Chapter 188
Chapter 188
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Starlight Jellyfish (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
‘As I feared, Hedoniac arrived first.’
Demian sighed inwardly upon hearing the report. The worst-case scenario he had worried about had come to pass.
‘They’re faster than expected.’
It was a full day earlier than the arrival time he had extracted from torturing the black mages last time.
He didn’t know what their circumstances were, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. He needed to make a decision quickly.
‘No helping it. I’ll have to step in myself.’
If Demian’s guess was correct, the master-class dispatched by the Church would be nearby as well.
His plan was to buy time against Hedoniac until the Church’s master-class arrived.
‘What if the Church’s master-class doesn’t show?’
He’d have no choice but to use the trump card he’d been holding back. It wasn’t ideal, but necessary.
Having sorted his thoughts, Demian rose from his seat. While his family was distracted by the Starlight Jellyfish, he headed down from the hotel.
‘Right. I need to hide my identity.’
Demian intended to intercept Hedoniac outside the city.
To block those two, he’d have no choice but to use black magic.
Even outside the city, passersby might spot him. He needed to conceal his identity.
“Eh? Young master, where are you off to?”
He ran into Victor on the lower floor. Victor was holding a strangely shaped mask.
It was made of wood, painted black, and designed to cover the entire face.
“And what are you doing? What’s with the mask?”
“Ah, this? I bought it from a merchant. Apparently, it’s an old tradition to wear masks while watching the festival.”
Demian recalled the people on the streets. Not a single one was wearing a mask.
No matter how he looked at it, Victor had been scammed into buying it.
“Perfect timing. Lend it to me for a bit.”
Demian reached for the mask. Victor panicked and hid it behind his back.
“Ah, no way! This thing cost a fortune!”
Instead of snatching it, Demian pulled a gold coin from his pocket and held it out.
Victor’s eyes doubled in size at the gleaming shine.
“Use it as much as you like!”
Victor handed over the mask without hesitation. Demian placed the gold coin in Victor’s palm.
“Ah, take a few more.”
Demian added a few more gold coins to Victor’s palm. Victor looked puzzled and asked,
“Why are you giving me extra?”
“Name’s sake.”
Victor’s expression grew even more baffled.
Demian left Victor behind and exited the hotel.
* * *
A location far from the festival-ravaged city.
“That’s the city, right?”
Three figures appeared atop a low hill.
“Those twinkling things in the sky over there must be the Starlight Jellyfish?”
Sucule pointed at the sky as she spoke.
Hundreds of Starlight Jellyfish floated in the city’s sky. It was an ethereal, breathtaking sight.
A man sidled up close to Sucule, casually draping an arm around her shoulder.
“Sucule, my cute little kitten. Isn’t it beautiful? I wanted to show you this sight…”
“Anyway, where the hell are those bastards? They should at least come out to greet me now that I’m here.”
Sucule slapped the man’s hand away and scanned the surroundings.
But no matter how she looked, there was no one around except the three of them.
“Looks like I let them run wild for too long, and they’ve lost all sense.”
Sucule grinned ferociously while cracking her knuckles. The man looked troubled and said,
“Sucule, my delicate little kitten. Such harsh words don’t suit you. You’re always so beautiful and pretty…”
“Wingstone, shut your trap if you don’t want a beating too. You’re pissing me off with your bullshit.”
Wingstone’s shoulders slumped at Sucule’s irritable reaction.
“Those bastards… They better have drawn the magic circle in the city like I ordered. If they fucked that up, I won’t let them off. I’ll burn off at least an arm each.”
Sucule spoke with a chilling glint in her eyes. Wingstone nodded.
“Sucule, even your angry face is cute like a kitten. Do as you please…”
“Right now, everyone in the city must be having the time of their lives, huh?”
Sucule muttered in a low voice.
“With such a beautiful sight before them, how could they not be enjoying it? Right?”
“My clever little kitten. At such a spectacular festival, who wouldn’t be happy?”
“Heehee, exactly?”
A dark smile crept across Sucule’s lips.
“Let’s blow up the city now. Collapse the buildings. Burn the people.”
With each word, Sucule folded a finger.
“Let’s show them their families’ bodies charring black, make screams erupt from every mouth.”
Her eyes grew hazy as her words dragged on.
“Let’s plunge their greatest moments into the abyss. Turn everyone’s happiness into misery.”
Sucule shuddered with excitement. Wingstone quietly embraced her neck.
“Do as you wish, my kitten. Have it your way. This whole world is for you.”
“Ha, you only say the right things in moments like this.”
Both corners of Sucule’s mouth tore upward in a grin.
“Then let’s activate the magic circle.”
A sticky black magic power oozed from Sucule’s body. It was like staring at thick oil.
The black magic power dripped to the ground and began drawing a magic circle.
Standing at its center, Sucule pressed her index and thumb together.
“Alright, here we go.”
Snap.
The crisp sound of fingers snapping echoed clearly.
In that instant, Sucule’s anticipation peaked. She gaped at the castle with her mouth wide open.
But nothing happened. No explosion, no flames.
“What?”
Sucule scowled and snapped her fingers several more times. The result was the same.
“…Fuck!”
Sucule’s face twisted in rage as she spat out a curse.
“What the hell is this! Why isn’t the magic circle activating?!”
Sucule stomped and thrashed about.
“Those bastards! What the fuck did they do in the city?! They couldn’t even finish the job I gave them?!”
Unlike Sucule, Wingstone stared coldly at the city.
“Something’s off… There’s no way they’d ignore orders.”
The Yeomak brothers had served as Sucule’s assistants on numerous missions so far.
They had never failed a mission like this. Something was wrong.
“Pigler?”
Wingstone beckoned with a finger. A middle-aged man hurried over.
“Y-Yes! Wh-What are your orders?”
“Something’s not right. Go to the city and fetch the Yeomak brothers immediately.”
“Understood!”
Pigler bolted toward the city.
He wasn’t an ordinary man—each step covered several meters.
That was when it happened.
A flash of light pierced the darkness. Simultaneously, Pigler’s head was severed.
His head thudded limply to the ground, and his body collapsed.
Sucule and Wingstone’s faces hardened at the sudden event.
Someone emerged from the darkness.
Tall stature, upright gait. The build suggested male, but it was hard to be sure.
A strangely shaped mask covered the face.
“Who the fuck are you?”
Sucule demanded in a voice thick with killing intent. The masked figure spoke.
“Victor.”
A deep voice.
“Firewood Chopper Victor.”
The masked stranger stated calmly.
* * *
“…Victor?”
Sucule closed her eyes and tapped her forehead with her index finger.
“I’ve heard the name. The black mage who used to run errands for the Church a while back, right?”
“My smart kitten. What are you talking about?”
“Don’t you remember? The Sacred Church… all their hypocrite branches got wiped out. The black mage who killed the culprits and vanished was named Victor.”
Sucule eyed Demian with interest.
“I wondered which idiot sided with the hypocrites… Didn’t expect to meet the man himself here.”
She pointed at Pigler’s corpse.
“So why’d you kill one of ours? You didn’t kill my assistants in the city too, did you?”
“If you mean the Yeomak brothers, they’ve been dead by my hand for a while.”
Sucule let out a hollow laugh at Demian’s words.
“This fucker’s lost it.”
“You’re the ones who invaded my territory first.”
“What?”
“I had my eye on that city first. So get lost.”
Sucule scoffed at Demian’s words.
“You kill three of my guys and tell us to fuck off? Can’t do that. Besides, I’ve got my eye on that city too.”
Killing intent billowed from Sucule in waves.
“I’m curious who you are and what the hell you’re thinking pulling this shit… but I’m pretty pissed off right now.”
Sucule summoned her black magic power. Black mana blazed up around her like firewood, soaring into the sky.
“Wingstone.”
“What is it, my angry kitten?”
“You stay out! I’ll crush this fucker myself!”
Wingstone shrugged at Sucule’s shout.
“If my brave kitten says so, what choice do I have.”
Sucule stepped forward. Wingstone retreated.
“Refusing to fight together. A foolish decision.”
Sucule snorted at Demian’s words.
“Foolish? You must have those eyes just for show.”
Sucule spread her arms wide.
The black magic she summoned drew a magic circle in the air. Soon, flames erupted around her.
“A nobody like you is more than enough for me alone.”
The flames converged, taking form.
A giant.
Over three meters from legs to head. Horns protruded from its skull.
Saw-like teeth jutted sharply. Its massive, shield-like palms bore grotesque claws.
Demian’s eyes widened at the sight.
“…A corrupted spirit?”
Spirits possessed tremendous power.
That was why many coveted their strength. But spirits only contracted with elves, lending their power exclusively.
Occasionally, black mages contracted spirits too.
But it wasn’t a true contract—it was subjugation.
They corrupted spirits with black magic power and forced a pact.
“To wield a mid-tier spirit… more dangerous than I thought.”
Spirits were pure beings of life. Corrupting them was nearly impossible.
Yet Sucule had subjugated not a low-tier, but a mid-tier spirit.
Proof of this black mage’s extraordinary ability.
“Did she complete her forbidden art?”
Forbidden art.
The ultimate magic that grand black mages pursued their entire lives.
A black mage who completed a forbidden art gained power rivaling master-class.
“Who knows? Don’t dig too deep.”
Sucule smirked and raised her hand. The mid-tier spirit gaped its maw.
“Glammy, burn that bastard to ash.”
Immediately, the fire spirit spewed flames.
A massive inferno engulfed Demian. Not just him—the entire plain.
Everything touched by the flames vanished instantly. Not burned, but evaporated.
The surrounding soil and rocks melted in seconds, lava beginning to flow.
The fire spirit continued spewing flames. Sucule laughed gleefully at the sight.
“Ahaha! Glammy! You’re the best! No one makes flames this spectacular…”
Then, Sucule noticed something odd.
The flames were parting in the center. As if blocked by an obstacle.
At first, she thought she’d seen wrong. But soon realized.
“Wait, that’s…!”
Demian Haksen stood amid the flames. A black crystal-like barrier enveloped him.
“No way!”
Corrupted or not, Glammy was a mid-tier spirit.
Block its flames so easily? It defied Sucule’s knowledge.
Inside the barrier, Demian Haksen slowly removed his bracelet. Black magic power surged from it.
“Pitch Black.”
An ancient black magic that crushed and shattered all in sight.
No chant needed, no magic circle. Simply willing the black magic power completed the spell.
The sky turned black. Stars and moonlight alike were erased.
“Crush.”
Demian pointed his index finger downward.
The flames extinguished in an instant. Simultaneously, the entire field was pulverized.