Chapter 158
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Low Level
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Even without using the Absolute Ring Set, Berrick fell for the verbal provocation far too easily and let out a roar.
─Awooooo~!!
─I'll kill you! Starnassila Alzen! I'll rip that arrogant mouth of yours to shreds!!
The wolf's howl and Berrick's voice echoed out at the same time, making it hard to make out the words.
That said, is that wolf really under Berrick's control...? To be honest, it looks more like the wolf monster swallowed Berrick whole, creating a bit of cognitive dissonance in the scene.
"Sigh... Hoo..."
I exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke and glanced at the battlefield.
"Kuhahaha!!"
"Krwooooh!!"
"Spatter blood! Slam into their flesh!!"
"The warrior's path lies only atop the blade! Glory awaits in the deathmatch!!"
The barbarian warriors were fighting the werewolves with eyes rolled back in frenzy, regardless of the massive wolf's appearance.
However, they could no longer maintain their overwhelming advantage like before.
The moment Starnassila Berrick burst onto the scene, the attention of the Master-level experts had scattered sharply.
"...Latifi."
"Yes, Lord Alzen. Give me any order you wish."
The moment I called her name, Latifi bowed deeply, her eyes sparkling and long ears perked up eagerly.
She seemed to see this as her chance to shine, brimming with motivation.
"Can you hit the guy buried in that giant wolf's forehead?"
"That's easy!"
"...That's easy?"
I glanced over at the mountain of a wolf.
Due to the distance, Berrick's head protruding from the wolf's forehead looked no bigger than a pinhead.
"Of course! If you wish, I can shoot him right now!"
"Hoo... Impressive, Latifi."
"Y-You're too kind!"
I gently stroked her soft golden hair, and Latifi blushed, grinning widely as her ears twitched vigorously back and forth.
"Then, could I ask you to do it? Give him a strong one."
"Yes!"
Latifi nocked an arrow and drew her bow in a picture-perfect motion, the bowstring bending to an alarming degree with its distinctive creak.
Despite the immense tension, her body showed not the slightest tremor.
─An arrow? You think a mere arrow can do anything to me!? Foolish, Alzen! You still don't know what power I've gained!
We could hear Berrick's flippant laughter and words as if he were watching our every move, but neither Latifi nor I paid it any mind.
Whoooosh—
"Oh..."
In the next instant, an enormous amount of aura and spirit power swirled into the arrow.
It whipped up a vortex around her, as if she were the center of the world.
"...Hngh!"
The moment she held her breath, the arrow shot out without a sound, shrinking to a point.
...KABOOM!!
"Whoa...!"
No, it wasn't silent—the arrow was just so fast that the sound arrived late.
Murel quickly caught me as my staggering body nearly toppled over.
Is it even possible to unleash that kind of power with a wooden bow?
This world has way too many people defying the laws of physics.
─Kuhahaha! As if!! You thought that paltry attack could harm this body!?
I turned at the confident voice to see a fierce clash of forces right in front of Berrick's brow.
Sparks flew as far as the eye could see from the clash between a shield of ominous energy—seemingly inverted holy power—and the arrow amplified to its limits.
"Hmm..."
Not a skill or gimmick, just pure energy gathered for defense.
Whether it's demonic power or holy power, it doesn't matter if it's not a divine authority.
─Hngh!!
The beast grunted and deflected the arrow, glaring at us with blazing eyes.
The giant wolf followed suit, rolling its eyes toward us, wrinkling its snout, and baring its fangs.
─Is that elf beside you a Master too? You sure have good luck! To have three Masters under your command already! That elf must be your trump card!
"...Huh?"
I tilted my head and looked at him.
The distance made it hard to read his expression, but the overconfident smirk was a sight to behold.
─Shocked that your attack was blocked? Fair enough! Even the emperor couldn't block that easily! You had every reason to be confident! But... heh heh heh...!
The bastard chuckled lowly, as if joy and ecstasy were welling up inside him, twisting his lips wide.
─That much can't touch me now! Human standards mean nothing to me! I have become a transcendent being! Hahaha! As a false prophet, let me prophesy in your stead! You shall despair! All your means will be in vain! In the end, defeated, you will grovel at my feet, begging for your life!
"Heh... Quite confident, aren't you, Berrick? You think you can handle three Masters?"
─Can't believe it? Understandable! I can hardly believe my own power! Witness it with your own eyes and tremble! See how strong I've become! What power I now wield!
The moment his shout ended, the giant wolf raised its muzzle high.
─Awooooo—!!
"Again with this...!"
I gritted my teeth against the earth-shaking storm of fury sweeping the ground, but blood still seeped from my eyes and nose.
"...That's annoying. No good way to block it either. Lord Alzen, why not retreat into the carriage?"
"Ha, Murel. You think I'd do that just because you say so?"
"Sigh... I didn't really expect you to."
Murel gently wiped the blood with a handkerchief, her eyebrows raised in mild annoyance.
"Honestly. You're not some kid who won't listen."
Her unexpectedly cute complaint drew an involuntary chuckle from me.
"Ngh...!"
"Ugh..."
"Ah."
This wasn't the time.
I snapped to attention at the groans and quickly checked on Vivian and Arpe.
Fortunately, they seemed fine, but blood was streaming from their eyes and noses.
"...Murel. Take Vivian into the carriage."
"Yes."
"I-I'm fine! Brother... Mmph...!"
Vivian clamped her mouth shut mid-sentence and glanced at me cautiously.
Her frustration was exasperating enough to sigh over, but now wasn't the time to fuss.
"It's an order from your leader. Another howl like that will just waste stamina pointlessly. Get in the carriage."
"...Okay..."
Vivian replied dejectedly and shuffled toward the carriage.
"I'll help you."
Murel swiftly supported her and moved them inside.
"Lord Alzen. What about me?"
"Arpe. You might need to step up soon, so get ready."
"Ugh... I'm bleeding too, you know?"
"You'll live. It's not lethal."
"That's too much! This is favoritism! Favoritism! Even if she's your sister, treating a princess like this...! If I weren't your friend, I'd have slapped you already!"
"Yeah, yeah. Got it."
"Ugh, seriously...!"
I ignored Arpe's grumbling and surveyed the battlefield.
"Kwaaaang!!"
"Kyaaa!!"
Whether due to the giant wolf's roar or not, the werewolf horde had grown fiercer, relentlessly pressing the barbarian warriors.
Even with Charhella fighting fiercely without hiding her power—unlike the other Masters—they were being pushed back overall.
"Divine authority...?"
No, perhaps just a simple buff.
Assuming the giant wolf is Kubel, it could be divine authority, but with Berrick as the controller, that's unlikely.
Not that I can rule it out entirely... but it doesn't matter.
If he's too dumb to even count the Masters on the field, defeat is inevitable.
─Kuhahaha! Bleeding from just a howl? Pathetic weaklings! Starnassila Alzen!
"Hoo... Happy to make your little sister nosebleed, huh? What an asshole personality."
I mocked him and focused my mind on the Absolute Ring Set.
"But how long are you gonna just laugh from there? Remote talk is fun and novel, but after all that boasting, when are you gonna charge in?"
─...What?
He must have expected me cowering in terror.
How full of himself do you have to be to think everything goes your way...? It's almost pitiful.
Well, I get it.
Having gained the ability to wield a god's... corpse with a human body would excite anyone, even me.
But letting him keep it is another story.
"Shut up and come here."
The moment I focused on the Absolute Taunt Ring, a thin red line of energy pierced space and settled on the giant wolf.
Absolute Taunt Ring
Target locked. Compelled to attack.
─Kyaaaa!!
─Krgh!? W-What!? Control...! S-Stop! It's not time yet!
The panicked beast clenched its teeth, desperately trying to regain control, but the giant wolf's eyes blazed with killing intent solely for me as it charged.
"...So the body is one, but the minds are separate?"
I tilted my head at the ridiculous sight, smirking slightly as I issued commands to the group via telepathy.
-Everyone, prepare. Pour all firepower right after my counter. Arpe, get buffs ready.
-Understood.
-Leave it to me!
-We'll move fast.
I looked up at the now-approaching wolf as their voices echoed in my mind.
Fwoooosh!
The wolf charged, wrapped in ominous energy, like a runaway drill in its momentum.
─Krwooooh!!
─I said stop!! We can't kill him this easily!!
As Berrick's pathetic scream rang out, the wolf's maw gaped wide upon reaching me, poised to swallow me whole.
At that instant, the purple energy of the Absolute Evasion Ring enveloped my body.
Absolute Evasion Ring
Evasion successful. Body bends unnaturally.
Shrrrk! Skrrrk!
With the ever-strange sound effect, my limply bending body effortlessly dodged the jaws that could pulverize rock.
─Wha...!?
Berrick's face twisted in shock; he'd been certain I'd die.
"Double it."
Ku-KABOOM!!
The moment the black energy of the Absolute Counter Ring burst forth, the mountain-sized wolf was flung back at exactly twice its charging speed.
Absolute Counter Ring
Counter damage: 200% of incoming attack.
─Kraaaagh!?
I heard Berrick's wretched scream and sent a telepathic order to the group.
-Now. Everyone, attack.
"Haaap!!"
"Hngh!"
"Haat!"
Rebecca charged in first with gusto, followed by Murel, Nemes, Wendy, Lira, and Kachiora's Aura Blades extending like whips, curving toward the giant wolf.
Latifi's arrow targeted Berrick's head once more.
─Krghh!? W-What...!?
"Oh... impressive?"
Surprisingly, Berrick blocked every attack.
He panted heavily, clearly strained, but fending off seven Masters was no small feat.
─Urgh... Raaagh!
Kwachaboom!!
Berrick blasted out energy to deflect the Aura Blades and arrow simultaneously, then hastily raised the wolf's body with a dismayed look.
─W-What!? How! How are there so many Masters!?
"Tell me about it. It just kinda happened."
─Tch...!
Finally, his expression turned as if doused with cold water, shedding his elation at his new power and facing reality as he scanned for escape routes desperately.
"Arpe. Use the Open Birdcage."
"Yes."
She pulled out the cube-shaped relic, the Open Birdcage, and activated it without hesitation. The surrounding space stretched like taffy, expanding infinitely.
─What now...!?
"No running away. Gotta have some fun with my brother after so long, right?"
─You bastard...! Starnassila Alzeeeen!!
Berrick's furious shout reverberated loudly.
I listened with pleasure, grinning ear to ear.
"Whoa... That's one evil-looking face..."
I pretended not to hear Arpe's voice from beside me.