NOVEL NEXT Chapter 80
“Ugh. Ahh… Blood, help…!”
Even though her slurred speech and weak voice hinted at a drained mental state, the flames raging above her seemed to burn even hotter.
Wasn’t there a trait mentioned in that status screen I saw earlier? Dry Kindling, maybe?
As she approached a near-death state, there was a passive trait that enhanced her fire abilities.
Whoosh!
—KURRAANG!!!
From Shurika’s whip, a flame lion the size of a dump truck shot out.
‘No way, this is too much!’
Wham!
Seizing the opportunity while she was slow, I hurriedly rolled to the side.
No matter how strong my fire resistance was, I’d learned from experience that if it wasn’t complete immunity, I could still get hurt.
That attack wouldn’t let me walk away unscathed.
—KRAAAANG!!!
The flame lion zipped past me, scorching the air as it disappeared.
Slice, swoosh.
Bang!
As my decisive strike fizzled out, Shurika twirled her whip and took a combat stance, preparing for the next round.
If I approached looking for an opening, that whirling whip would smack me! And if I waited, another terrifying attack would come flying my way.
After all, elemental resistance doesn’t diminish the raw physical power of a weapon, and if I toyed with it, I’d meet my end the moment I couldn’t dodge.
‘Here… right.’
I clenched my teeth, bracing for the impending headache.
…Now!
Lightning!!!
Crack, crackle.
The static buzzing above Shurika transformed into a violet lightning bolt, striking down with a fierce force.
BANG!!!
“GAH!!”
In an instant, the whip tip broke the sound barrier, whipping toward me like a snake targeting its prey.
As I thrust the lightning at the precise moment, was I just slightly electrocuted? I didn’t even have to move to dodge as the trajectory altered on its own.
“Ugh!”
Okay, that hurt a bit. The headache wasn’t too pleasant, but I managed to get through the second attack somehow.
I glanced at my watch.
How much time is left? …Still 2 minutes and 50 seconds?!
Dammit! It’s not about how many minutes are left! What I need to do now is not wallow in despair but move!
Whether I got covered in rocks and sand or my hair got singed by the heat, I didn’t care at all.
“UAAAAHHH!”
I threw myself into the chaos, desperate to escape!
—KURRAANG!!!
Only 50 seconds left!
“Oh no—”
I just had to hold out a bit longer! As I squinted to see what pattern would come next, her last words ended with “No!”
…Her eyes lost focus. Has she completely lost her mind?
Crackle, snap.
‘What is this? Everything that could go bewitched and fused has happened already!’
Before I could even get mad at the ridiculous situation, I finally saw it. Her skin splitting open in various places, and molten-like flames seeping out.
[The trait ‘Evil God’s Corruption’ distorts Shurika’s magical power.]
[The trait ‘Pure Magic’ becomes corrupted.]
[The trait ‘Dry Kindling’ transforms.]
KWA-AAAAAH!!!
“What—”
This is insane.
A wave of fire. That’s the only phrase that comes to mind.
It was a murky and dense flame that could not be compared to anything I had seen from Shurika before.
It obliterated my entire field of vision, rapidly closing the distance.
‘I can’t avoid this.’
The area of effect was too large; rolling sideways or jumping wouldn’t save me.
Fortunately, it was lucky I instinctively drew my Great Sword.
“Ugh, ugh!”
Hiiiii—
I exhaled cold air from my body, using the blade of Rehagen to shield my vital points, holding firm.
Pushed back by the waves of scorching fire. The crimson flames melted through my armor despite my feeble cold air.
“Gah, ugh!”
It felt like an eternity, but in reality, just a few seconds had passed.
[The magic of the Great Sword Rehagen is damaged.]
‘The sword that the Guild Leader lent me, is it broken?!’
No! Wait! If it’s damaged, there must be a way to fix it. Don’t lose hope.
“Both of you dare to obstruct me? Not only the apostle of the Evil God but now, a mere mortal as well. How dare you!”
Mortal, huh?
Crack. Crunch.
As an enigmatic voice resonated in my head, Shurika’s body began to twist and turn.
“This damn causality! Annoying gods!”
Right before I could make sense of the confused situation, something else happened.
[Chaos says it has finally been granted permission.]
“Hmmm, directly intervening crosses the line.”
This voice!
“The foul octopus head acted first, so I suppose I can indulge this once.”
As a familiar voice concluded its statement, the world around me went dark.
*
Not psychologically, but literally shrouded in darkness, I couldn’t see an inch ahead.
“Ugh. AAAAAHH!!!”
Without warning, a sharp pain exploded in both eyes.
My body wouldn’t move as I wished, and even the air accompanying my breath wouldn’t escape my lips; I had no choice but to silently endure the agony.
[With external interference, Chaos opens your third eye.]
With the system log, the pain suddenly vanished.
“Hah. Huh? Where am I?”
Thankfully, it seemed to be just a temporary issue. I managed to speak coherently.
As I gasped for breath and turned my head to survey my surroundings, something felt off.
‘It’s too clear. Wait a minute, the third eye?’
Already, my vision had improved significantly after acquiring traits post-transport, but now everything appeared even crisper and clearer.
Space. Yes, where I stood seemed to be a vast and mysterious location, like outer space.
‘Having such clear sight is a problem.’
If there was an issue, it was that the upgraded vision was overwhelmingly excessive.
As I absentmindedly rubbed my eyelids…
“Uuuuh… I don’t reeeeemember…”
Of course, it was a familiar voice. I only know one person with such a cute voice.
Turning my head sharply toward the sound, I exclaimed, “C-Chaos?!”
“Gah!”
Chaos, startled, jumped in surprise.
“Wh-What are you doing here?! Turn away your eyes! Don’t look!”
“No, I want to ask why you’re kneeling with your hands raised in such a manner.”
Isn’t this the perfect pose for punishment?
Chaos is getting scolded. By whom?
…Could it be?
“Hmmm. I knew it, so you two have become quite chummy?”
!
Seeing Chaos’s distressed state, a voice I recognized echoed from behind.
“Gah!”
This… this was sheer overwhelming violence.
Upon capturing the image of the alabaster goddess, I had to bite the inside of my cheek to regain my senses, although for a moment, I couldn’t help but be entranced.
“G-Goddess. What on earth is this?”
How could I forget such exquisite beauty?
The goddess of Chaos, Seres.
She lay on a white pedestal contrasting the black space, looking at me in human form.
With a languid expression, Seres licked her lower lip and spoke softly, “Again.”
Again? Ah.
“W-Wait, Seres. What’s going on? I was right in the middle of a battle.”
“Don’t worry about the outside. It’ll stay frozen until your soul leaves here. The Evil God intervened directly from the underworld, so I have a valid reason to bring you here.”
So that’s why Shurika transformed at the last moment; it was the work of that Evil God, Tehelum, was it?
Now I understood the anger that echoed in my mind earlier. But the Evil God’s apostle should’ve been Irmela.
‘Oh, they probably thought it was hopeless because of Sena.’
“Well, to make a long story short: they intervened, and I’ve brought you here just to lend you power against that causality. You’re feeling the change already, aren’t you?”
“Ah, yes. My eyes have changed a lot.”
That’s an understatement! If it keeps like this, it’ll definitely hinder my everyday life.
Fortunately, Seres dismissed my concerns.
“You don’t need to worry. Once you defeat the enemy, you will return to normal. Wishing for more is against causality.”
I never wished for that! Anyway, wait, defeat the enemy?
“Irmela will take care of itself, and I just need to kill Shurika, right?”
If it’s just me, I may struggle, but after ten minutes of casting, it might be possible.
“No. What you need to do is not kill one mortal but sever the traces of the Evil God attached to that human, causing harm to its essence.”
“If I sever it… How exactly do I do that?”
“You’ll know when you see it with your altered eyes. Well, that’s all. It’s hard to keep holding onto you.”
Wait, I still have so many questions!
“Oh! One more thing.”
Seres raised a finger and gestured toward Chaos.
“Remember that Chaos worked hard for you.”
“Huh?”
“The moment the octopus’s minions appeared, how it bounced around demanding to help you! He wasn’t normally like this.”
So that’s why Chaos had been so quiet since the circus.
My heart felt a touch of warmth.
“You two are so cute together.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Now, it’s time to return. I’ll be keeping a close eye on your actions, so don’t worry. I’m always cheering for you!”
As Seres waved goodbye…
Blink.
As I blinked at the sight of Chaos, who was getting scolded for trying to escort me, the devastated Coliseum and Shurika came back into view.
‘Now I understand what it means to sever traces of the Evil God.’
Gazing intently at Shurika’s visibly damaged appearance—a sight I hadn’t seen before, I saw things that hadn’t been visible before.
A dark aura coiling around her entire body. Tentacles gripping her limbs. Black threads extending from each joint.
Sever! Yes. There’s plenty to cut!
Click, crunch.
The Evil God’s blasphemy seems to have collided or gotten stuck in causality, as Shurika’s movement momentarily halted.
Her head slowly lifted, revealing an ominous light in her eyes.
I too raised my sword to my chest and glanced at the clock.
“Three. Two.”
…One.
“—Descend! Freeze everything! Frozen Field!!!”
A 6th-tier area spell, Frozen Field.
Crack, crack.
The ground, made of rocks and sand, began to freeze over slowly.
“Hah—”
The breath I exhaled transformed into mist that scattered away.
Drip. Drip. Pitter-patter.
A cold rain began to gently wash over the world.
[Your vitality is restored due to the trait ‘Blessing of Water.’]
Enhanced sight and surging vigor.
I couldn’t help but smile.