Chapter 51: The Final Struggle!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 51: The Final Struggle!
"It... it won't move?"
The cleaver froze in mid-air, as if gripped by iron pincers, completely immobilized.
Not only that, but before Muen’s horrified eyes, the rusted blade of the cleaver began to melt, as if it had been thrust into a furnace to be reforged.
The resulting liquid metal even gave a playful wiggle, looking like a slime out of a storybook.
But this is room temperature, for crying out loud! You’re miles away from your melting point!
Can we have a little respect for science, please?!
"Could it be..."
Muen snapped his head up. He realized it wasn't just the cleaver in his hand that was melting; the cabinet doors he had just been struggling with—and even the cabinet he had been hiding in—were all liquefying.
Every piece of metal was turning into liquid.
The metallic fluid writhed and floated in the air, converging toward a single point.
That point was... An’s palm.
"The power of Law... a God-Blessed!"
Muen felt his vision go dark.
This slap from fate nearly sent his blood pressure through the roof.
A favorite of the gods, a God-Blessed who acted as an avatar for the Laws of the world.
Just as Celicia commanded the great power of ice and snow, the An standing before him seemed to have gained the favor of some deity, granting her the power to control metal.
With that irrational power of Law, melting metal at room temperature was child's play. She could probably mold it into a square, a circle, or even the shape of Doraemon if she felt like it!
"But..."
Why was An a God-Blessed?
The original novel hadn't mentioned this at all. In fact, the blessing to control metal hadn't appeared in the book once.
Furthermore, if An was a God-Blessed, why would she settle for being a mere maid?
"That’s because... of love, of course."
Seeing the confusion in Muen’s eyes, An smiled, condensing the metal into a sharp blade.
"Fame, power, money—they are all like dirt to me. All I want is you, Young Master."
"So, come. I will bring you back into my embrace. This time, I’ll cut off your limbs so you can never... ever leave me again!"
An pointed a finger.
The condensed blade sliced through the air like a leaf caught in an autumn gale, sweeping toward Muen.
"Shadow Step!"
In the moment of crisis, Muen forced himself to use Shadow Step despite the agonizing side effects. He turned into a faint shadow and vanished instantly.
He reappeared several meters away. Though his face was contorted in pain and his stance was shaky, he had narrowly avoided the blade's strike.
"Fuck."
Muen felt the sharp pain in his legs tearing at his brain and couldn't help but curse under his breath.
A yandere was terrifying enough, but one with this kind of monstrous power? How was he supposed to survive this?
You bastard heavens, if you don't like the look of me, just strike me dead with a bolt of lightning! Why put me through this torture?
"Oh?"
An knit her beautiful brows.
"Another move I’ve never seen. Just how many things are you hiding from me, Young Master?"
"Heh, a man’s secrets are like a woman’s age—you shouldn't go peeking at them so casually," Muen forced a smile.
"Is that so? Well, I will still explore you thoroughly. Not as a man, but as—my property."
An opened her arms as if embracing the world.
Then, Muen heard a tooth-aching, high-pitched screeching sound coming from deep within the passage behind her.
Under the dim light, a massive object shimmering with a cold, sharp glint scraped against the walls, snaking its way toward them.
It looked like a body forged from countless steel rods twisted together by brute force. Muen could vaguely see the distorted shapes of the shackles and iron doors he was so familiar with, but they had now become the limbs of a hideous monster, crushing the fragile walls and floor as it advanced.
Ah, he almost forgot.
The cage he had just been in was made entirely of metal.
"Do you have to be this ruthless?!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Muen turned and bolted.
Humans can burst with incredible potential in a crisis, and Muen was no exception.
Even though the agonizing pain in his feet was screaming at his nerves, at this moment, Muen ran faster than he ever had in his life.
The light representing the exit ahead grew rapidly, eventually filling his vision and his entire world.
After a brief blur, the world covered in warm sunlight returned to his sight. The familiar scenery almost brought tears to his eyes.
"As expected, this is... the back gate of the Duke's Estate!"
He didn't have time to celebrate.
A thunderous crash echoed behind him.
The massive, steel-centipede-like monster smashed through the cellar's pathetic exit and lunged at Muen.
Muen hesitated for a fraction of a second.
He gave up on the idea of running deeper into the Duke's Estate and instead sprinted away from it.
Outside the back gate was a river, its surface shimmering with light.
"Young Master, why are you running? If I accidentally damage one of your important parts, my heart will break."
An opened her arms toward Muen as if to give him a gentle hug, her entire aura radiating the comforting vibe of a big sister.
—If only she weren't standing atop a steel monster bristling with hideous spikes.
"So my arms and legs aren't 'important parts' to you?!"
Muen obviously wasn't going to stop. Instead, he frantically squeezed every last drop of potential from his body.
But the purpose of the giant monster An had forged became clear—in this open terrain, its speed far exceeded Muen's!
Muen felt the bright sunlight fade as he was gradually swallowed by a shadow.
The pressure from behind grew more intense.
Muen didn't care about the consequences anymore.
"Shadow Step!"
"Shadow Step!"
"Shadow Step!"
A specialized footwork meant for evasion and assassination was now being used for a long-distance sprint.
Not to mention the severe side effects caused by his low cultivation realm.
Muen felt like every cell in his feet was screaming in agony with every step.
But he couldn't stop.
If he stopped, he would lose his freedom forever.
I want to... live.
In this not-so-wonderful world... I want to live a normal life.
If possible... I want to live a happy one...
So...
Keep running!
"Shadow Step!"
The intense pain tore at his nerves, blurring his consciousness.
But in this chaotic mix of pain and obsession, after all his strength had been exhausted, a different kind of heat began to take shape.
It was born in his dantian and flowed down to the soles of his feet.
"This is..."
A flash of wild joy appeared in Muen's eyes.
Fighting Spirit!
He had actually made a breakthrough at a time like this?
His feet were suddenly enveloped in a hot current of air, and the pain instantly dissipated by more than half.
In the records of the Black Book, his Shadow Step LV2 instantly jumped to LV5!
No, it was still rising!
LV6!
"Shadow Step!"
With the threat behind him still looming, Muen activated Shadow Step again.
This time, he crossed a distance of over ten meters in a single bound.
Moreover, with the empowerment of Fighting Spirit, using Shadow Step didn't bring any side effects.
In other words, as long as he had enough stamina, he could use it indefinitely!
"Young Master!"
Seeing Muen’s speed suddenly skyrocket to the point where he was about to escape her pursuit, a look of unprecedented fury appeared on An’s beautiful face.
Abandoning the massive steel beast, An kicked off its head and leaped through the air, lunging toward Muen.
"Please, do not run!"
"Sorry, An."
Muen suddenly turned around and smiled.
Behind him, the river reflected the distant sunset, looking as if it were flowing with blood.
Muen raised his hand, aiming it at the stunned An.
He tapped into a different power he had never used before—Mana gathered in his palm and poured out recklessly.
"Illumination Spell! Maximum Power!"
In that instant, a second sun appeared in the world.
One far brighter than the setting sun.