Chapter 273
Chapter 273
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 273
Chapter Title: Rematch (2)
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Hesperon activated "Hypersensitivity" as well, swiftly scanning his surroundings to assess the situation.
'Jeron outskirts, slums. No other people nearby... A barrier? They must have planned this from the start.'
No matter how bustling a city was, there were always shadows where the outcasts gathered.
And the place he was in right now was exactly that.
It was a crime-ridden district on the outskirts of the capital, like the grand temple but quite a distance away, with poor surroundings and security.
'This wasn't improvised. Digging a trap here and waiting means they predicted my every move.'
His gaze then shifted to the thirty or so masked figures surrounding him from all sides.
Even to Hesperon's senses, which hadn't fully matured yet, their sharp auras were vividly felt, reeking of those who lived in the shadows.
'Assassins? No, not just them. There are aura users, and even mages mixed in.'
No one could casually command a group like that.
Especially not in the capital, slums or not, with a barrier deployed for an ambush like this.
Finally, his eyes turned to the only man not wearing a mask.
In truth, he was the biggest problem here.
"Long time no see, Sir Starb. ...Or are you not a 'sir' anymore?"
A master-level warrior and former Imperial Guard Captain, Starb.
Hesperon had thought Riley had dealt with him long ago and buried the body since she hadn't mentioned anything, but somehow he'd slipped away.
"Heh—yeah, it's been a while. Good to see that face again. I really missed it. Thanks to you, I had quite the precious experience."
Starb let out a scoffing laugh in response to Hesperon's cheeky greeting.
What he meant by "experience" was easy enough to guess from his appearance.
'He definitely went through a lot.'
The sturdy, muscular body befitting a knight at the pinnacle was shrunken and pathetic now.
His complexion was haggard from rapid aging, malnutrition, fatigue, and more.
And above all...
"Pfft—meeting like this feels like a comedy skit. What a joke."
His right arm severed from the shoulder, a leather eyepatch over his right eye.
And traces of torture marked his body everywhere.
He'd received some treatment, apparently, but the damage was so severe that the deficits and aftereffects were plainly visible.
"Doesn't look like you escaped alone. Those friends helped, huh?"
Anyone could see he'd been imprisoned somewhere for a long time and barely escaped. Hesperon tossed the words out casually.
He had a rough idea of the situation but wanted confirmation.
"...You're really the same guy as before. That power's unusual too. Not black magic or abyss energy—pure curse."
But Starb just stared at him oddly and spouted nonsense.
Shing—
Then he brought his left hand—with only three fingers remaining—to his waist and slowly drew his sword.
"I want to cut you down right now, but I made a promise, so I'll hold back."
Dark energy rose along his blade like eerie flames.
A destructive, sinister energy utterly different from the aura he'd wielded before—black magic.
"......!"
The moment Hesperon sensed that energy's flow,
he moved on instinct.
He twisted his body and thrust his right hand forward.
As the black energy coiled around his arm pointed straight ahead—
Boom—!
"Kuh!"
It collided with the black magic surging right up to his face, sending shockwaves blasting outward.
"Tch, I was aiming for the shoulder. Still not used to this."
The one-armed dark knight muttered in dissatisfaction.
Hesperon, who'd retreated in an instant with covert body-enhancement support magic, furrowed his brow.
He'd blocked the surprise attack, but the impact was bigger than expected—his arm tingled from absorbing it.
Black magic was inherently aggressive, so even his "Right Arm of Craving", specialized in offense, couldn't fully neutralize the shock.
'A phoenix even in decay, huh?'
His aura core must have been damaged, so he'd taken in black magic instead...
True to his status as a top pinnacle expert, he'd adapted quickly, and the power was immense.
'Still, he's definitely weaker than before, so maybe I can hold out. The problem's those guys.'
Just then, some of the masked figures around them began moving to support Starb.
Most still held position to block escape routes, but extra interference in this dire situation was never good news.
'"Hero's Footsteps" isn't ready yet. My only evasion left is unsummoning, but...'
He'd sent Harley to Tarak to hunt revolutionaries, waited out the cooldown, and sent him south again just recently.
But "Otherworld Teleportation Circle Summon" still had over a day of cooldown left, so unsummoning recklessly was risky.
As he pondered his options,
-Heron? Something wrong?
Riley's signal came through "Chains of Oath", ignoring the spatial movement and communication-blocking barrier the masks had set up.
She must have faintly sensed the clash earlier, her tone full of worry.
-Ah! Riley. Big trouble here!
And Hesperon,
without a moment's hesitation, quickly informed her of his predicament.
'She's involved too, so of course she needs to know! This is me getting swept up instead.'
The ambush right after she left, and from Starb's words, their goal was to capture Hesperon hostage.
So their intent was obvious, right?
-Starb's there?
Her voice turned icy cold after hearing the full story so quickly.
A chilling aura she'd never shown Hesperon before.
-So that bastard's alive?
-Uh... he's pretty beat up, but yeah, alive.
-Ha! ...Embarrassing. I thought I had it under control, but rats were still hiding. Makes sense—it's not been that long since I took the reins. ...Lots to clean up ahead.
She'd apparently thought Starb was already dead.
They'd hidden him in an unofficial spot for "interrogation" as a stress outlet, but someone exploited the gap when her forces suddenly grew.
A annoyed sigh mixed with irritation leaked from the other end.
-But Heron, you really okay? If Starb's there...
Then suddenly, her voice turned urgent with concern.
No matter the physical damage, his realm's prowess didn't vanish.
Besides, hadn't she seen firsthand how he'd barely escaped, teetering on death's door?
His eye and arm issues, plus weeks in the hospital—it was natural to worry.
-Well, about that.
And his response to that concern
-Surprisingly, I can hold my own...?
carried an oddly confident tone mismatched to the situation.
***
Scree—
Starb charged with ferocious momentum.
He'd felt it in their first clash, but facing him head-on was still dangerous.
'Then I just won't face him head-on.'
The bracelet on Hesperon's arm emitted a sinister glow.
With it, his reflexes surged beyond limits like a runaway engine.
It had the same outstanding effects as before but bore a deadly curse—yet he used it without the slightest hesitation.
'Kuh, this thing's killer.'
His "Curse Predator" devoured them all, turning them into his own power.
But that alone couldn't shake off a realm-reaching dark knight.
The black magic-infused sword closed in on his face in an instant.
Crash—!
Just before impact, it shattered a barrier in midair, failing to slice his body and leaving only a shockwave.
"Ugh!"
Hesperon, caught in the aftermath, flew back with a grimace.
His guts churned from the jolt, but it beat getting directly slashed by that wicked blade.
Having bought a brief moment from Starb's pursuit, he flicked his fingers lightly again.
Dozens of black threads materialized hazily in the air, yanking his body upward swiftly as if seized.
"Grr—again! So annoying, you clown!"
Starb, missing his chance once more, gnashed his teeth and swung his sword irritably.
Conversely, Hesperon sighed in relief as the protective ring crumbled to dust after serving its purpose.
'Whew, close one.'
Shiiik—
Each finger twitch pulled threads from dispersed energy around him, propelling his body.
It granted not just speed, but free, ever-changing aerial maneuvers.
'Mobility via curse concealment and materialization. First time in real combat—uses more mental power than expected.'
Curses excelled in stealth above all.
Intangible, uncuttable by normal means; even purging ambient curses with energy only bought time, endlessly repaired by "Right Arm of Craving".
'And that time buys me enough to endure with artifacts and stats.'
Plus, consumed curses could be replenished via artifacts.
'Worth the prep sprinkling them everywhere from the start.'
A limited space, a sliver of time.
This area was already his curse-woven spiderweb.
Of course, a grand spell leveling the district would be trouble, but no one here wielded that caliber—no big worry.
'Here it comes again.'
His gaze snapped sideways.
He'd gained some distance via mobility advantage, but his foes weren't just Starb.
Shwaaak!
A masked figure lunged, predicting his path, swinging a sword.
Unlike their initial quiet deference to Starb, this one was aggressive.
'But at this level...
Curses were inherently offensive and harmful by nature.
Using them for mobility was secondary.
The mask closed in.
Hesperon thrust his right hand toward him
and clenched his fist.
"......!"
And simultaneously,
hundreds of black threads linked to his hand manifested around the foe.
Then,
Splat—!
They constricted toward the center in an instant, spraying a mist of blood.
Not mere physical force from materialization, but a curse eroding resistance and defense to extremes—curse kill.
Near-fatal to any without sufficient realm or ability-based immunity.
'Of course, it guzzles energy.'
Roar—!
Right after claiming a life, the black flames coiling his arm formed a shape.
A serpentine body, head protruding at shoulder height.
A black dragon with upward horns and lush mane bared its fangs in satisfaction, sharp eyes gleaming.
Devouring the grudge clinging to that final breath.
"You bastard—!"
"Eek."
Crunch—!
Boom!
Hesperon hurriedly leaped away, dodging Starb's black magic devastating the area.
While donning more curse artifacts supplied by "Avatar Cloud".
-Heron, really okay? Can't spatial jump like last time? No, maybe I should head back...
Then Riley's voice returned, the brief combat-induced silence broken.
Her soft tone, devoid now of menace, brimmed only with worry and anxiety.
-No, it'd look bad if the representative did that. I'm fine for now. Guess I've grown more than I thought. Might even escape solo?
The Growth Potion (7 Days) (200,000) chugged religiously paid off.
Bridging realm gaps with cash—what a glorious capitalist miracle?
Karma Shop forever.
-Whew—you said Jeron southeast slums?
-Huh? Yeah...
-Don't push to escape alone. Focus on holding out. Sending people soon.
But Riley's response to his confidence was firm resolve.
-Should've swept them all clean from the start...
Something ominous followed, but he was too busy handling Starb's renewed pursuit to catch it.
'Potion effects plus real combat—growth speed's insane!'
No time for trivia amid skyrocketing proficiency gains.