Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Those Who Worship Death (8)
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There was once a mage who feared death more than anyone else. If it simply ended with the cessation of consciousness, that might have been tolerable.
But what truly lay beyond? What if death was a hell where the soul remained bound to the flesh, suffering eternally?
At first, he sought solace in religion. Yet that brilliant mind could never accept the notion of an afterlife.
What the hell has God ever done for me to judge my final moments? Does He even have the right, sitting idly by while this world drowns in misery?
From that day on, the mage hailed as a "genius" devoted himself to evading death. And in the end, he succeeded in escaping it.
Through a loophole, one might call it—a curse, perhaps. And when he came back to his senses...
The name Melisto had transformed from that of a great sage into a synonym for a cursed mage. How utterly foolish.
In the end, anyone facing death succumbs to fear. All I did was cure death itself!
I have no desire to overcome death in that manner.
Looking back, those so often called heroes always stood in his way just like that.
But it didn't really matter. Heroes had finite lifespans. Melisto, however, was immortal.
So he simply waited, confident that the thorns in his side would vanish on their own. He bided his time leisurely.
But what the hell is this guy...? Why do these so-called heroes keep appearing no matter how much time passes?!
Melisto's skull, once filled with composure, was now stained with shock. Starting from the moment his right arm was severed.
Melisto was gradually being pushed back by Cain. Normally, a lich was immortal as long as its life vessel remained intact.
Of course, some sacrifices were required in the process, but physically speaking, it couldn't truly die.
Yet from the instant that ominous black slash touched him, Melisto's life vessel began to take damage.
Naturally, the one who feared death above all else panicked. Death, which he had overcome—how could this be...!
Soon, a net of lightning unfurled from Melisto's grasp, engulfing Cain. Or rather, it seemed to.
"...!!!"
The chilling sound of wind being sliced passed by his head, mere paper-thin margin away.
If Melisto had ducked just a fraction later, his head would have been gone long ago.
Of course, with his life vessel intact, ordinary slashes would have no effect. But Cain's blade was different.
That said, Cain wasn't easy prey either. To Melisto's eyes, Cain clearly had openings.
No— he was full of them. Compared to the masters slaughtering Death Knights and liches over there...
Cain seemed almost cute by contrast. The problem was, he just wouldn't die, no matter what.
Even when I exploit the gaps, counterattack, or set traps... he bulldozes through as if he knows everything!!
Melisto had clashed with countless heroes over the years and witnessed their strength firsthand. That's why he knew.
The power those hailed as heroes possessed... By comparison, Cain was, well, too crude.
He didn't shine like those so-called heroes. Yet here he was, still alive.
Melisto, who had sent countless heroes to the grave—dragging them back as minions—couldn't kill him.
Worse, he was even feeling the threat of death from Cain. What was this absurd disconnect?
In that moment, something flashed through the hollow interior of Melisto's skull like a lantern slide.
"I will not die. I have obtained true immortality!!"
Desperately denying the death looming before him, Melisto unleashed all his mana at maximum output. He would kill with everything he had.
This might cost him centuries—perhaps even the ability to perform rituals ever again. But it didn't matter.
Eliminating the immediate threat of death before his eyes took absolute priority over any ritual.
Melisto immediately cast spatial movement—Teleport, a spell usable only by high-ranking mages.
But he didn't stop there. Not content with gaining distance, he even created numerous clones.
Just a tiny bit of time—that was all he needed. Fail even once, and you'd lose everyone who followed you.
"Found you, you fucking bastard."
"...?!"
Amid countless clones, in a choice where one mistake meant the end... Cain pinpointed the real Melisto.
Watching the greatsword swing toward him without a hint of hesitation, Melisto could only recoil in horror.
...What the hell.
Are you?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Death.
The horrific agony that never grew familiar no matter how many times it repeated endlessly. Yet he embraced even that pain and pressed forward.
Because even Cain himself had to admit: without repeating death over and over, there was nothing particularly special about him.
If I hadn't had Defeat Regression, could I have made it this far? Probably not.
Melisto was much the same. He was different from anyone Cain had faced before—cunning and meticulous.
If anything, he resembled Scarlett, but while her intent wasn't serious, Melisto's was utterly real.
He was dead set on killing not just Cain... but the entire army under his command. That's why Cain fought.
For his men, who trusted and followed not just themselves, but Cain himself. He fought with all he had—and died.
"Impressive. Though that's about all it amounts to."
"Not bad. Quite the respectable struggle."
"Hm... Well, can't say it's unworthy of praise."
The combo of teleport and instant-death spells was trickier and more vile than imagined. Even knowing it intellectually...
Even foreseeing his own deaths through Foresight, dodging them in practice wasn't easy. Still, Cain kept fighting.
Flesh rotting away, sharp bones piercing his chest unto death, suddenly summoned Death Knights cleaving him apart.
Countless deaths that made his head spin just to imagine. Treading over his own corpses, Cain advanced without rest.
Gradually, it started to show. His movements sped up bit by bit. He was growing accustomed to Melisto's patterns.
Half a half-step—it didn't matter. Even at a glacial pace, if he never stopped, never faltered...
He first targeted my back directly. So if I anticipate that in reverse...!!
He believed it would reach someday. Cain barely evaded the hand of Melisto, who appeared aiming for his back.
To be precise, it was a paper-thin margin—a split-second slower or faster, and it would have connected. Chills ran down his spine.
Undeterred, Cain immediately swung his greatsword. This time, Melisto's reaction lagged slightly.
It had been a perfect ambush; he never dreamed of a counterstrike. Thanks to that, Cain harbored hope.
He's not invincible either. Keep at it, and someday I'll definitely kill him.
From then on, Cain gradually seized the initiative. He'd memorized most of Melisto's attacks by now.
Dodging bone spears through the chest, batting away flames of death with his greatsword... dismantling them one by one perfectly.
If he failed, no problem. Just start over from the beginning. Crossing death upon death, the opportunity finally arrived.
"You dare...!!"
From the moment his right arm was severed, Melisto clearly lost his composure. As if flustered by something.
Cain couldn't even imagine what had rattled Melisto, but he didn't dwell on it deeply.
After all, as long as he could kill him now, what did it matter? But in that instant, Melisto used clones.
As expected... using clones to buy time, eh? Not a bad head on your shoulders.
Until now, Cain had somehow kept pace even when Melisto teleported to widen the gap.
This was possible only because repeated Defeat Regressions let him memorize every position. But his foe wasn't stupid.
If teleport couldn't buy time, then clones would. A solid strategy, undeniably.
Given even a sliver of leeway and time, Melisto could slaughter Cain and his entire army.
Thus, Cain reacted faster than anyone. He hurled himself forward like a bolt of lightning—straight at Melisto.
He caught sight of Melisto's panic as he was instantly targeted. Never expected to be spotted in one go.
"You... how the hell did you find me?!"
Melisto had created a total of sixteen clones. Yet Cain picked out the real one in a single instant.
Instead of answering, Cain thrust his greatsword like lightning into Melisto's chest.
Black flames flowing along the blade then devoured Melisto in an instant.
Having stabbed the greatsword into Melisto's ribs, Cain plummeted to the ground alongside him before finally opening his mouth.
"Luck."
He'd gotten lucky. He'd confirmed all sixteen through repeated deaths, but fortune struck on the first try with the real one.