Chapter 131
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Black Mages and the Bloodkin
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Jin's charm was tremendous.
Even a single point of common ground was enough to make people warm up to him instantly, their guarded scents giving way to friendliness. His unpretentious speech and casual demeanor created a synergy that far outstripped his abilities, crumbling the mental walls of even the most prickly folks.
Like Manroe in the past, and the Sword Saint.
Come to think of it, it was only natural that even Leron couldn't handle the humanity that had toppled a fortress like the family head.
And so, the group had been upgraded in status from "possible accomplices of that shady outlander magician" to "my little brother and his companions."
Naturally, their treatment improved to match.
They got beds to sleep in and heaps of food.
But the most important change was the softened gazes from the villagers toward the group—a glimpse into just how immense Leron's influence was among those who called each other brothers.
Jin had made the reasonable guess that they had forged their tight-knit bonds under Leron's telepathy, much like Protoss linking to Karass.
Anyway.
The group gathered once more in the revitalized atmosphere.
The problem was that it was out on the street.
If asked why they weren't using the perfectly good lodging and met here instead, the answer was simple.
A coffin that made it impossible for everyone to squeeze into the roughly three-mat cramped space.
Plus the android bodyguard who refused to leave its side was a bonus.
It did free up some resting space, but ignoring Cheomji standing alone in the cold wind beyond the window was easier said than done.
So what could they do?
Jin had turned down the guest room Leron prepared and hauled in a drum barrel instead.
He sliced off the rusted top, tossed in some kindling, and splashed in gasoline. Prep complete.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, a tiny spark from his fingertip floated into the barrel like a dandelion seed on the breeze.
Whoosh.
The gentle flames rose, illuminating the surroundings with a faint warmth.
Crackle. Crackle.
The night had deepened before they knew it.
As if honoring the hushed world's trance, Jin sat sprawled on the ground, gazing at the quietly burning firewood.
His spot was right between the iron cart and its sidecar.
Cheomji, guarding beside Iron Maiden, and Vagmar, checking on the wheeled horse's condition—both their faces glowed crimson in the firelight's circle.
At its center, Jin looked up at the sky.
A sight he'd forgotten existed for a moment.
The wide-open night sky.
The sea of stars humanity hadn't conquered.
Perhaps, just perhaps, among those countless twinkles was a light that began as a pale blue dot.
A letter from his home star, crossing an unreachable distance.
Like that.
"......"
As his ash-gray eyes silently held a multitude of thoughts.
"Jin."
His head turned at the voice calling him. Cheomji stood at the end of his gaze.
"Something is coming, he says."
"What is?"
"A group. Approaching the village straight on, and at this speed, they'll arrive soon, he adds."
"Hm?"
A group, out of nowhere.
Jin tilted his head at the pilgrim's sudden report, but soon stood and dusted off his rear.
"Black Mages?"
"High probability. The villagers said they don't go out after sunset."
That was Cheomji's take.
"Look at these bastards."
Jin scanned the surroundings.
Just then, Ube—the interpreter they'd called—appeared on patrol with his brothers.
"Over here!"
Waving to catch their attention, they approached hesitantly. Skipping the chit-chat—
Jin straight-up briefed Ube on the situation.
Ube's face turned grave as he mumbled to himself on the spot.
Probably contacting Leron.
Right after.
"Go-ha velokharek, subit now no-slowa!"
At Ube's shout, the other men who'd been watching nervously bolted off in various directions.
And just then.
Something passed through what looked like a solid stone wall, arcing through the air before thudding to the ground.
It rolled a few times, kicking up dust, and came to a stop. It was a human head.
Jin's brow furrowed at the sight.
Not because it met his eyes with its severed neck, or the writhing maggots devouring its flesh.
The head was still alive.
Clack clack clack, clack clack.
In horrific agony, convulsing, but unable to scream with its vocal cords severed, it could only smash its jaw repeatedly instead of crying out.
"Tarnis......!"
Did it recognize a brother's face amid the bloated features? As Ube muttered in shock.
Crack—
Jin ignited holy flame. The spark left his fingers and engulfed the head.
It turned to ash in an instant.
The uninvited guests arrived next.
Thud.
The intruder stamped unauthorized footprints, slowly scanning the area with eyes hidden in a sinister hood.
And then its throat was seized.
"......!!"
Tremendous strength sent its legs flailing like it'd plunged into deep water.
More intruders in similar garb passed through the stone wall one by one.
The next instant.
Bzzzzt!!!
Amid crackling lightning, the writhing body reeked of burnt flesh as it tumbled across the ground—
Jin shook soot from his hands and growled.
"Came yourselves, huh?"
The Black Mages snapped into formation as one.
But by then, Jin was already upon them.
"Born of corrupted darkness—......!"
A Black Mage hastily chanting got a massive chunk of metal shoved into its maw.
The gun barrel angled upward.
Followed by the shot.
Boom—!
With a dull explosion, what was once a head splattered everywhere.
Remnants of what had been a head.
One chunk splattered stickily onto a nearby Black Mage's face and clothes.
The gun muzzle spat fire again at the flinching bastard.
Bang!
Two bodies crumpled.
But this was just the beginning.
Click, his extended hand pulled the trigger again.
Flash—another Black Mage's chest exploded.
Gunshots continued.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One shot, one kill.
Gravis showed perfect exchange rates until its slide suddenly locked back.
Before the ninth head burst like a rotten tomato.
Recognizing the empty mag, Jin slammed Gravis into its holster.
Pity the clip ran dry.
Time for Gravis to rest.
Then.
Jin's eyes caught a steel pipe stabbed into the ground as he patted his waist.
A temporary support used on sites to mark positions before framing—commonly called a "dongbari."
Jin yanked out the unassembled one with both hands.
Then thrust its long body forward like a spear, charging like a bull.
"Gaaaargh—!!"
The impaled Black Mage's body lifted off the ground.
The pipe tip protruding from its back gleamed with purple energy sharpened to a point.
He'd granted it rotation.
The act called enchanting.
The corpse slid knife-sharp along the pipe and stopped at Jin's forward grip.
The limp weight was immense, but Jin's physique overcame it.
Without slowing, he pressed on.
"Kyaak!"
The sharpened tip skewered another Black Mage.
It slid down, stacking atop its already-dead comrade. Somehow still alive amid it all, it spat a scream-like incantation.
"Die, ugh! Kehek!"
Jin blocked the incoming unidentified projectile with a rotational shield, not even glancing at it.
Did it see its attack indifferently parried?
As the Black Mage's eyes dimmed with futility.
The third skewer ingredient was ready.
"De, demonnnn!"
Ignoring the thrashing one's words, Jin scanned around.
The predator's gaze finally found its fourth victim.
"D-don't come closer!"
Even a Black Mage steeped in atrocities feared a man charging with humans on a spit, turning to flee instinctively.
And paid for it with a pierced back.
"Kaaaaagh!"
Grabbing the pipe jutting from its solar plexus with both hands, it screamed bloody murder.
Jin, as if annoyed by the noise, summoned mana with full force.
Thick as whale sinew, the circuits channeled mana like a torrent.
Thus.
The pipe, acting as the conductor, glowed white. The skewered Black Mages' bodies lit from within like a mirror ball, cracking with jagged fissures.
And at the critical point.
Boooom──!!
The massive explosion's heat spread wide, the blast wave slapping the late-arriving Leron and warriors' faces as it dissipated into the air.
As all swallowed dryly in shock.
At the blast's center.
Jin, who'd stretched his arm skyward, casually flung aside the now red-hot molten pipe.
Then strode forward.
Only one Black Mage remained.
The hood flung back by the heatwave revealed its face.
Pale skin devoid of blood, eyes an excessively vivid red.
Curling lips exposed jagged gums and blade-like teeth below.
No way to call its appearance ordinary, even politely.
Jin caught a familiar beastly scent from it.
"You're a vampire, right?"
The confident question narrowed its eyes.
A gaze laced with wariness and rage.
Soon came the standard vampire retort.
"We are the Bloodkin. Foolish human."
Same old, same old.
Jin shrugged in disbelief, and the creature asked back in a chilling voice.
"......And who are you? No native here matches your strength."
"Me?"
Jin pointed at his own face with his index finger.
Then flashed right in front of the vampire's nose in that pose.
"Your natural enemy."
"......!"
The vampire flinched reflexively, swinging its hand.
Claws rivaling a feline beastman's—near weapons—aimed for Jin's throat.
But they didn't connect.
Its arm halted abruptly.
The wrist caught in Jin's grip crumpled like sucked into a press.
Crack crack.
It should've been blinding shock.
But the vampire bit its tongue to snap to, using the blood to unleash its art.
Blood Art
Cradle of Collapse.
A mental spell infiltrating the brain to implant eternally looping nightmares.
The iron grip loosened like a lie.
The vampire yanked free its wrist and bared its fangs.
Ssssh!
Evaporating blood in its mouth spewed red vapor.
It grinned, fangs gleaming.
Using its own blood as catalyst, it'd skipped the chant for the finicky art.
Meaning its mastery exceeded Rank 2.
Indeed, mid-stage enlightenment vampire lunged, jaws wide for the nape.
And its face snapped back viciously.
"......Guh?!"
Brief flailing in the vise grip on its occiput.
It spotted the face looking down.
"How?"
Crystal-clear eyes.
The spell was flawless, damn it?!
Then.
"Why show me starving dreams, you prick."
Jin slapped his palm down on the fully exposed vampire face as he spoke.
Smaack!
One hit rattled its skull, caved its nose, flattening its features.
The excessive shock made the vampire belatedly split into bat form.
Or try to.
If not for the sudden transparent flames wreathing it.
"Kaaaaagh! Wh-what is this! Stop! Stoooop!!"
Like facing the sun up close, it twisted in agony.
But couldn't budge.
The hand clutching its occiput was an absolute barrier, unyielding.
Next instant.
Jin yanked the arm down while kneeing up.
Impact dead-center on the lumbar.
Crunch, herniated discs sounded as bloody foam bubbled from its mouth.
Central nervous system shattered, body rigid, Jin's palm mercilessly descended on its face as usual.
A strike worthy of Buddha's Palm.
Palm print deeply imprinted, blood spurted.
Even then, the vampire kept counterattacking.
But for some reason, every assault was futilely blocked.
What monster is this?
Despair crept over the vampire's face.
Of course, Jin wasn't consciously countering the spells' nullification.
His resistance to vampires and their arts was simply absurdly high.
Human matchup?
This was racial predation.
Etched in causality, a predator-prey bond.
Impossible to overcome without apostle rank.
Key point here—
You're no apostle, are you?
Thus, the indiscriminate beating continued.
How much time passed?
The ragdoll vampire finally collapsed.
Looking like it'd been dunked in bleach.
Jin grabbed its hair and hoisted its head.
"Settled nearby, huh. Why?"
"Kill me......"
Jin slammed its head into the ground at the reply.
Slowly lifted it again.
Blood stretched like cheese.
Jin spoke once more.
"Don't waste energy, yeah?"
"Kill......me......"
Acting like the leader, holding onto pride till the end. Pathetic.
"Playing tough, huh?"
Jin raised his other hand.
Ignited holy flame.
Not just that.
Soft light mingled in seamlessly.
Holy power.
Two forces specialized in purging evil combined.
Thus.
Jin casually waved his hand over the ashen face, having whipped up the divine combo any vampire—man, woman, or child—would die for.
"So, gonna answer or not? Hm?"