Chapter 224: The Abyss (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 224: The Abyss (4)
Magic circles are fundamentally designed not to affect the caster. It’s a kind of safety feature.
But there was no way the safety feature on a recklessly cast 5th Circle spell would function properly.
“Kegh...?!”
Even through the barrier, I could feel a searing heat that felt like it was cooking my skin. Cracks had also begun to form all over it.
I frowned but kept my eyes fixed on the inferno beyond. There, flames and lightning mingled, generating an incredible amount of heat.
It was a true storm of thunderflame.
The two compatible elements were amplifying each other’s power.
The creature’s scales possessed a magical resistance strong enough to nullify any magic of the 3rd Circle or below.
But just as a crab becomes a dish in a steamer, no matter how tough its scales were, they were nothing more than a shell meant to keep the flesh moist inside a raging storm of superheated air.
Of course, having spammed two 5th Circle spells, my magic circuits had overheated, rendering me unable to use magic for a while. But common sense dictated that nothing could survive that.
Only then did I feel safe enough to let my guard down.
But at that moment, a window floating in the corner of my vision caught my eye.
「Intruder of the Abyss (無底坑)
You are an intruder who has set foot in the prison.
Survive against the avatar of The First Tempter.
Failure results in death.」
...Why hasn’t it disappeared?
The goal of the penalty mission was for me to survive against that serpent.
Now that I had dealt with the source of the problem, the mission should have ended. But the message window remained silent.
A chill ran down my spine.
Suddenly, the worst-case scenario flashed through my mind, and a wave of anxiety washed over me.
But having used two 5th Circle spells in a row, my body refused to move.
And the price for that was devastating.
CRACK!
The creature’s tail, lashing out like a whip, shattered my barrier and slammed into my abdomen.
“Gah?!”
The impact sent me flying backward into the opaque barrier. It felt like my back was about to burst.
A wave of pain so intense it threatened to knock me unconscious washed over me. But if I passed out now, I would really die.
Thought Acceleration didn’t activate. My mental energy had been depleted from the consecutive use of 5th Circle magic.
I had no choice but to forcibly draw on my magic power to stay conscious.
“Cough.”
A gush of dark red blood poured from my mouth.
This was the price for trying to use magic while my magic circuits were unstable.
The cost of taking a direct hit while defenseless was catastrophic. I could feel my broken ribs piercing my lungs and blood flowing from my ruptured organs.
My injuries were too severe for the Rosary’s divine power to handle. I hastily pulled a bottle of Holy Water from my inventory and downed it.
Even with Holy Water, I couldn’t expect a quick recovery from broken bones. The pain, however, subsided, and the internal bleeding in my abdomen stopped.
Crack, pop.
I carefully stretched my body and got to my feet.
“...Did I get too complacent?”
As the storm of fire and lightning subsided, the creature that emerged looked relatively unharmed. Other than being scorched all over, it didn't seem to have any major injuries.
I never imagined it could withstand a 5th Circle spell.
Moreover, it seemed to have a resistance to heat.
「The First Tempter gives a sly grin.」
「“Khuhuhu, I can see it. The fear and anxiety you harbor.”」
An unpleasant laugh echoed in my head.
I stored Gilenium in my inventory.
「The First Tempter offers a gentle smile.」
「“Yes, a wise choice. If you allow yourself to be devoured by me now, I shall grant you the glory of being one with me.”」
I answered his worthless words with my middle finger.
「The First Tempter is enraged.」
The gesture must be universal across worlds, because the creature lunged at me with its maw wide open.
BOOM!
Using my footwork to evade the attack, I pulled another bottle of Holy Water from my inventory.
Its scales were unbelievably tough.
Swinging a sword against something like that would only dull the blade. It might be a different story if I could wield Aura.
Clang. I tossed the empty bottle aside and took a stance.
This is the first time I’m using this in a real fight.
A golden aura began to rise from my fist. It was Fist Aura.
As the old saying goes, there’s nothing better than your fists for catching a beast.
I held my palm open toward the serpent’s head, which was glaring at me as if to kill me, and slowly beckoned with my fingers.
“Are you just going to stare at me all day?”
Its eyes half-crazed, the creature charged at me with ferocious momentum.
CRASH!
The impact was so immense that the entire underground chamber seemed to shake. Of course, I wasn’t hit directly.
The Formless Step, which I had recently raised to 4-stars, was a footwork technique focused on approach and evasion. An attack that was merely fast and came in a straight line was something I could dodge with my eyes closed.
Of course, the creature didn’t just charge in a straight line.
It swung its tail like a whip and spat out globs of purple slime mid-attack, forcing me to change my movements.
My muscles all over my body screamed in agony from the excessive physical enhancement. But without this, hunting the serpent would be impossible.
Dodging the barrage of attacks amidst the flying dust and rock fragments, I closed in on the creature.
「The First Tempter screams.」
「You insignificant human!! Die!! I said, die!!」
It let out a furious roar.
At this point, I began to doubt if this was really the Serpent of Eden.
In Genesis, the serpent was a beast of sin that cunningly used its sly tongue to tempt Eve. It was more adept at scheming than at brute force.
But what was in front of me now looked like a psychopath with anger management issues.
Just then, a plausible hypothesis came to mind.
According to Genesis, the serpent originally had legs and could even fly with wings.
But it was cursed by God, lost its legs and wings, and was forced to crawl for the rest of its life.
Though it was a bit large, the creature before me was unmistakably a serpent.
Its seemingly low intelligence was also likely an effect of the curse.
Which meant this was my chance.
「The First Tempter thrashes about.」
「“How long are you going to keep running away like a little rat?!”」
BOOM, CRASH!! KABOOM!!
Enraged that I kept dodging its attacks by a hair's breadth, the creature thrashed its body around, going on a rampage.
The ceiling shook precariously from the aftershocks, looking as if it might collapse at any moment.
Hoo...
I silently dodged the attacks, steadying my breath.
I waited for the moment its head was defenseless.
If the Dharma is without obstruction, then space, too, is without meaning.
Through the enlightenment of formlessness and the principle of emptiness, the Buddha's Palm transcends the constraint of space.
Formless Void Palm.
──!
A golden energy spread out, and the creature’s head reeled.
「The First Tempter cries out in pain.」
「“Kraaaaaah!!”」
The impact must have been severe, as it couldn't even keep its body steady.
But even so, it never exposed its underside.
Its underside, the part of the snake that touches the ground when it crawls, was the single weakness that Weakness Insight had pointed out.
Of course, it didn't really matter.
Taking advantage of the moment it was reeling from the Air-Splitting Palm, I closed the distance in an instant. My meridians throbbed from the unfamiliar palm technique, but I didn't stop.
...Hk.
I swallowed the blood that tried to escape my lips and reached out my hand.
The creature, having recovered from the shock, immediately opened its maw and charged at me, but...
Beneath the Buddha's palm, good shall blossom and evil shall perish.
A single thought becomes the Dharma; a single hand becomes the heavens.
Pierce with a will of diamond, advance unhindered like the wind.
The Tathagata's will lies in mercy, and the Divine Palm's power lies in justice.
Its attack never reached me.
The moment my hand touched its scales, a golden shockwave rippled outwards in all directions.
In this one palm, I contain the heavens and the earth, and inscribe the principles of good and evil.
Vajra Tathagata's Demon-Subduing Divine Palm.
Under the hand of the Buddha, which guides all living beings with mercy and wisdom, the creature’s movements ceased.
Then, I heard a sound like something bursting.
「The First Tempter's face twists in horror.」
「“Wh-what is this...?!”」
Dark red blood poured from its mouth.
I watched the creature, its expression one of utter confusion, before withdrawing my hand. Wiping the blood from my lips, I took out a bottle of Holy Water from my inventory.
“Ever heard of a technique that sends the impact inward?”
No matter how sturdy the armor, it’s useless if the shock is transmitted to the inside.
It might look fine on the outside, but the creature’s insides were a complete mess.
THUD—
I watched its massive body collapse as I drank the Holy Water. The smell of blood was thick in the air.
Calming my overheated magic circuits and meridians, I slumped to the ground.
The creature stared at me even in death, its eyes wide open as if unable to accept its fate.
Ting—
「Penalty Mission has been completed.」
Only after confirming the message could I finally relax completely.
What a hassle this has been since the very start of the matching. If I had known the penalty was this severe, I wouldn't have even come in.
...Wait a minute?
A question suddenly occurred to me.
What happens if I don't meet my match?
Until now, I had assumed it would be something minor, like not being able to get coins. But since I could make up for that by hunting magical beasts, it hardly seemed like a penalty.
Could it be that there is no penalty?
The dating app had certainly never specified one. But it felt a little too convenient to think I could just do whatever I wanted.
I turned my head to look at Lucifer. A woman so beautiful I couldn't help but be captivated was bound in chains.
Her face was one thing, but her figure was especially my type.
...I’m glad I met her.
Of course, building a good relationship with her, someone who was so openly hostile towards me, wouldn't be easy.
But looking into her amethyst eyes, I felt more anticipation for the future than annoyance.
Looks over personality, I guess.
No matter how I thought about it, I was definitely looks-obsessed.
Anyway, as I was checking my condition and resting, another question popped into my head.
“I killed the serpent, so isn’t there a reward? It was a Constellation’s avatar.”
「There are no rewards for Penalty Missions.」
I scowled.
I went through hell to kill it, and there’s no reward?
On top of that, since it wasn't a magical beast, there were no coins either. What a complete waste of effort.
I wanted to complain, but in tower-climbing stories, it was a cliché for guys like this to have nasty personalities. They could throw another unreasonable penalty mission at me just for having a bad attitude.
Sighing inwardly, I was about to get up.
「The First Tempter lets out a sneer.」
「“...Did you think it would end here?”」
“?!”
THUMP—
An unknown pressure slammed down on me, forcing me back to the ground. It was hard to even breathe.
Immediately after, a killing intent so intense it felt like my entire body was being torn to shreds washed over me.
Ting, ting, ting, ting, ting!
「Warning, warning, warning.」
「The Penalty Mission has been completed.」
「Intervention from The First Tempter is prohibited.」
「Imposing a penalty on The First Tempter.」
「Imposing a penalty on The First Tempter.」
「Imposing a penalty on The First Tempter.」
·
·
·
Along with the alarming notifications, red message windows flooded my vision.
The system seemed to be taking some sort of action, but the unknown ‘presence’ showed no sign of disappearing.
If anything, my hands and feet began to tremble even faster.
My heart pounded so violently it felt like it was about to explode.
「The First Tempter uses its Authority.」
「The avatar is resurrected.」
“...What?”
