Chapter 470: The Professional
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 470: The Professional
"It’s over."
Watching Muen and Emily being swallowed by the swarming insects, a look of intoxicated delight curled the corners of Marvin’s mouth.
So what if he had speed? So what if he had strength? So what if he had reflexes? What did being the noble son of a Duke even matter?
In his presence, those things were nothing more than side-shows meant to add a little flavor to the main event.
They were useless.
No matter how strong Muen Campbell was, he would ultimately become nothing more than the most delicious bait for his precious "babies."
"Look, my beloved Moon."
Marvin plucked the strings of his harp and raised his voice in song once more:
"I offer this passion, this devotion, this perfect drama to you! My beautiful Moon, can you feel it? Can you feel this fire-like—"
"I say."
Suddenly, from within the mountain of swarming insects, a low, indifferent voice rang out once more:
"Popping the champagne this early is a surefire way to invite a disaster."
"Hmm?"
Marvin’s movements stiffened. He lowered his head in confusion.
"Still not dead? Sigh... Why struggle, Muen Campbell? The effect of the Harp of the Ignorant still lingers. You still have the chance to forget everything and become the happiest performer of all."
"No thanks. Clarity and pain are things I’ve grown quite fond of."
The voice sighed.
"Besides... it’s precisely because I’m awake that I can ensure the second half of this performance continues exactly the way I like it, isn't that right?"
Whoosh.
The sound of flickering flames echoed.
Marvin’s vision blurred, and he suddenly saw a cluster of black fire floating not far from him.
The flame was as eerie as it was beautiful. Its deep, rich blackness seemed like a stack of every shadow in the world, yet around its edges was a pure, holy white silhouette.
Two completely opposite colors were joined together in perfect harmony, without the slightest hint of discord. It was like a vibrant, poisonous flower—one that forced an exclamation of beauty while simultaneously instilling a bone-deep sense of terror.
"This... what is this?"
Marvin nearly jumped. Every hair on his body stood on end, screaming a warning about the danger of that black flame.
He didn't dare hesitate, immediately commanding the swarm to devour Muen completely.
But then...
The black flame flickered.
Clatter.
An insect suddenly fell to the ground.
Clatter, clatter.
Then two.
Clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter, clatter...
Like a sound rolling from the depths of one's soul, insect after insect tumbled down from the mountain of bugs.
They were like falling rocks during a landslide, dropping one by one to the ground and shattering into dust.
Before Marvin’s increasingly terrified eyes, those insects seemed to be affected by some unknown power. In an instant, they fell into a silent stillness, lost all signs of life, and were then... devoured completely.
By the time the insects hit the ground, nothing remained but dried-out husks that turned to ash in a heartbeat.
"No... this isn't right..."
Marvin played the harp frantically, his eyes bloodshot as he shrieked, "This is wrong! You shouldn't be able to launch an attack against me! Your entire perception of 'attack' should be suppressed by my interference!"
"I didn't attack."
Muen gently covered the eyes of the little girl in his arms, whispering, "Close your eyes and plug your ears. Don't listen to anything, and don't look at anything, okay?"
"Okay."
Emily obediently closed her eyes and pressed her hands tightly over her ears.
"Good girl."
Muen smiled and patted her head. He turned around, looking at Marvin, who no longer possessed the composure or elegance of a performer.
"I didn't attack. From beginning to end, this happened simply because you... saw it, didn't you?"
"Saw it?"
Before Marvin could grasp the meaning behind Muen’s words, he saw the pitch-black flame flicker once more.
In an instant, agonizing pain enveloped his entire body. It felt as if he had been cast into a furnace, causing his expression to twist violently.
He instinctively turned his perception inward, only to find an identical cluster of black fire had appeared, at some unknown point, in the depths of his soul.
"What... what is this thing?"
Marvin’s eyes widened in horror. He plucked the harp strings rapidly and poured massive amounts of Mana into his body, trying to drive the flame away.
But all his efforts were futile. The Mana he poured in was like a stone dropped into the ocean, and the Ancient Artifact that manipulated cognition had no effect on a mindless, inanimate object.
The black flame didn't look dangerous; Marvin couldn't even sense the heat one would expect from fire.
But every time it flickered, Marvin felt like he had lost something.
Blood, bone, organs, and then... his soul.
"An Evil God? Is this something belonging to an Evil God? Muen Campbell, you actually—"
Marvin roared with a distorted expression. He realized this bizarre power likely came from an Evil God, but no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't understand which deity’s Authority this belonged to.
"Didn't I tell you?"
Muen casually dug out an insect that had crawled into his body earlier and crushed it. Seeing his wounds heal in an instant, he nodded in satisfaction. He then placed a hand gently on Marvin’s shoulder, looked into his eyes, and said:
"I’m going to make your performance... touch the soul."
Bang.
The body of the Marvin standing before Muen instantly exploded, turning into countless small black insects. Before those insects could scatter and flee, they turned into a floor full of ash.
"Ah!"
The giant insect atop the woman’s head let out a groan of agony. The black flame was like a maggot in the bone, continuing to devour his soul.
Muen waited for a moment. The scene didn't change, meaning his perception wasn't being deceived this time.
But even if his perception were wrong, it wouldn't matter. None of this was a subjective attack on his part. As he had said, it was simply because it had been seen.
"No! I haven't lost yet! I haven't lost!"
Marvin, now reduced to existing solely within the body of the giant insect, roared in fury, "Muen Campbell, do you think I’ve prepared for so long just for this? Why do you think I killed everyone in this town?"
"For a sacrifice... I assume."
Muen answered softly, showing no surprise.
He considered himself an experienced "industry professional" by now; it wasn't hard to guess the purpose behind such a bizarre mass murder.
"Yes, for a sacrifice! And you... you failed to stop it! Haha! You’ll just have to watch as those people die before your very eyes!"
Marvin’s pained voice grew louder. He mocked Muen for a few moments before quickly turning to offer a loud prayer to the being he faithfully served.
"Oh, Great Moon! Supreme Deity who rules the Night! I offer everything to you! I offer my soul, and all the souls of this place, to you! Please, I beg of you..."
"So you really are praying to the Moon? Wait a second."
Muen suddenly interrupted Marvin, looking at the incessantly chattering insect with a strange expression.
"I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while... Don't you know that the Moon you speak of... is actually dead? No matter how much you pray, you won't get a response."
"Ah..."
The prayer cut off abruptly.
"Right... that’s right."
Marvin murmured in a disjointed, confused state, as if he had only just remembered.
"The Great Moon is dead. He is dead. No matter how I praise Him, pray to Him, or beg for His mercy, it is all meaningless. The Moon is dead, the Great Silent Moon is dead... I can even speak His True Name aloud because He is dead! So... so... the one I serve now... must be the Stars."
"Yes, the Great Stars."
"[PRAYER]"
A solemn prayer erupted from the mandibles of the hideous giant insect. The entire world seemed to fall silent; all things froze.
"[With five hundred and thirty-one pure souls, with five hundred and thirty-one fresh offerings of flesh, with all that I possess, I pray to You.]"
"[Supreme Ancient Ruler, Eternal God of the High Heavens, Lord of the Stars who looks down upon all creation...]"
"[I beseech You, here and now, descend with a miracle.]"
In an instant, above the roof Muen had shattered, the empty night sky suddenly grew profound.
Muen looked up. Reflected in his solemn eyes, diamond-like stars hung upon the deep velvet of the night, flickering one after another.
They were more brilliant than ever, more dazzling than ever. Endless starlight merged into a galaxy that covered the heavens, descending like a boundless net.
Beneath that starry sky, all things were as small as dust.
"Is it really another Evil God?"
Muen sighed.
"What kind of 'Evil God Attraction Constitution' do I have, anyway?"
"Ha... Hahahaha!"
After finishing the prayer, Marvin—now incredibly weak due to the continuous loss of his soul—let out a manic laugh of pure triumph.
"Muen Campbell, just you wait! Just you wait! The Great Being is about to descend! When that happens, I will turn you into my puppet! I will make you the most outstanding, and most agonizing, actor on my stage forever!"
"..."
Faced with Marvin’s gloating, Muen’s expression remained strange. He looked silently at the Marvin-insect.
"Did the person who gave you your orders ever tell you one thing?"
"Wh... what?"
"And that is... I didn't come alone this time."
"You didn't come alone? Does that make a difference?"
Muen actually saw a look of confusion on the insect’s face. He let out a humored sigh.
"Though I call myself an industry professional, if we're being honest... the one at my place is the real professional."
Above the sky, the brilliant starlight grew even deeper. Both Muen and Marvin could clearly feel a terrifying existence from a vast distance away, casting its gaze toward this spot.
It had felt the sincere sacrifice and prayer, and thus, it would grant a response to its ecstatic believer.
[GRANTED...]
"Not allowed."
A voice as melodious as a lark echoed through the lonely night sky, forcibly cutting off that divine response.
A beautiful, curvaceous figure stood at some point amidst the vast night sky.
Her well-fitted trench coat fluttered in the early spring night wind. Her long legs, clad in black stockings beneath her skirt, lost none of their sharp elegance even in the darkness.
The figure looked up at the night sky, a perfect, exquisite, and enchanting face wearing a poised smile. Her long hair, draped over her chest, emphasized the gentle aura of a "big sister next door."
She gazed at the starry sky as if admonishing a mischievous, naughty child.
"It’s not allowed, you know."
However.
Behind her, a true, bright moon rose from an endless sea of darkness, radiating a piercing, cold light with an unyielding presence.
"Could you please... piss off?"