Chapter 90
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: A New Realm
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If it hadn't been for Fresia, he wouldn't have obtained the Vampiric Ring, won Kashimir's heart, or even drawn the attention of the Majin.
In the end, he had received the best gift possible.
‘I wonder if I should get her a gift out of filial piety as thanks. She is my aunt, after all.’
As he strolled along, casually entertaining a thought that would make Fresia’s blood boil, someone blocked his path.
“…Hey.”
It was the mama's boy, Maisac.
His face was contorted into a deep scowl as he glared menacingly at Christian.
“Don’t get so full of yourself. Sooner or later, I’ll cut off your head myself and feed it to the dogs.”
A harsh threat.
But Chris showed no particular reaction.
Normally, he would have fired back a retort, but this time, he simply stared blankly at Maisac.
‘This guy, why does he seem so… weak?’
Of course, Christian had always thought Maisac was a pushover.
But this was different.
‘I don’t feel threatened at all. It’s like… I’m looking at someone weaker than me.’
An unexpected thought.
Maisac was a 4-Star.
Objectively speaking, his abilities were superior to Chris, who was a 3-Star.
Given that he was radiating killing intent, Chris should have felt at least some sense of threat, but he felt nothing of the sort.
It was…
Laughable.
Like watching a weaker creature adorably baring its fangs at him.
Meanwhile, Maisac felt something similar.
Looking at Chris was like facing a solid wall.
Even though he was the one making the threat, he felt an intimidating pressure from Christian. It was like staring into the eyes of a predator.
The reason they both felt this way was simple.
‘I’ve gotten stronger.’
It was because of his experience in the underground garden.
Chris realized it instinctively.
‘I’ve already earned the right to cross the wall. All that’s left is to sort things out.’
Without even realizing it, Chris had already set foot into the realm of a 4-Star!
However, the growth had been so rapid that it created an imbalance, keeping him confined within the limits of a 3-Star for now.
‘I just need to sort out this imbalance. Then I’ll reach 4-Star right away.’
To reach 4-Star in less than six months after becoming a 3-Star.
It was an insane pace that would make every genius in the world seem mediocre, but Christian felt no particular excitement as he opened his mouth to speak to Maisac.
“Move.”
“!!”
Surprisingly, Maisac flinched and took a step back.
He had been overpowered by sheer presence.
He must have felt it instinctively.
That Christian was now above him.
“Oh, and just so you know.”
Chris gave the frozen Maisac a crooked glance.
“If you bother me again, I’ll kill you next time.”
“……!!”
A chilling gaze pierced Maisac’s heart.
“Remember that.”
He meant it.
From the moment Fresia tried to kill him by luring him into a trap, a line had already been crossed.
Christian decided he would find the right time and opportunity to kill Maisac.
‘He’ll just be a lingering problem if I let him live anyway.’
Perhaps sensing Chris’s sincerity, Maisac couldn't utter a single word and just swallowed hard.
Chris left Maisac and returned to his quarters.
[Ohoho… Has the Young Master returned? This humble servant has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. I’ve heard the wonderful news.]
“Yeah, good to see you.”
[In that case, a glass of virgin's blood juice?]
“More importantly, could you clear the area? Make sure no one comes here for the next few days.”
[??]
Chris grinned.
“I have work to do.”
It was time to get stronger again.
* * *
Meanwhile, Maisac returned to his room and began smashing furniture to pieces.
“Damn it!! Shit!!! That arrogant bastard!! I’ll kill him!!!”
He was lashing out, unable to admit that he had felt intimidated by such a person.
The servants trembled but didn’t dare say a word.
Getting on his bad side on a day like this could mean getting carted out as a corpse.
Sure enough, Maisac’s eyes darted around, searching for a scapegoat to vent his anger on.
Just as the servants were trembling in fear, a cold voice rang out.
“What is this nonsense?”
“Mother!”
Fresia frowned and raised her hand.
Slap!
A red mark bloomed on Maisac’s face.
The servants gasped and quickly scurried out of the room.
“M-Mother.”
“You pathetic fool. To think you’d look so wretched.”
Maisac lowered his head.
Watching her son, Fresia’s insides churned with fury.
She knew.
She knew her son was lacking.
But Fresia still couldn't let go of the hope she held for Maisac.
He was the only hope she had left.
“I will give you one last chance. I will assign the Dark Demon Squad to you. From now on, you will be the temporary Squad Leader of the vacant Dark Demon Squad.”
“!!”
“Lead the Dark Demon Squad and achieve something.”
Maisac’s eyes widened.
It was the Dark Magic House’s most elite combat unit.
Specialized in covert operations like espionage, terror, and assassination.
If he could lead the Dark Demon Squad, he would be able to accomplish great things.
“Th-thank you. I will be sure to achieve merits worthy of this position.”
Fresia let out a low sigh.
She had to go to great lengths to make this happen.
She had begged her husband, Marquis Langham, even getting on her knees to ask him to give Maisac one more chance.
Even then, giving him the official position of Squad Leader was too much, so she could only secure the ‘temporary’ position.
Maisac would have to earn worthy achievements in the future to be promoted to the official Squad Leader.
“Besides achieving merits, there is something you must do.”
“What is it?”
“The head of that bastard, Christian.”
“!!”
Fresia’s eyes glinted coldly.
“Use the power of the Dark Demon Squad during a mission to kill Christian. I will create the opportunity for you.”
* * *
Chris took a deep breath.
He was in the process of crossing the wall to 4-Star.
It was taking longer than expected.
That was because he had deliberately chosen a more difficult path.
‘I could have simply crossed the wall at any time before.’
4-Star, ‘Black Sword Transformation.’
A realm where one could not only manifest a Black Sword but also freely transform its shape for various applications.
Honestly, Chris found it laughable.
‘What’s so difficult about that?’
Ordinary people…
No, even those called geniuses had to use various techniques to manifest a Black Sword in reality.
They had to set up a core to act as a pillar, maintain the flow of magi according to demonic art incantations, and even receive help from magic circles.
Such methods weren't shortcuts.
In fact, for a 3-Star Majin to manifest a Black Sword, using those methods was the textbook standard.
The difficulty in reaching 4-Star was that one had to be able to manifest a Black Sword without using any of these techniques.
The difficulty was incomparable.
Therefore, 4-Star was the first true wall that Majin encountered.
Up to 3-Star could be reached with diligent effort. As long as one followed the established rules, they could eventually manifest a Black Sword.
But from 4-Star onwards, effort alone was not enough.
Innate talent was required.
Countless people failed to achieve it even after dedicating their entire lives.
But Chris was different.
From the very first time he manifested a Black Sword, Chris hadn't relied on any techniques.
He used the Black Sword as if it were his own limbs, guided purely by his innate sense.
So naturally, the 4-Star realm of Black Sword Transformation was bound to be easy for him.
If he wanted to, he could leap over the wall and achieve it right this instant.
‘But it’s not enough. What’s the big deal about just transforming a Black Sword?’
Reaching the realm of Black Sword Transformation opened up countless applications, but in the end, a Black Sword was still just a Black Sword.
It wasn't enough to satisfy him.
‘Is there a way to surpass the limits of the Black Sword?’
In truth, Chris had already surpassed the limits of the Black Sword.
His Black Sword, imbued with his will, possessed a power on a different level from others.
Increasing its power further from here was impossible.
‘But what about changing it? Black Sword Transformation has its limits. Can’t I break those limits?’
Although it was called Black Sword Transformation, it couldn't be infinitely transformed into any shape.
Black Sword Shield.
Black Sword Javelin.
Black Sword Fog.
Black Sword Chain-Ring.
Black Sword Fighting Flame.
And so on.
There were several pre-determined forms.
Did he really have to be bound by such limits?
Normally, yes.
It wasn't as if Black Sword Transformation allowed you to mold it like clay at will.
You had to follow the established rules.
However.
‘That time, when I struck the Spider Queen’s neck.’
Chris narrowed his eyes, recalling that moment.
A Black Sword imbued with an infinite amount of magi beyond its limits.
That wasn't Black Sword Transformation.
It was simply an anomaly born from Chris's insane talent.
But.
‘It’s not different.’
Chris raised his sword.
*Fwaaa!*
The sword split apart.
He was mimicking the dividing sword technique Jupien had displayed.
Although he had only witnessed it a few times, his proficiency was no less than Jupien’s.
An unfair talent.
And Chris didn't stop there.
‘More, more.’
Sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four.
In Christian’s mind, the sword split infinitely.
A phantom within a mental image, without any substance.
Amidst those infinite conceptual swords, he moved his will.
His will imbued the swords in his mind.
Magi filled that will, and the infinite swords became real, surging forward.
An infinity of swords filling the world.
“!!”
Chris’s eyes shot open.
‘That mental image just now.’
How should he describe it?
It wasn't something as simple as Black Sword Transformation.
It was something on a much higher dimension.
But it was also Black Sword Transformation.
Just as what Chris had accomplished when he beheaded the Spider Queen was not different from Black Sword Transformation.
The moment he realized that, Chris knew he had reached the realm of 4-Star.
*Fwaaa!*
A black shield bloomed from his hand.
It was a Black Sword Shield.
But it was different from a normal Black Sword Shield.
His shield immediately transformed into a long spear, and then again into a whip-like chain-ring.
Anyone else would have been astonished by the sight.
It was originally impossible to change the form of a Black Sword Transformation after its initial manifestation.
This was because the incantations and techniques required to manifest a shield, a javelin, a chain-ring, and so on would clash.
Above all, each transformation was a completely different form with no commonalities, making a transition between them impossible in principle.
To use a different form of transformation, one was supposed to manifest it anew, but…
‘It works?’
Chris played with the Black Sword, transforming it as if it were a transforming toy.
He had become capable of infinite Black Sword Transformation, unbound by form!
This was something impossible even for someone at the peak of 4-Star.
‘Well, the achievement itself is still at the 4-Star Lower level, though.’
There was another unexpected achievement.
‘I’ve reached the complete 5-Star level in Starlight, the realm of the Alliance.’
Chris extended his hand.
*Fwaaa!*
A perfect Aura Blade shot out.
Originally, he had only been at the provisional stage with one foot in the 5-Star realm, but he had inadvertently become a complete 5-Star.
The realm of 5-Star Lower.
He had become an ‘Elder Knights’ class.
‘Perhaps the infinite swords in that mental image also elevated my mastery of the Alliance's realm.’