Chapter 393: Karmic Fire (Part 3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 393: Karmic Fire (Part 3)
"I never imagined it would be you... Ellag!"
At the summit of the hill, surrounded by a sea of blooming flowers, stood a man in mage robes. The badge of the Illusion School hung from his chest. He looked down at the two below, a cryptic and bizarre smile playing on his lips.
"I didn't expect it either, Muen Campbell..."
Ellag cracked his neck with a sharp twist. "To think I would be trying to kill you for a third time."
"The third time..."
Muen murmured softly. Liya, still in his arms, let out a small, adorable gasp of surprise, her cherry-pink lips parting slightly.
The first time was outside the town.
The second... was that 'accident' back then?
Pulling out the Eye of Destruction hadn't been some daily bout of 'simp' madness—it had been intentional?
No, if it was intentional, how did he manage to deceive the Death Contract Document...
"I see. To be honest, when Freya said those words, my first suspicion was Fei'er. I didn't even consider you... but thinking back on the journey, you really did exhibit all sorts of abnormalities.
"And yet, I overlooked them all."
"So..."
Muen pondered for a moment, his gaze suddenly sharpening. "Was it because of an illusion?"
"Clever. As expected of the man the Great Deity personally ordered me to kill."
Ellag bowed as politely as a gentleman, but the grin on his face grew increasingly exaggerated, worlds apart from the Ellag Muen once knew.
"Actually, the first time was merely a probe. After all, there were witnesses back then; I didn't dare do anything too reckless."
"And then you realized my strength exceeded your expectations?"
"Exactly. So I changed my approach. I chose to lie low and wait for an opportunity."
Ellag continued, "And to stay hidden more effectively, I used the most basic yet most complex application of illusion magic... Suggestion."
"Suggestion?"
"Yes. Back then, I intentionally agreed to your humiliating terms and submitted to you. It was all to plant a suggestion in your mind... that I am weak, that I am bound by you, and that I am absolutely harmless.
"Even..."
Memories of the past resurfaced, and Ellag’s gaze turned fierce. "My appearance in women's clothing was also to deepen that suggestion!"
"...Heh. No wonder I never suspected you after that, whether it was when you used illusions on me in the passage or when you nearly got everyone killed... because when people look for threats, they subconsciously rule out those weaker than themselves."
Muen let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You certainly went to great lengths to sacrifice yourself. You were quite 'alluring' back then; I'm sure you would have had quite the following if those images were released."
"For the sake of the Great Deity, any sacrifice is worth it."
Ellag reined in his ferocity and smiled again. "After that, I even placed a suggestion on myself... so that the 'me' of that time truly was just Ellag—a man whose heart held only his beloved Goddess and the desire to promote the Illusion School."
"I see. So that's how you bypassed the Death Contract Document? Impressive."
Muen couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
That damn document had truly screwed them over. It was the textbook example of an item that only bound the honorable while doing nothing to the wicked.
"Naturally. Didn't I tell you? When it comes to disguise, illusion magic—which can interfere with the mind—is the strongest."
"Unfortunately..."
Ellag’s savage grin vanished instantly. He clawed at his hair with both hands, his bloodshot eyes filled with irrepressible fury.
"I could have stayed hidden by your side and delivered the fatal blow at the perfect moment, but... that bitch Freya actually betrayed us... she betrayed us! Her betrayal ruined the plan, otherwise... otherwise..."
"That wasn't betrayal!"
Muen countered in a heavy voice. "Freya never strayed from the things she believed in!"
"The things she believed in? You mean that 'love' she worships? No, that isn't love! That fake, fruitless thing that only leaves behind pain—that isn't love!
"True love... is this!"
Ellag raved, laughing manically as he danced about... then he reached out and tore open his own chest.
"The thing one treasures most must, of course, be kept in the deepest part of one's heart!"
Flesh was ripped apart alive, revealing crimson fascia and pale bone.
But inside that chest cavity, there was no beating heart.
Instead, there was a head.
The bloody, long-haired head of a young girl.
The head was embedded inside Ellag’s chest, replacing his heart, her face covered in blood.
As if having endured darkness for too long, those confused, soulless, and numb eyes slowly opened, shedding tears mixed with blood.
The innocent girl opened her parched lips and whispered softly:
"I... love you."
She looked as though she were facing her beloved, her face full of bliss.
I love you.
"..."
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Certain memories surfaced from the depths of Muen's mind, clawing at his nerves.
"What... is that?"
The young girl in his arms turned pale and cried out, clearly terrified by the horrific sight.
But immediately after, she let out a cry of pain. She suddenly realized that the man holding her had become as rigid as steel.
"Muen..."
"Ah, sorry. I hurt you."
Muen lowered his head apologetically, his body—which had tensed instinctively due to a surge of emotion—relaxing slightly.
But as the girl looked at him, she could still see something burning with intense fury deep within his expressionless face and his lake-blue, profound eyes.
"Sorry, Liya. Could you please go on ahead?" Muen said suddenly.
"Eh? Go on ahead? Now?"
"Yes. Ellag revealing himself now is clearly a stalling tactic. It's best if you go first."
"But..."
The enemy looks terrifying. If I leave now, isn't that...
Liya, who had intended to argue, swallowed her words.
She stared at Muen, searching his face. Sensing something, she stopped protesting. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Muen's neck and gave him a tight hug.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Yeah. Leave it to me."
"Take this."
"What's this?"
Muen looked at the pitch-black iron shard in his hand; it looked vaguely familiar.
"It's something I made using the materials you bought for me. It can break magic. Of course, it works on illusions too."
Liya said proudly, "Pretty impressive, right?"
"Yeah. Incredible. It's a huge help."
Muen couldn't help but pull the girl into a tighter embrace.
"Be careful."
"I will."
The two felt each other's warmth, a moment of deep attachment that was destined to be brief.
While Ellag was still over there raving about "this is love" and acting like a lunatic, the two moved swiftly.
The previous platform had been blown apart by magic, making the cave below even more visible, not far beneath them.
Muen took Liya's small hand and gave it a gentle toss. Liya leaped nimbly into the cave.
"Wait, Liya."
Just as Liya was about to leave, Muen suddenly called out to her.
"So far, we only have theories. We aren't sure what's down there yet. There might be danger, so..."
Muen looked into Liya's eyes and said seriously, "If you encounter a problem you can't solve, you must wait for me. I... your knight, will be by your side very... very soon."
"Mm!"
Liya nodded vigorously, flashing a smile more beautiful than the sea of flowers.
"I will, my Mr. Knight!"
*
A faint breeze appeared from nowhere, disturbing the blood mist and brushing over the flowers, carrying a slight scent of blood and a lingering stench.
Muen jumped onto a protruding rock on the cliff face and slowly turned around.
Ellag had stopped his praise of true love. He carefully and reverently closed his chest, returning to the appearance of the ordinary genius who wanted to promote the Illusion School.
"Is the farewell over? Sending away an important combatant... how arrogant of you," Ellag said, shaking his head.
"And you? You didn't even try to stop Liya?" Muen narrowed his eyes.
"Hehe, it doesn't matter. Once I deal with you, there will be plenty of time to deal with her."
"You're not exactly lacking in the arrogance department yourself."
Muen drew Elizabeth. The pure white blade hummed, seemingly sensing its master's current emotions.
"So..."
Muen suddenly looked to the side. "What happened to Fei'er?"
On the cliff wall covered in flowers, the girl stood tall, defying gravity. Vibrant flowers clustered around her, growing in bunches like a colorful gown.
Only the half of her face that was vacant, twitching occasionally, revealed her current pain and struggle.
Her movements were bizarre, like those of a marionette.
"Who knows?"
Ellag laughed. "To be chosen by the power of the Great Deity should be her honor, shouldn't it? But I must thank you as well. If not for your trust in me, I wouldn't have been able to let Miss Fei'er feel the Great Deity's grace so easily."
"..."
"Oh, don't be angry, don't be angry..."
Seeing Muen's face instantly turn cold and stern, Ellag offered some "kind" consolation:
"Rest assured, the Great Deity places extreme importance on these Saintess candidates. Even after the recent betrayal, He will surely... treat her well.
"Of course...
"That includes your Saintess candidate as well."
"..."
In an instant.
Muen raised his eyes. His gaze fell on Ellag, but he wasn't looking at him. Instead, it was as if he were looking through him, staring at something behind him.
Everything reached its breaking point here.
The long-suppressed flames of fury finally erupted like a volcano, manifesting as a long-overdue, sincere greeting to an old acquaintance:
"Fuck you, Love God!"
Killing intent... exploded!
The breeze howled, turning into a sharp whirlwind that shredded countless delicate flowers into falling petals.
The puppet-like Fei'er suddenly raised a finger stiffly and pointed it at Muen's position.
Mana surged. Without even a chant, the ground instantly cracked as dozens of times the normal gravity was applied to the spot!
But... there was no one there.
Fei'er's finger moved rapidly again, creating one massive crater after another on the steep cliff, yet she couldn't even catch the hem of that ghostly shadow's cloak.
In the world beneath the moonlight, a brilliance far exceeding the moon suddenly bloomed.
The sword light was like a ribbon of silk.
Before Ellag could even react further, a figure like a vengeful demon appeared before him.
It hadn't even been a single breath.
The Holy Light Barrier Fei'er had placed in front of him was torn apart in an instant by the pure white Holy Artifact. Muen twisted his body, closing the distance. Just as Ellag’s expression turned to shock, two blades plunged—one into his neck, the other... into his forehead.
Blood sprayed. Muen used his momentum to drive a knee into Ellag, pinning him down.
Because of this close-quarters position, Fei'er could no longer use magic. She stopped her movements, as if on standby.
"This is your so-called divine grace?"
Muen pressed his blades down, saying coldly, "Tell the Love God to get out here! He must have a projection avatar on you!"
"Cough, cough..."
Despite suffering fatal wounds that would have killed an ordinary person ten times over, Ellag continued to smile, though speaking was difficult with a pierced throat.
"...As expected of a dangerous individual even the Great Deity is wary of... truly impressive... If it were the old me, I would have been killed by you in a second."
"Cut the crap."
Muen had no intention of wasting words with Ellag.
He had already expected that Ellag wouldn't die even with his vitals pierced; he had seen this kind of thing too many times and was numb to it.
Therefore...
"Since He won't come out, I'll just burn you to a crisp, from the inside out."
Crimson sparks of fire gradually lit up in Muen's pupils. He stared intently at Ellag, and consequently, crimson flames began to brighten within Ellag’s own eyes.
That was the fire of the Evil God, the Withered King, and it was burning his soul.
However.
Even as his soul burned, Ellag continued to laugh—a bizarre, twisted laugh.
He looked at Muen, coughed up blood, and said, "Muen Campbell, let me tell you one more good thing."
"..."
Muen ignored him.
"Cough... that good thing is... just now... I placed another suggestion on you."
"Hmm?"
Muen's brow furrowed instinctively. "What do you mean?"
"Cough... Suggestions are easily guarded against and rarely work at critical moments. However, making something that is already reasonable seem even more reasonable is very easy.
"For example... having the Saintess candidate Liya Angel leave your side temporarily so you can use the Withered King's power and fight at full strength... that is very reasonable.
"But in truth... I also needed Liya Angel... to leave your side."
"What?"
Muen's pupils shrank.
Suddenly, he felt a strange surge of vitality extending upward from his arm.
He looked down instinctively and found that the strange vitality came from blood that had splashed onto his hand at some point. Strangely, it had passed through the alchemy domain he had already deployed and successfully burrowed into his body.
"This is..."
The surge of vitality was too harmless; it didn't even trigger Muen's bodily instincts to be on guard.
But...
Ting—
At that moment, he seemed to hear a crisp sound from within himself, like glass shattering.
It was like a small pebble jamming into a precision-engineered gear.
Immediately after, the heat generated by the alchemy core in his back abruptly turned into agony.
Heart-wrenching agony.
It felt as if all his internal organs and flesh were crushing against each other. As an instinctive immune response, they were collectively rejecting something.
And they were willing to destroy everything to do it.
"Is this... a rejection reaction?"
Muen quickly realized the source of the pain, because he had experienced this sensation before thanks to a certain old loli's treacherous schemes.
It was a sensation he was destined to feel—the feeling of his body being torn apart.
No, it wasn't just a feeling. If this intense mutual rejection continued, his body really would split open!
Thus, the crimson flames burning his soul suddenly surged back, instinctively protecting Muen's vital organs.
"See, Muen Campbell? This is your weakness!"
Ellag shouted excitedly, "That thing embedded in your body is already being rejected by your system! As long as there is no Holy Light magic to help you suppress it, you have no choice but to use the Withered King's flames to maintain a brief balance!
"Therefore..."
An eye suddenly split open on Ellag’s cheek. It stared coldly and mockingly at the man who had begun to cough up blood in his weakness.
"Now that you've lost all your trump cards, what are you going to do?"