Chapter 57

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 57

Chapter Title: Dark Sorcerer Bahn (3)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

『
Talking to myself is frustrating. Hey, imagine you're speaking to me and say it in your mind. Then you can talk to me.』

'...Good thing it can't read my actual thoughts.'

『......
Can you hear me?』

Doing as the bastard said, I could definitely speak to it now.

'Damn it...!'

『Yeah, kuhuhu... Lucky there's a Dark Sorcerer here. Otherwise, I'd have died to that crazy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bitch.』

『...Why are you doing this to me?』

『Reason? No special reason. It's just because you're a Dark Sorcerer like me.』

I couldn't understand what it meant. Because I'm a Dark Sorcerer, it could enter my body?

Sensing something off about me, Seo Yu-ju approached.

"...Yun-seong, are you okay?"

"...Yeah?"

『Hey, if you tell anyone I'm here, I'll self-destruct and kill you.』

'Fuck, fuck!'

In this shitty situation, I wanted to curse the world.

"Haha... No, Yu-ju. It's just, uh, battle fatigue."

『...I did as you said.』

『Good job. Anyway, don't feel too hard done by. I'm a Parasite Sorcerer before I'm a Dark Sorcerer.』

'Goddamn it... What's a Parasite Sorcerer?'

『I can possess the bodies of Dark Sorcerers or Chimeras that have dark mana. If you want to curse someone, curse the fact that you're a Dark Sorcerer.』

'...Chimera? You can possess Chimeras too?'

A brilliant idea to escape this bastard flashed into my mind.

'...Can't make a slip-up. From now on... I have to trick it carefully.'

『...Don't do this to me. I came to rescue you on Shariss's orders.』

『...What? Did you just say Shariss?』

I had to use the fact that it was connected to Shariss and that weird group.

『Yes, Shariss ordered me to enter this dungeon to save you, Bahn.』

『...Explain in detail.』

'...Door's open. Now it depends on me.'

Cold sweat dripped down as I feared a slip-up, but since it was life-or-death, words started flowing smoothly.

『...Yun Yeon heard this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠woman was raiding this place and ordered me to come.』

『Hmm... I see. But... how do you know Shariss?』

'Goddamn it...'

I thought it wouldn't suspect since Shariss and that old geezer called it an idiot, but it wasn't that stupid.

'Think. If I delay, it'll get suspicious. Think...'

『...I follow Shariss because I want Citri's favor too. Shariss is Citri's second-in-command in the demon world legion.』

'Please... please...'

If it asked for more details, I'd be out of info. I'd used everything I knew, so I could only pray it bought it.

『Ha... You follow that bitch Shariss? You have no eye for talent. The true path of Dark Sorcery is Chimera synthesis...』

『......』

『Fine. So what's your complaint? Isn't the plan to rescue me through your body?』

'Yes! Fuck yeah!'

『No. Actually, I made a Chimera to rescue you, Bahn.』

Since we were raiding a dungeon, recovering a Chimera made sense.

『A Chimera? You can handle Chimeras?』

『Yes, like you, Bahn, I believe Chimera synthesis is the truth of Dark Sorcery, so since falling into this world, I've devoted everything to it.』

『Oho... You know your stuff. Good. But why serve Shariss?』

『Well... My inclinations don't match Shariss's, but I want Citri's favor so badly...』

『I see. Understood. But where's this Chimera? I don't see it.』

'Stupid fuck!'

I pretended to search a spot away from where people were rummaging and ordered the Chimera to reveal itself.

『Oh... This one? Indeed... You focused only on hiding its presence to rescue me. Not bad.』

'Dumbass bastard.'

If it misinterpreted that way, I was grateful.

『This Chimera is one I specially made to hide you, Bahn. Hide in it here.』

'...It won't say it's staying in my body, right...'

If so, all this would be for nothing. The Chimera had half its materials left, so I could remake it. Even sacrificing the Chimera, I had to drag this thing out of my body.

'Please!'

『Enter the Chimera for now. It won't be detected unless it reveals itself.』

The odds it'd fully buy it and enter the Chimera... about fifty-fifty. Not zero.

In its eyes, this looked like a Chimera made to hide it, as it thought.

'What Dark Sorcerer makes a Chimera with zero combat ability?'

Perfect setup for it to fall for it.

『Good. I'll parasitize that Chimera, so hide it right away.』

As soon as it finished speaking, black energy left my body and entered the Chimera.

'Fuck yes! Got it!'

I immediately ordered the Chimera to conceal itself, as it said.

Since I was away from the party, if I didn't, it might sense something off and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠return to my body.

'Thanks for falling for it, you shitty bastard.'

I rejoined the group right away.

The others had already gathered loot and were checking items with artifacts.

'Whew... Fuck...'

While they happily checked items, I felt shitty thinking I'd fought a solo battle.

'Where's Yun Yeon?'

Finding Yun Yeon's position, I moved the Chimera to her shadow and ordered it to reveal itself.

"Yun Yeon! Behind you!"

In my haste, I slipped into casual speech. Any delay, and it'd return to my body.

'Can't give it time to think.'

Hearing my shout, Yun Yeon spun and threw a punch.

Thud!

Screeeeech—

As the Chimera shattered, Bahn revealed itself, staring at me in bewilderment.

"Wh-what?! You...?!"

'No time.'

"Don't listen to that bastard! Fuck, quick! Kill it! Now!"

Everyone turned at my desperate yell before it could grasp the situation.

Yun Yeon punched it, and its body burst like a balloon.

Splat!

Crunch crunch crunch!

Relief washed over me; I collapsed, curses spilling out unconsciously.

"I-I lived! Whew... Ha... Haha...! You fucking bastard!"

I barely knew what I was saying.

"Y-Yun-seong?! Wh-what happened?!"

Seo Yu-ju rushed over, but I couldn't hear her.

"I lived! I survived! Hahaha!"

Kang I-seo supported my slumped body with a grave look.

"Hey, what's wrong?! Why are you like this?! Snap out of it, you lunatic!"

"Whew... Whew..."

Maybe from the stress of potential self-destruction, my body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wouldn't calm.

Who could instantly calm with a time bomb in their body?

Everyone stared like I was crazy, including Seo Yu-ju and Yun Yeon.

"...Lee Yun-seong, what happened? Explain so we understand."

"Whew... Myth Clan Master... thank you. I survived because of you."

"...What does that even mean?"

Not knowing details, they couldn't follow.

I slowly explained to everyone.

"...That Bahn bastard... is a Parasite Sorcerer."

"Parasite Sorcerer?"

"Yun-seong, what does that mean? Parasite Sorcerer?"

Seo Yu-ju seemed to hear the term for the first time too.

Skipping Shariss details, I roughly edited the story of making the Chimera and tricking Bahn.

"...I thought it was too weak. It had that ability."

"..... Y-Yun-seong... I-I... didn't..."

Seo Yu-ju panicked realizing I nearly died.

This time, it was my wits that saved me, not help, so she seemed to doubt herself.

"...Yu-ju, don't blame yourself. Who could've predicted that? I didn't imagine it till it happened."

"I-I'm supposed to protect you..."

'Whew... She's out of it.'

The shock hit Seo Yu-ju hard. Understandable—she'd regressed, yet I'd nearly died twice already.

'Fuck, thinking about it, why's my luck so shit? There's a Regressor, and I'm still like this.'

Unfair world. Discriminated by Ha Yu-ri in Training Facility for being Dark Sorcerer, now nearly exploded for it.

'Goddamn...'

Kang I-seo spoke up.

"...Glad you're okay. I thought you'd lost it and freaked."

"Oppa Yun-seong... good thing."

"Bro..."

Party shocked I nearly died. Not as much as Seo Yu-ju, but faces darkened recalling Joo Seung-hwan.

"Come on, why the long faces? We lived, that's what matters. Haha! Cheer up, everyone."

Overacting, Yun Yeon asked seriously.

"....You okay?"

"Ah, of course. Lived, right? Now the dungeon's cleared..."

"No way you're okay."

I froze at her words.

"Huh?"

"No need to pretend. Anyone would freak in that spot."

"......"

I ignored her, forcing cheer.

"Anyway, loot! Can I check? I was too frantic."

'Good... but...'

Reading descriptions, performance was solid. Problem: boosts dark mana affinity, basically Dark Sorcerer exclusive.

'Useless to me.'

Fine for me, but party needed usable loot.