64
My Villains Chapter 64
17. Popaluk Catalas (4)
I gritted my teeth inwardly but tried to maintain a poker face.
"So, you're asking me not to resist and die quietly?"
"To put it more accurately... I hope you'll accept the ritual. Voluntarily, with open arms."
"Who in their right mind would accept such an insane proposal?"
"It's a difficult proposal for the culprit to accept. I admit that."
Luke was standing by the window, about twenty paces away from me. Dressed in black with a bronze crown and leaning on a white staff, he looked like a typical villain mage, but his tone and expression were mimicking those of a polite old gentleman.
"Originally, to achieve excellent results, you need a change of perspective and painstaking effort. That's why I'm having this conversation to change your minds. I hope you'll understand on your own."
"What if I don't understand at all?"
"Then I'll have no choice but to take a risk and accept the losses."
Saying that, Luke pressed his staff against Ellen's stomach. Ellen, whose eyes had been half-closed, opened them wide and let out a muffled scream.
"Nngh!"
"Stop it, you bastard!"
Thud.
As I tried to lunge at Luke, the skeleton soldiers pushed me back with their shields. Luke sighed as he watched.
"Actually, I don't enjoy torture either. It leaves indelible scars on both body and soul."
"You, you-"
"But what can I do? Rather than letting you die harboring resentment, I must make you yearn to become a follower, even if it damages your body and soul a little."
Luke squatted down and grabbed Ellen's hair, who was breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Ack-"
"Your eyes are still alive. Well. Noble Mages rarely break their will."
Luke turned his head towards me and asked with a serious face.
"But what about you, Phoenix? Do you have the confidence to keep watching Ellen suffer? Wouldn't it be better to persuade Ellen and free her from pain?"
"If you don't accept my proposal, I'll torture Ellen until she dies. Regrettably, I have to take a gamble."
Looking into Luke's deep eyes, I was certain.
This guy doesn't operate on common sense.
He wasn't saying nonsense to mock or sneer. This bastard sincerely believes what he's saying. He believes that becoming his undead is a blessing, and death is the only way to be freed from pain.
Facing this calm madness, I racked my brains furiously.
A frontal attack is hopeless. Then what should I do?
For now, one thing is clear. Luke doesn't want my body to be damaged as much as possible. He probably wants to preserve my physical form as much as he can. To create a special ghoul.
Thinking like that, I can understand why he's treating Ellen so ruthlessly. What he needs is Ellen's soul, not her body.
There's another angle to exploit. Luke doesn't seem to know exactly what kind of space this 'altar' is.
Actually, I only know how to trigger the event and how to clear it, not exactly what this place is for. But this should be enough to create a variable, right?
I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.
"Huh, alright."
"...Alright? Are you accepting my proposal?"
You crazy bastard, why are you looking like you can't believe what you suggested?
"First... First, let me talk to Ellen. Whether I persuade her or whatever, I want to hear Ellen's thoughts too."
"Ah, how indecisive. Don't you understand yet? Now is the time for you to make a decision, not to listen to opinions."
While inwardly grinding my teeth at Luke's mockery, I forced myself to speak politely.
"Please. Just a moment, a very brief moment."
"Hmm...."
A look of dismay crossed Luke's face. He stroked his chin and spoke in a bitter tone.
"The truth is... I've taken... Certain measures with Ellen."
"Measures?"
"Measures that are almost essential for fierce Mags. So she's in a state where she can't speak right now."
What on earth is he talking about? Did he cast silence or something?
A necromancer shouldn't be able to use silence. It's not like there's a banshee here....
Wait, could it be?
I looked at Ellen again.
The bleeding seemed to have stopped, but her complexion was still deathly pale, her body limp, and her eyes almost closed. And the piece of cloth stuffed in her mouth - it wasn't originally red, but soaked with blood....
Something that had been dormant in a corner of my heart shattered.
An amusement park on a weekday, a women's restroom, an interrogation room, a cramped officetel.
Helplessness, my sister's eyes, guilt.
Police line, broken smartphone, crime scene photos, broken fire escape.
"Wait, Phoenix. Calm down a bit."
The falchion, which had somehow broken in half, was now coated in blood.
Is it because of the blue lighting? The blade looked redder and sharper than usual. Soon, even the lighting turned red.
Luke was babbling something, but I roughly grabbed the shield blocking my way.
"Grr,"
The skeleton soldiers were still only maintaining a defensive stance. Without hesitation, I jammed the broken blade between the helmet and armor of the nearest one.
Crack!
Whatever their equipment, these guys are essentially just skeleton soldiers. With a full-force thrust, its neck bones shattered instantly, and Luke's face contorted with anger.
"Subdue him!"
As soon as the order was given, the skeleton soldiers' stance changed.
"Graaah!"
The ones in the front line swung legendary weapons like the iron mace 'Falling Star', the one-handed sword 'Mighty Sword', the axe 'Blue Thunder', the hand-and-a-half sword 'Saint's Destruction'. Despite their weapon skills being worse than ordinary soldiers, there was no way I could match blades with them.
But I couldn't retreat either.
The sharp killing intent I felt from behind urged me to break through. I used my anger as fuel and pressed forward.
"Hup!"
I twisted my body to evade the iron mace and one-handed sword, then bent backward to avoid the axe.
Crackle.
The blue axe blade sparked right in front of my nose, but I couldn't take my eyes off the hand-and-a-half sword aiming for my neck. I jerked my head, but- Shrrrik.
The blade engraved with demonic characters sliced through the helmet and left a long gash on my cheek.
"Ugh,"
It felt like my face had been scraped across asphalt on a midsummer day. But I gritted my teeth and rolled my body between the skeleton soldiers, somehow managing to break through the front line.
"Grr,"
Hong.
At that moment, a red afterimage struck towards my chest. I instinctively stretched out my hand, and.
Puchak!
"Argh,"
The triple-split blade cut halfway through my palm and then tore through my breastplate. The unique glaive, Blood Vanguard, pierced through the tough fabric, hard bone, and curved iron plate far too easily.
"Guh-"
Clang!
I desperately swung the falchion to deflect the spear shaft. Then I quickly kicked off the ground and rushed towards Luke.
And this reckless charge met its predetermined failure.
Kuung.
The large undead, Dulahan, took a heavy step forward and swung down his massive double-bladed axe, as enormous as his own body.
Swoosh!
"Ugh,"
Even while running, I twisted my body and barely avoided that chopping attack, but the crimson afterimage bent at a right angle as if flowing like water.
Damn it, what kind of movement is this-
"Stop!"
Swish!
The double-bladed axe that was swinging towards my face, breaking the falchion, changed direction again. As if caught on a fishhook, my helmet flew up towards the ceiling.
"Don't harm him any further!"
Grit.
My teeth grind involuntarily. Once again, I've survived thanks to Luke's strange obsession.
"This won't do. You need some time to calm down."
Luke, muttering something in an agitated voice, glared at me. And without any warning, his dark blue eyes emitted a gloomy magical power.
"Urk,"
Thud.
My limbs stiffened like wooden blocks, and I fell back helplessly.
Getting paralyzed just by making eye contact... Is this the 'Gaze of the Abyss' skill? Damn, without any spell or warning?
At that moment, the ambiguously translated tooltip ‘Remember up to 5 spells’ flashed through my mind.
Right, Memorize! Another fixed option of the Ancient Ruler's Crown.
With so much equipment to keep track of, I was late in realizing it. My body was already completely paralyzed, and Luke was approaching me with angry steps.
"After all the consideration I've shown, you dare to act so rudely!"
Whack!
As the white staff struck my face, my nose started bleeding.
Damn it, if I'm going to be paralyzed, couldn't it at least not hurt? Why does it still hurt?
And... My left shoulder and hand are burning like a fireball. What's this now...
Perhaps not noticing the heat radiating from my body, Luke spoke with a distorted expression, as if spitting out the words.
"Since it's come to this, I'll completely remake your dirty mind. I'll slice off all the skin on your body until you crave death."
The black half-cloak and the blue jade ring were emitting heat. The power emitted by these two objects was pushing back against the evil force that had taken over my entire body.
"Of course, that Ellen wench takes priority."
Luke muttered with a smile only on his lips.
"I'll split open that tiny head, slice the brain, extract the soul, and mold it into a spirit. I'll possess hundreds, thousands of bodies until all reason evaporates, bleaching the soul. Ellen will forever curse your foolish choice."
At his whisper, it felt like the blood in my entire body was boiling.
And finally, I shook off the evil magic that had been binding my whole body. Without hesitation, I threw a punch.
Crack.
Luke rolled on the floor without even managing to scream properly. Although it was a punch thrown while lying down, the superhuman strength instantly caved in his cheekbone and eye socket.
Damn, I should have blown his head off in one go!
There was no time for regret, and I immediately lunged like a four-legged beast, pouncing on the fallen Luke.
"Guh-"
Pinned under me, he looked up at me viciously. To avoid the Gaze of the Abyss, I closed my eyes tightly and brought my fist down.
Crunch.
"Argh!"
My eyes were closed, but my senses were clearer than ever. After instantly shattering the flailing arm, I threw another punch, but-
Bang!
"Ugh—"
With an impact like being hit by a mid-size car, my body flew through the air.
Crash, thud!
"Cough. Guh-"
Of all places to fall, there happened to be a rock that struck my back.
Spitting out a dry cough, I raised my head to see that it was none other than the Dulahan who had sent me flying. I had been thrown by the flat of that brutish axe.
"You, *gurgle* filthy mercenary!"
As Luke, with half his face caved in, screamed while bleeding, the empty gazes of the skeleton soldiers focused on me.
"Kill him! As intact as possible, just split his heart and kill him!"
You idiot, still can't let go of your obsession.
"Kuhuk."
I stood up, supporting myself on the rock that had struck my back. As I did so, I realized that this rock was none other than the 'altar'.
I recalled the situation I had simulated in my head while talking with Luke. And immediately put it into action.
Thunk.
I placed my left palm on the altar and drew blood from the split. Responding to my will, the stream of blood instantly covered the platform.
I recalled the sentence composed in the language of the ancient empire, Spacht, which I had repeated in my mind countless times. Simultaneously, I shouted.
"Lord of the Underworld, a challenger has come!"