Chapter 64
Oleg's figure was nowhere to be seen. Rotating smoke enveloped the surroundings like a barrier. The barrier exuded a palpable sense of corrupted magical power.
"Sigh..."
Ian, realizing it was too late to pursue, caught sight of Charlotte, who was rushing toward him, wrapped in Wind Blades. She held a murderous intent that could make one's skin crawl. Fortunately, the flesh's attention had shifted toward her. The tentacles stretched out toward Charlotte, not him. With her gaze still fixed on Ian, Charlotte maneuvered in the air, a technique Ian often utilized.
...So this is how those who fought with me felt.
Slash—
Her dual swords effortlessly sliced through the tentacles. The severed tentacles wriggled like worms on the ground, refusing to die.
In the meantime, Ian was not just waiting idly.
Whoosh.
A cascade of fireballs burst forth, succeeded by the casting of Whirling Barrier and Frost Shield in quick succession. Unlike her previous head-on confrontations, Charlotte adeptly maneuvered through the barrage, avoiding each fireball with nimble, acrobatic finesse. Then, with a decisive motion, she brought her dual swords crashing down upon the frost shield, shattering it.
Crash!
The shield shattered instantly, without even a chance to explode. Ian, with his hands full of frost, emerged from behind.
Puff!
It was the Chill Wave. The whirlwind that engulfed Charlotte occurred immediately afterward. The force of the gust threw both Ian and Charlotte backward, separating them amidst the tumult of battle.
It has the Whirling Barrier as well...? Does the armor contain all the lower gray magic? Ian thought as he landed and looked up.
Charlotte was already charging toward him. Ian hurriedly raised his sword. After several clashes, flames rose in Ian's retreating steps, but Charlotte took them all without care. Her orange eyes were filled with uncontrollable wildness and ecstasy. What was happening around them and how Ian could use various colors of magic, seemed utterly irrelevant to her. She was just enjoying the battle with the intent of killing him.
The dual swords attacked relentlessly. A series of aggressive attacks continued, ignoring defense. The magic stones on her armor flashed non-stop, aiding her movements. For Ian, it was a continuous crisis. It was a result of many factors, but also a matter of compatibility.
Even in the game, assassins were my bane. Now a beastfolk assassin using gray magic...
As their weapons clashed, everything became clearer. Strength, Speed, Stamina, Combat Skills—Ian was outmatched in every aspect. Even at peak Concentration, Charlotte was always faster. Each strike carried a weight that allowed no proper counterattack. Above all, the onslaught seemed endless. A single mistake or lapse in concentration could be fatal. The only advantage Ian had was his magic.
However, Charlotte gave him no chance to cast spells. The thought of using the Strike of Judgment didn't even cross his mind. Ian's body gradually accumulated minor injuries.
Boom!
A fireball Ian barely managed to conjure exploded before it could reach Charlotte's face. Charlotte, instead, dived into the explosion's radius and into Ian's arms. The crossed blades at the end of her arms spread a chilling aura.
Clang!
Ian managed to insert his sword between the oncoming blades, stopping them just shy of his neck. The curved blades seemed poised to slice his throat at any moment. Ian braced himself with his left arm against his sword. However, Charlotte did not budge. Instead, Ian was the one pushed back until his back hit a solid pillar. It was a tree trunk. With no way to retreat, a chilling premonition followed.
Crack!
A tail armor flew in, narrowly slicing past Ian's ear and embedding into the trunk.
So this is as far as it goes, Ian thought, clenching his teeth.
The crossed blades inched closer. The thrill and ecstasy in Charlotte's orange eyes seemed to confirm her belief that she would soon sever Ian's neck. Even in such a moment, Ian's Mental Fortitude remained intact. He lost none of his reasoning, fully absorbing the barrage of information.
The swirling ash barrier, the forest silent without screams, the burning trees and acrid smoke, the flesh creeping and staggering forward. Oleg who had escaped just before this scene unfolded, the four followers trailing behind him, and Miguel and Lucy who were waiting for him. The dagger that aimed for him and the tail returned to its owner. Orange pupils slit vertically.
And the imminent death that was about to come. Death in this damned world.
In the moment all these things flashed by, Ian made a decision. He opened the status window while staring into Charlotte's eyes and began to increase his Strength stat, one by one until the pressure transmitted through both arms felt bearable. It was a choice he thought he'd never make again, yet there was no hesitation.
Charlotte's eyes widened. She didn't utter a word, but it was clear she couldn't understand what was happening. Ian, gradually pushing back her swords, clenched his teeth.
Clang—
Charlotte was knocked back as if bounced away. Ian, having slashed with his sword, invested half of the increased Strength stat into Agility. It was a necessary adjustment. Like Intelligence and Mental Fortitude, Strength and Agility always needed to be balanced. The effect was immediate once again. All senses seemed even sharper.
Charlotte did not utter the typical exclamations of surprise. Instead, she simply gazed at Ian with admiration, tightening her grip on the swords in both hands. Ian met her look with a deep, solemn stare. It was right after this exchange that shadows began to cast over them.
Swoosh!
A slicing sound echoed. The flesh's tentacles launched toward Ian and Charlotte, targeting them both.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ian and Charlotte leaped into action, indistinguishable in their timing. The tentacles aiming for them were sliced into pieces, falling to the ground. Ian didn't stop there; he charged toward the mass of flesh. Charlotte did the same. Their swords struck repeatedly, sending dozens of flesh pieces scattering in all directions. Amidst the writhing flesh, Ian and Charlotte found themselves facing each other once again.
Woosh—
It was Charlotte who moved first. Still aggressive, but not as threatening as before. In a state of heightened focus where time seemed to slow down, Ian realized his movements were faster, more precise, and stronger. He blocked Charlotte's attacks several times and took the opportunity to counterattack as she retracted her swords.
Puff!
Ian's strike was blocked by a Whirling Barrier, but he clearly perceived Charlotte's advancing movement. He used the repelling force to increase the distance between them and followed her movement, casting the Whirling Barrier in the process. Even though it was a lower-tier magic, it was as useful as higher-tier magic in this situation.
Crack.
Charlotte, charging forward, was stopped by a whirlwind. At that moment, a fireball burst forth, and almost simultaneously, Ian's sword, springing up like a coil, struck.
Sling.
Charlotte blocked Ian's sword.
This action was proof of the changed dynamics of the fight. Pushing her back, Ian pondered how he could complete spells faster.
He thought casting speed was only influenced by Mental Fortitude and Intelligence. The process from perception to casting felt smoother. Could it mean that all attributes indirectly influenced each other? Now that this was reality, it was a plausible hypothesis.
Ian had believed that casting speed was influenced solely by Mental Fortitude and Intelligence. However, he now felt a noticeable smoothness in the process, from perception to execution, suggesting a deeper interconnectedness among all attributes.
Woosh.
At that moment, a whirlwind erupted from Charlotte's entire body. Pushing Ian back with a silent roar, she lunged forward, baring her fangs, her face devoid of any leisure but her eyes still filled with ecstasy, as if delighted by the opportunity to showcase her full capabilities. However, Ian had no intention of following her pace any longer. He was ready to conclude this battle.
Crack!
As Charlotte charged, Ian intercepted her. His sword, held in one hand, blocked the crossing dual blades deeply. His left hand was directed toward Charlotte's flank, holding a crudely shaped gray dagger. The jagged end precisely pierced the seam between the plate and chain at Charlotte's side. It was the Venomous Fang of the Cave Spider Queen.
Charlotte's eyes widened slowly as the poison spread, her body feeling the onset of paralysis. Soon after, Ian kicked, pushing her body away. Charlotte fell, her body rigid with paralysis.
Finally catching his breath, Ian approached her.
Even at this moment, Charlotte's gaze was fixed not on the sword but on Ian's eyes. Instead of fear, her pupils swirled with a peculiar sense of satisfaction.
Is it that she's content to die having shown all she could? Ian couldn't comprehend her mindset.
He didn't like the look in her eyes. She had been the worst kind of obstacle all day, ultimately forcing him to use his attribute points. Granting her a satisfying death wasn't the right price to pay. Death should be the ultimate punishment only for those who fear it the most. Ian's gaze slid down to her lower body thoughtfully.
This was how beastfolk mercenaries were... tamed in the game.
His eyes settled on the drooping armor of Charlotte's tail. A beastfolk's tail was a symbol of their inherent wildness and pride.
Cutting this means the wildness is castrated, or so it was said...
He remembered a line from a beastfolk NPC who handed out a minor side quest. They had been a slave of a noble in the Empire and had shown absolute obedience to the noble who had cut off their tail. Ian's deliberation ended there.
The moment Ian kicked the tail, waves of shock spread across Charlotte's eyes. It was a look of astonishment and disbelief. And then, fear crept into her gaze.
Ian's lips curled up, "To me, life is most precious. If you intended to take mine... then you should be prepared to wager something equally valuable."
Charlotte's eyes wavered. Ian raised his sword.
Crack!
With a forceful swing, Ian severed half of Charlotte's tail.
Her eyes widened to their fullest extent as blood flowed from the remaining stump. Ian, unphased, picked up the severed tail, discovering it was a unique-grade accessory. It was called, Charlotte's Wildness, possessing a single attribute: the subjugation of Charlotte, the beastfolk.
...Subjugation?
Ian looked back at Charlotte. The vitality, wildness, and joy previously filling her eyes had vanished, leaving only a vacant stare at her own tail in Ian's hand.
...So that's what it means. Ian scoffed and turned away, having no time to relish her expression.
I can't stay here all night. I need to get out, thought Ian.
Oleg might have caught up with the carriage by now. There was a good chance that monsters were emerging elsewhere, too. In a domain capable of spawning such flesh, any nightmare scenario could become a reality. Even with preparations, they wouldn't be sufficient. He needed to find a way out immediately. Ian raced along the edge of the smoky barrier, a barrier entwined with an immense amount of corrupted magical power. Naturally, there were no gaps to be found.
If I kill all of these, will a path open?
Ian halted, turning his gaze toward the squirming masses of flesh. They remained still as if awaiting his move. Suddenly, a voice, as if gargling phlegm, spread through the wind, emanating from all the flesh simultaneously.
"Do not... resist... fate...."
"Fine. I'll accept it," Ian declared.
Instantly, the voices ceased, leaving an eerie silence that felt almost startled.
Ian continued, "I'll come find you. So, open the path now."
"Will you... swear... to come find me...?"
"I swear. I'm headed to the north anyway. Once I finish my quest, I'll come for you."
And I'll smash your skull in for good measure, Ian thought, holding back these words.
Then, a burst of ash-colored magic erupted from the flesh masses. The magic transformed into a massive sigil.
"The covenant... is sealed...!"
At that moment, a similar sigil was etched into Ian's left palm and a quest window appeared.
[The Frozen Abyss]
Ian dismissed it without a look. That wasn't his immediate concern.
Woosh!
The smoky barrier's flow intensified. The flesh crumbled away, the trees' flames extinguished simultaneously, and the smoke dispersed. The forest's view was finally revealed. Locating his companions turned out to be unexpectedly easy. Beyond, an orange glow illuminated the night sky—the forest was ablaze.
He felt a sinister premonition.
"...Lucy."
Without further thought, Ian dashed toward the light.
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