Chapter 25.1
‘Ugh, don’t talk about the obvious.’
Like a flickering lantern, the past swept by in a wave of terror.
Filled with endless struggles.
A past that never knew happiness even once.
In an instant, a rebellious spirit ignited.
‘I’ve never experienced happiness, and I can’t die like this!’
That was the moment.
The judgment of the gambler activated an additional win rate judgment.
If a miracle occurs towards the enemy: ??% (Undecided. Win rate varies depending on the type of miracle.)
‘What does this even mean?’
I swallowed hard.
‘What miracle?’
As if the message was hinting at me to create a miracle.
However, I didn’t know what kind of miracle I needed to create, and there was no guarantee that winning was assured even if I did manage to conjure a miracle.
I looked back at the message.
The win rate varies depending on the type of miracle.
‘It means I shouldn’t just create an ordinary miracle.’
In truth, creating miracles wasn’t difficult for me, given my abilities as a Grand Practitioner.
Everything I did with magical mastery was nothing short of miraculous.
‘But now, I have to achieve something incomparable to what I’ve done so far.’
I bit my lip in contemplation.
It was an absurd task.
‘But still, I have to do it.’
I shook my head.
It was ridiculous, but
‘First, I need to figure out what kind of miracle to create.’
That was the moment.
Suddenly, a sly voice whispered in my ear.
Do you need… power?
I widened my eyes.
It was the voice of the weird grimoire I saw in the library earlier!
Offer your soul to me. In return, I will grant you power.
An offer that should never be overlooked.
If one’s soul were to be bound by a wicked grimoire, it might be better to die.
But…
‘Wait. What if I use that grimoire?’
One idea.
A thought as daring and perilous as gambling.
A method that could only succeed if I managed to conjure a ‘miracle.’
‘There’s no other way.’
At that moment, the puppet let out a chuckle.
[Fufu, just killing you straight away seems boring, so how about we play a little game? Try not to move as much as possible! I’ll torture and kill the one who moves first. Now, hold out as long as you can.]
Silence.
With the puppeteer’s warning, everyone froze in place as if turned into statues.
[Fufu, who do you think will move first? I’m looking forward to it. Haha.]
I swallowed hard.
‘What should I do?’
The moment I move, the puppet’s gaze will be drawn to me.
I harbored a faint hope that maybe someone would come to rescue us, but it was an impossible task. This place was already cut off from the outside by the puppeteer’s barrier.
Even if, by some miracle, a powerful being capable of breaking the puppeteer’s barrier were to arrive, the puppeteer would swiftly take our lives and escape.
‘Well, can’t be helped.’
After all, staying still like this was as good as a death sentence.
I took a gamble.
I took a step forward.
Thud.
In the eerie silence, my footsteps echoed like thunder, resonating through the stillness.
“!!”
Everyone held their breath.
[Oh? The first one to move is Mr. Trash, it seems.]
Surprisingly, the puppeteer recognized me.
It wasn’t crucial information in the current situation, but it seemed my notoriety for recklessness even reached the Abyss’s dark sorcerers.
Ignoring the comment, I continued my steps.
I had to walk a good ten steps to reach the library where the grimoire was.
It felt like a distance as vast as the Earth and the moon.
[Hmm?]
The puppeteer let out a peculiar sound.
[…Have you lost your mind? Can’t you hear me?]
I kept walking, pretending not to hear.
A surge of aura coursed through me.
My senses tingled, but I forced myself to endure it.
Now was the crucial moment.
‘I need your help, Dark Flame Dragon.’
As always, the Dark Flame Dragon provided me with steadfast support.
“Shut up, arrogant fool. Whatever you are, how dare you speak to me like this? A puppeteer hiding behind a feeble guise.”
[!!!]
“!!!”
A wave of shock swept through the room, like a tsunami.
“V-Van?! Have you lost your mind?”
Emily exclaimed.
It was a blatant disregard for the puppeteer’s warning, but the puppeteer didn’t say anything to Emily either.
All his attention was focused on me.
[…What did you just say? Did you call me a coward?]
An overwhelming aura surged, unlike anything before.
It was because of the word ‘coward.’
Using the puppeteer’s ‘trigger,’ in other words, I intentionally touched upon the puppeteer’s sensitive spot.
But I didn’t stop the provocation.
“What’s the problem with calling a coward a coward?”
[Well… Seems like you really want to die.]
“If you want to kill me, go ahead. At least I won’t be trembling in fear like you.”
It was a lie.
I wasn’t fearless.
But the Dark Flame Dragon bestowed a powerful presence.
“Anyway, all you can do is mock the weak. You wouldn’t dare look a true ‘strong’ being in the eye; you’d be groveling like a dog.”
[!!]
A true ‘strong’ being refers to those who are at Level 8, the ‘Transcendents.’
Level 9, the ‘Ascendants,’ feels like beings beyond human comprehension.
[…Hold your tongue.]
“Or would you like to make a bet with me?”
[A bet?]
“Give me just 10 minutes.”
The Dark Flame Dragon depicted a haughty expression on my face.
“Ten minutes is more than enough to annihilate you.”
[Hah…!!]
An absurd reaction.
Not only the puppet but everyone in the room sent me bewildered looks.
Even Hans, who had seen me in various situations before, had a look of surprise.
Especially Emily’s gaze was the most intense.
If she had been beside me, her eyes seemed to say she would have immediately gagged me.
“Are you afraid to give me 10 minutes? Truly a coward.”
[…Enough. Fine, I’ll give you 10 minutes. But be prepared after 10 minutes.]
The puppet’s bloodshot eyes glimmered eerily.
[I’ll make you regret being born into a life of suffering, where you can neither live nor die.]
Alright, it worked.
I barely bought some time.
‘The real challenge starts now.’
Once again, a sly voice echoed.
Hurry. Hurry and embrace me. I’ll give you power. With that strength, you can easily crush that puppet.
Discussion
0 CommentsNo comments yet.