Chapter 49
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Greed
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Several days earlier.
While Cloi was busy preparing for the auction, she called out to Jun.
"I've got some pretty useful intel. I tailed the guys who've been obsessively gathering info on our guild lately."
"You pinpoint who the enemy is?"
"Not a hundred percent sure, but I've narrowed it down."
The name that came from her mouth was one Jun had heard of before—a merchant guild.
"Arovati Merchant Guild? The ones who do regular deals with the Mage Towers, right?"
"You know your stuff."
It wasn't on the level of the Gilenoi Merchant Guild on the surface, but within Blackout, they were a major player.
Back in his 'Lee Jung-jun' days, he'd looked into them beforehand to snag a grimoire from one of their auctions hosted by a Mage Tower.
"Is the Mage Tower connected to them the one called this?"
"Volcanic Mage Tower?"
Adrian's eyes flickered with unease for a split second at Jun's question, but he quickly smoothed his expression as if nothing was wrong and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Not bad for a couple of nobodies—you know a bit about Mage Towers. But hey, no idea what you're talking about."
"Hah."
Was he trying to hide his identity now, of all times?
But it was a smart move.
For now, they only had suspicions—no hard proof.
After all, were the Volcanic Mage Tower the only ones who handled fire magic?
So, the conversation ended there.
"Let's play, then!!"
A no-holds-barred slaughterfest.
The kind of daily routine that was all too common in the game <Blackout> had now come for Jun in this moment.
'Might actually be for the best.'
Thanks to Cloi, he knew who his enemies were, but they were still lurking in the shadows.
That's why even she couldn't make any bold moves yet.
And right on cue, the enemy had made the first play.
'No clue why they'd choose this, but...!'
If he could capture this guy alive here, the whole incident might resolve far more smoothly than expected.
Whoosh—
Boom!!
Flames summoned once more from Adrian's hand crashed against Jun's <Shield> with a deafening roar.
'The issue is grabbing him alive.'
His opponent was a mage. A battle specialist, at that.
Of course, Jun had his own experience and could counter various combat spells.
But the problem was the guy's circles.
'At least five circles.'
Only from the fifth circle could someone spam <Fireball>—a third-circle spell—like that.
With certain artifacts, maybe mid-fourth, but...
'Most mages need five circles for that.'
A combat-savvy fifth-circle mage.
Meanwhile, Jun was barely at the early fourth.
A clear disadvantage in raw power.
Yet Jun had been holding his own against Adrian so far.
In mage duels, the basics were reading each other's moves.
Spot the opponent's spell patterns and counter accordingly.
But reading someone else's patterns wasn't easy. It required observing, sensing, and analyzing.
'Like solving math problems in a life-or-death fight.'
The circle gap multiplied that difficulty.
However, Jun's [Demon God Body] was a talent that dominated all mana in existence.
In other words, no interference when sensing mana flows. It was as natural as breathing, making him unbeatable in a battle of wits.
But in a pure firepower slugfest, Jun was at a clear disadvantage.
"Thought I'd crush you easily, but you're tougher than expected. Well, Master did say your limbs aren't necessary, so no big deal."
Master?
The word rang alarm bells in Jun's mind.
With it, a massive mana vortex surged from Adrian.
"Too bad—now that you've caught our eye, your talent ends here."
The familiar dread signaled an ominous future without fail.
[Volcanic Tornado]
Fifth-circle spell: Engulfs area in unquenchable flames
Flames erupted around Adrian.
His imagery infused the roaring blaze, spreading through the barrier like wildfire.
Those flames wouldn't die until Jun was neutralized.
As if the prior spell barrage had been mere play.
The moment he got serious, the battlefield filled with an endless vortex of fire.
He extended his hand toward Jun again.
[Multi-Chant]
[Fireball] x Multiple
True to a fifth-circle mage, from the moment he prepped the ambush, he'd locked down the entire field under his calculations.
Even blocking with <Shield> wouldn't save him from the follow-up barrage—no room to dodge.
[Volcanic Tornado] had sealed every direction.
Unavoidable death by flames crept closer.
"They say even the wildest guesses can bite you. Looks like they really showed up."
Late into the night.
The Moonlight Sword, having absorbed the illuminating moonlight, gleamed coldly in the darkness, asserting its presence.
Its wielder, Aiden, gazed down at the bandage-wrapped men crumpled at his feet with icy eyes.
"Maya. You done over there?"
"Yeah."
In the dead of night, Cloi's merchant guild had been raided.
Of all places, right inside Black Forest Fortress.
He dreaded how to explain this to the fortress overseer, Baron Dortagon, but now wasn't the time for answers.
"Aw, what a shame. All our pretty new followers are dead."
A woman emerged from the shadows.
Unlike the other Celestial Cultists, she was wrapped head to toe in black bandages instead of robes, whip in hand, standing before Aiden and Maya.
"Hng. Thought it'd be quick, but you had some hidden blades."
"...Celestial Cult?"
"You recognize us? Hehe. You've got a cute face. Beg for your life, and I might let you join our church. I like pretty ones."
She licked her red lips peeking through the bandages sensually.
But Aiden and Maya just watched her with hardened expressions.
'Can't read her mana...'
Aiden wasn't the only one on edge—Maya was tense too.
"Level 5."
Maya curtly assessed her opponent's level.
A foe at peak Level 5 proficiency.
"I've got a knack for reading eyes. Sadly, you two don't seem interested in joining."
The bandage woman—Illora—decided to make the first move.
Dark crimson mana seeped from her whip.
Unlike the other Celestial Cultists they'd faced, this wasn't unstable aura—it was perfectly formed.
Made sense, perhaps.
Unlike rigid cold weapons, whips were fluid in form.
Unstable aura on such a weapon? Unthinkable.
One slip, and it'd shred him alongside his sword.
"...Maya."
"What?"
"I'll buy time. You finish her."
"...You can manage?"
"Yes."
His voice was firm.
The raid had already claimed many guild staff lives.
Aiden focused on the rage stirring within.
He closed his eyes, drawing up his mana.
Crimson mana slowly seeped from his body.
"...Oh my."
Illora's eyes flashed with wariness.
That vivid crimson.
She knew what it signified.
"Imperial bloodline, huh?"
Illora swung her whip.
Dull light aura tore through the air like a venomous serpent lunging at Aiden.
'Can't see the attack path.'
Too fast, erratic, unpredictable.
But death was all too familiar to Aiden.
He'd felt it from the beastkin knight 'Pride' in the siege.
And countless times since, through various paths.
And above all...
'I can read the killing intent.'
Endless spars with Maya lately, plus [Beast's Body] reacting, moved his arm.
Bang!
The whip ricocheted with a air-splitting crack.
He'd meant to sever it outright, but it didn't cut easily.
"Haha... That mana. Totally unfair, right?"
Just mana-infused, yet it blocked aura!
Impossible under normal rules.
But Aiden's expression remained grim.
'Can't close the distance.'
Blocking was his limit.
The whip's superior range over a sword.
No <Charge> or <Bash> either.
A Level 5 pro like her would read his moves. Her eyes were sharp.
"Hiding so cutely? But big sis sees everything."
Illora lashed out again. The killing intent veered elsewhere—just as someone burst from camouflage there.
Maya, who'd been mimicking her surroundings.
Fooling eyes that spotted even Maya? Impossible for a quick approach.
But there was an opening.
'That last attack was far from Maya.'
Meaning she couldn't perfectly pierce Maya's camouflage.
'Quick and decisive.'
Aiden glanced toward Maya's position, then bolted.
No skills—her whip would counter <Charge> or <Bash>. He propelled himself with mana bursts from his feet.
The speed was impressive enough that Illora whipped at him again.
He blocked once more.
One step closer.
Another lash.
Blocked again.
Unlike swords, whips needed recovery time—he exploited the gaps, inching nearer.
But the closer he got, the more mana drained in chunks.
'Heavy!'
Aura strengthened the nearer to the caster.
His sword hand trembled; finally, his feet stopped.
"Hehe... You've got a talent for thrilling big sis!"
Aiden proved tougher than expected.
And as he'd planned, Illora lost track of Maya.
But she didn't care—she lashed out again.
[Serpent's Fang]
Level 5: Aura forms venomous serpent jaws + Poison effect
A true Level 5—she had skills too.
The aura coiled into a serpent form, jaws agape.
Far more potent than before.
He might've blocked that alone, but...
"Ngh...!"
Mana droplets burst from the whip's tip, splattering his face.
Aiden's face twisted in dismay.
'Poison?!'
Skill effect, no doubt.
A few drops pierced his skin instantly.
A lethal blow.
Instinct screamed to close his eyes, but that meant death.
Air tore past his ears again.
[Charge]
He triggered the skill to evade.
But as expected, her whip pursued, reading even that.
Wind he'd never been caught by before was chased by aura-laced whip.
'Fast!'
[Beast's Body] auto-reacted, raising his arm toward the whip.
Imperial mana blazed crimson, shielding his arm.
His head dodged the hit, but the arm blocking took the brunt—failing to fully stop the aura.
"...!!"
Flesh tore free with muscle.
Nerves shredded below, white bone exposed.
Pain unlike any before surged, but he couldn't afford distraction.
[Charge]
Arm limp and unusable, he activated toward Illora.
Becoming one with the wind, charging.
No sword, no arm—but legs remained.
Illora recovered her whip to swing again, but—
Whoosh!
An air-splitting whistle—not her whip.
Two daggers flew from empty air.
Then Maya dropped camouflage, crouching with dual blades drawn.
Attacks from three directions at once.
"Hup...!"
Faster than the wounded Aiden: the daggers. Faster than them: Maya.
The moment she read all paths, the whip tore air in a dazzling frenzy.
Adrian couldn't stop grinning amid the roaring blaze around him.
[Demon God Body].
A legendary constitution among mages.
Of course, few truly believed the tales.
But Adrian knew better.
It wasn't mere myth.
About a year ago.
The Demian Mage Tower, allied with Volcanic, had fallen.
Adrian had gone there on his master's orders.
And found unbelievable traces.
Mana discharge traces hard to believe came from a human.
Yet unmistakably human-made.
"Demian... that scum. Let a golden opportunity slip through greed."
His master had realized something, heading to Demian Tower with heavy steps.
Studied the lingering mana traces intently.
And that day, reached the seventh circle.
Enlightenment from traces alone.
Adrian, who'd rolled on battlefields for nearly a decade, couldn't hold back curiosity.
"Gramps. What the heck happened there for enlightenment? C'mon, don't hog the good stuff."
"Foolish brat. Even if I told you, your level couldn't grasp it. How could a mere fifth-circle like you comprehend traces of a [Demon God Body]?"
Master wouldn't spill, but left a massive hint.
Demon God Body.
The legendary talent had existed in reality?
Unbelievable, but his now-seventh-circle master vouched for it.
No lies there.
"And it's in that punk?"
He'd thought the traces lost forever. But spotting the necklace on Jun's neck clicked it.
[Odyssey of the Lazy Pilgrim].
The incantation of Demian Tower Lord, long-time friend of his master.
He'd witnessed it cast once—realizing Jun was the owner of the legendary talent Demian had missed.
Soon, neutralize him, extract the heart, study it.
Unravel the secrets of that fabled constitution.
Just imagining sent thrills through his body.
'Such immature trash doesn't deserve that talent.'
So it must become his.
The encroaching flame vortex would make it so.
—Or so it should have.
"Damn fire affinity. This guy's someone I could never get along with."
Jun's voice echoed from the suffocating inferno.
And—
BOOM!!
An explosion that swallowed even the flame vortex erupted.