Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Turning the Tables (4)
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“Absorption.”
As soon as the incantation left my lips, the energy flowing from the Death Knight's spear—forged from its demonic qi—began surging into the Masked Instructor's body in an instant.
Jang Hyena cried out.
“What the hell is going on?! It's not even mana—you can absorb demonic qi too?!”
The Masked Instructor's face, broadcast live, kept swelling with demonic qi in real time before deflating again, over and over without respite.
The Death Knight standing before me cried out in bewilderment.
[Groan... Human, what the hell are you doing?! How dare you defy the natural order and try to wield demonic qi?!]
“Your speech suddenly got a lot more archaic. Why? Getting scared now?”
-Fwooooooom
Demonic qi was pouring madly into my body. Normal demonic qi can't be used just by absorbing, rotating, and releasing it. It's not dark magic—pure demonic qi requires purification first. Use it raw, and your body could swell up and burst.
-Rumble rumble boom
As if to prove it, as the qi flooded in, my body began to bloat. The Death Knight finally smirked at the sight of me swelling like I might explode.
[Trying to wield power beyond your station—naturally, your body can't handle it. Die, foolish human.]
In that instant, I thrust my other hand into the air, absorbing external mana.
“Recovery.”
[B] Recovery
Restores a portion of physical damage to the body.
Recovery normally heals wounds or damage proportional to the mana used. But spamming it repeatedly can heal even severe injuries in real time to a certain extent.
“Recovery, repeat.”
The endless alerts rang out as my body's condition steadily stabilized.
[Wh... What is this?!]
The Death Knight recoiled, flustered at the sight of me standing unscathed after absorbing a hefty dose of demonic qi.
[To take pure demonic qi into your body and remain fine... Are you perhaps chosen by a prophet?!]
The Death Knight spouted nonsense I couldn't make sense of. Figuring it was just stalling for time, I raised my hand toward its face and unleashed all the accumulated demonic qi at once.
-KABOOOOOM
-Whiiiiiir
A massive explosion rocked the air, whipping up fierce winds around us. [Release] isn't some high-grade spell. It simply expels the mana you've gathered. The devastation came from the sheer volume of demonic qi I'd absorbed.
Of course, one blast like that wouldn't kill an A-rank boss.
-Clank
The Death Knight rose, drawing the sword sheathed at its waist.
[It's been ages since I last used a sword instead of a spear. I swore never to touch one again after becoming like this. I admit it—you're the most troublesome human I've ever faced.]
[From now on, I'll treat you as a worthy rival. Don't expect any more mercy.]
-Shiiiing
A chilling ring echoed as the Death Knight drew its sword from the scabbard.
'What the fuck? There was no pattern like this.'
Playing Helmont Academy Online, I'd never once seen the Death Knight use the sword slung on its back. Even after possessing this body, I'd farmed it multiple times, but never with a sword.
It was the Sword Saint's lore: to preserve his pride as a swordsman, he vowed never to wield a blade with his demon-corrupted body. So I'd always dismissed that sword as mere decoration. But now, it had clearly drawn it.
-Gulp
I stood pretending to be calm, facing it down, but truthfully, I was pretty tense. Witnessing a pattern I'd never seen before. And in situations like this, something always popped up.
Sure enough, just as I'd expected from my hunter days, the familiar quest window appeared.
-Ding!
[Hidden Quest: Death Knight's Perfect Submission]
The Death Knight lived his life with pride as a swordsman sworn to serve his king. In his final moments, he was betrayed by his most trusted comrade, losing all his power. To seek revenge, he turned to dark magic and regained his strength, but the traitor had already taken his own life. Now purposeless and wandering, the Death Knight searches for a king to serve. Subjugate him completely and earn his recognition as such.
🎁 Reward: Death Knight's Thought Orb
By the way, hidden quests activated in a dungeon are visible to everyone inside.
The reporters spotted it and erupted into chaos.
“Hey! What are you doing?! Write the article now! Hidden quest in an A-rank dungeon!”
“Damn it, newbie! Why aren't you writing?! You lost your mind? This is front-page news!”
“S-Sorry! Uploading now!”
Viewers without access to the quest window were baffled.
Helmont Academy President's public humiliation, amateur creator instructor's A-rank solo clear, and now a hidden quest on top. The situation was like an overheated furnace, packed with every sensational element.
“Film it! Don't miss a single second—every angle!”
“Don't push! We bought filming rights too!”
“Fuck, we paid the same! Get lost!”
“D-Don't shove! You break our magic tools, you gonna compensate?!”
“Crazy bastard! Handle your own shit and move!”
Reporters scrambled viciously to claim the best spots filming me and the Death Knight.
Up in the sky, Jang Hyena gripped her recording magic tool tightly, filming me up close in tense silence.
'Hmm... Don't know the quest reward, but I still gotta kill this thing either way.'
With that thought, I charged at it. This time, no Release—just a straight sprint.
[Human, cheap tricks won't work on me anymore.]
The Death Knight swung its sword toward me.
-Fwoooosh
-Crackle crackle zap
Just the swing sent a chilling surge of demonic qi—like massive lightning—racing up my spine.
'What is this? A mere A-rank boss...?'
Before becoming an instructor, I'd sneaked through gates countless times using exploits, hunting solo without backup. Not famous, but my experience rivaled anyone's.
'If even I feel this chill, others don't stand a chance.'
A quick glance around confirmed it—the rowdy crowd had gone dead silent.
“F-Fil...ming...”
“Shut up... If that comes at us, we're done...”
They instinctively knew: one strike from that sword, and they'd be ash.
-Bang!
I quickly used Release to blast myself backward with the recoil.
[Fleeing, human? I acknowledged you as a rival, but that seems to be your limit.]
-Grind rumble
The Death Knight stomped the ground hard, coiling to leap at me. A bit more time, and it'd rocket like a bullet.
In that moment, I slammed my hand to the ground and shouted.
“Absorption.”
As I drew in external mana, I rapidly began casting.
For personal reasons, I'd avoided high-grade magic since entering the dungeon. But now, to finish it fast, I had no choice but to use an invisible high-tier spell.
-Imbue Stone magic with fire attribute.
Why Acceleration? Simple: Attribute spells, even with external mana, cast slowly. No time to wait.
With Acceleration active, Stone spell triggered—countless rocks materialized in the air, all blazing fiercely from the fire attribute.
[Think a pathetic low-grade spell like that can touch me? You have greater power yet mock me so. That arrogance will cost you your life.]
The Death Knight paused its charge, sneering up at the hovering rocks. Sword raised high, it prepared to cleave the magic apart.
I ignored it, conjuring more rocks.
“Stone, duplicate.”
Soon, the sky brimmed with fiery boulders. Even the Death Knight sensed the threat, falling silent as it glared at the [C-grade magic: Stone] rocks.
'They call it low-grade, but I used S-grade Acceleration and A-grade Attribute Grant. Most will spot the attribute but miss the speed boost.'
Smirking, I said,
“Low-grade magic? But the quantity's a bit much, no?”
“Try getting buried by low-grade magic.”
I swept my hand toward the Death Knight, sending the flaming rocks hurtling its way. Then, for the falling Stone spells, I added one more command.
“Gravity enhancement, stack.”
Instantly, every flaming rock plummeted toward the Death Knight at absurd, impossible speeds.