Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: What the Hell, Give It Back (5)
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Mages are beings who deal with the world—meaning, they trade with the stars.
They pay a 'price' befitting the phenomenon they wish to invoke, receiving the right to warp the world from the stars.
Master's words echoed in my ears.
People get so used to those trades that they forget.
But you, Raniel, who knows how to wield the Balance, must remember.
Mana is, in the end, the currency for trading with the stars.
Currency.
Don't take mana lightly.
Mana is paid... and traded.
The currency for deals with the stars.
I reminded myself of that as I opened my mouth.
⚙ BALANCE – MANA TRADING SYSTEM ⚙ "Balance." State what you desire. "The spells swallowed by the curse. The spells stocked in my body." Pay the price. "Ninety percent of my mana." Insufficient price paid. Restriction applies. "I don't care." Trade established. I felt something schluck being pulled out of my body. A headache hit, followed by a wave of fatigue.
Chiiiiiik.
The sound of flesh searing rang out, and spells materialized on my forearm. I checked their types and clicked my tongue briefly.
'This is why I didn't want to do it.'
The cost-performance was utter garbage.
Compared to the mana I'd lost, the returned spells were lackluster. Even with the 'temporary' restriction, all I got was a triple spell. No game-changer that could overturn this situation in one go.
'If I'd used ninety percent to engrave them fresh, I could've covered my whole body, not just my forearm... Damn constellations.'
Still as stingy as ever.
But what could I do? The desperate one has to suck it up.
Stifling a sigh, I gauged the number of stocked spells.
One per finger, ten in total.
One each on both palms and forearms, four more.
A total of fourteen spells.
Multi-Casting.
Magic Boost.
Haste.
Enhance Strength.
I released the most basic one among them.
Vitality surged through my body.
'Ten of them.'
I clenched and unclenched my fist a few times, then pressed my hand to the wall. I sensed presences beyond it. Footsteps of those surrounding the wall echoed through.
'About ten, huh.'
I took position and pressed my palm flat against the wall.
"Hoo."
I exhaled shortly and narrowed my eyes.
I felt the mana crawling across my palm against the wall. I gave it direction, then released the spell stocked in my forearm.
⚡ SKILL ACTIVATED ⚡ Smash Ashen mana erupts
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
Centurion Ojiren pondered where and how this situation had gone wrong.
'We were definitely carrying out orders.'
It wasn't a difficult command, either.
Find the black orb in the rubble of the collapsed building. Taking about ten soldiers he favored, Ojiren set out on the mission.
No reason to hesitate.
After all, wasn't it a barrier personally set by one of the Four Heavenly Kings?
No mere humans could breach it.
Ojiren had been certain of that—until he encountered a single human inside the barrier.
Ojiren looked at his gathered soldiers with trembling eyes.
"U-ugh! Form up, form up!"
"The Centurion is with us! Don't fall back!"
"I-it's coming!"
"Eek!"
One soldier screamed.
He vomited blood and collapsed. As he fell, the neck of another soldier beside him snapped at an unnatural angle.
In the blink of an eye, two soldiers were down.
'What the hell is this?'
Ojiren felt darkness closing in on his vision.
No answers in sight.
"Kuhk!"
"C-Centurion...!"
His cherished soldiers dropped one by one.
The ten-plus had dwindled to three already. Ojiren peered beyond them, to where their spears and swords pointed.
"......"
There stood a girl with ash-gray hair.
Expressionless after felling several soldiers.
She rolled up the oversized robe's sleeves and casually shook her hand. Splat—a clump of blood hit the floor. Not hers.
It was the soldiers' blood and flesh.
"Hoo..."
Finally, the girl sighed and looked up.
Ojiren met her eyes. Narrowed, half-lidded blue irises gleamed coldly.
-Gulp.
Swallowing dryly, Ojiren instinctively stepped back. He froze upon realizing it. Luckily, no soldier saw.
'What in the world...'
Ojiren felt fear toward the girl.
Fear born of the unknown. He couldn't grasp her identity or techniques.
Unable to guess, he couldn't approach rashly.
All he could do was send expendable soldiers to test the waters.
'Even watching, I can't figure it out...'
It was maddening.
Whenever her finger touched a soldier, their bodies twisted as if struck by something invisible. They vomited blood and fell.
'We lost four in the initial explosion, but...'
Even with them, the outcome likely wouldn't change.
"......"
Ojiren bit his lip silently.
He'd first thought mage, but no.
In this unknowable chaos, soldiers charged futilely at the girl.
"Eek!"
"Kuhk, kuhp..."
"Urk!"
The results were惨烈.
The last three soldiers fell.
One with a broken neck, one clutching his chest, another spewing blood. Varied ends, same cause.
Her finger touched them.
Their spears and swords never reached her, but her finger did them. That was it.
'Martial artist? Qi practitioner? Eastern shamans do something like...'
Speculations swirled in his mind.
But Ojiren reached no conclusion.
Without one,
"Hey."
He allowed her approach.
"Wha—urk!"
She was before him in a blink. Ojiren swung his sword in panic, but it never touched her.
Kwajik.
She caught the blade barehanded.
Without much force, it snapped in two.
"I'm talking to you, and you swing a sword?"
"Wh-what nonsense!"
"What nonsense? Open your ears and listen, fucker."
Glare upward turning fierce. Dissatisfied, she grabbed his collar.
"What're you looking down at? Makes me sick."
"Kuhk!"
Something flashed before his eyes, an unknown shock rattled his brain. Pain like his eyes would pop out dropped him to his knees.
"You demon bastards wear armor with your name, origin, rank all written on it. Real convenient."
Now looking down, she smirked.
"4th Legion, Black Knight Squad Centurion."
"......"
"Black Knight Squad... so your boss is that Dyke guy?"
"...!"
"Your face says yes."
She sighed, brushing back her hair.
From her robe, she pulled something out.
"You know what this is, right?"
The black orb.
Ojiren's eyes widened. The exact one Dyke had ordered recovered.
"What is this? Why go to the trouble of a barrier in the city center for it?"
Her voice was icy.
"Explain so I get it."
"Th-think I'll tell you?!"
"Nah, that's why I'm making you now."
As if expected. She reached out without hesitation, grabbing his jaw.
"Eyes closed. Or they'll pop out."
"Mmph, mmph! L-let go!"
"Tsk, stay still."
Holding his jaw, she shut his eyes. Pressed his eyelids so he couldn't open them.
"Think hard."
One finger slowly lifted from his jaw. Then returned at a moderate speed.
Tuk.
A light tap.
That instant.
"Eek!"
Ojiren screamed.
Thud! An unseen shock scrambled his brain. Shook it. Eye-popping agony assaulted again, stronger.
"Gonna talk?"
"Hngh, h-heup. Wh-what the...!"
"Guess not."
Thuduk.
"Urk!"
Tuk.
"Kuhk, kuhek!"
Unseen shocks hammered his brain in succession.
Each finger flick stacked the pain.
-Drip.
Blood flowed from his nose. Saliva from his mouth, bloody tears between sealed lids.
"There, done."
"Hahk, hahk, haaahk!"
Released, his body tilted. Hands on ground, he gasped.
Tears, snot, drool wouldn't stop.
Vision endlessly shook.
"If you still won't talk after this, oh well."
"I will! I will! I'll tell everything I know right now!"
Ojiren bowed his head at her feet. She chuckled at his desperation, then brushed back his sweat-matted hair.
"So when I say speak, speak."
Her finger tuk on his forehead.
"Explain. No bullshit."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
"So you didn't hear details, just told to find it?"
"Y-yes!"
"Tsk, still..."
"Really, I swear! I don't know anything! Dyke just told me to retrieve the orb he left there!"
I rubbed my chin.
"Why didn't he come himself? Who set this barrier?"
"I-I only heard one of the Four Heavenly Kings set it personally. Knights are nearby, so it can't last long, just hides presence..."
One of the Four Heavenly Kings who could set a barrier like this...
'That skeleton bastard mage.'
Yeah, Skeval could pull it off. But questions remained.
"Set a barrier like this and only send grunts like you?"
"I-I don't know why."
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue.
Expendable, huh.
Retrieve if possible, no big loss if not. I checked above the kneeling knight's head.
🧿 Lie Detection ✓ Blue Glyph: Truth 'Still doesn't add up.'
Questions lingered.
But no more info to squeeze.
"One last thing."
"Wh-what?"
"You know where the Succubus Queen is?"
"Her... probably with Dyke."
"Where's that?"
"1st Army Camp."
1st Army Camp...
Tough to reach. Deep in demon territory.
"Well, good work."
I patted his shoulder twice.
"Guards'll swarm soon. Interrogate with them. Hang in there."
"Wh-what?! That's not the deal! I answered honestly, you said you'd let me go...!"
He grabbed my leg desperately.
I frowned.
"Hey."
"Hngh, heup...!"
"Let go?"
I kicked his hand off lightly and squatted. Eye to eye with the prone knight.
"You demon scum invade a human city and think we'll just let it slide?"
"Th-that's..."
"You stuff and hang human intruders in demon lands. Hey, our knights are nice. No stuffing."
"R-really?"
"Yeah. Just dunk in holy water."
"......"
His face went sheet-white.
"Wh-what's that different from stuffing...!"
"Different. Repent and go to heaven."
I pushed his forehead lightly.
Meant to plant a parting Smite, but trade time ended right then.
Temporary spells evaporated.
My hand just tapped his forehead lightly...
"Kuhk, kuheuk..."
But foaming at the mouth, eyes rolled back, he collapsed.
"......Why's he like that?"
What a drama queen.
Author’s Note (Author’s Afterword)
Soaking in holy water makes 'em nice. 😊