Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: What the Hell, Give It Back (3)
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“Kuhk...”
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With a heavy thud, Black Knight Dyke’s massive frame toppled over. He spat out a mouthful of blood and hung his head low.
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The black armor he prided himself on was deeply dented. His greatsword lay broken in half, stabbed into the ground. It signified Dyke’s utter defeat.
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“Ah...”
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Rephe blinked vacantly.
A single exchange. All of it, the result of Raniel unleashing the spells stocked in his forearm—in just one clash.
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Had he released every spell in his forearm?
No, if that were the case, it wouldn’t feel so unjust.
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Rephe had seen it clearly.
Raniel had activated a mere three spells.
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⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Double-Spell Spell-Reinforce Smash Three spells.
One spell reinforced by two others.
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The first strike split the sword Dyke had raised in half. The follow-up crushed his armor and struck his bare flesh. And that was it.
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No flashy magic, no intricate techniques needed.
Dyke was flung by the impact into the wall, and after that, he didn’t so much as twitch. It was uncertain if he was even alive.
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-Gulp.
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Rephe swallowed dryly and slowly turned her gaze.
There stood Raniel. The monster showed no sign of fatigue as he stared at Rephe.
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“...”
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Narrowed blue eyes.
Meeting that gaze, Rephe instinctively knew.
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There was nowhere left to run.
She could really die here.
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Step, step.
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Her heart pounded wildly in time with the light footsteps shaking the ground. Teeth chattering, Rephe desperately thought of a way to escape.
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‘The orb.’
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The first thing that came to mind was, of course, the ‘orb.’
The item entrusted to her by the Supreme Commander, the ‘Immortal Knight.’
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-Put the essence you’ve absorbed into it.
-Don’t question what’s inside. All a vulgar thing like you needs to do is fill that orb with essence.
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Rephe didn’t know what was truly inside the orb.
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But one thing was certain: it held the essence she had gathered over the past several years. And for a succubus, essence meant mana.
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‘Maybe...’
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Dozens of years’ worth of mana might be enough to halt that monstrous mage. With that thought, Rephe reached into empty space and grasped the orb hidden in the deepest pocket dimension.
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Dark energy churning within the orb.
Rephe gripped it tightly.
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-Crack.
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A fracture spread across the orb. From the split, Rephe drew in the essence. She felt her mana filling up.
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“Ah?”
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But only for a moment.
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“Kyaa, kyaahahaha!”
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Black mist leaked from the orb and swallowed Rephe whole.
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ‘Black mist?’
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Raniel narrowed his eyes at the black mist engulfing Rephe. It was a spell form he’d never seen before.
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‘There are fog spells, sure, but...’
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This mist felt off.
Unlike vision-obscuring or toxic fog spells, this one moved like it was alive.
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‘Feels familiar, but...’
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He couldn’t pinpoint where he’d seen it.
Raniel sighed and extended his left arm forward.
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“Guess I’ll have to deal with it somehow.”
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Spells stocked in his middle and thumb fingertips.
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⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Spell-Capture Smite Raniel snapped his fingers, friction merging the two spells into one—a double spell.
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⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Spell-Smite With a snap, ashen mana spread from his fingertip. But nothing happened. The ashen mana dispersed into the air, unable to find a target.
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Raniel furrowed his brow.
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‘Not a spell?’
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Meanwhile, the black mist writhed, fully consuming Rephe’s body. It seeped from her rolled-back eyes and parted lips.
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“...”
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The black mist thickened. It didn’t rise; it crawled along the floor like insects. Raniel traced it back to its source.
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At the origin was Rephe.
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Completely engulfed, she raised her arm with a snap and crackle, like a marionette with cut strings. Mist rose in her wake.
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It was chilling.
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“This is getting ridiculous.”
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Raniel let out a long sigh.
Whatever this was, it wasn’t good.
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“■■.”
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Rephe, swallowed by the mist, muttered an incomprehensible language. It vaguely resembled incantations, but the texture was different.
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“■■-■■ (■■■■-■■■■).”
“What the hell are you babbling? You lunatic.”
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Raniel braced himself. Whatever it was, letting her finish that chant felt dangerous.
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‘Getting close is risky.’
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Charging blindly into unknown black mist was suicide. Besides, he fought close-range only to conserve mana—he wasn’t a warrior.
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Raniel thrust both arms forward.
The spells stocked in his forearms glowed.
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Whatever it was, he had more than enough countermeasures. If one failed, ten. If ten weren’t enough, a hundred.
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‘Spell-Rei—’
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Just as Raniel was about to unleash a spell.
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“Kuhk.”
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A dry cough.
Raniel clutched his heart and dropped to one knee.
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Drip, drip.
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Blood poured from his mouth—dark crimson clots. In that moment, Raniel realized.
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‘Shit.’
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That black mist.
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‘What the fuck does this crazy bitch carry?’
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He remembered the nature of that black fog. It was no wonder he hadn’t recalled it—it wasn’t supposed to take this form.
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Three years ago, the monster he’d faced in the Black Plains.
The decisive clash that fractured things with Kyle.
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The aggregate of curses: the Demon King.
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That black mist resembled the monster’s flesh. Despite the different shape, Raniel was certain for a reason.
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“Kuhk, kuhk. Kuhk...”
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The curse lodged in his heart.
The Demon King’s remnant reacted to the mist. His heart tightened, eyes bloodshot. His blood boiled.
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“Hoo, haa...”
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Raniel forced strained breaths, straining his eyes.
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“■■...”
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Rephe’s chant neared completion.
But her body was wrecked too. One shot at best. Once this chant ended, she’d be done.
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‘Just once.’
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Block it once.
Raniel bit his tongue to hold his focus.
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“■.”
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The completed spell emanated from Rephe’s hand through the mist. Bloodshot eyes glaring, Raniel analyzed it.
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Flesh mutation.
Mind corruption.
And one unknown effect.
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Naturally, he had plenty of counters stocked. Dozens, even. But the problem was that black mist.
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Normal spells couldn’t counter it.
All spells lost their power before the black fog.
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He’d experienced it once before.
Raniel wouldn’t waste spells needlessly.
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“Kuhk, ptui.”
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He spat out the clotted blood. Wiping his bloodied mouth, he extended his arms and clapped his palms together.
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-Clap.
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Spells etched in fingertips, knuckles, palms collided in sequence. Friction boiled ashen mana.
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‘I didn’t waste these three years.’
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Three years ago, facing the Demon King.
Raniel’s life had been denied. His magic crumbled before the curse. His prized spells couldn’t scratch the enveloping darkness.
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Three years since that defeat.
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Years others might have wasted in despair were, for Raniel, three years of grinding teeth and finding answers.
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And now.
It was time to show that answer.
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Crack.
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Ashen mana surged from his clapped palms, devouring every stocked spell. It writhed like the black mist, alive.
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“Spells with spells.”
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Raniel smiled, pale-faced.
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“Curses with curses.”
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⚔ STATUS ⚔ ✨ Cursed Mana The black mist and ashen mana intertwined. The ashen wasn’t pristine—gaps let mist seep into Raniel’s body. But it devoured far more than it missed.
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Crack.
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The ashen greedily consumed the floor-crawling mist. It tore into clumps. Like a beast ripping prey, ash devoured the fog.
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Moonlight streamed through the broken window.
Under the blue moon, ash tore into darkness.
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◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
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Flicker.
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“Ugh!”
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The moment her eyes opened, pain like her whole body burning assailed her. Rephe winced and looked down at herself.
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Her arms were broken.
Her skin charred black.
Even breathing properly was hard.
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‘What... the hell?’
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Her memories were fragmented. She remembered breaking the essence-filled orb. But nothing after.
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“Hic, hiiik!”
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At the voice, Rephe turned her head.
There, somehow conscious, Black Knight Dyke huddled and trembled.
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“What, Dyke? You’re okay?”
“Hiiik!”
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He didn’t look okay.
His eyes stared at something like it was a monster. Rephe followed his gaze.
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“...”
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Then, Rephe swallowed hard.
Something ashen glared at her. Indescribable—truly just ‘something.’
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It moved with her.
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Rephe belatedly scanned the room. It looked ravaged by a massive beast’s claws. The building holding together was a miracle.
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Gulp.
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Rephe swallowed dryly and searched for the man who’d caused this. She soon spotted him.
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Deathly pale face drained of blood.
Robe soaked in bloody froth.
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He looked like he could drop dead any second, slumped against the wall. Rephe blinked at Raniel.
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‘...What the hell is he?’
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She couldn’t comprehend.
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‘Not... dead, I think.’
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But finishing him off? That ashen thing blocking the way felt ominous. Bad vibes if she got close.
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“Dyke.”
“Hiiik!”
“Quit your bullshit and get up. We’re escaping while we can.”
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The ashen only glared, didn’t pursue. Rephe shook Dyke awake and hoisted him onto her back.
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‘No idea what it is, but...’
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She felt they couldn’t stay here any longer.