Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Chapter 133: The German Match (1)
Translation: godtl
A dim passageway.
Though it was illuminated by lights of unknown origin—whether from some technique or another—the corridor was still dark enough to be described as shadowy. Yet one spot stood out, unnaturally bright.
What was curious, however, was that the light piercing through the gloom wasn't a radiant glow, but an inky blackness.
And at the center of that darkness—
"Gaze upon the abyss... Let your fangs... become his shackles..."
A gaunt, blond man with deep dark circles under his eyes muttered incessantly.
Neither a prayer.
Nor an incantation.
The ceaseless murmurs spilled from his lips as tendrils of darkness slithered forth, merging with the dim passageway to create an eerie, unsettling atmosphere.
Perhaps it was the unique aura of Demonic Energy.
"Ugh... Gives me the creeps!"
"Black magic usually feels like this, but damn, it's unsettling every single time."
"Well, you're holy power users. Of course it'd feel disgusting to you."
"Hey, I'm an assassin-class, and even I can't stand looking at it."
Most of the German players nearby frowned and instinctively stepped back, putting distance between themselves and the source. Only three or four remained by Faust's side.
At the forefront stood a woman in armor, her sharply arched eyebrow twitching upward.
"Hmm. More usable than I expected."
Leoni Wolf, ranked first in Germany's Platinum division.
She observed Faust with her uniquely colored eyes, a glint of appraisal in her gaze.
To invoke a Constellation's intervention just to cast a single curse... Bloodline truly is bloodline, huh?
Faust Valtenberg.
The youngest son of the Valtenberg family—one of the few prestigious lineages still standing in modern-day Germany.
Much like his elder brother, the Guild Master of Valtenberg, Germany's strongest guild, Faust was demonstrating the sheer weight of his family's name with nothing more than a simple curse.
He's an idiot, but his magical prowess is undeniable. Then again, he always did have potential in this field since childhood.
Those in the know within Germany would be aware, but Leoni had crossed paths with Faust since they were young.
To be precise, her family, the Wolfs, had shared a long-standing friendship with the Valtenbergs.
Sssss...
As Faust's Demonic Energy thickened, her delicate brow furrowed slightly.
What was it again? That he could see ghosts?
Ghosts, specters, or something along those lines.
Faust had often babbled nonsense about seeing things since he was a child.
Because of that, before the Galaxy Arena's emergence, he'd been subjected to all sorts of psychiatric treatments and folk remedies, branded as the "Devil's Child."
It's a bit sad, really. He was such a good kid back then.
Perhaps those experiences were what turned him into the psycho he was now.
Letting out a small sigh as she reminisced about Faust's childhood, she turned her attention back to him.
"Huuu..."
Faust exhaled deeply as he straightened up.
"Well? Faust, did it work?"
"What a pointless question."
Leoni's inquiry was met with Faust's signature sinister grin.
"For one hour, Demonic Energy across the entire map is under my complete control. That bastard, along with all those damned demonic beasts, should've been forcibly recalled by now."
Was he recalling what had happened during his Platinum Debut Match?
"And that's not all. His martial arts are demonic techniques, rooted in Demonic Energy. With its flow completely blocked, he won't even be able to use them."
Meaning that flashy close combat of his would be sealed!
Faust's expression was one of sheer vindication.
In response, Leoni replied dryly.
"Hmm. That sounds like you can't use Demonic Energy either, though?"
"Th-that's—!"
Struck where it hurt, Faust's face instantly twisted in dismay.
"I-I only joined this operation to counter Kim Si-mun's abilities in the first place!"
"Then why does Kim Si-mun still have his Lightning Spear, Fire Sword, and other magic at his disposal?"
"That's not a problem either."
Faust rummaged through his inventory and pulled out a bundle of withered wooden stakes, shaking them triumphantly.
"We already know that bastard's main stat isn't just Demonic Energy, after all."
"How long does that artifact last?"
"Same as before—one hour. So Leoni, just focus on your own damn job."
"Hmph. How arrogant."
She glared at him like she might strike him down right then and there, but that was all.
Apparently satisfied with Faust's answer, Leoni curled the corner of her lip slightly and turned away.
Just then—
"Leoni!"
An assassin-class player clad in leather armor materialized out of thin air.
"Max. What's the situation?"
"It's just as Faust said."
The man called Max steadied his breathing for a moment before shooting Faust a sidelong glance.
"The Koreans are pushing a mineral cart, but there's not a single Demonic Beast in sight."
"Oh?"
Leoni pressed her tongue against her cheek and turned back to Faust.
"Keh-hah! Told you! Just do your damn job!"
"Seems so. I'll give you that much, Faust. You were useful for once."
"W-what?! For once?! Leoni, are you done?!"
Faust practically fumed at her sneer, but Leoni ignored him entirely.
"Everyone, form up for a charge. We wipe them out in one go."
After organizing the team's formation, she began moving.
"Oh, right."
She paused mid-step.
"Max?"
"Yeah?"
"You need to work on your stealth."
"Huh? What's that supposed to—"
Before Max could finish—
Swish.
In an instant, Leoni drew her sword.
She swung the greatsword—large enough to require two hands—with just one.
"Eek!"
Max flinched violently at the sudden slash, but Leoni's blade wasn't aimed at him.
CRASH!
A surge of blue Sword Energy erupted from her greatsword and tore brutally into the wall.
Sword Energy Projection.
A technique only those on the verge of Diamond-rank could perform—yet she executed it as if it were nothing.
But no one was surprised by her display of strength.
Not because they already knew how formidable she was.
Thud.
Something split clean in half.
Only after it collapsed to the ground did the players realize what Leoni had just cut down.
"A... a person?"
"I know him! That's one of the Korean players."
"Must've been scouting, just like Max...?"
The stunned players' gazes flicked instinctively to Max before returning to Leoni.
"Why are you looking at me? If Max, an assassin-class, got tailed, that's on him for being incompetent."
She shrugged and drove the nail deeper into Max's pride.
"Mr. Si-mun. Are you really alright?"
A deep, steady voice laced with concern reached him.
Si-mun answered with an easy smile.
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"Understood. The scout should be back soon. We'll discuss things then."
"Sure."
As Lee Sang-min stepped away, Si-mun looked down at his own chest.
'This doesn't feel great.'
Like a broken radio.
Or chains tightening around him.
He knew exactly what this sensation was.
'A Demonic Energy seal... I didn't think they'd resort to this.'
Right after summoning the Demonic Beasts—
He had coughed up blood and felt his Demonic Energy freeze completely.
On top of that—
'They even reverse-summoned the Demonic Beasts I called forth using Paracelsus' Cylinder...'
His method of summoning involved constructing a Transmutation Circle based on the knowledge from the Lemegeton, forming a Summoning Circle for Demonic Beasts, then storing and manifesting it through Paracelsus' Cylinder.
Like a mage's memorized spells, it required pre-storing the circles in the cylinder—a drawback.
But on the flip side, since the summons were independent of the summoner, they lacked the usual weaknesses tied to the summoner-summoned bond.
Yet, all of them had been forcibly unsummoned.
There was only one meaning to this.
'It's not a single-target curse aimed solely at me—it's a wide-range curse.'
Si-mun flexed his fist.
A simple motion, but he was already circulating the Heavenly Demon Divine Art's mantra.
And still, his Demonic Energy refused to budge.
They had already traveled a fair distance from the starting point.
'The effective range must be at least half the map—possibly the entire thing.'
For now, it was reasonable to assume the entire map was affected.
'Well, it's not like this penalty is anything worth worrying about.'
It was a shame, but that was as far as it went.
Since he had plenty of other powers at his disposal, Si-mun stepped forward without another thought.
Then.
[Constellation Baal frowns with an uncomfortable expression, going "Hmm..."]
Constellation Baal's reaction floated before his eyes.
Followed by.
[Constellation Baal glances at Botis, ranked 17th in the Demon Realm, with a sidelong look, going "Hmm..."]
[Constellation Black Goat sneers,"What's with that look? Oughta crack that thick skull of yours open."]
[Constellation Heavenly Demon chuckles darkly,"Hoho, I quite like that idea. What say you, Lord Baal? If it's too much for you, this lord might lend a hand."]
The reactions of the Constellations poured in one after another.
And with that.
'I see. So, the sealing of my Demonic Energy involves Constellation Botis of the Demon Realm.'
Si-mun could roughly piece together what was happening.
'No wonder. I was wondering why the Demonic Energy seal would affect me, even though I possess the real Lemegeton, not some imitation.'
Even high-ranking demons kneel before him without hesitation, invoking the primordial Demonic Energy.
Of course they would.
Wasn't he under the influence of Baal, the highest-ranked entity in the Demon Realm?
Thanks to that, the power of his Heavenly Demon Divine Art, which was rooted in Demonic Energy, had risen significantly.
To the point where controlling it as meticulously as before was now difficult.
For someone like him to have his Demonic Energy sealed, it only made sense if an Authority of at least Constellation-level was involved.
[Constellation Baal shakes his head as if to say,"Hmm. A contract is a contract."]
[Constellation Black Goat scoffs,"That damn contract is bullsh*t! No wonder you're getting played by those damned lizards."]
[Constellation Baal narrows his eyes at Black Goat, going "Hmm..."]
[Constellation Black Goat exudes killing intent,"Oh? You wanna go? Fine. You demon bastards never back down. How about we settle this after a hundred thousand years?"]
As Si-mun read the Constellations' messages, his head tilted slightly in confusion.
'Why does the atmosphere feel so tense?'
Even though it was just text.
Si-mun quickly picked up on the murderous intent seeping through.
'If this keeps up, it might turn into a fight.'
A battle between Constellations.
And not just any Constellations—high-ranking ones at that?
Before his chest could swell with excitement.
'If I'm not careful, my Pick of Kings stats might vanish.'
A situation where the attention of the high-ranking Constellations could be lost.
"Lord Baal. You don't need to worry too much. Even without Demonic Energy, I can handle this just fine."
Si-mun murmured softly while gazing into the air.
Whether it was taken the wrong way or not.
[Constellation Baal goes "Hmm!" and greatly admires your boldness.]
[Constellation Baal has issued a mission.]
Constellation Baal suddenly assigned him a mission.
Si-mun immediately checked it.
[Mission]
Win this Special Match "without using Demonic Energy."
Reward: 5,000 Achievement Points.
'What's this, honey out of nowhere?'
A sudden mission offering 5,000 Achievement Points just like that?
'I only need a little more to hit 50,000!'
His current total was 49,500 points.
Just like in the last Special Match, he had been holding back on forging Mythic-grade Equipment since 50,000 was within reach.
Thanks to a recent epiphany, the Obsidian Tablet's completion had reached 45%.
Meaning, with just 50,000 points, he could clear Black Goat's quest.
'It's a match I can win even without Demonic Energy anyway. If push comes to shove, I can even use Mythic-grade Equipment.'
Suddenly benefiting from this turn of events, Si-mun smiled faintly.
Then.
"Hm?"
A faint but chilling sensation brushed against his senses.
Without hesitation, Si-mun flicked his fingers.
Snap.
Rumble—
With a clear, crisp sound, the earth surged upward.
In an instant, it took the form of a hemisphere, enveloping the Korean team's players—including the mineral cart they were transporting—and then.
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!!
A harsh grinding noise followed immediately, scraping away at the earthen walls from all sides.
Once the noise faded.
Whoosh.
The walls crumbled away smoothly.
And beyond them.
"Hmm. You really are something else, aren't you?"
In the distance, a woman in armor casually rested a greatsword on her shoulder, surrounded by others who had encircled the area.
There was no need to ask who she was.
"L-Leoni Wolf!"
"When did she—?!"
Leoni Wolf, the top-ranked Platinum player of the German team.
Ignoring the stunned Korean players, she fixed her gaze solely on one man.
"Even with Demonic Energy sealed, you detected our ambush through the Veil of Concealment this easily. Truly, you're no ordinary man."
Veil of Concealment? So that's why we didn't notice until they surrounded us.
At her words, Si-mun gave a slight nod.
The Veil of Concealment—an S-rank Trait.
An ability that could render all targets within a certain range completely invisible, making it an immensely powerful asset in team battles.
Moreover, they had meticulously set up their encirclement from a distance, making it nearly impossible to detect unless Odin's Eye was activated.
"As much as I'd love to enjoy a proper one-on-one with you... that would be a foolish choice, wouldn't it?"
Leoni stared at Si-mun with a gaze brimming with killing intent.
Then—
"Just thinking that makes you a fool, Leoni."
A mocking voice sounded from behind her, followed by the appearance of a gaunt man with deep dark circles under his eyes.
"That's...!"
"F-Faust?!"
"He's part of their team this time?!"
The Korean team recoiled in shock upon recognizing Faust.
But Si-mun, having already heard about his participation from Lin, calmly extended his hand forward.
Even without Demonic Energy, alchemy and golems should be enough to handle this much...
Just as he was about to snap his fingers—
"I offer myself as sacrifice!"
Like the tragic protagonist of some play—
Thunk!
With a desperate cry toward the heavens, Faust suddenly drove a withered wooden stake into his own chest.
Simultaneously—
"Huh?"
Si-mun staggered.
The reason was simple.
M-My Transmutation Power... it's not responding?!
Just like during the Gold Debut Match, when he had been affected by the artifacts of Yu A-yeon and Yu A-jun, his Transmutation Power had frozen.
And as proof—
No...! Not again...! Damn it...!
The voice of the Philosopher's Stone sputtered and cut off.
Si-mun instantly grasped the situation.
He sacrificed his own life to seal my main stat.
That stake in his chest was likely at least an SS-rank artifact.
And then—
"Fire!!"
Leoni Wolf, Germany's top player, didn't let the opportunity slip.
Whizz—!
Whoosh—!
Arrows and spells rained down from all directions.
"B-Block them!"
"Protect Si-mun and the cart at all costs—even if you have to throw yourselves in the way!"
Following Lee Sang-min's desperate orders, the Korean team scrambled to defend.
Their skills as the third-ranked Korean team were no joke.
Vwoom—!
Swinging his tonfas like propellers, Sang-min deflected the long-range attacks.
But even so, they were already outnumbered—it was impossible to block everything.
"Agh!"
"Seung-gyu! Damn it!"
Gradually, gaps began forming in the Korean team's defense.
Tap.
Seizing the opening, Leoni lunged toward Si-mun in an instant.
"Next time, let's have a proper duel in the personal Arena."
As if aiming to bisect him in one strike—
She gripped her massive greatsword with both hands and raised it high above her head.
The moment her blade came crashing down—
Crack.
Before the sword even made contact, the sound of twisting bone echoed.
What the hell was that...?
But Leoni had no time to process it.
No—she didn't even get the chance.
Shiver.
A chilling sensation grazed her chest.
Instinctively, she twisted her body—
Her reaction was flawless.
Crunch.
A sickening sound of tearing flesh.
Simultaneously, excruciating pain seared through her left shoulder.
"AAAAAGH!"
Leoni screamed.
Sliding across the ground—
Thud.
She barely managed to stabilize herself by driving her greatsword into the ground with her remaining right hand.
"Ghh...! Ghh...!"
An overwhelming pain radiated from her left shoulder to her upper body.
Taking deep breaths to endure it, Leoni barely managed to lift her head—and saw.
A man who now stood nearly ten centimeters taller.
His once-slender frame now more robust and agile—Si-mun.
"Pity."
Golden scales sporadically dotted the edges of his face.
"I was aiming for your heart."
With palpable disappointment, the man flicked away the arm that had once been hers.