Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Off to Steal Again Today
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Thud!
Another black mage collapsed.
This was the last one.
'Lucky they have no combat experience.'
That was why they'd blindly cast Dark Tendrils without a second thought.
Without realizing it was aimed at their own allies.
Thanks to that, Luke had taken them out with relative ease.
"Grrr!"
"Kieee!"
Luke turned his head.
Test subjects baring their fangs in vengeful fury came into view.
'Hmm.'
Of course, those glares weren't directed at him.
They were fixed solely on the now-corpse black mages.
So Luke had tactfully stepped aside.
"Chiiik, chiiiik!"
"Krwang!"
Letting them vent as much as they wanted.
'A bit disappointing no magic artifacts dropped...'
Still, with a Unique-grade item, that was forgivable.
Besides, that orb itself was basically a magic artifact.
A highly dangerous one that produced poison, no less.
The one-of-a-kind item on the entire Agas continent.
'Grab it and get out.'
Now that the mansion was in chaos was the perfect chance.
Luke reached for the altar with that thought.
+ All Stats +3
+ Skill Points +3
'Holy shit!'
A curse slipped out involuntarily.
Three times.
Three level-ups from a single theft.
'Unique-grade lives up to the hype. Steal EXP jackpot too?!'
Luke inwardly cheered as he checked the orb's info again.
'Poison it is.'
The problem was, even the description didn't reveal its use.
'Can't extract poison like the black mages.'
He didn't even know how.
But then.
'Huh? This...'
His eyes narrowed at a belated message.
What was this?
Completely unexpected.
Luke stared blankly for a moment before snapping back.
'Check it after escaping.'
The instant he turned.
Crack!
Bone walls erupted from the floor.
Blocking the stairs.
Luke's face stiffened as he slowly turned.
"Did I show up at a bad time?"
A man in red robes stood with arms outstretched.
"Yeah, looks like it."
"......"
The black mages' master.
Named NPC Legul.
Black aura rising around his form.
Even at a glance, this black mage was no ordinary foe.
'Boss time.'
Luke had half-expected it.
The test subjects' escape had stirred up the underground and even the mansion above.
So he'd naturally drawn Braincleaver and assumed combat stance.
"Heard the commotion in the mansion and came to check. Turns out a rat sneaked in. Who sent you?"
Legul scanned the floor.
"No way you pulled this off solo."
I did it solo.
"Doesn't make sense to infiltrate for some petty greed."
That's exactly why I came.
Unaware, Legul jumped to conclusions and pressed on.
"I'll ask again. Who sent you?"
"......"
"Magic Council? Holy Empire? Royal Knights? Or..."
Red eyes gleamed through his robe.
"The royals?"
"...!"
Luke flinched for the first time.
The royals, mentioned in the sudden quest.
"Knew it."
Missing the point, Legul smirked again.
"The royal secret org Hayes. You thought I didn't know about you lot?"
Secret organization?
What was he talking about?
"Always meddling in my business. You've ruined more than a few plans. I half-expected your interference this time too, but..."
Whoosh!
Black aura surged more viciously.
"To botch it all because of one guy..."
Thick smoke billowed around them.
No, fog.
Black Fog.
A black magic spell that blocked vision and dealt continuous magic damage.
"Don't dream of leaving alive!"
"...!"
Here it comes.
Bone Lances charging through the fog.
The caster could see perfectly within, launching them on flawless trajectories.
'Idiot.'
But Luke sneered instead.
Whoosh!
Whoosh whoosh!
Boom, kabaaam!
Multiple times in succession.
Luke effortlessly dodged Legul's unseen spells.
"How?!"
How? Your vision range and minimap dots.
Luke stomped, seeking an opening.
'Hit him critically while he's complacent.'
Long fight against unknown mana reserves was a gamble.
Plus, these spells dwarfed the others' in scale.
One hit and game over.
'Guards could come underground anytime.'
End it fast.
'Left!'
Luke darted along Legul's path.
Clang!
Too tough for one shot?
Legul had instantly layered shields to block the blade.
Master-class cast speed.
"You pinpointed my position...?"
"Tch."
"Detection ability, huh. Close call."
"Shut your yapping already."
"What?"
Clang!
Horizontal to vertical.
Clang!
Overhead to low.
Clang, kaaaang!
Mid to diagonal.
Unpredictable strikes made Legul shrink back.
'Th-this...!'
Not weak either.
Crackle!
Lightning from the blade, plus raw power.
Paths pierced shields at weak mana spots.
'Dangerous!'
Close range was suicide.
Legul switched plans.
Whoosh!
Fog receded.
Bone walls rose instead.
Distance restored, he throttled mana to minimum.
Conserve mana.
Block paths.
Mages' long-game style.
Legul embodied it.
'Unlike his minions, this guy's fight-savvy.'
Luke's head hurt.
Closing distance was hard enough; now this.
Legul hid behind walls, lobbing baseball-sized Dark Balls.
Whoosh whoosh!
Incoming.
From all sides.
Low power individually, but not ignorable.
Especially with lowered magic resistance from the aura.
'Tch!'
Luke sidestepped into flanks.
Crack!
Bone walls blocked even that.
Bone Will foiled it.
Pop pop pop!
Innocent test subjects burst instead.
'Stay like this, and I'll end up like them.'
Find a way.
Before HP drops.
'Exit's walled to the ceiling.'
Other path blatantly blocked by Legul.
'Silver lining...'
Bone Walls didn't quite touch the ceiling.
And Legul wasn't shielding, focused elsewhere.
'Bone Wall's terrain.'
Parkour markers confirmed it.
[Throwing Daggers x3]
Three left.
Throw to critically wound him.
How?
Parkour over Bone Walls.
But could three inflict critical damage?
'Accuracy's iffy.'
Fail once, he'd adapt.
One shot.
Max damage with three.
'Human bonus is 100%, but level gap...'
Named NPC means tanky HP/mana.
'Boost power somehow.'
Luke leaped, pondering.
Then.
'Huh?'
Something on the floor caught his eye.
'Absolutely... no mercy! Won't let him leave alive!'
This experiment was his life's work.
Couldn't let one punk ruin it.
Kill him here.
Reclaim the hard-won Source of Poison.
"Give up, Hayes."
"......"
"No chance for you!"
Silence.
'What?'
Planned to peek and Dark Ball.
But no movement from behind the wall.
'No way he gives up easy.'
Weird.
But no dismantling Bone Wall.
'Pinned his paths; no need.'
Blocked exit means he'll flank eventually.
Legul prepped Dark Balls.
Tat tat tat!
Ominous footsteps beyond the wall.
'Hm?!'
There.
Parkouring over like a flying squirrel.
Daggers in both hands, midair drop.
"Wha-!"
Legul spotted him, hastily shielding—too late.
Pfsh!
Two daggers sank into shoulder and gut.
'But...!'
Legul smirked through pain.
Shallow.
Blades not deep.
That was enough.
'This pain...'
Bearable.
Crack!
Ignoring burning agony, he cast Bone Wall again.
Taller, to the ceiling.
Paused Dark Balls, full focus on shield.
"Kuhuhu, too bad. Seemed like your ace."
"Hmm."
"Unexpected, but these wounds won't kill me. Won't work twice."
"Guess not."
Victory.
Now finish him, reclaim Source.
Half minions dead, but replaceable.
"Admit defeat, Hayes. Surrender and beg, and maybe..."
"Hey, you okay?"
"...?"
What?
Okay how?
Random question threw Legul off.
But.
'Don't flinch. Cornered rat's bluff. Empty bravado.'
He recomposed, smiling.
"That bluff won't..."
"The daggers I threw."
"Daggers?"
"Coated 'em in your experiment chems. Saw my hand melting, tossed quick. You good?"
Legul blankly looked down.
Bubble bubble!
Visible.
Entry wounds.
Body corroding from there.
"Ahh."
"Undead resist normal stuff, but Source-extracted deadly poison hits black mages too, right?"
"N-no way."
Flasks on the floor caught his eye late.
Mixed poison reagents from the experiment.