Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: What Happened That Night (3)
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"I... I can't believe it."
Vena stared at her trembling hands.
These hands had attacked Hila.
She couldn't believe that she had rebelled against the one who had always tormented her.
"To think I had this kind of courage in me."
It still felt like a dream.
What if it really was just a dream?
If it was, it was a dream she never wanted to wake from.
"That's enough. Get up."
Jamie shattered Vena's elation in an instant.
The real danger was just beginning. Euphoric emotions would only lead to carelessness, offering no help in their current situation.
"S-sorry."
Vena snapped back to reality and hurriedly stood.
Jamie looked at her and thought.
'A Valkyrie.'
Who were they?
Known as the 'Fairies of Battle,' they were powerful fairies who had stood against the Twelve Gods in their bid to dominate the world.
In his past life as Diablo Volpir, he had some minor dealings with the Valkyries, so he knew a fair bit about them.
'We never allied because our goals didn't align, but they hated the gods just as much as I did.'
That era had no shortage of races with immense power.
The Valkyries were among the top tier, a fairy race that had directly waged war against the Twelve Gods.
They lost in the end, but fortunately avoided extinction by fleeing to places beyond the gods' gaze—or so the rumors went.
But it was so long ago that he'd assumed they had gone extinct by now.
'That feeling I got from Vena wasn't because she's near a Black Sorcerer.'
He hadn't even considered she might be a Valkyrie, so he'd chalked it up to his Black Sorcerer instincts picking up something off.
'But for a Valkyrie, she's too...'
Valkyries were innately competitive.
Cowardice didn't exist in their nature. It was a racial trait, ingrained at a species level, nearly impossible to change.
Yet Vena was so timid and lacking in assertiveness that no one would peg her as one.
'Probably that Gav bastard's doing.'
It couldn't be coincidence that Vena was a Valkyrie.
Gav had to know what she was.
He might have even molded her personality into this.
'Nine times out of ten.'
Anyone who knew about Valkyries would know their temperament.
This was all likely part of his scheme.
'She awakened somehow, at least.'
The current Vena was far from a full-fledged Valkyrie.
Her physical abilities had surged, but she clearly hadn't adapted yet.
Adaptation came quickly with real combat experience, though.
"Enemies will swarm us soon."
"Enemies?"
Her eyes suggested there couldn't possibly be enemies here.
Vena still hadn't grasped her situation.
As Jamie opened his mouth to explain briefly, the lab flashed red.
Beep- Beep- Beep- Beep-
"R-red alert!"
"I don't know what it is, but I can guess it means emergency."
"Yes! It's the alarm for intruders! It's because..."
"It's Jamie."
"They must have detected you entering, Young Master Jamie."
Vena was wrong.
This wasn't an alarm to catch him.
Vena's eyes widened. She knew that voice better than anyone.
"Th-the Faction Leader."
"Just as I thought."
Jamie grinned bitterly, as if he'd expected it.
"Perfect."
Black smoke billowed from around the distant corner.
Jamie tore off the human skin mask. He also dispelled the transparency spell on Perfect Cell.
His body shrank back to its original size. To minimize mana drain ahead of the coming battle, he needed to conserve as much as possible.
"Enemies are coming."
"Enemies..."
"Yeah. The ones who used to bully you? They're your enemies now."
Vena's expression darkened.
This place had been a nightmare for her, but she'd never seen them as enemies.
Hateful and loathsome as they were, they'd shared meals for ten years.
But not anymore.
Not since she'd defied Hila.
'I've changed!'
Light returned to Vena's eyes.
Her Valkyrie instincts had unlocked once more.
Jamie smirked and unleashed the mana he'd been gathering in his body.
Kuwaaaa—!!
Blue light swirled through the corridor like a storm.
"Whoa—"
Vena gasped in awe.
Jamie stepped forward and said to her,
"You won't get a second chance."
Darkness descended.
"Vena! Why the hell are you resisting?!"
"Get over here! Now!"
Black Sorcerers hurled themselves at Vena amid flashing red lights.
Jamie blasted darkness, sending them flying left and right.
'Brainwashed them good.'
Curse Master, huh.
It seemed exaggerated, but these novice Black Sorcerers were little more than Gav's slaves.
Jamie easily defended against the incoming curse magic.
'Hate to waste this.'
At his current level, Perfect Cell was too much.
Better to save it unless things got dire. Even without it, these curses were child's play.
[Darkness Chain Explosion]
Kwang- Kwagang—!!
In black magic, darkness meant annihilation of all things.
Unlike normal explosions.
Anything it touched couldn't regenerate without resistance.
"Arghhh!"
"Ve-Venaaaaa!"
Even in agony, they screamed her name.
Vena grimaced and cast a curse at a charging Black Sorcerer.
"Gah!"
One froze mid-charge, limbs paralyzed, tumbling to the floor.
Vena swallowed hard. The curse she'd just used, 'Stiffness,' was basic magic.
A decent mage would shrug it off, but Gav's brainwashing made these Black Sorcerers reckless.
That's why her low-level black magic was working.
But stiffness was just that.
"Listen to me for once!!"
The Black Sorcerer shook it off, drew his wand, and fired a black beam at Vena.
A curse that briefly stole one's will.
The old Vena couldn't have dodged, but she instinctively twisted left.
The beam hit a Black Sorcerer approaching from behind her.
"D-dodged it."
'How?' flooded her mind, but the grazing spell snapped her back.
"Focus!"
"Yes!"
At Jamie's voice, Vena tensed up again.
She decided not to question how. She didn't know what this bodily sensation was, but she had to use it now.
"Hya!"
Vena deflected an incoming curse and body-slammed a Black Sorcerer.
Just slammed into him.
Even the brainwashed Black Sorcerers froze at the sight.
Bam!!
The Black Sorcerer flew several meters and crashed into the wall.
His head lolled—he was out cold.
"Huh...?"
Vena was fairly large for a girl her age.
But only comparatively. No way she could send an adult man flying into a wall.
"Vena! That's your power!"
Jamie overwhelmed the enemies with magic and black magic effortlessly as he spoke.
"Trust in that power and fight!"
An unknown superhuman strength.
She didn't know why she had it, but Vena chose not to dwell.
Hadn't she just resolved herself minutes ago?
She could think later.
'I can do this.'
She wouldn't go back to who she was.
Vena dodged every incoming spell with unbelievable physical prowess.
The movements amazed even her—enemies must have been stunned.
"Vena... what the hell?"
"Since when could she move like that?"
"C-catch her!"
No matter how Vena had changed, Gav's orders stood.
The swarm of Black Sorcerers attacked her again.
'These guys don't stand a chance.'
Even a newly awakened Valkyrie had strength rivaling large beasts. Not something 2nd or 3rd Class Black Sorcerers could handle.
"Let's see."
Jamie looked ahead again.
"Wh-what's that kid?"
"How is this even possible..."
"You're dead. Dead meat."
Even brainwashed by Gav, overwhelming terror triggered survival instincts first.
Unless the brainwashing erased reason entirely.
Jamie curled his lip and approached them.
Amid his shadowed face, only two purple eyes gleamed.
"The seeds I sowed..."
Mana still overflowed.
Even if it dipped, it replenished endlessly.
"I'll reap."
Screech—
Black, disguised as Jamie's hair, unfurled its membranous wings.
The pair of wings atop the child's head cast eerie shadows.
"Rest easy. All of you."
Dark thorns erupted.
"What's all this racket?"
"No idea."
Tum and Piece frowned at the noise from inside as they returned from their outing.
They hurried toward the source.
Then stopped at a certain point.
"That's Hina?"
"Haza too. Leggin's here."
All corpses.
The mutilation screamed black magic.
Loud bangs echoed from afar.
Playfulness vanished from their faces.
As they rounded the corner—
Bam!!
Flames exploded.
A charred corpse slammed into the wall.
Confirming it safe, they turned to see a young boy with his back turned.
At first, they doubted he could cause this, but that thought vanished instantly.
"Piece. Stay sharp."
"Tum. You too."
The ominous feeling exceeded expectations.
Playful as they were, they were top talents in Gav's faction.
But this chill was instinctual.
"Ah. It's you two."
The boy turned.
A killer's cold smile fixed on them.
Tum and Piece froze, spotting the bracelet dangling from his left wrist.
'That!'
'The bracelet from before!'
Definitely the high-grade artifact from hours ago!
Come to think of it, the wearer had been a young boy like this.
It was that kid!
"If not for that weird thing back then, you'd have been my meal. Well, you're here now, so no matter."
Jamie approached.
Commotion still sounded from behind.
'More intruders besides him?'
Not even considering Vena, Tum scowled at the danger.
He eyed Piece.
Piece nodded faintly, thinking the same.
"Got a plan brewing?"
As Jamie tilted his head curiously—
"Piece!"
"Got it, Tum!"
Rings on Tum's fingers glowed in unison.
[Curse of Pain]
[Curse of Loss]
[Curse of Cognition]
[Curse of Delusion]
Four curses engulfed Jamie.
His small body shuddered, stepping back.
Piece seized the opening, chanting swiftly. Sticky purple liquid coiled around his fingertips.
It encased both arms, hardening solid.
[Poison Knuckle] (4th Class)
A poison spell where even a graze is lethal without strong resistance.
Piece closed in instantly, swinging with full force.
"Pay for your carelessness!"
The poison fist smashed Jamie's face.
Tum and Piece's lips curled triumphantly.
But the smiles faded fast.
"Gaaahhh!"
Piece clutched his arm, screaming.
Tum rushed over, face paling at Piece's arm.
"Y-your arm..."
"My arm!"
Piece's thick arm was cleanly severed.
Not a drop of blood spilled.
"That's all it was."
Their world darkened.
Everything burned, lightning rained from the sky.
A nightmare of horrors and phantoms pouring like rain.
Two glowing purple eyes stared at them.
"In the end, that's all it was."
They didn't know what "it" was.
Then they looked down.
"Gaaahhh!"
"Nooooo!"
The abyss swallowed them.
"Whew—"
Jamie felt his hands tremble as he eyed the two unconscious Black Sorcerers.
They wouldn't return to reality without his permission.
"Proof of how strong you were."
Their skill had forced him to end it quickly by slamming their minds into the abyss's depths.
It cost a ton of mana.
Full Body Breathing Method would replenish it soon enough.
"What a headache."
Jamie chuckled wryly and turned.
"You made quite the mess."
A handsome man with healthy brown skin and striking white hair stood there.
Next to him, Vena lay collapsed, shrouded in darkness.
"You handle darkness magic too?"
"Sticking to just curses from the start would be foolish."
Gav Faction's second-in-command, slated to be the next Faction Leader.
"A pleasure. Name's Salom."
Darkness began to rage.