Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Keep Cursing
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In the cave sparkling with purple light.
The man stopped the hand that had been drawing the hexagram. At the same moment, his thoughts ground to a halt. He couldn't comprehend the situation.
"Does this make any sense?"
It didn't. It was an impossible scenario. Even an active hero wouldn't stand a chance—it had been that perfect.
Due to the island's nature, even if one adapted, they couldn't bring out their full strength. That's the kind of place it was. Mana crushed down on the flesh.
It disrupted magic. It made breathing come in rapid gasps.
And that wasn't all. The barrier now enveloping the island, along with the rising red moon, amplified the demonic energy.
Rampaging demonic energy, supplies meant for consumption made from human bones, shadows pouring out endlessly.
As long as the red moon hung in the sky, they wouldn't disappear. Once the demonic energy went berserk, physical or magical damage couldn't kill them.
He had orchestrated the entire situation. Even a cleric from the church couldn't have handled it.
And yet.
What the hell was this? If things had gone according to plan, the only living being left on the island right now should have been this one man.
Lee Seong-hoon, the instructors under his control, the civilians cleaning up—everyone except the one brown-haired girl who could turn back time. All dead.
Then, sealing the 'contract' here would have been perfect. End of story.
He could have caught two—no, three birds with one stone. He almost had.
"Not even one, let alone all of them."
Not a single soul had come into his grasp. He knew why. He was seeing through the eyes of a human under another dominion.
The swarming shadows were completely gone now.
Every time the black-haired one swung her scythe, every time the blonde threw a punch, the shadows vanished.
She killed warriors ignorant of death. Like teaching arithmetic to a child.
She instilled the concept of death effortlessly. The red moon floating above shone pathetically.
"I tried to rush it too much."
He should have focused on Lee Seong-hoon. It was greed. The man was human, yet he had survived being marked by demons, half-demons, and vampires.
Ignoring that fact and getting blinded by immediate gains had led to this disaster. He'd wasted one human under his control and a massive offering in the process.
"If I'd targeted Lee Seong-hoon with that, I could've killed him ten thousand times over."
Should have done it myself from the start. The man let out a deep sigh and refocused his mind. The hexagram he'd been drawing was long abandoned.
'This time, focus on Lee Seong-hoon.'
There weren't many offerings left. Only two humans under his control. One had to perform 'work' here.
'Direct intervention is difficult.'
If the 'work' was complete, maybe, but otherwise, the barrier outside made it impossible.
The plan was already derailed, and he couldn't stop midway. Kill Lee Seong-hoon first, then slowly correct the messed-up plan.
With that thought, the man switched to controlling a different human.
His vision flickered. Only one target.
The man began walking toward his goal.
Oblivious to someone entering the amethyst cave sparkling with purple light.
"I didn't ask for your help."
"If I hadn't helped."
"I'd have cut off your arm and counterattacked."
Oh, really now. I approached Shin Chae-yeon, who was still trembling. Even after I helped, she's like this.
A simple 'thank you' feels like it'd make thorns sprout. It's like she's seeing a blonde from overseas or something.
"...What."
She couldn't meet my eyes. When I leaned in toward the direction she was avoiding, I saw her face slightly flushed.
Shin Chae-yeon freaked out and backed away as our eyes met—kinda hurts my feelings.
"Wh-what?"
"Nothing. Just nothing much."
I grinned. Looks like she's embarrassed about trembling in front of the monster I killed in two hits. But that's not my problem.
"Where's the thank you?"
If someone saves you, shouldn't 'thank you' come first? Isn't that right? From a land of etiquette and manners, and she doesn't know that?
Normally, I'd hear a 'wow' or 'here we go again' from the side, but without it, it feels kinda empty.
"I said I didn't need help?"
"Really?"
Nod.
Instead of words, she nodded, so I rested my chin on my hand and followed her gaze.
Ducked left, then right. I kept shoving my face into her shifting line of sight.
"Really?"
"For real?"
"Lielly?"
"Not even a tiny bit grateful?"
Chasing her as she kept turning away, I noticed her fists starting to tremble.
Her face was even redder than before. Just say thank you—it's that simple.
What's the problem?
"Everyone I helped on the way here said thanks, but even a prestigious swordsmanship family advanced in meditation and martial arts is ultimately tainted by vanity~"
I saw her flinch at my words. Yeah. If you're gonna drag your family into it, at least say thanks. Don't tarnish the family name.
Come on. Say it.
Tell me you're grateful.
"Tha..."
"Tha?"
She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip hard. Sorry, but is saying thanks to me such a humiliation?
"Than─"
It was in that instant.
A blue window flooded my vision, and the pendant around my neck went berserk.
I covered Shin Chae-yeon's mouth mid-sentence and looked where the pendant pointed. There stood a man bathed in the light from the red moon.
Haggard face, dark circles down to his cheeks, mismatched pupils.
Yet his gaze was fixed precisely on me.
"Uh... hello?"
Did he like my greeting? The man reached out his hand.
"What are you doing?"
"Waving. Sign of friendliness."
Right? I waved back wildly, refusing to lose. But reality is reality, no escaping it.
The man's outstretched hand twisted grotesquely. The sound was anything but normal.
Shin Chae-yeon was already covering her ears and grimacing.
Crack—! Cruuuunch—!!
Maybe recording this and playing it whenever upstairs makes noise would solve the noise complaints.
Not the time for that. I readjusted my grip on the scythe.
No matter how I looked at it, this was a Sacrificial Rite. The most efficient kind—offering the caster's own flesh as tribute.
The target was probably...
"Me, right?"
The cat on my shoulder nodded. The auntie earlier, this uncle now.
They keep showing up wherever I am. Definitely targeting me.
"This is why celebrities have it rough."
Countering is simple. Strike before the sacrifice completes. I pulled the scythe back and hurled it forward fiercely.
I ignored the windows popping up afterward. The scythe flew. Straight for the neck—
"Huh?"
It didn't fly. The man just glared once, and it tumbled to the ground.
Now I can't even retrieve it. The correction activated—how could it fail—
"Crazy bastard."
Sacrifices a finger just to block one attack? Ah, it's not his body, so he doesn't care. Poor the one being controlled.
Anyway, what now? Can't fight without my scythe. I hurriedly opened my Inventory, but the man didn't wait.
Ah. We're screwed.
Crack— Crunnnch—!!
The second hand twisted without fail. No gaps given—the breaking hand was faster than me pulling out a practice scythe.
Super Sense warned me. My skin prickled.
The hand fully twisted. Grotesquely reversed in a way no sane mind could witness.
The sound stopped. Then his mouth opened.
"Heart."
Thump—!!
The moment the man uttered the word, agony pierced my heart. Pain like it was being crushed spread through my body.
However.
It was truly just an instant. Hurt for a second, then fine. I glanced between the blue window and the man.
The man looked at me too. Our eyes met.
About three seconds of silence.
I spoke first.
"Hey. Curse me more."
As if in disbelief, the man's hand twisted again. Getting used to the sound now.
I walked slowly. Naturally toward where Death Reaper lay.
Even as I walked, the man's hand kept twisting. Touching his ribs too—gonna sacrifice those as well?
What's this body's owner guilty of?
I walked. Gripped Death Reaper. A smile played on my lips.
"Hey. I told you to curse—why keep breaking arms?"
"Im... impossible."
I spun Death Reaper. The scythe let out an eerie sound. The man staggered back in retreat.
Yet he kept twisting the hand. This time, three at once.
Ugh. That hurts.
Despite his efforts, blue windows kept appearing before me.
"Should've come in your real body. Keep breaking arms, and you can't curse anymore?"
Even the three-part one was blocked. The man tried to block my approach with his hand.
"W-wait!!"
What now.
"This body hasn't died yet!! If it escapes my control, it can live. Y-you'd still kill it? Even so, murder is—"
"What are you on about."
Who're you trying to fool? He's obviously already used up the soul thriftily. Even if alive...
"Not my problem."
Right? I smiled and decapitated him. Blood spurted as the head flew into the air.
I could see the panicked expression. From the rite failing to me killing without hesitation—nothing made sense to him, huh.
But what can you do. I'm not some saint who cares about strangers' lives.
Leave that to kids like Kim Tae-hyun. I'm busy protecting my own neck.
You should be grateful to me instead. I sent you off painlessly.
I pulled a crossbow from my Inventory. Who knows what a severed head might do.
What if it spits the same crap as a last gasp.
I aimed. The crossbow's skill activated—auto-aim, reload, arrow generation complete. Just pull the trigger.
"Hey."
Called out, and our eyes met. See? Head gone, still alive.
I grinned at the panicked guy.
"If you're pissed, come in your real body."
"I've come too far."
Still, I must've killed at least 50. With this, I can eat Lee Seong-hoon's breakfast every day and head out.
Aah. Goodbye, days of starving. Welcome, full-bellied future!
Raphael hummed as she ran. Gotta hurry to Lee Seong-hoon and ask how many he got.
She followed the faintly lingering demonic energy. It was getting thicker—meaning the kills were recent.
Follow this, and she'll find Lee Seong-hoon—
Boom—!!!
"Huh?"
Raphael looked up at the explosion. Fireworks-like blasts erupted wildly in the sky.
"Again."
Only one person would pull this. Raphael ran. Can't just watch.
"Having fun without me again!!!"
Not forgiving this.