Chapter 203
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 203
Chapter Title: Sariel
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‘They told you to bring me? Who?’
Ryu Min eyed Sariel closely. For an angel, she had a shady vibe.
From the way she spoke, it seemed like orders had come from above to capture him.
He needed to extract some information.
Of course, there was no need for unproductive methods like torture.
With the Mind’s Eye Rune, uncovering secrets was incredibly easy.
As he stared silently at Sariel, her thoughts became clear.
‘The Archangel ranked number one, Michael. It was his command.’
He had heard the name Michael back in the 68th round.
He had even met him in person, so he knew just how powerful the guy was.
‘So Michael is the leader of the Archangels, as expected.’
No wonder he sensed a level of power beyond the other angels.
‘If it’s an order from the Archangel leader, that makes sense.’
But the information didn’t stop there.
They wanted him brought back without a scratch.
An Archangel named Raguel was itching to kill him.
The Archangels planned to make an example of him to maintain order in the heavens.
He obtained all the necessary intel.
[No answer? Are you mute? I didn’t hear that Black Scythe was a mute.]
Sariel muttered, indifferently aiming her curved sword at him.
[Even if you can’t speak, you’re not deaf. I’ll say it once more: resistance…]
“Jefferi.”
Ignoring the angel, Ryu Min called out to Jefferi behind him.
“Take the party members and fall back as far as possible. This place is about to become a wasteland.”
“Understood, Black Scythe.”
Seeing Jefferi gather the frozen comrades, Ryu Min turned his head forward again.
Sariel’s expression was a sight to behold.
It was twisted so badly that you’d believe it if she were a demon instead of an angel.
[I thought you were mute, but you do have a tongue.]
“You’ve got a finger for cursing too, huh?”
He flipped her the middle finger, and the angel’s eyebrow twitched.
[You’ve gained a speck of power and now you’re arrogant. A mere human…]
Mid-sentence, Sariel’s face suddenly filled with shock.
She must have spotted the demon pendant hanging around Ryu Min’s neck.
In an instant, dagger-like killing intent stabbed at Ryu Min from all sides.
[That necklace… where did you get it?]
“What’s it to you?”
[Do you even know what that item is?]
“The quiet-looking bastard’s surprisingly chatty.”
Ryu Min’s entire body was enveloped in pitch-black darkness.
He activated Death God Transformation and used the buffs he had prepared.
[You are afflicted with Demon’s Blessing.]
[Based on your current total stats (109,967), the following effects apply.]
[Upon killing an angel, gain gold equal to 1x base value (109,967). Increases up to 1,000x (109,967,000) based on angel’s level.]
[Upon killing an angel, gain stat points equal to 0.01% of base value (11). Increases up to 10% (10,996) based on angel’s level.]
[Upon killing an angel, demon faction reputation slightly increases.]
[The buff persists until the end of the current round.]
Surprised by the numbers in the message, he checked his status window. His stats had skyrocketed to absurd levels.
-Strength: 25,274, Intelligence: 27,325
-Agility: 27,532, Luck: 29,836
He was already boosted by Min Ju-ri’s enhanced buff, and the floor was covered in a buff zone.
On top of that, the Rune of Equilibrium, Rune of Massacre, First Angel Slayer, and Death God Transformation.
Breaking it down piece by piece, he understood why his stats were like this.
‘And after taking down Remiel last time, I got a hefty stat reward.’
Ryu Min was incomparably stronger than when he faced Remiel.
Still, complacency was forbidden.
‘She’s ranked sixth, so I can’t underestimate her.’
For now, since he didn’t know her full capabilities, he needed to test the waters.
‘Then I’ll kill her without mercy.’
The sharp killing intent of human and angel clashed in the air.
* * *
‘She won’t go down easy, huh?’
Sariel smirked at the insolent human who didn’t know his place.
‘Well, I never expected her to come quietly.’
Would the one who killed an Archangel even blink at a threat?
‘I need to make him realize the gap in power.’
The order was to bring him back unharmed, so she had no intention of using lethal strikes.
She planned to go easy on him to some extent.
That was, until she saw the demon pendant.
‘How dare he wear that necklace in front of me…’
Even now, angels were locked in a long war with demons.
She and the other current Archangels had naturally participated.
So she couldn’t fail to recognize the necklace demons proudly wore.
‘Wearing that symbol of shame to us angels so brazenly…!’
An indescribable rage filled her body.
‘Insolent human. I’ll make you suffer worse than death.’
She had planned to handle it coldly without personal grudge, but seeing that pendant changed everything.
Chopping off both arms wouldn’t be an issue before dragging him away.
‘But that form is bizarre.’
His whole body shrouded in darkness, wielding a scythe—he looked just like the God of Death.
‘Still just a human. No matter how much he imitates a god, a bug is a bug.’
Sariel knew it well.
The gap between her, called the Archangel of Death, and him was insurmountable.
The darkness of the Reaper class could never surpass her darkness.
That’s why Sariel calmed her excitement and acted leisurely.
[Come at me, human. I’ll mercifully let you have the first move.]
Without even acknowledging, Black Scythe charged and swung his scythe.
The speed surprised her, but that was it.
‘Aiming for the waist with a horizontal slash? Predictable.’
With hooked weapons, dodging backward from a waist cut was tough.
Jumping or blocking were the options, but Sariel had no intention of playing into his hands.
‘I’ll dodge. Forward.’
Instead, she lunged forward, evading the horizontal slash aimed at her waist while closing in on the enemy’s heart.
One thrust of her curved sword into his chest, and Black Scythe would die instantly.
‘But I can’t end it that easily.’
She lightning-fast redirected the chest strike upward, severing his arm.
Thud-!
Hearing screams from behind the enemy’s shoulder at the sight, she noted the onlookers.
“Black Scythe!”
Pathetic humans watching like it was a spectacle.
[Pathetic. Charging so confidently with such skill…]
Suddenly, Sariel felt a sense of crisis.
She had severed one arm; there was no real danger, yet she distinctly felt it.
A chilling sensation from behind made her instinctively twist her body.
But her reaction was slow; five wings sprayed golden blood as they were sliced off.
[Urk!]
“Good senses. I was aiming to cut them all.”
No time to respond.
She was too busy reeling from Black Scythe’s sudden ambush.
“Even an Archangel can’t detect clones, it seems.”
‘Clone?’
Looking around hastily, the Black Scythe whose arm she’d cut was gone.
Only the intact Black Scythe stood before her.
“I’ve gauged your skill to some extent. So this is the level of sixth place?”
[What?]
Sariel’s shock was evident.
She’d never mentioned being sixth, yet he knew who she was.
[How…]
Clang-!
No time to ask; an attack came, blocked by her curved sword.
Clang- Clang-!
‘What… what is this power?’
It was odd.
From start to now, she had been drawing on darkness power.
Just as humans used mana as their source, she, the Archangel of Death, drew from darkness.
‘Then why? Why am I being overpowered in strength?’
Higher darkness inherently resists shocks from lower darkness.
No matter how high his stats, she shouldn’t be pushed back—so why was it the opposite?
Clang- Clang- Clang-
Clashing swords repeatedly didn’t resolve her doubts.
Instead, the increasing force and speed step by step panicked Sariel.
Sweat beaded on her forehead; defense became a struggle, barely keeping up.
“As expected. Strength and speed are just this much.”
[What? Urk!]
Pain shot through her wings; turning her head, all wings were gone.
‘When?’
She hadn’t even seen the slash; his speed defied imagination.
‘Dangerous. Too dangerous.’
Feeling true crisis, Sariel had to use her trump card, saved for last.
Kiiiiiiiiing-
Her curved sword vibrated, emitting a eerie wail.
A technique she’d banned herself from using lest she resemble a demon: [Wail of Souls].
“Ah… Aah…”
“Aaah…”
Onlookers afar trembled in fear.
The range of Wail of Souls was that vast.
‘It’s over.’
All living beings could hear sound.
Not deaf, Black Scythe had no choice but to hear it.
‘Wail of Souls paralyzes limbs of listeners and evokes terror. No one but me, the caster, is exempt.’
Casting it was akin to a death sentence.
Nothing easier than slicing a paralyzed foe.
[The game ends here. I’ll take both your arms.]
Sariel approached the motionless Black Scythe leisurely.
She assumed terror gripped him, but it was mere illusion.
“Game? You were the one being toyed with.”
[…!]
Her steps halted at his unaffected movement.
“I was the one playing around to gauge your strength.”
Why didn’t Wail of Souls work?
No time to think.
The urge to flee dominated her mind.
Kiiiiing-
Black Scythe pulled his scythe back, assuming a stance, preparing something.
‘Dodge… that.’
Instinctively trying to take flight, Sariel flinched as if braked.
‘Ah, my wings!’
No wings meant no aerial escape.
How to dodge? Too late.
The flash was already upon her.
KABOOM-!
One Moonlight Slash devastated the cave.
* * *
‘W-what’s going on?’
John, who had retreated far with the party as ordered, was flustered by the angel’s sudden appearance.
‘I thought she came for rewards, but now she’s pointing her sword at Black Scythe?’
Well, her majestic wings and icy aura didn’t fit a mere guide.
Plus, he’d never seen an armed angel.
‘Why fight Black Scythe out of nowhere?’
She appeared demanding life or death, so it was clearly bad news.
After that, he’d been too busy hiding with the party to follow.
“Is Black Scythe okay? The vibe was bad…”
“He’ll be fine. Even against an angel, would Black Scythe lose?”
“Angels can burst heads if they want.”
“Uh, thinking again, it’s dangerous.”
Democracy, Jefferi, and the Dumb Idiots fretted, but John thought differently.
‘Good timing, angel. Kill Black Scythe. Please. Fighting!’
He cheered the angel, hoping Black Scythe would die here.
And it seemed his cheers might come true; she severed his arm right away.
‘Nice! Ange…’
He inwardly cheered, but only briefly.
Seeing the unharmed Black Scythe, John doubted his eyes.
‘H-how? Two Black Scythes?’
Realizing it was a clone, the tide turned.
The wingless angel traded blows with Black Scythe repeatedly.
But anyone could see the angel was losing ground.
Eventually, she lost all her wings.
‘It’s over.’
In despair, a strange noise pierced: Kiiiiii-
“Ah… Aah…”
“Aaah…”
He and the party paralyzed, lips quivering in terror.
But only briefly.
KABOOM-!
A massive explosion like the cave collapsing freed them from debuffs.
As dust settled, only a half-destroyed cave wall and a bisected angel remained.
‘It’s done…’
Disappointment colored John’s face.
Even an angel couldn’t survive a severed waist, right?
‘Huh? Wait.’
Then, a flash of inspiration hit John.
‘Could it… work?’
As a necromancer, his specialty was raising corpses.
And now, an angel’s corpse was about to appear.
‘If I make that angel my summon…?’
Might it counter Black Scythe?
A brilliant idea, but John didn’t know.
Ryu Min had just read that exact thought.