Chapter 122
Chapter 122
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 122
Chapter Title: Hello?
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Hello?
"What the─!!"
Leon Grace was currently in a state of utter bewilderment. The scene unfolding before his eyes was so utterly alien that words failed to describe it.
Black feathers, black eyes, black beaks.
Not a single bright color among them. Flocks of these birds burst forth in droves. A few wouldn't have been an issue, but with dozens upon dozens of crows swarming out, their forms blurred into indistinguishability.
All that was visible was a mass of black something-or-other. And the noise? The cacophony of their caws overlapping made it feel like prolonged exposure would drive anyone mad.
That alone would have been manageable. But each of these birds seemed to possess a will of its own.
They didn't feel like familiars conjured by magic. They felt like real, living, breathing crows.
This was no feat a student could pull off. Not even a student─not even an active hero could manage something like this.
Having grown up in a magical family, Leon knew this. But right now, that wasn't the point.
He hurriedly turned to the mages, intending to issue a defense order.
"Ah."
The moment their eyes met, he knew. This wasn't going to work.
Magic relied heavily on incantation. Unless it paused at a precise interval, any slurring, halting, or mistake in pronunciation...
─Would cause an explosion.
Boom─!!!!!!!
The mages' magic circles detonated from their shock at the crows. Explosions boomed alongside screams.
In the ensuing chaos, Leon burst through the rising dust, trying to retrieve the warriors.
He aimed to assess the situation and fight back alongside them somehow.
"Ha. Haha."
But it was impossible. The sight that greeted Leon as he emerged from the dust froze even him─the one who had been calmly plotting a reversal amid the blasts.
Dozens of crows morphed into blades. They swooped in as crows, then shifted into razor-sharp edges to slice at their foes.
The students charging with swords managed to deflect the blades somehow. They parried a few times, but they couldn't fend off the ones assaulting from all directions simultaneously.
Sliced, slashed, cut again.
The attacks cleverly avoided the bracelets on their wrists, refraining from deep cuts even when they could have inflicted them.
The warriors, caught up in the fight, didn't notice. But Leon saw it clearly.
"They're... toying with them...?"
The crows were playing. Leon's legs gave out. He sank to the ground without realizing it.
'Not clueless about magic after all?'
Familiars that seemed alive. And they transformed into blades. Mana capable of commanding dozens at once.
It reminded him of that grand mage he'd seen on the deck just moments ago─
That was when a crow flew by, grazing Leon's face.
Glancing back at its path, he saw the bracelets rip free from the mages' burned wrists.
The mages vanished. Looking forward again, the warriors were gone too.
A black-haired man approached. As he moved, crows blotted out the sun in sync with his steps.
Even in broad daylight, the surroundings plunged into darkness. Leon trembled as he looked up at him.
"Aren't you curious why I did this?"
Leon had plenty to say. If you could do this, why not show it sooner? Treating us like idiots? Did you enjoy shattering our magic?
You've ruined our ability to cast spells now.
He planned to unload it all before leaving, since they were eliminated anyway. He opened his mouth to speak, lips quivering with humiliation─
"Not at all."
"Huh?"
"No time to listen to you. It'll taste bad if it gets cold."
What will? Before Leon could even wonder, something black flashed into view, and his vision flickered out.
"Raphael?"
"No. Well... um... you see... er... uh..."
I alternated my gaze between Raphael and the table. It hadn't taken long. She'd wrapped it up in a flash.
Before coming here, she'd unleashed the crow flock I'd been crafting non-stop for weeks.
Five minutes? Probably less.
Behind Raphael, who was breaking out in cold sweat and avoiding my eyes, stood the table.
Signs of battle were everywhere. Splattered oil and ramen broth. Scattered utensils.
I laughed. Raphael laughed too, scratching the back of her head. The cat eyed the situation warily before dispersing her human form, while Levatein chuckled from below for some reason.
I leaned forward and naturally scooped up Levatein. I slipped off my slippers and set them on the table, covering her eyes with one hand.
With my remaining hand, I beckoned the still-grinning Raphael.
[Daddy, whatcha doing?]
"It'll be quick. Once it's done, Mom said she'll play fun games with you. Hang tight."
[Really?!]
"When did I say that?!"
Shut up and hurry over. As I kept beckoning, a reluctant Raphael approached. She kept giggling "Hehe."
Doing things she doesn't usually do. Clasping her hands behind her back, looking up at me with a smile. Trying to act cute, but it's not working at all.
Makes me want to kill her instead. As if echoing my feelings, my stomach growled.
"Hear that? The scream from my belly?"
"My ears must be bad─ Aaaah!! It hurts!! Ouch!!"
"Ears bad? Bad ears?? I told you to save some!! Why didn't you?! Make excuses, I'll listen!!"
I'd half-expected this. As if this glutton cat and otherworldly food vacuum would leave any.
I stretched and yanked the damned blonde's cheeks to the rhythm of my rumbling gut. It was kinda fun how they stretched like taffy.
Being an angel must be why─her skin was flawless. Soft and stretchy.
"There's a story behind this!!"
"What story?!"
No story, and you're dead. For real.
"The meat was too delicious!! And I left the ramen broth, so isn't that leaving some?!"
Okay. I shoved Levatein into my [Inventory]. Raphael's eyes widened at the sight.
"Wait a sec. Why put Levatein away? Suddenly?"
"From here on, it's 15-and-under not allowed."
"Wait. Wait─!!"
A [Rune of Explosion] appeared in my hand.
Kyaaaaah─!!!!
"Levatein. Your dad's a total jerk."
[I know.]
"Worse than you think. Completely rotten."
[Mom messed up too.]
"This is when you take my side. Raise a daughter and she says you don't need 'em─she meant it!!"
After the screams echoed across the beach, I ignored the blonde clutching the released Levatein and whining.
Her sniffling was her problem. I had work to do.
"Lachesis~"
Time to nab the accomplice. No response even though I called. Shouldn't she at least meow [Nyaaang]?
"Raphael. You screamed too loud. Lachesis ran off."
Raphael glared at my words, then hugged Levatein and approached me.
Then she muttered something like 'Fire Punch!!' and smacked my face with Levatein's hand.
As if those tiny hands could─
"Hot!!"
"Behold the power of mother and daughter."
[Fire Punch!!]
Teaching her good stuff. I ignored the giggling duo and held up all five fingers.
Then I called out to the air.
"Five."
"What're you doing?"
Countdown.
"Four."
[Three!!]
Okay. Good job, Levatein. I patted her head, and she beamed.
What's next? Down to two, one, ding. Still no sign, so she must've gone pretty far.
Should've tracked the sound.
I offered a silent prayer for the poor cat and thinly sliced my finger, letting blood drip onto my wrist.
With a pop, the cat appeared.
I greeted her with a smile.
[Nyaa...?]
"Hello."
Welcome to hell.
After thoroughly disciplining the gluttons who'd devoured my lunch, and playing with Levatein, the sun began to set before I knew it.
I quickly whipped up dinner and pitched the tents. Luckily, aside from that annoying Leon guy, no one else intruded on the beach.
"Lucky us."
"Lucky my foot. I'll share with Levatein, so you take the big tent. Got it?"
Fine by me. That was the plan anyway. I shoved Lachesis into the big tent with Raphael too.
"Lachesis usually sleeps with Seong-hoon!!"
"What're you on about? Look at her state. Think she'll sleep with me?"
As I glanced down, Lachesis─tormented by me all day─shuddered.
"Fair point."
Raphael reluctantly agreed, picked up Levatein, and headed into the tent.
She was patting her back as she turned, so I caught Levatein's face. Half-lidded eyes waving at me, so I waved back.
[Night night, Daddy.]
"Night night."
"Nighty~"
Not you. After watching the damned pair enter, I opened my [Inventory] instead of going into my tent.
To bolster security. They crash and sleep, but I have to work. Ain't that unfair?
No one helps even if I complain, so I got to it quietly.
I tapped [Crows x50], releasing just ten around us. Nighttime meant more eyes; I checked the perimeter runes, added more, then finally entered my tent.
Why two tents per team? Sia-emong, that's why.
Rich maids are endlessly useful. Buy one, use forever.
"Gotta thank her later."
Maybe because time had passed, the noisy tent quieted down. All I heard were bugs, wind, waves, and occasional crow caws.
The first true silence since arriving. I'd been with Raphael daily; even separated by rooms, Lachesis was there. First time truly alone.
Feeling a strange mix of freedom and loneliness, I lay there blankly, pondering what lay ahead.
Sleep wouldn't come, but I forced my eyes shut and thought.
Need rest. Day 3─the final day─brings a big event to the island. Not demons or vampires, but something special.
Kim Tae-hyun handles it and powers up, but I know where and why it happens.
In other words, I'll preempt it on day 2.
So, sleep early to recover stamina. Opponent's no pushover, so it'd be nice to run into Isia, Sophia, the Shin sisters, or Mikael on the way.
How weak would that leave Kim Tae-hyun? Gotta warn Raphael not to cause trouble. She won't attack if they meet─
Lost in such thoughts, my mind grew hazy. I let the oncoming sleep take me.
The crows and runes would wake me if anyone intruded. With that reassurance, I drifted off─
"Ah. Gotta pee."
Suddenly roused half-asleep by a full bladder. I rubbed my eyes, trying to sit up─
"Ah. You're awake?"
Almost pissed myself. Eyes snapping open revealed crimson eyes, silver hair gleaming in the dark, and a delighted face peering down at me.
One hand clutched a trembling crow; the other held a crumpled, dimming rune paper.
As I froze, heart pounding wildly, unable to speak, she spoke first.
"Hello?"
She said it with the innocent smile of a child.