55 – Insects
First, we summoned and sent Dark Spheres towards each other as a reconnaissance attack. Although I had grown a lot, Karl Bent, who had become stronger by taking the life force of many people, was stronger than my dark magic power.
“That can’t be all, right?! Make it more fun for me!!”
“……..”
Because there is a difference in dark magic power, the basic attack technique of Dark Sphere cannot determine the outcome.
Then I should move on to the next step right away.
The dark magic power begins to bubble and boil in the shadow of Cal Vent, who still looks at me with arrogance. Soon, the dark magic power changes into the shape of a lance and rushes towards Cal Vent.
“Heh, are you really at the level of a high priest?! Not just anyone can use Shadow Lance!”
“Please be quiet.”
Until now, there has never been a dark wizard who could penetrate or evade Shadow Lance. However, Cal Vent jumps up lightly and easily avoids Shadow Lance.
“Yeah. You’re a little different, aren’t you?”
I have the ability to reverse engineer dark magic, which can be used as the most powerful weapon in the Grand Grimoire. However, it would be absurd to show the most outstanding move in the current situation.
I concentrate my dark magic power and set my target. Dark Spheres spring out from the empty space and fly towards Cal Vent, and once again, a lance shoots up from his shadow.
But Cal Vent effortlessly evades the attacks pouring in from both angles, as if he is calculating his movements by predicting the trajectory in advance.
“Alright, have you finished your attacks?! Then it’s my turn-!”
I feel the familiar shape of dark magic somewhere, and as I look towards the empty space, Shadow Lances produced from the darkness of the void rush towards my body as if to pierce through me.
The Shadow Lance, much sharper than mine, stands out. Moreover, while I could only summon it from the enemy’s shadow, Cal Vent summoned Shadow Lances from the air, not the ground.
Even under my feet, a black chain made of dark magic holds onto my ankle. If this continues, I will be pierced by that lance without even a twitch.
However, my mind is drawn towards the flow of darkness in the form of a lance coming towards me. As I gaze at that flow, I feel like I can do it too, somewhere.
[You have understood the techniques of a higher dimension! Proficiency of Shadow Lance has increased!]
[Shadow Lance Lv.2 —＞ Lv.3: Summon an infinite number of corrupt lances.]
“Ah… so that’s how it’s done.”
Now I fully understand. I concentrate on summoning the space for Shadow Lance in the empty air, not in Cal Vent’s shadow.
Black spears appear from the black mist in the empty air, and as they compete with the Shadow Lances shot by Cal Vent, they eventually disappear, scattering in the air.
“And just now, that black chain as well.”
[I have understood the technology of a higher dimension! I acquire the skill ‘Dark Chain’!]
[Dark Chain: A black chain made of dark magic binds the enemy. The enemy’s physical abilities are reduced by 20%.]
At the same time, as the shocked Karl Bent watched the Shadow Lance disappear, a black chain wrapped around his ankle. Startled, Karl Bent jumped up and barely managed to escape the range of the chain.
“…You’re not an ordinary guy.”
The threatening tone in Karl Bent’s voice became serious, as if realizing that his attacks were ineffective and that I had grown stronger even during the battle.
Dark magic began to surge around him, and a stronger aura could be felt.
“…So this is the real beginning.”
Leaving behind the robe fluttering in the wind created by the storm of dark magic, I lowered my stance and started to draw upon the dark magic.
Show me what you’ve got. If your attack can’t kill me in one strike, that blade will surely return to you.
With a giant sphere of dark magic floating in the empty space between me and Karl Bent, we stared each other down.
In this situation where either of us could attack first without it being strange, I made the preemptive strike.
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I scattered the Shadow Lances summoned from Karl Bent’s shadow and the empty space, blocking his escape route with the black chain. At the same time, I summoned as many crude Dark Spheres as possible and sent them flying.
Karl Bent skillfully countered my attacks, pretending to be in a tight spot. But I wasn’t just watching his movements.
Holding a Dark Sphere shaped like a blade in my hand, I summoned Dark Chains from all directions and rushed towards Karl Bent.
I couldn’t have imagined that a close combat would occur in a battle between sorcerers. Karl Bent’s bewildered expression and voice could be seen beyond his mask.
Whooosh!
“Ugh…!”
Taking advantage of his distraction caused by the onslaught of black magic attacks from all directions, I thrust the blade into Karl Bent’s abdomen. I could feel the flesh being pierced and the organs twisting beyond the black magic dagger.
“Let’s keep up the offensive like this.”
This body is specialized in close combat to the extent of being commendable. Each attack flowed seamlessly like water, aiming for the enemy’s throat.
Due to my dark magic skills, I had no choice but to allow for close combat. Karl Bent, who was no match for me, was swiftly sliced, stabbed, and defeated.
“Kuhhh… aaah-!”
Kwaaang-!
With blood flowing from his body while crouched down, Karl Bent released the accumulated dark magic all at once, and I was thrown far away by the aftermath.
“Huff… Huff… Who… the hell are you!!”
“…Are you asking me that now? There’s no need for you to know.”
“This voice… I’ve heard it somewhere before…”
Karl Bent, perhaps realizing something, grabbed his bleeding abdomen and pointed at me with his other hand, shouting.
“You…you! You’re that bastard who was always by Ariel’s side…!”
“………”
“This… you f*cking bastard… I knew something was off back then. Are you just going to let Ariel be?!”
“Why do you want Miss Ariel so badly?”
It doesn’t matter if Karl Bent figured out my true identity. That bastard is going to die by my hands, for sure.
However, I became suspicious of why the dark wizards were so desperate for Ariel, to the point of being peculiar.
From the first time I met Ariel, and probably when Karl Bent approached her, it must have been part of some scheme.
“Ariel’s magic…! With that level, she could become a vessel for the Archmage!! You know it too!”
“…….Ha.”
Now, all my suspicions were finally resolved. The reason why the dark wizards coveted Ariel so much.
Ariel, born with such an enormous amount of magic power that one would believe it was bestowed by the gods, was being targeted to be used as a vessel by the insane Archmage.
Is that the reason why you kidnapped Ariel, tortured her, and made her suffer?
Filled with uncontrollable anger, I glare at Carl Vent.
Carl Vent, like the other dark wizards, must be killed. I will definitely take his life in this competition.
“Heh… heh heh…! Now you’re finished too! How dare you try to challenge me…?!”
“That is…”
With both hands raised in triumph, Carl Vent extends his dark magical sphere that was floating in the air. The dark magic emanating from Carl Vent’s body gradually begins to converge towards the sphere.
The sphere, formed by the accumulating dark magic from the entire town, becomes more compact. If even more dark magic is poured into this already highly compressed sphere, the result will be…
“An explosion.”
It seems that the plan of the dark wizards was to quietly appear at the time when the residents were asleep and detonate the dark magic sphere, turning the whole town into ruins.
If the sphere, unable to withstand the increasing amount of dark magic, continues to accumulate, it will explode like a balloon or a giant bomb, killing Carl Vent, me, and all the residents.
“Damn it…!”
As soon as I realize this, I throw my dagger to the ground and reach out towards the dark magic sphere.
In contrast to Carl Vent, who shoots dark magic towards the sphere, I absorb the dark magic from the sphere.
“Ugh…!”
“Haah-!”
Carl Vent sends out dark magic, while I absorb it. Like playing tug-of-war with the sphere in between, I absorb the dark magic with all my might.
[You have absorbed dark magic. The total amount and proficiency of dark magic have increased!]
[You have absorbed magic power. Remaining lifespan has decreased!]
[You have absorbed dark magic. The total amount and proficiency of dark magic have increased!]
[You have absorbed magic power. Remaining lifespan has decreased!]
Leaving behind the flashing status window as if going crazy, I squeeze out every last drop of strength and focus on absorption.
I could feel my lifespan decreasing in real-time as the total amount of dark magic and proficiency increased, but I didn’t have time to concentrate on that.
-Gahhh!
-Crazy!
Somewhere, the hidden dark wizards revealed themselves, but they couldn’t withstand the storm of dark magic and were either thrown against the wall or killed by banging their heads.
Knowing that I would only face death if I got caught in the middle, I started running away somewhere.
“This is the end!! Search everywhere! hahahahaha!”
It seemed that Carl Vent was now trying to release all the hidden dark magic he had been concealing, preparing to unleash a tremendous amount of dark magic with just a glance.
In the desperate situation, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“…Ha. This is what I’ve been waiting for.”
“What-!”
“Reversal.”
Crash! Bang!
Using the hidden joker card I had saved up, I nullify Carl Vent’s full-force dark magic with Reversal. The mask shattered, revealing Carl Vent’s face, which was filled with an absurd amount of despair.
“It… can’t be…”
Carl Vent, who had exhausted all his dark magic, looked so ridiculous that you could see him aging in real-time, and he just stared blankly as all the orbs of dark magic that were floating in the air were absorbed into me and disappeared.
Thump, thump.
I silently walk towards Karl Bent, not saying a word. In one hand, I hold a black dagger that now takes the form of a greatsword.
“Oh… no…! I can’t die here…!”
“………”
Do you know what insects do when they are about to die? They flip their bellies up and thrash their legs. It is truly disgusting, something that makes you want to vomit immediately.
And that is exactly how I feel as I watch Karl Bent crawling on the floor, wanting to escape.
“He…heek-!”
There is a clear difference in speed between someone crawling and someone walking upright. Karl Bent, who notices the shadow looming behind him, looks at me with a terrified expression.
“Please… just spare me once…! I’ll do anything you want. Huh?! I’m worth…!”
Now, Karl Bent looks pitifully at me, shivering. I silently raise the greatsword.
“You are a wretched, filthy, disgusting bug. An intruder who has entered the peaceful haven of life. Will you not be crushed?”
“What…?”
“You are a bug. Just like all the dark wizards. Destroying people’s happy lives and fattening themselves on it. Bugs that feed on the world.”
“I… I am…!”
“And I. I despise bugs to the point where I would stomp on them and kill them immediately. Well then, farewell. Bug.”
“Oh… noooooo-!”
Slice-!
The noisy bug became quiet as soon as I severed its spinal cord. The eyes, filled with terror, died, and blood flowed from the severed parts.
Karl Bent, who inflicted harm on countless people and destroyed dark wizards, died so pathetically.
[You have absorbed a tremendous amount of dark magic. You acquire a new skill, ‘Manipulation’!]
[Overwhelming battle! The total amount of dark magic and the level of all skills increase!]
“…..Hoo.”
…Is it finally over? I no longer sense any dark magic. It seems someone has taken care of the remaining dark sorcerers.
The first phase of the demise scenario for the gathering of dark sorcerers. We successfully prevented the attack on Snowfield Village. Now… we must prepare for the next phase. We also need to find a way to cure Ariel.
“Read Memories.”
As I sit on the ground, facing the lifeless body of the insect, memories flow into my mind as if watching a TV.
Additional information given only to high-ranking dark sorcerers. Other gathering spaces for the dark sorcerer assembly. Even the identification codes they possess.
This should be enough. I have gathered enough information to act as Carl Ventro, not as a suspicious rookie dark sorcerer.
And there is one goal that will be established immediately.
“…I must go to the location of the dark sorcerer assembly right away.”
Carl Ventro has until midnight. There is still some time before midnight, so I must move right away.
Otherwise, I won’t be able to gather any more information or track the movements of additional dark sorcerers.
The attack on Snowfield Village is just a small part of their grand plan. Therefore, no matter what happens, I must participate in that assembly to prevent their evil plan.
I can’t just save Snowfield Village and ignore the destruction of other villages.
I stood up from my seat and prepared to head to the location of the dark sorcerer assembly.
“…Dark sorcerer!”
“You’re the one who destroyed this entire village, you bug!”
“……….”
‘…Huh?’
Until I noticed the angry expression on Kale and Freya’s faces, and Ariel looking at me with disgust.