Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: I'm So Unlucky
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“I’m... I’m gonna die. Isn’t this just telling me to stand there and get beaten to death? I’m losing my mind. I’m gonna die. Save me!! People around here!! Lee Seong-hoon’s killing people!!”
Is she insane? For some reason, I smacked the clearly unhinged Isia on the head. Only then did she snap out of it, clutching her crown and glaring at me.
Yeah, what about it?
“Sigh. I know. This is fine. The more I fight, the more I feel it, and that’s why I hate it even more.”
Well, yeah. Whose idea was it? Pretty genius, right? Making you see me in a new light?
“Doubt it?”
“You know what I’m thinking?”
“I don’t know what you’re scheming, Seong-hoon, but no way. Your face screams you’re up to no good.”
Personal hunch, but I’m pretty sure she’s the one who taught Gungye that pickup artist crap. Bet on it.
Anyway, we’re at a cafe in the bustling downtown now. Raphael kept going on about “Their cheesecake is so good here!” so we came, and it’s actually pretty decent.
“Do you know what my ranking is right now? Dropped to 21st. Does that even make sense?”
“You’ll climb back to 9th once you beat Lucy anyway. Don’t worry, just keep throwing yourself at them.”
That phrasing’s a bit off. Isia pursed her lips as she said the same thing, eyes closed like she was exhausted.
Of course, physically, it probably wasn’t that bad. The academy heals fatigue and wounds after fights. The real issue is mental exhaustion.
Isia got thoroughly beaten by Park Ho-soo, as expected. And after that, she fought every challenger who came her way bare-handed, ditching her staff for fisticuffs.
Results were obvious losses, but hey, valuable defeats.
“Not feeling anything? Like, new techniques popping up or whatever?”
Isia cracked her eyes open at my words and gave me a half-lidded stare before speaking. Sorry, but sit up when we’re talking.
“Yeah. For one, I pulled off double chant with High-Speed Chant mid-fisticuffs. Beyond that, figuring out exactly what makes spells detonate reliably. Like, mess this up here and it turns into that spell instead~ And also~”
Isia tapped her lips with a finger as she spoke, reeling off close-combat tactics I’d never even imagined.
Spells exploding differently based on deployment, obscuring vision with pillars of darkness for ambushes, self-buffs getting stronger and stronger.
Words that no mage should ever utter.
Yep, grinding her all day was the right call. Imagining Lucy Violet crawling between my legs with a humiliated look had me chuckling.
“Why’re you grinning like that? It’s creepy.”
“Thinking about teaching that bitch queen a lesson.”
Ugh. I flicked the cheek of the damn blonde making a weird face, then figured I’d sort my inventory until Isia’s next challenger showed up—
So I opened it.
I couldn’t believe my eyes.
[Holy water touched by the Archangel's hand: Water blessed anew by the touch of Archangel Raphael. It can dispel even the mightiest curses.]
“.....For real?”
The two of them looked at me as I muttered, but I couldn’t react. The blue window wasn’t done.
I finally tore my eyes from the finished blue window and looked at Raphael, who was eyeing me like “Here we go again.”
Only one thing came out of my mouth.
“Want some cheesecake?”
Eat as much as you want.
“Y-you’re not mad I ate this much? Who are you? You’re not Seong-hoon, are you? Who the hell are you!!!”
“Isia’s paying anyway, what do I care. Want more? Eat whatever you want today.”
“For real? Who are you? Someone using transformation magic to impersonate Seong-hoon? Michael? It’s Michael, right!!”
“Who’s that? Shut up and eat.”
She let out a “Nyu~!” and shoved every dessert in the cafe into her mouth. Isia’s face turned pale watching from the side, giving me a “Me, really?” look.
Who else? Me? Nah.
“Tutoring fee.”
“There’s no such thing...”
“Here.”
“Sigh.”
She’d given up now, face-planting on the table with eyes closed. Yeah. Better not to dwell on a grim future.
I nodded, arms crossed. Isia’s next challenge should be coming soon—
Speak of the devil, something appeared in my vision.
I could tell even from afar. He was hurt. Bleeding from somewhere, limping toward us.
Normally, you’d rush to help someone like that. If it was just one.
“W-what’s that?!”
“R-run—!!!”
Screams from nearby patrons. Ignoring the panicking crowd, I stared straight ahead.
Zombies. Or close enough—pale folks drenched in blood. At least 20. No, more.
Thud. Thud.
I stood as they approached slowly. Raphael panicked with a “W-what is it?!”, while Isia, already grasping the situation, rose silently.
What the hell is this? No event like this in the original.
They’re closing in, attacking bystanders as they advance.
The fallen rise again, joining the horde. Textbook zombie apocalypse.
But as they got closer and their outlines sharpened, I knew what they were.
Sharp fangs, unfocused red eyes, drooling filthy saliva.
“Apostles.”
“Huh? What’s that?!”
I ignored Raphael’s question. Assess first.
These are Apostles. Bitten by vampires but failed to turn into lesser vamps—stuck in limbo, neither dead nor alive.
Monsters desperately sucking blood to survive. And those bitten by Apostles turn into Apostles too.
Sophia never warned me about vampires. She hunts solo sometimes without telling, but this wouldn’t happen then.
Only one answer left.
Only one vampire a Progenitor can’t sense.
“Lachesis. Sophia’s location—”
I turned to order Isia—
Gone.
Raphael and Isia, both gone. Just a faint mist spreading.
Mist right up to my feet. I smacked my forehead.
“Fuck.”
Forced choice. Save Raphael and Isia, or find Sophia?
This wasn’t Sophia’s doing—another Progenitor. Ignore it, and Sophia might get exposed. If she does—
No idea how one snuck here, but one thing’s clear.
“I’ve got the shittiest luck!!!!”
Why does this blow up right when Sophia’s off meeting someone? Should’ve kept her close.
And why the hell is it happening in front of me when it wasn’t supposed to?
Cursing my rotten luck, I started moving.
Only one place to go.
It’s a choice, but I have to handle both anyway.
Just set priorities.
“Put out the nearest fire first.”
Ignoring the screams echoing everywhere, I bolted under Lachesis’s guidance.
“Sophia! Look! I’m finally a match for you!!”
What nonsense is this? Sophia fought back a brawl, suppressing her disgust.
On the way back to Lee Seong-hoon.
Suddenly sensing vampire aura, she turned. The guy who’d been her friend moments ago was now a vampire.
He’d always been weak. Turning boosted his mana and physicals a bit, but that was it.
No match for Sophia. Problem was elsewhere.
‘Can I kill him?’
To live in human society, follow human rules. He was human. Until just now.
She could guess the cause, but dealing with him came first.
Kill him and it’s murder? Booted from society? Such thoughts.
Unable to act decisively, she parried his attacks. He thought he’d powered up enough to overwhelm her.
A guy who’d die in one hit without even single-chant magic was yapping.
‘Annoying.’
He’d been mildly repulsive before, but post-turn, his face, tone, word choice—all physiologically revolting.
She wanted to kill him now, but one phrase echoed in her head.
—Sweetie. To live in human society, you must follow human rules.
“Tch.”
She leaped back; he pursued. His red eyes fixed on her like hearts, making her nauseous.
“Now I’ll take you away and make you happy. First, I’ll cut off those legs keeping you from me. Then—”
“Shut the fuck up.”
Disgusting. Swallowing vomit, she blocked. His vulgarity escalated.
Legs first, then arms—would he only look at her? That Lee Seong-hoon guy dies next.
Let’s go to a remote island. I’ll provide for you, don’t worry.
Every word made her mana twitch. Forcing it down, she swung aiming to subdue.
‘Hard to gauge strength.’
Couldn’t tell his level. Would this kill? Head off and he survives, but body needs to be intact. If something goes wrong—
“Your struggling’s cute too. Just no scars on that face.”
“Fucking hell. I said shut your trap.”
She finally snapped, cursing. He blanked, then grinned.
“Swearing’s sexy too!”
“Psycho bastard.”
“Yeah. Psycho for you—”
His words cut off. Couldn’t continue.
Sophia froze in shock. Anyone would at that sight.
His head flew through the air. Blood gushed from the body, collapsing limply.
Nothing around. Yet it happened.
Sophia was confused. What? Did I do it? Too angry? How? Explain how? Murderer now? Like this?
Head full of question marks, but she calmed soon enough.
Reason was simple.
“Fuckin’ A. Can’t stand it. That human and this one—do they shit out their mouths? Mouth’s an entrance, not an exit. Stuff food in, not crap.”
Lee Seong-hoon popped out of thin air. In his black robe.
He looked at Sophia and grinned.
“He’s still alive, y’know? Sophia. Repeat after me. Don’t shit from your mouth, you psycho bastard.”
Sophia, mouth agape, met the eyes of the falling head.
Eyes still fixed on her, even now.
Her words were inevitable.
“D-don’t shit from your mouth, you psycho bastard.”
She felt refreshed!