Chapter 30
Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: The Fading Curse
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“Strange.”
Ruined City of Mariaque's audience chamber.
Erzebet, who had been chugging cola and coffee like water as usual, tilted her head.
“Words are coming out properly?”
Ah, clearing her throat, she could feel it was much smoother.
Erzebet took a few more tense steps forward.
“Good. Happy, huh?”
The words, the language—it was coming out right!
Not perfect sentences yet, but at least as much as she thought.
What was it like before?
Oh excitement and excitement. Nonsense like that got filtered and never left her mouth.
This meant one thing.
“The curse is fading...!”
The curse that had strangled Erzebet was weakening.
“Sniff. Sniff. Sniff. Finally.”
Even if it was still clumsy, this was something.
Erzebet reminisced about the past.
When stakes pierced her heart, or even before that, the distant old days when Mariaque was lively.
Didn't it feel just like back then!
“Cola, coffee. It worked. It weakened the curse.”
There was only one way to break Erzebet's curse.
Drink black water.
Black water naturally meant the blood of the living, and without it, Erzebet felt her whole body tremble in agony.
That's why she couldn't endure it and forced herself to sleep.
Not anymore.
Black water—Judak's cola and coffee had taken its place.
“So, do you get it?”
Erzebet looked down below with an elated face.
There lay the Empire's soldiers, dead or mangled, and Frederick, whose mind had snapped.
And an old human daring to face her.
“Cute?”
The insolent troll Judak had mentioned.
Erzebet smirked mockingly.
“Actually, lie. Not cute. Just kidding. You know?”
“...Monster bitch.”
“Yeah, reflex. Your face.”
In the tension-filled exchange.
The moment Erzebet raised her sickle high to end him without mercy.
Padak vs. Buntang
Who will win?
Vote now!
- Gonna throw one vote at SoonToDieVamp
- Gotta go with the favorite, no question
- Ugh, damn, this is tough
ㄴ Tough? Really?
ㄴ Don't gamble your whole life lol
- Nah, underdog's the way! Go Isaac!!!
ㄴ Wait, you?
ㄴ Voting for Isaac...?
ㄴ Almost said it
ㄴ "Almost said it" counts lol
“...What?”
She spotted the gallery that had turned her rescue appearance into a poll.
Irritation crossed Erzebet's face.
*
“Lord Judak, my deepest apologies... Myo.”
“Knew it would end up like this.”
“Eek! Lord Judak! Just a bit!!!”
A few days living in the rabbitfolk village.
In a moment of carelessness, the mage rabbit beastkin disabled my magic tool and kidnapped me.
Right before it happened, tied tight to a chair in a quiet barn behind a field, Myo appeared.
“Chief's bad! Selfish yaaah!”
“Sometimes residents lose themselves to instinct, and I overlooked it. Myo.”
“Whatever, just hurry up and make me some tickets.”
The rabbit beastkin, eyes rolled back and drooling, was locked in the mill.
There, it would face punishment pounding mortar for the full moon rice cakes, the rabbitfolk's favorite snack.
Anyway, I could join the vote too.
Apparently even Judak could participate in polls with unknown outcomes.
So I invested all my mana dumplings into SoonToDieVamp.
“This is favorite even if they hold a gun to my head.”
Maybe this would level me up?
I spun the hopeful circuit hard.
And as I watched the gallery, the fight soon began.
Title: Dragonkin Showed Up!!!
(GIF of human and elf fist-bumping)
Sorry, pulled aggro just to show this
Padak vs. Buntang fight level for real? Actual top-tier world bosses clashing
- Wtf is this trend now
- No clue anymore
- Thought rare mobs finally crawled out, nope
- So who's winning?
ㄴ Obviously Isaac not getting bit lol, that the question?
ㄴ Nah nah, putting up a real fight
ㄴ What
ㄴ They're dead even right now
ㄴ Isaac's the Empire's best swordsman anyway yeah
- Damn, no idea here
ㄴ Got 500 layers on underdog yo
ㄴ You're insane?
ㄴ Where'd you get those mana dumplings...?
ㄴ If it's not rude, just one can of cola...
“What? Why are they fighting so well?”
I gaped at the GIF of their clash.
Hard to see.
Wind whipping around, shapes of nearby things vanishing.
- No way, why's the duke fighting so good?
ㄴ Was the Empire's prodigy back in the day
ㄴ Turned into a politics zombie with age, joining royals at death's door was the issue
ㄴ SoonToDieVamp vs SoonToDieRoyals ㄷㄷ
- I went favorite
ㄴ Shit losing? I lose everything?
ㄴ You think ghost stories are jokes?
- But I figured duke would fight well
ㄴ Why?
ㄴ Last burst before death, y'know
ㄴ Lmao this guy's the worst
ㄴ Insulting the duke as a daughter-crier?
ㄴ Bald wrinkled politics bug, mocking now?
ㄴ Just posting from behind? Say whatever lol
- Oh, about to end it?
As one gallery user said, it was nearing the finish.
Gasping Isaac and serene SoonToDieVamp.
SoonToDieVamp unleashed what looked like an AoE spell, Isaac barely twisted his body to dodge.
Then closed invisible distance to the opening SoonToDieVamp, who didn't evade.
Clang!
Sword and sickle clashed fiercely.
“But yeah, outcome was obvious.”
It ended in a flash.
When they came to, both stood opposite, silent.
Isaac moved first.
Isaac slowly sheathed his sword.
Thud.
SoonToDieVamp's head slowly fell.
*
- ?
- What??
- Wait my mana dumplings
ㄴ Your mana dumplings converted to mine
ㄴ Gulp thanks for the meal lol
ㄴ What the hell!!!!!
“Nothing special.”
Isaac shook blood off his blade slowly, catching his breath.
Lifetime undefeated genius, never lost once.
He'd slain beasts no one dared imagine.
Empire half-standing thanks to his power.
Glancing back, only SoonToDieVamp's body stood dazed.
“Monsters like you, I've beheaded dozens.”
Empire wouldn't end here.
Knew Frederick unfit as crown prince.
But Isaac wouldn't forget the previous emperor's grace.
Kill Judak, the royal threat, restore authority atop all.
- Judak☆) Tongue...
- Judak☆) Bro...
“Too terrified for words?”
Isaac smirked at Judak's cryptic gallery post.
“You're next, Judak.”
First, rally forces.
Head north, crown Frederick emperor, hunt Judak—then.
The rambling Judak posted anew.
- Judak☆) Bro this guy's smirking?
“What?”
That was Isaac's last.
Spin.
Isaac's vision spun wildly.
Thud, unfamiliar sand touch, senses fading—that instant.
Isaac met SoonToDieVamp's eyes.
“Ta-da, fooled ya?”
How!
His dilating pupils seemed to scream.
Isaac's final sight: SoonToDieVamp casually retrieving her head.
- Judak☆) Don't jinx it ten times
- Judak☆) Padak's a god I'm invincible
The Empire's famed genius left the world, eyes wide in injustice.
*
Title: Tastes bad...
Author: SoonToDieEvenVamp★
(GIF of drinking black blood)
(GIF wrinkling nose, sticking tongue out)
Blood... tastes bad...
Love cola
Love coffee too
Love Judak who gives it all
- Eat up, Your Majesty
- Such refined tastes, Your Majesty
- Forgive this underdog-jinxing fool, Your Majesty
ㄴ SoonToDieEvenVamp★) Lol considering
ㄴ No!!!!!
ㄴ Do x done o
ㄴ Lol bye
ㄴ Lol... spare me too
“Didn't expect her to hate blood.”
Post-fight, SoonToDieVamp gathered blood with magic.
Looked like she'd drink, but poked her tongue in, grimaced.
- SoonToDieVamp) Judak, did good?
ㄴ Judak☆) Good
- SoonToDieVamp) Coffee. Cola. Sweet stuff.
ㄴ Judak☆) ?
- SoonToDieVamp) Gimme.
Then boldly demanded a trade.
“Sheesh. Do I look like I do everything asked?”
Bought cola and coffee, sent to SoonToDieVamp, eyed the corner.
Hum.
There, the pet lava rift from home.
Rift reached underground.
“Getting bigger...”
Started arm-sized, now could fit bent waist.
Naturally unsettling.
I knew where the rift led, what lurked inside.
If all those beasts poured out?
‘Real apocalypse maybe.’
Then truly game over.
Thinking countermeasures, rift suddenly expanded.
Whoooosh.
“Wait, too big?”
Now big enough for a person to walk through.
Click.
I raised the shotgun to the entrance.
To turn whatever emerged into oblivion.
But unlike expected, rift impacted isekai differently.
- Fuuuck
- Where's my fertile land???
- (GIF of tended field rotting live)
- Elf screeech! Trees all withering!!!
- No way, getting worried but
- We grew it all
- ●▅▇█▇▆▅▄▇
Isekai famine erupted.