Chapter 64
Chapter 64
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: I'm the Strongest
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I realized it for the first time.
When someone is in too much pain, they can't even whimper. In movies, they scream and shout every kind of yell imaginable, so I thought that's how it worked.
But when it actually happened to me, no sound came out of my mouth. I wanted to scream, but my body wouldn't obey.
There was only one thing I could do.
Curl up like a shrimp and endure.
I'm dying. Die. Just die already.
It hurt so much. Bugs crawling all over my body. Not just any bugs—thumb-sized ones slithering through my veins everywhere.
And they weren't just passing through. It felt like they were gnawing tunnels as they went.
Indescribable. Like my veins were snapping. My whole body screaming.
If I could, I'd sever the pain signals from my brain. That's how agonizing it was.
And yet, all I could manage was...
"Ugh."
A tiny groan. Curling my body tighter.
Nothing else. That's how I endured, eyes squeezed shut, clutching my stomach.
I felt cold sweat pouring over me, but I could do nothing.
How much time passed? It felt like years when I finally opened my eyes.
The pain was gone. In its place, a light, refreshed body.
And a blue window popped up.
No time, so I hit No and stood up. A flood of other blue windows appeared, but I swiped them all aside.
Mana circuit expansion: perfectly complete. No backlash. Unless you count PTSD. Never again.
Scanned around. The ogre was easy to spot—huge.
Did Lachesis buy enough time? Was I too late?
Those thoughts as I looked at the ogre. There was a cat girl dodging punches.
"What. Not much time passed."
Time really is relative.
I reached for Levatein, stuck to my stomach supplying mana.
It instantly read my intent and shifted to a bracelet on my hand.
Smart.
Then I quickly pulled the practice scythe from [Inventory] and checked Levatein's info.
The real deal.
I nodded at the fully awakened Levatein and gripped the scythe.
Death Reaper still at 99% purity—can't use it. But the practice scythe would do.
Gripping it with the hand Levatein was on, I lightly chanted.
"Imitate."
Shwaaak—!!
Levatein, the bracelet, erupted into flames and engulfed the scythe. The fire swallowed it, writhed, and reshaped.
Into the classic scythe form. The practice one had been just shy of my height, but this fiery scythe was massive enough to call a great scythe.
Wielding a fire weapon activates 「Flames of Doom (EX)」.
「Flames of Doom (EX)」: Boosts user's physical abilities when wielding a fire weapon.
「Blessing of the Seraph (EX)」 + 「Flames of Doom (EX)」
Current stats: Stamina (Highest)Agility (Highest)Strength (Highest)Mana (Highest)
"??"
I rubbed my eyes at the blue window. What? All stats at highest?
Rubbed them again. Read every word, pieced it together in my head. Connected into sentences, confirmed meaning.
Boosting stats takes bone-deep effort. A normal person needs a lifetime. And the higher, the harder.
Stats are talent territory. So what is this?
Did I get it right? Then only one thing to say.
"Ahh. This is what they mean by buff power."
I'm the strongest.
Limited time, though.
Strongest.
Stronger than anyone. But strength doesn't guarantee victory.
My body was strong but unaccustomed to battle, proving it.
I jumped, but went farther than expected and diagonally sliced the club. Wasn't even aiming for it.
Just leaped to close in, overshot, and cut it anyway.
"Seong-hoon! I believed in you!!"
"Don't lie."
Busted?! Ignored the culprit. Gestured, and Lachesis reverted to cat form from holding Raphael, hopping to my shoulder.
"Kyaa!"
Her passenger naturally faceplanted. A snicker escaped—hope she didn't hear.
No reaction. Safe.
"Go, Seong-hoon!"
Ignore. No glance back, eyes on ogre. Confused by its broken club, it alternated stares between me and it.
"What're you staring at."
"Wow. Now even trash-talking monsters—"
"GRRROOOOAAARRR!!"
The roar cut off Raphael as it hurled the club haft.
Then swung its arm. I jumped to dodge.
[What nya?]
Too high. Fully airborne.
"No. My senses haven't adapted to this strong body yet?"
Debuff? For real? Adapted only to my frail body, so results keep going weird.
[Focus nya.]
"GRRROOOOAAAR!!"
Hand incoming again. Both this time, clapping toward me.
Easier. Can't shift position midair, but could rotate.
Twisted my body—it spun. No training, yet it moved like muscle memory.
Whirled the scythe wildly.
"Ahh. This is skill power!!"
[Fight quiet or nya?]
Yes.
Slash—!!
Sharp feedback. Not once. Multiple. Continuous.
Chunks shearing off.
Blood sprayed everywhere, but not a drop hit me.
A fiery barrier blocked the blood. It evaporated on contact.
"GRRROOOOAAARRR!!"
Only after all fingers were severed did the ogre retract its hand and roar.
I didn't miss the gap. No clue when the buffs would fade—had to end it fast.
Pulled a steel beam from [Inventory]. Stepped on the tumbling midair beam for a double jump.
Our eyes met as it roared.
"GRRROOOOAAARRR!!!"
A mana-charged roar—the same that knocked me down twice before. Useless now.
Fiery barrier repelled the roar. I pressed forward, swinging the scythe.
Slash—!!
The blocking arm sheared off with a clean sound. Behind it: one target.
Beneath the filthy maw. Beneath the yellowed teeth.
The neck, veins pulsing visibly.
Specific action triggers 「Scythe Mastery」 correction.
Correction: Decapitation
Decapitation attempt. Correction activates.
Correction: Decapitation (One Strike)
Decapitation on weakened foe. Correction activates.
Correction: Decapitation (Finisher)
The scythe arced. The blazing blade sank into its neck.
Sizzle of burning flesh, slice of blade through meat, the ogre's final gurgle.
Its massive head sailed into the sky.
A geyser of blood. Flying head. Raphael's cheers from afar.
I thought:
How do I land?
Glanced at Lachesis.
[Used it on takeoff nya. Cooldown.]
Don't say cooldown. Sounds too gamey.
[Won't die in your state nya.]
"But it'll hurt!!"
[Why state the obvious nya?]
True─!!
Balance lost, I plummeted with the tilting ogre corpse.
Second drop today. Lower height than before, at least.
But seeing the ground rushing up? Terrifying.
"Lachesis!! Save me!!"
[Sigh.]
Lachesis sighed, rising to jump—but something arrived beneath me first.
Blonde hair. Blue eyes. Triumphant smirk.
"Ah. No thanks."
Thud!
I dove straight into Raphael's arms with a satisfying smack.
Face covered in embarrassment now, but I knew this pose.
The contact points said it all.
Princess carry.
Shouldn't it be reversed?
"Hehe. Now I've contributed too."
"Let go? You pulled your weight with buffs. Couldn't have won without."
So release. Right now.
"Aw. I know. Praise is awkward."
Not shy—let go? I uncovered my face to pinch her cheek when a blue window appeared.
Good. Can't return like this, so right n—
"Huh?"
"What's wrong. No way, right? Not some 90s novel. You're not passing out after that, are you?"
No.
It's. Not up to me.
"Ah. Dizzy."
"Seong-hoon?! Seong-hoon—"
Raphael's voice faded away.
Unfamiliar ceiling.
Woke to an unfamiliar ceiling—or not?
Looked closer: familiar. Seen it before.
Right. Hospital ceiling vibes?
"Hospital, yep."
Memory served. Tried sitting up.
"Huh?"
Wouldn't move. Weird. Definitely applied force, but no strength anywhere.
Something's off? Tried again. Multiple times. Still nothing.
"Kuku. Drug's kicking in, huh."
"Don't say weird stuff."
"No clue. Nurse should be here soon. You pressed the button if I woke up."
Door opened as Raphael finished.
Couldn't see the face, but nurse arrived.
Doc! What's my prognosis!!
"Ah, you're up. No worries. Just circuit overload. Recent expansion procedure?"
I flinched. Homemade, but yes.
"Did that dangerous thing? No news? Trendy now—tons disabled."
"Pardon?"
"Didn't know? Lured with 'get strong' promises. Many crippled. You're lucky. Circuits functioning normal—mobile tomorrow."
She added some mystery drug to my IV.
"At least a week admitted. Got it?"
Chills everywhere. Could've been crippled? From my DIY surgery?
Making entirely new circuits made it riskier?
Nurse left. Trembling, a voice piped up beside me.
"Told ya, Seong-hoon."
Hold up. Can't move today, right?
"Nursing's on me. Long as you don't fingerpaint the walls, I'll—"
"Lachesis."
[Nya?]
"Call the nurse back. Change caregiver. Can't trust. Please."
Please. Desperate plea, and a face entered view.
Puffed cheeks, scowling blonde.
"Lachesis is Team Me. Don't worry. I'll take gooood care of you~."
Nurse.
"Nurse!!"
The angel's murdering me!!