—ancient humans from Wittelsbach don't exist in this era, that's all.
Analysis later.
For now, I mustn't laugh. I wanted to, but I couldn't.
The core of this plan was my disillusionment and exasperation.
In this situation, "I" had to be someone desperate to escape this inexplicable torment even a second sooner, someone willing to face the stalker directly and negotiate to end it.
*Why go this far?*
Because he was risk-averse and opportunistic.
If he realized this was all my plan, he'd bolt and harass me from afar. To buy time to subdue him, it was crucial to keep him feeling like he was still winning.
I took a deep breath and sorted my thoughts. The muscles in my face and shoulders slowly tensed.
I wasn't facing a rat caught in my trap; I was a weary soul seeking to negotiate with him to end this.
Repeating that resolve twice, my expression seemed to shift accordingly.
Or maybe it just looked like the drug was taking effect. I could already hear my heartbeat in my ears.
"Hahaha..."
Ecstasy began to show on his face, like someone who'd achieved exactly what they wanted. His breathing quickened, his voice trembling.
"I never imagined we'd meet like this."
"......"
Of course not.
The board wasn't even fully set yet; he'd just fallen for my strategy. Go ahead and savor your victory.
The ancient human before me rolled her eyes over every inch of my face without blinking. Amid the wind's howl, a thin voice carried over.
"So this day has come."
I stared blankly at his face, trying at least to unfocus my gaze.
Unlike her pale hands, her cheeks were flushed red. Softly curling platinum locks fluttered over the back of my hand gripping his. Within lashes of the same hue, eyes gleaming like a summer sea shimmered with heat.
No one could fail to admire those neat, clear features, yet they carried an aura clearly unfamiliar to their true owner.
*...Of course, since it's not the real body.*
I briefly opened his status window, then met his eyes again.
Something profoundly unknowable emanated from them, much like with Abraham. But unlike him, this one delivered the opposite shock—if Abraham had reached here from nothingness, this one felt like it had crawled up from the abyss. A sense of crisis stirred my reason, blinded by feigned love.
"...You look even better up close. First time touching you for real. Better than I imagined..."
Knowing he was utterly deranged, his nonsense didn't faze me. Instead of anger, I checked the scenery behind him.
Judging by the Grand Hotel terror incident, he was surely a Pleroma.
True to form, he excelled in spatial magic. The distant expanse behind him was severed by new spatial magic. The city was deathly silent, proving we two were the only ones left here.
Feeling my heart pound faster, I slowly met those blue eyes.
"I've come to negotiate."
"You must feel the same toward me now."
Like the madman he was, he ignored my words and spouted his own.
"I've come to negotiate. I've done as you replied. If you respect boundaries from now on, I'll do as you wish. So let's end this."
"End it?"
He muttered like he'd heard something incomprehensible, smiling.
Clearly under the drug's love spell, yet trying to cut it off cold turkey—must be confusing. I had a few things I needed to learn about him, so I couldn't play fully lovestruck.
First, does mental manipulation magic work on him?
Second, how much does he know about me?
If mental manipulation works...
*No need to drag this out.*
I could deal with him right then.
Still gripping the hand on my cheek, I unleashed words like a machine gun.
—The Lord will keep the city safe; in vain will the watchman stay awake. Enter through the narrow gate!
Boom—!
Chanting the two spells in succession, I undid the binding magic tying our hands and leaped back. Blue light erupted from his hand.
A second later and my face would've exploded, but with my skills this year—not last—I wasn't dying.
More importantly...
*Hmm, this... is tricky.*
Cursing inwardly, I drew my wand.
I'd confirmed it during the Grand Hotel incident, but an enemy this thorough wasn't welcome.
He hadn't fallen asleep or been brainwashed.
Mental manipulation didn't work on him, clarifying the two questions I'd pondered.
He'd used the "Müller" surname to prod me not by chance, but because he knew I was Nikolaus Ernst—and thus that I wielded divine power.
He'd prepared an artifact to bolster his mental resistance in case I caught him.
That brought several issues, the biggest being he knew my identity...
Fortunately, he couldn't tell the whole Pleroma.
*He has to claim me first.*
Revealing I was Nikolaus would alert every Pleroma parish to the prey's location.
So this stalker was desperately hoping no other Pleroma parishes learned my identity.
Bang, boom— bang—!
I drew my wand and deflected the vitriol coming at me. Another vitriol slithered toward my ankle, mimicking Leo's vines. Stomping it flat, I chanted a guidance spell.
—But the Lord knows the way that I take!
Boom—! Thud—
Amid brick-crushing sounds, he laughed in surprise as he landed elsewhere.
The air turned pitch black, obscuring vision. I'd expected as much from his special ability, but he was no ordinary foe. This level rivaled Ainsidel.
*Gotta take it easy.*
Why?
Because I planned to lose outright.
Keeping up purification spells to secure vision, I continued my earlier calculations.
*Alright... now his limits and mine are clear.*
He couldn't invoke my Nikolaus identity to attack me and had clear limits in what he one-sidedly demanded.
Conversely, knowing my identity and fully prepared, he limited my abilities and strategies.
With mental manipulation ineffective and his skill matching Ainsidel's, leaving me at a total disadvantage—what now?
Call my friends?
I'd already told them my plan, so they'd find me eventually.
*Problem is, we'd be back to square one.*
Given his risk-averse nature, calling friends would make him flee from me, like the rat he'd been.
Feeling the wind's flow, I gripped my staff two-handed and swung toward its source.
—Be to me a rock of refuge, where I can always go.
Crunch— thud!
The barrier from my whispered spell—audible only to me—blocked the two attacks. Both from the left. But the wind scattered left instead of hitting the barrier. What did that mean?
*Right side.*
He was using guidance magic from the right to deliberately mislead.
Boom—!
Powering my legs, I charged; wide blue eyes appeared before me. Swinging my wand-turned-sword at his throat, the air blackened and he vanished.
Truly vanished. No breath currents from where I stood.
Boom— crash—!
Switching sword to staff and thrusting skyward, he shattered my dome barrier from above and descended.
*Hmm.*
Yeah, close combat with him was tough. Especially in this visibility-zero mess.
I'd known that since the wet glove incident.
Of course, casually countering at 70% output, his elaborate moves made this perfect for pretending to go all-out.
Flames erupted from my staff with an explosion.
Bang—!
—The Lord of Hosts will punish them with thunder and earthquake and loud noise, with whirlwind and tempest and the flame of devouring fire...
I spun the staff once. Encircling flames illuminated the darkness.
—The horde of nations that fight Ariel, that attack her and her fortress, will be like a dream, like a vision in the night!
With a roar, the ground ignited red. Mana surged downward fiercely, blanketing the city. It turned crimson wherever I channeled.
A mutter came from above.
"Impressive."
He was in the sky. Astonishingly mid-fall, yet accustomed to it. I swung my staff wide, altering the wind. Caught in it, he laughed in surprise and conjured a small curtain in midair.
He'd use it to rebound and redirect his fall. A trick I'd used often sparring Leo.
Crash—!
Shards from his shoe's shattered curtain flew at me.
Clang—!
My staff was now a white blade.
His sword thrust at my throat; mine blocked it. I glanced at his blade—5cm from my eye—and held firm. He did the same, chuckling softly.
"Not top rank for nothing... right?"
"......"
Even intending to lose, getting praised like this was surprising. Meant I looked like I gave my all—I'll take it.
Staring blankly, he smiled and asked.
"Attacking me after taking the drug...? No, you stopped. For my sake?"
"......"
"But... how'll you handle this?"
He withdrew his sword, stepped back, and snapped his fingers. Pleroma space restricted mana. Pain stabbed my core.
Seeing him play along, I nearly smiled but feigned an appropriate expression.
*How to confirm hidden info in this setup, buy time for my strategy, and lower his guard.*
I could flee or call friends since I'd briefed them...
But having met him, I couldn't waste the chance.
Creating a physically and emotionally submissive position—that was my answer.
Thud— boom—!
Vitriol-felled, vision tilted sideways. Feeling the black vitriol that struck my head slide down my torso and coil my arms, I thought.
*In short, bounce around till I secure time to execute my plan.*
That thought nearly drew a hollow laugh.
Having to think this far? Reality crashing hard.
Anyway...
His behavior when demands weren't fully met.
I'd learn his info from that: artifacts used to block my divine power and where; who in the shadows knew I was Nikolaus and how; if Grand Hotel targeted the Korean Empire, how he knew my connection.
*Learn that, then turn back time.*
His method to achieve goals surely wouldn't let me walk out on two legs.
The black vitriol began choking my throat, as with Strauch and Ainsidel.
Smiling, he gripped his skirt hem and knelt on one knee.
Then chanted briefly.
—You who hope to find peace in the sea of temptation, blessed are you.
Air dwindled; mana locked my mind completely.
* * *
Opening my eyes, astonishingly, I was in my bed. He'd used spatial magic to isolate a room.
I slowly raised my arm. No blood draw marks, no mana restraints. Ear artifact intact.
Nothing had changed.
Feeling questions surge, I turned my head.
Someone Leo-like was trespassing in the Leo family home, gazing down at me silently.
In our staring contest, I focused on his appearance.
*Where the hell did this freak come from?*
Even if not his true body, his origins were intriguing.
*Really a Wittelsbach ancient human ancestor?*
No, unlikely.
Wittelsbach ancient humans had dark hair.
Beauty standards make them similar, so maybe just a stranger who resembled. Same for modern humans—why so varied?
Folding his eyes in a smile, he said.
"Like this form?"
"......"
"No one dislikes this look. More surprising you're a modern human who prefers ancient ones."
Not especially, but whatever.
Ignoring him, I just stared.
"Lots of questions? You didn't think that divine power and drug would let you boldly come meet me, did you?"
He sat beside me.
I glared with contempt.
He'd danced to my tune so far—no real anger, just amusement—but to deny him everything, I had to show disgust.
"Why that look?"
Tilting his head innocently, his long hair brushed me. He pressed a finger to my carotid and lingered.
Beyond asocial behavior, right now he was...
As if to say "see?", he raised a brow and smiled.
"...You want ways to drive me away. Hate me so much you'd drug yourself into love to meet me. Right?"
"......"
From the notes, he wouldn't admit facts so easily.
He'd sensed the drug working via my pulse.
With foundation laid, a bit more coaxing and I'd bend his way—so my current state didn't matter.
Then, absurd words from him.
"I've followed you to help, and you hate it? That hurts."
"Help?"
I nearly forgot to act and laughed.
What was this bastard saying? Justifying stalking with his mental gymnastics?
"Yeah. Can't you tell from this? Why stay in this mansion where spatial magic could shatter anytime?"
Valid point.
Fleeing to unknown cities before, now back in Berlin?
"No idea what misunderstanding, but I've just been helping you survive. Same now."
"Help from whom? Life'd be richer without a criminal surveilling my every move."
"You'll understand why someday..."
Pondering explanation, he summed up in two words.
"Too bad. You won't get it now."
"......"
Staring, I furrowed my brow.
Nonsense. Though it sounded like...
*Gotta remember it.*
Suspicious, I asked.
"Then why steal my stuff?"
"...Haha~"
He laughed it off, changing subject.
"Oh, distrust my guarding as an ancient human? No need. True form's bigger than yours."
"......"
What did physique have to do with a mage's guarding? Imagining him as a modern human? Instant contempt. Unfazed, he reached for my face.
"Shall we hear your negotiation?"
Mumbling asocially while touching my eyelid.
I swatted his hand.
"You got what you wanted. Did the song lyrics as you replied. No more hassle. I'll meet when you want."
"......"
Blinking big eyes, he said.
"Not enough..."
"What?"
His face twisted in cryptic amusement at my question.
*Not enough affection in 'when you want'. Didn't expect 10-step drug incomplete.*
Grinning, he said.
"Wanna go to the opera?"
* * *
"......"
Staring at the lavish stage, I glanced aside.
The unnamed stalker was fully immersed. Unlike before, hair up in a flower-adorned purple velvet hat.
He hadn't negotiated.
Fine by me. Why?
Just stall for time. Negotiation was always to buy it.
*Stall to extract info and backstab.*
Honestly, like Abraham siccing minions, I'd braced for incomprehensible beatings or mad blood experiments from his insanity.
Hadn't told friends this far, but considered worst-case...
*What?*
That all?
Just wanted to meet and... this?
Absurdity blanked my mind as I watched the stage; a velvet glove slipped under my elbow. Masked elaborately like a masked ball, he smiled at me.
I pulled away and exited first.
The theater, full of obvious Pleroma, had paired masked ones milling about.
Catching up, the stalker eyed a wall poster.
"What next? Salome? Elektra? Fidelio recent, no repeat..."
"......"
"Elektra good. Day after tomorrow, soonest."
Ignoring, I just looked down at him.
Urging decision, he eyed poster and me alternately.
"Why silent? Boring?"
"End quick and go."
Abraham-style would've compressed info extraction. Bad for mental health, but efficient.
This way? Time sink. What info from activities?
*Trigger another real fight?*
Checking my watch mid-mad thought, another insane line came.
"Monday blues? No worry. Back at mansion by 5 AM."