Chapter 372: The Reason They Seek Temar’s Tomb (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 372: The Reason They Seek Temar’s Tomb (4)
“Gaaah, aaaaagh! You bitch, my wings—it hurts! It feels like my whole body is on fire! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”
Maila, having crashed to the ground, shrieked and hurled every curse she could think of at Valeria.
The heat from the Lightning Chain still radiated from the forest floor, and Maila was indeed suffering the agony of being seared alive.
As the screams continued, Valeria confirmed that Maila was in no condition to escape before leaning against a tree to catch her breath.
Corpses were strewn everywhere.
Every single mage from the 3rd Magic Tower who had come to the Wantaramo Forest was dead, literally crushed by a girl who was now barely seventeen.
No one would believe it. Even Jin, who had known the Valeria of his past life and had just witnessed this battle firsthand, was left dazed.
I knew my teacher was a monster, but I had no idea she was this capable at seventeen. No wonder she was never caught.
Of course, Valeria’s raw mana capacity was far lower than that of the twenty mages from the Magic Tower combined. Drew Malaga and his subordinates were by no means weak.
The battle had concluded in such an overwhelming victory purely due to the staggering genius and unpredictability of the mage known as Valeria Hister.
She was just as he remembered from his previous life.
Once again, Jin felt as though he had caught a glimpse of a new horizon in magic through his teacher.
When I first met her in my past life, what was I thinking, acting so cocky? It’s chilling just to think about it.
Suddenly, a memory of Valeria searing his entire body while claiming she was teaching him lightning magic flashed through his mind, sending a shiver down his spine.
Sizzle…
Valeria pulled a neatly rolled cigarette from her robe and lit it.
She didn't intend to smoke it. After exhaling the smoke that lingered from the initial drag, she placed the cigarette on the ground between the fallen mages.
It was a tribute to the Grey Owl Mercenaries. For a moment, Valeria stared blankly at the burning ember.
The gruesome corpses, Valeria gazing at the cigarette’s lonely glow, and Maila still thrashing and screaming—it was a chaotic, surreal scene.
And the Demons saw their chance.
In truth, she had exhausted nearly all her mana, first by helping create the passage for the Cat God’s tribe and then through the recent battle.
Swish!
The Demons lunged at Valeria simultaneously, their scimitars glowing with Aura as they slashed down.
Of course, their blades never reached her. Though their physical abilities had been vastly enhanced since they were human, they weren't fast enough to escape Jin’s notice.
Bradamante clashed with two scimitars, sending sparks flying. Jin used “Scissors” once more, but the Demons, having apparently learned from their previous encounter, spread apart to parry the falling blades.
“You shouldn't interrupt a memorial.”
Slash!
Bradamante drew an arc, cutting across the chest of the Demon that had once been Rick Helter. The gash would have been fatal for a human, but the wound regenerated at a terrifying speed.
Jin glanced at the spot where the corpse of the Demon he had killed with Scissors should have been.
As Valeria had predicted, the dead Demon had already disintegrated, vanishing completely and leaving only a black stain behind.
I’ll have to control my strength if I want to leave evidence.
Capturing one alive seemed difficult, given their regenerative abilities. Furthermore, while the Demons were weaker than Jin, they were still strong enough that ordinary restraints wouldn't hold them.
Regeneration, physical enhancement, and disintegration to prevent information leaks. They also retain their reason. Is that it for now? Ah, and one more thing: the standardization of their combat power.
Rick Helter.
As a human, he had been a section leader, far more skilled than his subordinate Imperial Guards.
However, after becoming a Demon, he was no different from the others. Whether it was a regular guard or Rick, they all possessed the same level of combat strength.
The implications of that fact were enormous.
This Demonization magic… they might not even need elite soldiers. If they can use it on any warrior with a modicum of skill—or perhaps even on ordinary people—they could create Demons with this level of strength…
It was fortunate that he had killed three of them while they were still transforming. Had all six become full Demons, even Jin wouldn't have been able to handle them with such ease.
If Demonization magic can be used on ordinary people, and if Viment can deploy tens of thousands of them… the global power balance could be completely overturned.
Jin had experienced something similar in his previous life.
He had seen with his own eyes how Zipple, using the “Mirror”—the sacred object of Colon—to mass-produce 7-star mages, had solidified their absolute monopoly on power.
I must leave a Demon’s body as evidence and conduct a proper investigation. I need to see how complete this Demonization magic is. The reason they aren't mass-producing them yet is likely because the magic is still unfinished.
Clang! Clang! Bradamante’s trajectory grew faster and faster. As Jin increased his speed, the Demons were forced into a desperate defense, stumbling backward.
Even if they had grown stronger by becoming Demons, the gap in skill between them and Jin was simply too wide. And even if, by some miracle, their scimitars reached him, they lacked the power to pierce his Spirit Energy Armor and inflict a fatal wound.
Seeing how they dealt with Scissors, they possess the ability to learn. But it seems they have no memories of their time as humans.
If the Demons had retained their memories from when they were Imperial Guards, they wouldn't have tried to stab at Jin’s throat at the cost of their own arms.
Thud!
A scimitar was deflected by the Spirit Energy Armor. The moment the Demon’s posture broke from the recoil, Bradamante sliced through its waist.
The blade, shrouded in Spirit Energy, passed through flesh and entrails without a sound. The dull sensation of a snapping spine traveled up the hilt, and Jin swung his sword upward once more, cleaving the creature in a cross-shape.
Even though its torso was split into several pieces, the fallen chunks of flesh twitched as if they still had the capacity to regenerate.
However, instead of regenerating, the divided Demon chose disintegration. It was a moment that highlighted the will of its creator, who refused to leave any evidence behind.
Now, only the Demon that had been Rick Helter remained. It, too, seemed destined to fight to the end and then vanish into ash.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, azure flames erupted from Bradamante.
The power of Tess—Azure Fire. As the energy enveloped it, the Demon’s movements slowed visibly.
It was being crushed by the “Pressure,” unable to move properly. Since it hadn't been a match for him even at full strength, the only thing left for the Demon to do was disintegrate.
The Demon showed signs of disintegration even though only its arms had been severed. Its body was turning to ash, just like the others.
Normally, disintegration happened in an instant.
However, the Authority of Pressure was slowing down not just the Demon’s movements, but its very annihilation.
“Valeria, now!” Jin shouted, closing the distance in a flash and hacking off both of the Demon’s arms. He gave the signal before finishing it off, just as Valeria had requested, so she could use her magic to preserve the evidence.
Despite the Pressure slowing the rate of disintegration, the Demon’s torso was visibly shrinking with every passing second.
Crackle!
A streak of mana imbued with freezing energy flew in from behind. As the mana touched the Demon’s torso, the sharp crackle of forming ice filled the air as an Ice-type Sealing magic took shape at high speed.
Fortunately, the magic seal was completed before the disintegration could finish.
The seal fell to the ground with a heavy thud. It was spherical, and inside, only the head and chest of the Demon remained.
The two arms Jin had cut off and the rest of its body had already disintegrated, scattering into the air.
“We almost lost it. That was close.”
Jin wiped his brow as he looked down at the magic seal. Valeria walked up beside him and nodded.
“It would have been even closer if not for the power of Azure Fire in your sword. I might have only been able to seal half the head.”
“Anyway, good job. Now all that’s left is to visit the tomb before reinforcements arrive.”
For a moment, the two stood in silence, looking down at the seal containing the Demon’s head and chest.
“Jin Runcandel.”
“Yeah.”
“You told the Demon not to interrupt the memorial. Why did you say that?”
“What else would I think when I see someone light a cigarette they don't smoke? Besides, you mentioned those who were trampled by Drew and your murdered brothers.”
In truth, he knew it was a memorial because of his memories from his past life, but this answer was plausible enough.
“I see.”
“Yeah.”
“And you didn't seem particularly surprised to see me using a sword.”
“There are mages who train in martial arts. Your swordsmanship was quite high-level. It’s almost a shame you can't imbue it with Aura.”
“This is the first time I’ve revealed my real name, yet you called me Valeria quite naturally just a moment ago.”
Jin barely suppressed a flinch.
“Is that strange? I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”
Valeria shrugged.
“Well, it’s nothing. I was just curious.”
“The fact that you revealed your real name while I was here must mean you’ve come to trust me. I liked that, so I decided to call you by it.”
Valeria stared intently at Jin.
He didn't avoid her gaze and quietly waited for her next words.
“Gaaah! Aaaaagh!”
What came first wasn't Valeria’s answer, but the screams of Maila, who was still rolling on the ground.
“…First, we should ask the King of the Fairy Descendants what to do with that thing.”
“I agree, Valeria Hister.”
*
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the Wantaramo Forest.
Two mages were searching for their horses, their faces flushed with excitement.
They were from the 3rd Magic Tower, having come to the forest with Drew Malaga.
Originally, their goal had also been to track Jin, but Drew had ordered them to report back to the Zipple main house as quickly as possible.
The report was that a mage using “Record Magic” was in the Wantaramo Forest.
“A Record Mage… this is going to cause an uproar.”
“A promotion is guaranteed just for reporting this. I might even get my library access level raised…”
Thud!
The mage who was speaking collapsed forward.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Are you okay—!”
The other mage couldn't finish his sentence.
A long, poisoned needle, shot from the shadows, had pierced the center of his throat. They died without ever realizing they’d been assassinated.
“Hmm, hmmm~.”
Two steps behind them, a woman stood humming to herself.
She cheerfully rummaged through the dead mages' belongings, her face lighting up when she found a letter with her beloved youngest brother’s name on it.
“Honestly, our youngest… he can be so careless sometimes. Hehe.”
It was Yona.
After tucking the letter away, she added, “I was wondering what to do for fun during my vacation. Maybe I’ll spend it killing everyone who comes looking for my little brother?”