Chapter 174
Chapter 174
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 174
Chapter Title: Various Kinds (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Kardak stared at the blade protruding from his abdomen with an expression of utter disbelief.
“When the hell... did you plant an assassin...?”
Kardak assumed Demian Haksen had hired one. And a top-class assassin at that.
There weren’t many who could fool the eyes of a Great Black Mage like him and shove a blade into his gut.
But when he turned around, he realized his judgment had been wrong.
All he saw was the hilt of a greatsword. No one was holding it.
“H-How is this... possible...?”
Had someone thrown the greatsword from afar? He’d heard rumors of master-class wielders with such abilities.
Kardak was racking his brain, searching his knowledge to make sense of the situation.
Suddenly, the greatsword piercing his abdomen grew heavy and tilted downward.
“G-Gaaah!”
The excruciating pain of his flesh tearing made him drop to his knees. Only then did Kardak realize the truth.
It wasn’t thrown.
The sword was moving on its own.
“D-Demian Haksen! What kind of... trickery is this?!”
He’d heard rumors of master-class fighters who could freely levitate and wield weapons in battle.
But that was a realm achieved upon reaching master-class.
It wasn’t something a high-class like Demian Haksen could imitate.
“Still useful after all.”
Demian spoke with a satisfied expression.
Not long ago, Demian had fought the necromancer Gasdal in the Almond Baek Kingdom.
There, he’d obtained a truly rare relic sword.
A masterpiece crafted by an ancient artisan to protect a prince.
A relic sword capable of flight and attacking enemies.
Demian named it Flying Swallow.
Since then, whenever he had time, Demian had taken out Flying Swallow to test its capabilities.
How fast was its flight speed? How sharp its cutting power? How many functions did it have?
Flying Swallow wasn’t just capable of flight—it also had stealth functions like invisibility and silent flight.
While traveling with Kardak, Demian had secretly summoned Flying Swallow to follow them.
However, even with its stealth functions, a direct ambush using only Flying Swallow on Kardak was impossible.
A Great Black Mage was extremely sensitive to flows of mana.
So Demian had deliberately eaten the soup knowing it was poisoned. He’d even pretended to be afflicted.
All to lower Kardak’s guard and drive Flying Swallow into his gut.
“To think you’d... hide something like this... So you being that lord’s attendant... was a lie too...!”
“Well, yeah.”
Since the ambush had already succeeded, Demian readily admitted it.
“Then how... did you know that lord’s name? Are you a spy for the Empire?”
“Now’s not the time to worry about that.”
Demian gripped Dawn as he spoke. Seeing this, Kardak ground his teeth.
“W-Without me, you’ll never find the Mercenary King.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle that. Just stick your neck out nice and quiet.”
Demian said it like it was no big deal.
It might’ve worked on other knights, but not on Demian.
He could just kill Kardak and interrogate his soul directly.
“...You think a mere high-class can kill me?”
Anger rose on Kardak’s face. It was understandable—he, a Great Black Mage, was being dismissed by a high-class.
Demian pointed downward with his finger. Flying Swallow shifted down, slicing deeper into his entrails.
Kardak’s face twisted. But he didn’t scream.
“You talk big for someone looking like that. And I guess you forgot—Garot, another Great Black Mage like you, died by my hand.”
“Don’t lump me in with that fool.”
A thick sneer curled on Kardak’s lips. He didn’t look like a man whose life was in danger.
“A Great Black Mage’s level depends on the mastery of forbidden magic. Garot was leagues below me.”
Kardak wiped the blood from his mouth as he spoke.
“I’ll show you just how vast that gap is.”
A viscous liquid oozed from the bandages wrapping Kardak’s body.
The moment Demian saw it, he immediately yanked Flying Swallow out of Kardak’s body.
As soon as it was pulled free, the liquids dripped to the ground. The gravel and dirt beneath instantly began to melt away.
“Good instincts. If you’d left it in, that relic sword would’ve been gone.”
Corrosive poison “Flowing Melt.”
One of Kardak’s favorites. A poison that melted anything hard—metal, stone, you name it.
During the War of Ruin, Kardak had used it to collapse an imperial fortress known as the Iron Bastion.
The bandages extended on their own, sealing his wound.
Once the injury was gone, Kardak slowly rose to his feet.
“Look forward to it. I’ll give you the most gruesome death imaginable.”
Kardak’s eyes gleamed darkly.
* * *
Myriad Poisons School.
Among black mages, they were known as especially dangerous for their mastery of poisons.
Even famed master-class experts had lost their lives to a single drop of their venom, and not infrequently.
But the Myriad Poisons School had one fatal flaw.
If they couldn’t poison you, it was useless.
No matter how horrific the toxin, it meant nothing without infection.
For Kardak, though, that weakness was no issue.
Great Black Mage.
A transcendent being who could unleash supreme black magic with a flick of a finger.
For such a Kardak, poisoning was trivial. Especially against a high-class like Demian Haksen.
“Let’s begin.”
Kardak clapped his hands. New poison flowed from his body.
The venom instantly turned into snakes. Dozens of them slithered toward Demian Haksen.
Their speed was unnatural. In the blink of an eye, they gathered at his feet.
Kardak reached out toward Demian. The snakes burst simultaneously, yellow smoke blanketing everything.
He’d vaporized the venom instantly to create a poison mist.
“This one burns through your nerves and brain. Even a whiff will show you hell.”
Kardak said with smug pride.
“It’s expensive stuff, a shame to waste, but no poison causes more suffering...”
That was when it happened.
Demian Haksen burst through the poison mist. Despite being shrouded in it, he was unscathed.
“...What?”
Kardak couldn’t help but panic. You could hold your breath, but this mist seeped through the skin. Being fine made no sense.
“...You’re truly incomprehensible! I can’t let you live any longer!”
Kardak spread his arms wide. A massive volume of venom poured from his forearms.
It soaked into the ground. In the next instant, a net of poison iron sprang up before Demian Haksen.
The moment he saw it, Demian veered away. But it was too late.
Nets erupted from all sides, blocking his escape.
Demian immediately swung his sword, unleashing aura.
Aura slashes poured toward the nets. But they failed to cut them, dissipating harmlessly.
Seeing this, Kardak sneered.
“It’s Aura-Scattering Poison. It disrupts mana flow—no high-class can slice through it.”
The nets began to contract. Barbed spikes gleamed as they closed in on Demian Haksen.
“First Ring.”
Then, Demian Haksen murmured softly. At the same time, a resonant hum emanated from his body.
Kardak couldn’t help but question the sound he’d never heard before.
Could a human body make a noise like that?
In that instant, Demian Haksen vanished. The poison net tore apart.
“...What?”
Kardak panicked at the unexpected turn.
Then came the sound of footsteps. Kardak whipped his head left. Demian Haksen stood there.
“Urk!”
Kardak tried to spread another poison net to block him.
But in that moment, something fell from the sky.
The sword that had pierced his gut now skewered Kardak’s wrist. His hand was severed, the black magic fizzling out.
“Gaaah!”
Kardak screamed from the sudden agony.
But ignoring the pain, he quickly prepared black magic with his other hand. If he didn’t stop Demian Haksen now...
“Second Ring.”
Demian Haksen, who’d been far away, appeared right in front of him in an instant.
Kardak reeled at the impossible speed.
“...To force a high-class to use this?!”
Black mana exploded from Kardak’s entire body. At the same time, thin needles rained toward Demian Haksen.
Thin as animal fur, but every one was made of venom. A single prick would melt the body whole.
The needle-fine projectiles invisible to the eye poured onto Demian Haksen.
“As expected, you’re using this.”
Demian Haksen’s murmur rang in Kardak’s ear.
As expected? What did that mean? Like he’d anticipated it...
Countless questions flooded Kardak’s mind.
In that moment, Kardak saw it.
The venom needles striking Demian Haksen’s body bounced off harmlessly.
Body-Protecting Aura.
Any high-class could envelop their body in mana for protection.
He knew that. But the trump card Kardak prepared was specially designed.
Thin but capable of piercing even aura. Body-Protecting Aura couldn’t block it.
“This can’t be... impossible...!”
As Kardak howled, Demian Haksen swung his sword.
Blue aura cleaved through Kardak’s neck.