Chapter 88
Chapter 88
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 88
>Chapter Title: You're a Staff, Literally a Staff
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On a vast plain teeming with undead.
Shine thought to himself.
‘……This is strange.’
Ancient wraiths charging from all directions.
Even though they were the restless dead, they were baring their hostility toward Shine—a bizarre sight, considering the wraiths’ trait of targeting only the living.
But that wasn’t why Shine found it odd.
Ancient wraiths?
‘Who the hell cares.’
They were enemies that needed to be cut down, regardless.
And they weren’t particularly bothersome, either.
If annihilation had been the goal, he might have been awed by the endless horde of undead.
But his objective was breakthrough, not extermination.
So what was nagging at him?
‘……Why is this bothering me?’
Slash.
Shine cleaved through the oncoming ancient wraiths with a single stroke. A clean strike that butchered dozens of undead.
Yet his contemplation continued.
‘Why me, of all people…….’
Truth be told, there weren’t many options.
The blabbermouth Pathfinder? Don’t even start. That guy would’ve ended up as a meal for the starving undead the moment he stepped into the barrier.
What about the esteemed sir? Same story. In Shine’s eyes, he was only a smidge better than the blabbermouth Pathfinder.
However……
‘Why isn’t that bastard stepping up himself?’
He wasn’t oblivious to the intent.
Operation name: [Early Bird]
Of course, that ridiculous name existed only in Aster’s head, but did Shine not see through it?
Evil spirits. Minds too fractured for higher thought.
But the black mage had been steadily sending out evil spirits to scout ever since leaving the 4th base camp.
‘He’s definitely up to something.’
That was probably it.
If the enemy had caught on to their presence, this was about denying them any time to respond.
Shine had always steered clear of military tactics or strategy, but this was basic basics.
But if that were the case……
‘What’s the point of sending me out?’
He wasn’t undervaluing his own worth.
He was Shine von Leman. Once the legitimate heir to the continent’s foremost swordsmanship dynasty, a genius whose name shook the world.
Though he’d lost his body and become a half-baked transcendent, and even that was hampered by limited energy sources……
His senses and vision as a Master Knight remained intact.
However.
‘It’s a matter of efficiency. Efficiency.’
Above all, mages prized efficiency.
Even if this one wasn’t your typical mage, this went beyond mage logic—it was plain common sense.
‘Mana accumulation circle? How much help is that really gonna be?’
Sure, it would help.
This was the Hamern Great Forest.
With its freakishly high mana density, the circle’s efficiency would be several times greater than outside.
But.
‘Having me rampage like this must be a pretty big burden on him too…….’
What if they’d switched roles?
If he’d stayed back to guard Obern and the blabbermouth Pathfinder, while that guy struck the black mage directly……
That was when Shine halted.
[Groan.]
A low groan escaped him. Meanwhile, the black blade elegantly sliced through the air.
But its trajectory was rougher than before.
Clack.
As the blade, having whirled through the air, slotted back into its sheath, a horizontal line appeared within Shine’s field of vision. In the space itself.
Swish—
That was when the undead bodies crumbled. Not just the undead, either.
The withered great trees, shriveled by the Deathrow’s evil aura, collapsed in a heap as well.
Standing alone in the cleared space, Shine looked up at the sky.
[I just don’t get it, I really don’t…… This is why you shouldn’t hang around mages. Ugh.]
No, it wasn’t the mage that was the problem.
‘That scheming bastard…….’
The guy himself was the issue.
They hadn’t spent much time together, but thanks to their linked souls, he could naturally read the motives behind every little action.
Putting together those trifling behaviors to define the man……
[A rotten scoundrel.]
Yes, no better word for it.
‘The kind who’d hurt more over someone else gaining a penny than losing ten of his own.’
The type who’d shave off others’ flesh without a care for his own bones.
Even if there was a way for everyone to be happy, he’d gladly dive into hellfire just to screw over someone he hated.
That was why Shine felt so uneasy.
He couldn’t be trusted from the start.
[That guy…… shedding his own precious mana for some “constructive” purpose like this?]
Absurd.
His agonies deepened, his mind grew more tangled.
- Parasite, move your ass already?
- Parasite! Parasite!
‘Damn it all…….’
With no change in mana levels, the nagging came swiftly through their soul link.
Shine let out a faint sigh as he parroted back what he didn’t want to say.
He didn’t want to move until he figured out the scheme……
- ……Fine. I’ll go.
With that, Shine started walking.
- Yeah, go on. The accumulation circle’s all set up, so go wild. Use mana to your heart’s content.
Damn thing.
As if he could go wild with only half the core to work with.
Sure, the stockpiled mana wasn’t insignificant, but it was meant for emergencies.
In other words…… yeah.
‘Freedom.’
He’d called it reserves for contingencies, but really, it was emergency power for when he gained his freedom later.
In any case, contrary to his inner thoughts.
- Got it.
Shine meekly replied and moved forward.
‘From here on, just head straight, right?’
He glanced back, gauging the path.
A distance that might disorient a normal person, but a Master Knight’s sense of direction was another level.
Thud—
Shine kicked off the ground again.
No sooner had he taken a step than the densely packed undead lunged, but he didn’t care.
‘Fine, I’ll use it up freely, just like you said.’
Mana supply was definitely smoother than before. Not bad at all.
How far had he dashed at full speed?
‘……Is that it?’
A sinister aura snagged on Shine’s senses.
The evil energy already hung thick, but this concentration was incomparable.
Its source lay underground.
And……
[……Found you.]
Above it, the aura of black magic. Shine smirked.
Whatever that villain’s scheme, he erased it from his mind in this moment.
Right before his eyes stood the damned black mage.
Not a peaceful rest, nor a death worthy of the name……
The bastard who’d awakened him from long slumber without permission and used him like a mangy beast.
Even tearing him to a thousand—or ten thousand—pieces wouldn’t sate his rage.
Boiling fury.
Thud.
But Shine stopped in his tracks.
[Killing you might be a stretch…… but a greeting’s in order, no?]
Shine assumed his stance.
Suuup, whoosh.
He inhaled.
Truth be told, his dead body needed no breath. But the mind of a transcendent didn’t care about such trivialities.
It was enough to feel like he was breathing.
With that inhaled breath—
Swish……
The world faded.
Ultra-focus.
Pushing concentration to its limit, erasing the world to sense only himself.
A state so rare even geniuses might glimpse once in a lifetime—but for those defying norms, it was easy.
And then……
A presence other than Shine entered the white world right after.
Flash—
The black mage’s aura, clearly felt.
Another form of ultra-focus.
‘It’s lacking…… but…….’
Shine pushed his awakened mind to awaken further and smirked.
‘……Enough for a greeting.’
Srrrring—
The blade hidden in the sheath caught sunlight. Infinitely slow.
No whistle of air.
A single thread of killing intent surged across the twisted trees of the great forest toward the enemy.
And.
It seemed he heard it.
“……!”
The black mage gasped. Eyes bulging like saucers, the hastily deployed barrier shattered.
He hadn’t seen or heard it directly.
Yet in ultra-focus, Shine vividly pictured it all as if he had.
[A bit…… shallow.]
The slash vanished after merely grazing the neck.
Regrettable.
A sure-hit strike leveraging surprise—yet it hadn’t severed the head.
In his past life……
‘No, ambushes would’ve been beneath me then.’
Just charge in and crush. No need to even draw the sword.
But.
[No need to regret. Plenty of time, after all.]
Swish—
Thick, sticky killing intent rose thickly around him.
Because he was a Death Knight? The killing intent took tangible form, scattering as dark red vapors.
Having revealed himself, hiding his presence was pointless.
Just charge in and crush.
But then.
[Ha, this guy……?]
Shine burst into incredulous laughter.
And understandably so.
Smirk.
The black mage’s lip curled as if he’d never been rattled.
Arrogant bastard.
Even as a Death Knight, after tasting that strike, he should’ve been cowering behind his undead.
‘Then, once more…….’
Shine prepared another strike.
Mana-hungry, but one more was fine.
As that sword cleaved space once again.
That was the moment.
[……!]
Rustle-rustle-crackle—
Ominous energy surged from all sides. Black mana unique to the mage roiled.
Not just that.
[Kieeeek—!]
[Kieeeek……!]
Countless evil spirits rose like heat haze from the earth.
Shine intuited.
[……A curse!]
No ordinary curse.
The risen spirits withered, seeping into the magic circle on the ground, activating it as fuel.
When the curse finally bloomed.
Shine realized.
[You damned……!]
Not aimed at the black mage.
At the scheming bastard who’d sent him here.
No wonder.
He hadn’t come himself, wasting precious mana just to send Shine.
- So this was your game……!
- Ahh, just as planned?
As Shine roared in fury, a voice echoed in his mind.
- Operation name: Early Bird. The early bird gets the worm, right? But that wasn’t the real plan.
The usual incomprehensible nonsense.
Operation name? Never heard of it.
He’d just played along with the guy’s solo giggling.
‘What? Bird what?’
Shine swung his sword to cut the encroaching curse—but it didn’t slice.
Amid it all, the voice drilled into his head.
- The real operation name is…… ‘Test the bridge before you cross it.’
No explanation, but he grasped the shitty plan instantly.
Boiling rage.
[Am I your staff now?!—!]
As that roar tore the air.
- Codename: Staff. Go wild as much as you can. Not a single trap left by the time your master arrives.
Aster’s voice cut off there.
Shine had no breath to reply.
‘……Damn it all!’
Fwoosh—!
The gold mage’s prepared curse was bearing down.