Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: No Negotiations with Terrorists
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CRASH!!
Crash. Never thought the day would come when I'd actually hear that onomatopoeia straight out of a comic series.
The sound feels so detached from reality that it's almost surreal.
"How does nothing ever go right?!"
But this is reality. Every piece of furniture and glass crashes together, creating brand-new sounds. Along with a noise I've never heard before, my body lifts into the air.
Wind so fierce I can't even breathe. Strong enough to send a human body flying.
I was near the glass, so it was dangerous, but not a single shard hits me—they all fly far away.
[Nyaaang~]
With the cat's cheerful cry, I barely manage to cling to the railing.
"If you let go, I'll die?!"
[You won't die, nyang. But you shouldn't let go, nyang.]
Yeah. Even if it kills me, I won't let go. I grip my arm on the railing even tighter. It's hard to keep my eyes open against the insane wind pressure, and the furniture flying everywhere makes it hard to see.
But I look toward the one responsible for this mess.
The center of the wind. The eye of the storm. The guy who keeps generating more wind, utterly unfazed by the raging tempest around him.
「Did you call for me?」
I can't make out its form. It's dark, and for all the reasons I just mentioned. But its voice carries a sense of leisure.
「With what nerve?」
Something else comes through too, doesn't it? Anger? Yeah, definitely anger.
「Think about what you've done.」
"Wait a sec!!"
Dangerous. I have no idea why it's mad, but if it attacks now, I'm really in trouble.
"I don't know why you're angry, but let's talk this out. Talk. Listen carefully. Yeah, I summoned you, but not like that!! You don't get it? Neither do I!! But it's true!! So, uh, so—"
No response. Instead, a chilling gaze sweeps over me. I feel goosebumps race down my spine as I stare at the mana revealed by Mana Eye.
It's gathering in one spot. Just like when casting a spell.
"So."
The mana surges. Wind gathers into a single mass. It's grown so huge I can see it with the naked eye.
"Will you spare me?"
No dice, huh? The wind orb hurtles toward me like it's answering itself—unyielding. Impenetrable as a fortress.
If I take that hit like this, I'm done for. I was too casual and didn't equip Spell Eater, and in this state, my fragile body won't hold up.
"Lachesis."
[No need, nyang.]
"You know what it is? You gotta hear people out!!"
[I know, nyang. Don't do it, nyang.]
Before I can even ask what she means, the wind stops. The wind that kept my eyes shut and stole my breath.
It stops like a miracle. And I immediately know why.
Look around—wind still rages everywhere. Trees go flying. But only around me has it calmed.
"Raphael."
Look up, and there's the angel in pure white. No idea where her four wings went, but she's holding back the storm with just two.
Lost in her majestic silhouette, she turns around.
She grins and flashes me a V-sign with her hand.
"That's twice now."
Our angel, beaming at me with her eyes closed in a bright smile.
"I thought some freak natural disaster had hit."
"Must've startled you awake. Levatein?"
"Right here."
She'd been sleeping soundly in Raphael's arms. I tuck Levatein into my Inventory.
Feels wrong to wake a sleeping kid, and Lily's in there too. With the angel punch incoming, this'll wrap up quick.
Once my feet touch solid ground thanks to Raphael, I pat her head in thanks.
Wild animals understand pure intentions too. She leans into my harmless touch.
"Alright. Let's try talking first?"
"Just kill it. Two seconds, total annihilation."
"Annihilation? Save that for ordering chicken. Tomorrow sound good?"
"Love that. Seong-hoon, are you a genius?!"
I'm pretty sharp, yeah. But we really can't kill this spirit. For one, whipping up wind like this marks it as a high-ranking one.
Plus, I need to figure out why it's pissed and seal the contract. Catalysts already used won't react again.
No guarantee the next summon pulls something better.
It's like hitting SSR on gacha and snagging it on the spot.
"Bones are fine for me. With you, Seong-hoon, I could share a drumstick!!"
Share a chicken leg? Even the cat riding my shoulder devours those whole.
[Why would you share that, nyang.]
See? That's the sacred status of chicken legs. Nice even as empty flattery.
"Thanks."
"Of course!!"
I leave Raphael behind, coughing an exaggerated ahem!! and puffing up with pride, and step forward.
I don't forget to pull Spell Eater from my Inventory and equip it.
"How about a little chat?"
Get a look at its face too. As I approach, Raphael hustles alongside, muttering stuff like 'dangerous!'
Thanks to her, not a whiff of wind reaches us. Our angel's specs are unreal.
「Don't come closer. What utter shamelessness?」
A sharp voice halts our approach. Wind follows suit, of course, but no impact. It screams anger—what's the problem?
I listen quietly. Ignoring the peanut gallery like 'Totally shameless' and 'Shameless? Ate that rice ages ago, she's an idiot nyang?'
「Do you think I don't know what you did to an ancient spirit?」
"Ah."
You know about that? Changes everything. Though it wasn't on purpose.
Gooooooo─!!!
The wind intensifies. No room for excuses here. Something like a piercing glare flashes through the darkness and gale.
「The cruelty you inflicted on a fellow kin.」
The roof of our inn rips away. The sight pulls an involuntary hiccup from me.
「To a kin who loved nature and nothing more. What you did.」
The storm surges. Like a giant swinging a club, it sweeps everything—except us.
「I cannot forgive it.」
"Everyone nearby evacuated, right?!"
[Probably, nyang.]
Good enough. I eye the spirit. Shame, but no talking or tricking a contract out of it like this.
Time to decide.
I rest a hand on the blonde head beside me wearing a 'what the heck' expression.
She looks at me. Bold as brass, I spin my cap backward with my free hand.
"Go get 'em. Raphael."
"Huh? But you said no killing."
I did say that. Yeah. But here's the thing.
"No negotiations with terrorists."
"!!!!"
Raphael's face turns solemn at my legendary line. Her two wings glow with pure white light.
"「Angel Fall」—blast it away."
Just as Raphael crouches to charge—
Tssssssss─!!
A deflating hiss. The sound of power fizzling out. Her blue eyes meet mine.
"Seong-hoon."
"Hold on. Gimme a sec to brace myself."
"Guess my fuel efficiency still sucks. Better than with four wings, though."
Raphael giggles hehe. Behind her, an eerie glare flickers.
"Wings won't come out!!"
"That's not bragging!!"
No mercy, even with that adorable face.
The fate awaiting us is all too predictable.
[Live a good life next time, nyang.]
Everything in life is karma. Buddha, you were right.
I go flying, swept up in the storm.
「Ooooooo─!!!!」
Something blotting out the sky. Too abstract to call a monster, but its actions are pure monster.
Before anyone could intervene, the storm swallows an entire Maldivian island whole.
The evacuated people watch in terror. Some have locked eyes with the monster multiple times.
But it never attacks directly. The monster just stands there, smashing things.
Obviously—the rampaging wind spirit isn't evil enough to harm the unrelated.
It's simply lashing out after being summoned by its kin's killer. Nothing more. Even now, it's just wasting mana to force a return to the spirit realm, not mindless destruction.
‘They won't die.’
I know. Humans have evolved too. This much won't kill them.
Still, it'll cause plenty of trouble. That's enough. Can't form a contract now, and the Spirit Core is gone.
Plus, they went flying.
Revenge breeds revenge. Knowing that satisfies the spirit. No need to kill.
It squeezes out its last mana, conjuring a storm. It directs the wind to minimize damage.
‘No dead...’
Even as it unleashes the final burst, it scans around. None. No casualties. The spirit feels relief.
It pours out its bottomless mana nonstop. Trees ripping free hurts to watch, but humans will replant.
With the job done perfectly, the spirit closes its eyes. Its fallen kin would approve of this peaceful end—
That's when ‘it’ appears.
A black pillar suddenly blots the view. Tracing the mana leads far off to something.
A black-haired man draped in a black robe. And a flustered black-haired woman cradled in his arms.
Despite the distance, the man's voice reaches clearly.
Riding the wind straight to the spirit.
Finishing the shout, the black hair starts sprinting. Mana surges from the woman's hand in his arms.
‘Powerful magic.’
Astounding for a human. Magic rivaling the ‘grand mages’ the spirit knows.
Like a tenth-verse—
The spirit freezes. The incantation rides the wind.
It passes first verse, second, third.
Sixth-verse chant magic is reachable with human effort. Beyond that? Grueling toil and raw talent.
Countless mages peak at six verses before death.
But that woman? She looks not even twenty.
She surpasses seventh verse.
It doesn't end. The spirit can't tear its eyes away. Maybe the magic circle's spectacle, or the woman's sheer talent.
One thing's certain.
The man has a stake in this.