Chapter 265
Chapter 265
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 265
Chapter Title: Stubbornness (3)
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Kilo's shoulders shook intermittently. He could no longer hold back his tears.
"Are you frustrated? Do you want to kill those bastards?"
At Victor's question, Kilo nodded silently.
"I originally planned to knock you all out until the job was done. But I've changed my mind."
Kilo lifted his head. A look of bewilderment appeared on his tear-streaked face.
As if asking why he had intended to knock them out.
"If you keep your mouth shut about everything that happens from now on until the day you die, I'll allow you to stay here. I'll show you those two pieces of trash dying."
Victor pointed at the Weapon Master and Akilo. The Weapon Master burst into laughter.
"You're going to kill me? How amusing. Truth be told, I had a bit of a misunderstanding about you. I thought you were trying to show off your skills to join my ranks."
His laughter slowly died down. But the smile on the Weapon Master's face remained.
"But now that I've met you in person, I get it. You've come here to kill me for real."
"Only noticing that now? You're slower than I thought."
"All the ones who challenged me before did so through the proper procedures of Pandemonium. You're the first to act so recklessly."
"Funny. As if trash disrupting society would have any procedures."
"Hahaha, aren't you a black mage yourself?"
At those words, Victor twisted one corner of his mouth silently.
"Come out, all of you."
Victor said in a low voice. The shadows at his feet rippled, and the remaining undead sprang forth.
The Weapon Master let out a short exclamation upon seeing the armaments worn by the undead.
"Green Void Steel? I have no idea how you boiled and stewed those dwarf blacksmiths to obtain such a precious alloy."
The undead clad in gear made of Green Void Steel exuded a fearsome presence.
But the Weapon Master didn't seem threatened in the slightest.
Far from it—he looked like ecstasy was slowly blooming on his face.
"Amusing. Very amusing. But disappointing. You think this meager force is enough to kill me?"
Victor didn't answer the Weapon Master's question. Instead, he issued a command to the undead.
"Domenico."
-Yes, my lord.
"Go outside and seal off the city. If anyone approaches the city, stop them."
Domenico bowed his head. The undead turned back into shadows and vanished beyond the city.
"You're sending away all the undead you summoned? Don't tell me you're planning to face me alone?"
"You're slow on the uptake. If you get it, then prepare to fight."
The Weapon Master laughed in disbelief.
"I don't know why you're acting so boldly... but it must mean you're that confident?"
The Weapon Master's hand reached back. He picked up a short spear from the dozens of weapons strapped to his back.
As soon as the Weapon Master gripped the spear, red currents surged up it. Crimson lightning wrapped around the entire shaft.
The whole city was dyed red. It was as if he held lightning itself in his hand.
"Vi-Victor! That's dangerous! Run from here right now!"
Seeing it, Kilo shouted urgently.
The Weapon Master possessed an enormous number of magic weapons.
Not all of them were famous. Only a special few were widely known.
And the spear he now held was one of those 'special' ones.
"The Magic Spear Genua! A magic spear with destructive power that can alter the terrain with a single throw! Even grazing it will vaporize your entire body!"
Despite Kilo's cry, Victor stood still. He showed no intention of dodging.
"Victor!"
Kilo shouted again. Victor remained silent. Meanwhile, the Weapon Master prepared to throw the spear.
"If you block this, I'll acknowledge you."
The Weapon Master tossed the magic spear lightly, as if throwing away trash.
The magic spear flew with a thunderous roar. Red lightning raced across the ground.
"U-Uwaaa...!"
Just as Kilo squeezed his eyes shut, Victor did something bizarre.
He opened a subspace and thrust his hand inside.
Right before the lightning reached him, Victor pulled his hand out of the subspace.
A single sword emerged clutched in Victor's hand. The sword clashed with the lightning.
The lightning would explode.
In that instant, Kilo thought so. But things unfolded entirely differently.
The lightning's trajectory bent according to the sword's movement.
Victor spun the sword once. The lightning spun once as well.
And it shot toward the Weapon Master.
The lightning retraced its path back toward the Weapon Master and engulfed him.
"What?"
The Weapon Master was so shocked he couldn't even think to draw a weapon. He blocked the lightning with his bare hands.
With a massive boom, the red lightning exploded, and the ground was completely gouged out.
"Argh... Aaaagh!"
From within, the Weapon Master screamed. The arm that had blocked the lightning was completely charred.
"Victor...! You brat! What was that just now! How can a black mage... a black mage...!"
The Weapon Master spat his rage toward Victor.
"A disciple of the Sword Saint? No! I've seen that movement before! You are...!"
Victor grabbed his mask. He tore off the mask he had been wearing all this time.
Seeing it, the Weapon Master screamed with bloodshot eyes.
"Demian Haksen!"
* * *
"Feels better without it."
Demian tossed the removed mask to the ground. The air touching his skin directly felt refreshing.
Demian looked up at the brazier.
Thanks to his black magic knowledge, he could see it—the souls of the dwarves bound to the brazier.
-Aaaagh!
-Kill us! Please!
-It hurts! It hurts!
The dwarves wept tears of blood and screamed.
But they could never be free. That brazier was their body.
Souls separated from flesh weaken with suffering and eventually dissipate.
That brazier was the flesh itself of dwarves forcibly fused—tens of thousands of muscles, nerves, and organs stitched together.
Forced into one mass, problems were inevitable.
The forcibly connected nerves delivered real-time agony to them.
"You... Vi-Victor... wasn't you?"
Kilo asked with a shocked face. Demian let out a scoff.
"Ask later. Right now, I need to clean up some trash."
Demian stepped forward, Dawn in hand.
In the meantime, the Weapon Master drew a dagger from his waist.
Darkness flowed from the dagger, completely healing the arm burned by the lightning.
"Demian Haksen, how are you here! How the hell are you using black magic?"
The Weapon Master's face was filled with confusion.
The undead Demian commanded were far from ordinary.
They possessed skills surpassing even skilled grand black mages.
But Demian was a knight. One of the most promising rising stars on the continent.
For such a person to wield black magic? And at a level beyond grand black mages?
"I'm a bit of a genius, that's why."
"Cut the nonsense and answer! How are you using black magic!"
"Too annoying to explain, so just gloss over it."
At Demian's words, the Weapon Master ground his teeth.
He was already furious from being struck back by his own lightning.
Already boiling with anger, he couldn't tolerate even this petty taunt.
"...Fine, you don't want to answer."
The Weapon Master picked up a warhammer from his back. Strangely, the head was shaped like a skull.
The warhammer emanated ominous black mana matching its vicious form. It was undoubtedly another magic weapon.
"Let's see if you say the same with your limbs crushed!"
The Weapon Master unleashed black mana. Immense pressure crushed the entire city.
"U-Uwaa..."
Kilo wore an expression like he might faint any second.
In contrast, Demian went beyond unfazed to smirking.
"Impressive presence, worthy of your reputation."
The Weapon Master moved. He charged, gripping the warhammer.
"I'll wipe that smile off your face first!"
The Weapon Master swung down the warhammer. Demian countered with Dawn without hesitation.
"You little genius bastard!"
The Weapon Master shouted.
By common sense, a sword clashing with a hammer should shatter.
The amount of metal used differed, so durability would too. Moreover, the warhammer was a magic weapon.
And while the Weapon Master wielded the warhammer two-handed, Demian swung Dawn one-handed.
No matter how you looked, Dawn should shatter, and the warhammer smash Demian's body.
But the moment the weapons collided, the Weapon Master's common sense shattered.
Dawn withstood the warhammer's attack. No, it was more than that.
The blade dug into the warhammer bit by bit. The Weapon Master could only gape in horror at the magic weapon being sliced.
"This is impossible..."
Then, Demian put strength into his arm.
After his skeletal reformation, Demian's body was utterly transformed.
Now, Demian's body was several times stronger than when he fought Sla.
Demian swung Dawn, pushing the Weapon Master back.
The Weapon Master's body was forced backward. A long line scarred the ruined city.
He stared at Demian in disbelief.
The Weapon Master was a monster who had lived nearly a century. A truly formidable powerhouse.
Yet he was being pushed back by Demian. An unbearable sense of humiliation surged.
"Your reputation doesn't match—you're much lighter than I thought."
Demian said, resting Dawn on his shoulder.
The Weapon Master's expression twisted savagely.
"...You little brat!"
The Weapon Master kicked off the ground again. The warhammer flew to crush Demian's skull.
Demian swung Dawn repeatedly, deflecting the Weapon Master's attacks.
Each clash left deep gouges on the warhammer's surface.
"Where did you get such a monstrous weapon...!"
The Weapon Master stowed the warhammer. Instead, he gripped different weapons in each hand.
A spear and a longsword.
"I'll show you why they call me the Weapon Master!"
The Weapon Master swung both weapons at once. The trajectories of spear and sword poured forth simultaneously.
But Demian blocked every attack. The Weapon Master's lip twisted.
"Now it begins."
The Weapon Master stowed the two weapons. This time, he drew a scythe and a whip.
"I am the Weapon Master. There is no weapon in this world I cannot master."
It was no bluff. Indeed, the Weapon Master could wield every weapon at 'master-class' level.
The weapons on his back were no mere show.
His main tactic was to relentlessly switch among dozens of weapons to overwhelm foes.
"I wonder how many weapons you can withstand!"
The Weapon Master's hands moved frantically.
Swords, spears, whips, daggers, gauntlets, crossbows, and more.
Weapons poured out endlessly. Nor did only the weapons change—his techniques shifted too.
It felt like fighting dozens of master-class wielders at once.
"I've thought this for a while."
Demian said as he parried the Weapon Master's onslaught.
"All this grand talk of Weapon Master or whatever... doesn't it just mean you don't truly master any one weapon?"
At those words, the Weapon Master's face contorted like a ghost's.
"You little brat, what nonsense...!"
Then, Demian pinned the Weapon Master's weapon with Dawn.
The long spear about to thrust slammed into the ground.
Demian immediately lunged forward. He twisted his body and kicked the Weapon Master square in the chest.
The Weapon Master's chest caved in. He flew backward.
"I told you."
Demian said, lowering his extended leg.
"You're half-assed."