Chapter 252: Ataraxia, Empress of Pure Blood (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 252: Ataraxia, Empress of Pure Blood (2)
"Ugh..."
Amuram froze on the spot.
Just facing her made his entire body shrivel and his eyes feel as if they were burning.
This heat.
This mana.
...They were on a completely different level.
'I thought she wouldn't be able to use her unique holy spear due to her contract with a Player.'
It was a delusion.
Just as that bastard said, a penalty like that wasn't even enough to hold her back.
Was this truly the strongest bloodline of Ataraxia?
'Even after all this time, the gap hasn't narrowed in the slightest...'
Amuram's mind was stained with pure despair.
Right then.
Whoosh!
A short spear made of flames formed in Alice's palm.
The blade, enveloped in calamity fire, pointed forward.
[Alice activates 'Tersis'.]
"Take this."
She didn't need any sort of propellant for acceleration.
The spear tore through the air, vanishing as it flew straight toward Amuram's head.
A barrier of blood instantly unfolded, but it couldn't block the short spear for even a single second.
The shields shattered like glass.
Splat!
The destructive power was so immense that his head was ripped clean off his neck.
However, Amuram did not die.
The relentless vitality of a vampire craved eternal life even in a situation where instant death was guaranteed.
His ragged wounds, and soon even his head, regenerated perfectly. Amuram panted heavily, gasping for breath.
"Pant, pant, pant..."
He had poured far too much mana into regeneration.
On top of that, Alice was already holding a second short spear, preparing to follow up her attack.
'D-Damn it.'
No matter how powerful a family head was, getting hit by that attack multiple times would be fatal.
In fact, even when all five family heads and their clansmen had ganged up on Alice's unique holy spear, they hadn't been able to easily seize victory.
Fighting like this was impossible.
Amuram coldly accepted reality.
Of course, that didn't mean he had even a shred of intention to die quietly.
'Balmung...!'
That was it. If only he could get his hands on that magic sword, which had even slain dragons...
...He would have a decent chance of winning, even against Alice.
...Or so he thinks.
Jinhyuk noticed Amuram's gaze shifting toward Balmung.
In truth, that was the only escape route left for Amuram.
He'll probably try to have his subordinates fetch Balmung while he fights Alice... Hmm.
The problem was...
...the corpse poison spreading around Balmung was unimaginably toxic.
"Ughhh..."
"Cough! Gasp."
Indeed, the hounds sent by Decasus collapsed, vomiting blood, as they tried to go after Balmung.
If even highly resistant vampires couldn't withstand it, a normal Player would dissolve into a puddle of blood within seconds.
In that case...
Jinhyuk pulled out items he had previously purchased from his dimensional subspace inventory.
Fog Tree of the Peshan Mountains.
500g of ointment from the Melmorn Clinic.
Fog trees were usually used for high-end decorations, and Melmorn ointment was widely known as a premium moisturizing cream.
At first glance, these two items seemed completely useless.
However, if mixed in the right proportions, they could create a medicine that granted poison resistance.
Was it 3.25 to 1.758?
It had been a while, so he couldn't remember the exact ratio, but...
...it didn't matter.
Even if he couldn't memorize the numbers, his body remembered them.
[You have obtained 5mg of 'Unidentified Liquid'!]
Success.
Since this recipe was still unknown even in the Tower, the system substituted it with the modifier 'Unidentified'.
As he evenly applied the thick, colorless, and odorless liquid all over his body, the sour stench that stung his nose vanished like magic.
On top of that...
[Unique Ability 'Thousand Poisons' is activated.]
With Thousand Poisons active—which not only allowed him to manipulate poison but also increased his understanding of it—his preparations were complete.
Now, all I have to do is wait.
To be precise, he just had to wait for that bastard to use that skill.
Jinhyuk calmly watched the battle between the two.
Boom!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dozens of spells and blood-based unique abilities clashed.
Indeed, the battle between two absolute powerhouses was on a completely different level.
They were relentlessly firing attacks, each of which possessed the full power of a boss monster.
One minute, two minutes, three minutes... Time ticked away.
After several minutes of such fierce combat...
[Amuram summons 'Blood Hound'.]
Hellhounds made of blood manifested.
Finally, the moment he had been waiting for arrived.
Tap!
...Now!
Activating 'Sword Demon Emperor Steps', Jinhyuk kicked off the ground and leaped forward.
Forward.
Toward where Balmung lay.
* * *
"Hmm?"
"That guy...?"
Amuram was focusing all his attention on Alice, but the other vampires were not.
The hounds caught a scent.
They detected Jinhyuk sprinting toward Balmung.
"He's going for Balmung?"
"Fool! Even we can't easily approach that place."
Their sneers were laced with the anticipation of seeing a human collapse while vomiting blood.
However...
Step, step, step...
The moment they saw Jinhyuk advancing with incredibly light steps, they instinctively realized something was wrong.
"The poison... isn't working?"
"How is that possible?!"
It was unbelievable.
But there was no time to be shocked.
"B-Block him!"
"Don't let him go any deeper!"
Right now, they could still withstand the toxicity at this distance.
But if they let him pass further into the area where the poison reached its peak, they would have no choice but to hand Balmung over to him.
The vampires lunged forward simultaneously.
As expected, they have no intention of just letting me go.
Jinhyuk glanced back.
The vampires, who had caught up right to his neck, were about to swing their dark red blades.
Right then.
Clang!
Someone intervened.
It was Bellus, Alice's right hand... and Ophelia, who belonged to Decasus.
"Leave these small fry to us."
"...Consider my debt repaid with this."
The two vampires spoke in turn.
At the same time, they instantly repelled the Decasus clansmen who had lunged forward.
"Ophelia! You filthy traitor!"
"Do you intend to become Ataraxia's dog?!"
Screams filled with pure venom echoed, but Ophelia didn't even bat an eye.
It was as if she had no desire to remain a chess piece to be used and ruthlessly discarded.
At first, I thought of vampires as nothing but annoying leeches, but having them on my side is actually quite reassuring.
"Thanks."
Jinhyuk gave a brief nod.
Then, without looking back, he leaped forward once more toward Balmung.
* * *
Throb! Throb!
With every step, the poison grew increasingly potent.
Even with the ointment applied and Thousand Poisons active, it was difficult to even see ahead through the dense toxicity of the inner depths.
"Cough..."
Blood trickled down his lips.
Though he had simulated this countless times and calculated every variable, reality was far harsher than expected.
As expected...
...an indigo-grade relic was indeed an indigo-grade relic.
Jinhyuk barely suppressed his screaming muscles as he took another step toward the sword.
His instincts screamed a warning.
That he had to get out of here right now.
That staying in this hell for even a moment longer would mean death.
But Jinhyuk suppressed his instincts.
If he got scared or gave up here, all his efforts up to this point would go to waste.
Above all, Alice was fighting.
Believing that I would succeed.
He couldn't betray her trust.
He could only hold out for a few dozen seconds at most.
Any longer than that, and it's over.
His sense of direction had already vanished, but his past memories guided his fingertips instead.
His vision blurred.
Relying on his subconscious, Jinhyuk reached out.
He didn't feel the sword.
His fingertips swept through empty air.
"Ugh..."
A metallic taste of blood filled his mouth.
Once more. Just once more.
Don't give up. It's not over yet.
He reached out with all his might, straining with every ounce of his strength.
Balmung was definitely nearby.
But he failed again.
His attempt, squeezing out the last of his strength, came to nothing.
Stumbling...
...Jinhyuk's body collapsed to the left.
But right then...
...the hilt of the sword brushed against his falling fingertips.
And then...
Hummmm!
The Player's mana and the mana of the relic, which had been asleep for ages, resonated.
[The Dragon-Slaying Sword 'Balmung' awakens!]
Balmung writhed, seeking a new master.
At the same time, the surrounding corpse poison vanished as if it had never existed.
I did it...
Feeling his mind clear, Jinhyuk gripped Balmung even tighter.
Now, if he injected his mana and gained Balmung's recognition, the ownership of the relic would be decided.
Yes, with this, the entire plan would come to a perfect conclusion.
Or so he thought, until he heard that voice right beside him.
* * *
"Thank you. For moving exactly as planned. Thanks to you, I can finally put an end to this tedious fight."
Thud!
Amuram's fist slammed into Jinhyuk's chest.
It was a direct hit to his heart.
Instantly, all blood flow to his heart stopped.
"Cough!"
His slowed reaction was a natural consequence.
Amuram grasped Balmung.
The greatsword, radiating a sharp aura, drew a smooth arc.
"Ohhh! So this is Balmung. Indeed, it is the ideal sword I envisioned. Kuhahaha! With this, I can win. Yes, absolutely!"
"Human!"
Alice immediately tried to rush toward Jinhyuk.
But Amuram was one step faster.
"Don't move, Alice. If you do, this human dies."
Balmung dug into Jinhyuk's skin.
If he applied just a bit more pressure to his fingers, Jinhyuk's head would be severed on the spot.
The tide of battle had completely turned.
"H-How...?"
Jinhyuk squeezed out the words.
"My clansmen failed to approach Balmung, but I figured you would be different. I was certain you would find a way. All that was left was to summon the Blood Hounds and bide my time. The moment you obtained Balmung, the hounds would keep Alice busy, and I would use teleportation magic to reach you. Isn't it a perfect plan?"
Though there were many variables, everything had gone exactly as planned.
Look.
Had he not caught two rabbits with one stone?
"The battle has ended in my victory, but it would be a waste to let you die like this. The recipe for the ointment you used to bypass the corpse poison, and how you replicated the right arm of the Colossus... you did quite well for an ordinary Player. No, to be honest, even among my clansmen, there is no talent quite like you."
It would be a lie to say he didn't covet him.
"Do you... think I would ever serve under a bastard like you?"
"Fufu. Of course not. But such thoughts will completely vanish in just a moment."
He had no intention of keeping him as a subordinate without any constraints.
Amuram scratched his own wrist with his fingernail.
"T-That is!"
"It seems you know what this is. Then you must also know how futile it is to resist."
Red droplets of blood welled up, then dripped onto Jinhyuk's lips.
The Vassal's Oath.
A family head's authority that engraved a direct imprint on the mind, forcing anyone who drank the blood to swear eternal loyalty.
"..."
Jinhyuk's pupils dilated and lost focus.
His emotionless face looked no different from a corpse waiting solely for orders.
"Excellent."
Confirming that the mind control had taken hold perfectly, Amuram pointed at Alice, who was fighting the elite guard in the distance.
"Now, kill Alice with your own hands."
* * *
The execution of the traitor.
With that, all his objectives here would be achieved.
However...
Stab!
...the sharp pain radiating from his back was of a kind Amuram had never anticipated.
Faced with an event that completely shattered common sense, even Amuram, who had lived for eons, couldn't help but panic.
"As expected, having the same bloodline is great. Earlier, no matter how much Aura I infused, I couldn't deal any damage, but now, the feedback feels absolutely perfect."
Jinhyuk smiled brightly.
His unfocused pupils had returned to normal as if they had never dilated in the first place.
In fact, thanks to the family head's blood, all his previous wounds and fatigue had been completely healed.
"You... broke free from my mind control? That's impossible. How, just how?!"
"Sorry, but I've dealt with things far trickier than this."
He had fought enemies that were the literal embodiment of thoughtforms.
When it came to mental attacks, he had experienced the absolute worst of them.
Compared to that, this was child's play.
"If you had injected your maximum mana into your blood to activate the Vassal's Oath, things might have been different. But letting your guard down, drunk on victory, was your downfall."
I almost got a headache acting weak and clueless just to meet the conditions to acquire his unique ability.
With this, the clumsy play was over.
Alice approached from the front, and Jinhyuk closed the distance from behind.
"Urgh! It doesn't matter. As long as I have Balmung, I can sweep away pests like you in an instant."
"Sorry, but Balmung hasn't chosen its master yet."
"What nonsense is that? Can you not see Balmung right here in my hand?"
Well, how could he know?
No one had held Balmung since Siegfried's death.
"That sword... it really doesn't get along with dark energy."
In other words...
...one had to possess abilities like 'Blessing of the Stars' or 'Mandala'.
Feeling the warm energy, Balmung flew out of Amuram's hand.
[The relic 'Balmung' has chosen its master!]
The greatsword held in his right hand roared wildly.
[Unique Ability 'Blood Explosion' is activated!]
In his left hand, the unique ability of the Decasus family head made its debut.
"I'll say it one more time: the battle is over. You will die, and the other family heads will regret betraying Alice to the point of beating their chests in despair."
And I will be the one to make sure of it.