Dark Fantasy Normalized

26 – Lucky Charm (3)

Wait!

Don’t panic!

There’s no way a mere b*stard could possess two holy relics of such power!

“You insignificant thing, using your wits-”

A very reasonable deduction pulled Gusra out of the depths of despair.

“Ugh-”

Dares and Tophin’s thoughts were not much different.

Hadn’t they just witnessed it with their own eyes? The true value of that ‘coin’.

To neutralize the power of dark magic aiming for the 6th rank so effectively.

It was a holy relic that priests and paladins entrusted with important tasks by the order would carry.

The fact that he possessed such a relic was shocking enough, but to have another one?

A b*stard who couldn’t even name his family?

It was a story hard to accept.

It was more reasonable to believe it was a lie made up to escape the crisis.

…Separately.

The second coin that Rishir pulled out had a definite effect.

Gusra, Dares, Tophin.

All three of them were so captivated by the coin’s presence that they stopped all actions.

None of them had any grounds to be confident in their thoughts.

The power contained in the coin only reacted to black magic, so Dares and Tophin felt nothing at all.

Gusra, too, was in a state where the power of black magic was greatly neutralized, so he couldn’t accurately grasp the power contained in the coin.

What if the coin is real?

What if the coin is fake?

“Rishir, you hold onto that for now! Please keep it in check!”

They, who were about to engage in the final battle, entered an unexpected stalemate.

The atmosphere of the place, which had reached its extreme, was once again diluted by Rishir’s presence.

“You b*stard who deserves to be torn to pieces-“

A sound like boiling intestines flowed from Gusra’s mouth.

Not only had the plan he had prepared for over many years collapsed, but he also suffered a permanent injury that was difficult to recover from in the process of destroying the relic.

The realm of the 6th rank.

Just before that long-cherished desire was within his grasp, it disappeared like a mirage.

How much time would it take to reach there again?

How much effort would be needed?

Do I, an old man, have the time and effort left?

The more he thought about it, the more complicated and heated his mind became.

A fierce ripple arose in the emotions of the old black magician, which had seemed empty.

In the end, the black magician made a proposal.

“Dares! Hand over that b*stard. Then I will back down this time. Furthermore, I swear by my magic that I will not approach you again!”

The situation had improved so much compared to before, but it was still not good.

The black magician, whose pride was wounded, seemed to see nothing anymore.

If he resolved to see the end, not only Dares and Tophin but also Tophin’s assistant and Todina in the carriage could not be guaranteed safety.

But could all that crisis be avoided with just one b*stard who had nothing to do with them?

There was no reason not to comply.

There was no reason to risk their lives for a b*stard they didn’t even know.

“…”

But- that was the same for Lisir.

Tophin recalled what he had done for them, complete strangers.

He couldn’t bring himself to agree out loud.

In the end, it was Dares who spoke first.

“Tophin.”

“Speak.”

“There is a possibility.”

“It’s too early to conclude.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

A determined gaze was directed at Tophin.

“I will buy time. In the meantime, lead everyone out of here.”

“Dares!”

“This is the best option.”

“There might be a better way!”

“Please. Just don’t tell me to hand over Lisir.”

“Isn’t he a stranger to you? A b*stard no one would care about!”

“That was the same for Lisir.”

“…!”

“He had no relation to us, yet he willingly handed over that treasure to Todina.”

“That’s because…! He didn’t know the value of the treasure!”

“He could have escaped in the chaos, but he chose to stay and help.”

“Because he didn’t understand the gravity of the situation…”

“According to you, he might be ignorant. But that doesn’t change the weight of the favor I owe him.”

“…”

The old nobleman couldn’t meet the young wizard’s eyes.

“Go straight to Durayeg. Explain to my father what happened here. Make sure he knows the help you gave to me and Todina, and get the reward you deserve. And ensure that Lisir also receives the reward he deserves. Will you grant me this last request?”

It was a short but deep contemplation.

Tophin finally spoke with difficulty.

“I could never do that. Tell Lisir to do it himself.”

“What the-“

“As you can see, he’s wounded. If we push him a little more, he might feel threatened and retreat.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“That’s why I’m suggesting we have Rishir evacuate the others.”

“You-“

“Alone, you’ll surely die. With me, there’s at least a chance.”

For a moment, their gazes met, and they nodded simultaneously.

The wizard and healer, once again ready, faced off against Gusra.

“Rishir! Take the carriage and head to Durayeg right now! We’ll hold him off!”

Dares shouted, his eyes fixed on Gusra.

Gusra’s expression slowly twisted, and then he burst into maniacal laughter.

“You fools- Fine! I’ll do as you wish!!!”

Squelch.

Gusra’s left arm melted like mud and then reformed.

It was a creation of the dark wizard, known as a ghoul.

It kicked off the ground with great force, darting to the left. It drew a large arc, closing the distance to the carriage where Dares and Topin stood back-to-back.

“…!”

Is he trying to take Todina hostage?

Dares and Topin swiftly moved to the left, positioning themselves to keep both Gusra and the ghoul in check.

Then, just as it seemed Gusra was joining the ghoul, he suddenly turned in the opposite direction.

Whoosh!

A sudden gust of wind. Gusra’s body moved with a speed unbelievable for an old man.

The ghoul melted away, and Gusra’s left arm reappeared.

His true target was Rishir, who was in the opposite direction.

“A mixed-ability user!?”

“Rishir! Run!!!”

Dares and Topin ran to protect Rishir.

“Rishir!?”

Even Fien, who had been indifferent to Dares and Topin’s affairs, reacted in shock.

But the dark wizard, who controlled the wind, was already right in front of Rishir.

‘Isn’t it impossible for that man!?’

Pien urgently infused his power into him.

“Today, I’ll be satisfied with your worthless neck, you b*stard!!!”

Gusra was not fundamentally a complete dark wizard.

Originally, he was a defector who dealt with wind magic but felt its limits and turned to dark magic.

He chose wind magic as a means to deliver a decisive blow to the despicable b*stard.

It was partly to catch him off guard, but also to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.

“Let’s see if that precious relic of yours can protect you from this!!!”

A smile of victory was already forming on the dark wizard’s lips.

Without the relic, he was nothing more than a worthless third-rate novice.

“…!!!”

The old dark wizard’s seasoned judgment was ultimately correct.

Pure wind energy emanated from the dark wizard’s hands.

For the first time, Rishir felt threatened by the dark wizard.

The wind swirled and quickly took the form of blades.

‘This won’t work with purification power… no, wait.’

In the extreme situation, Rishir’s magical thinking, unbound by conventions, ran wild.

Yes.

Surely, those wind blades might not be eliminated by the power of purification.

But-

-Ting!

Rishir flicked a coin towards Gusra.

Although the power contained within it was relatively weak due to insufficient time invested, unlike the first coin-

“Ugh-“

It was enough to disrupt the energy inherent in the dark wizard’s body.

And for now, that was enough.

For a moment, the wind blades lost their form.

The wind energy escaped Gusra’s control.

Rishir did not miss that moment.

“…!?”

The dark sorcerer’s eyes widened to the point of tearing.

The swirling energy of the wind in his hand was transferring to Lisir’s hand.

Currently, Gusra’s magic power was being consumed by Lisir’s strength.

Repeated excessive use of mana had caused mana reflux to accumulate.

Moreover, Lisir was blessed by Pien.

All of these were clear factors, but they did not provide a sufficient explanation.

No factor or words could provide a sufficient explanation to the current Gusra.

‘Have I, the master of magic, been overpowered by a mere third-rank novice!?’

There was still time and room for maneuver.

He could respond to Lisir’s actions.

“How…?”

But instead of responding, Gusra demanded an answer from Lisir.

An answer to the phenomenon that defied reason.

It was an art that someone with a third-rank vessel could never perform.

A sensation that a third-rank could never experience or reach.

So – perhaps he is not a third-rank after all.

No. He must not be a third-rank.

A high-ranking sorcerer hiding his true rank and identity, toying with him.

Yes. That would explain everything.

The sorcerer, whose world had been denied, waited desperately for Lisir’s next words.

He muttered softly.

“It’s done.”

As if even he was surprised.

It didn’t take long for Gusra to understand the meaning behind that action.

“Ah… Ah… Ah!!!!!”

Only then did Gusra take action to counter Lisir’s mana theft.

But it was already too late, and he was too flustered.

Gusra reflexively drew upon the power of dark magic.

What happened next was that the power of dark magic vanished without a trace, and then a fist imbued with the energy of the wind struck his jaw.

“Ugh-“

The old man’s body crumbled helplessly.

“Risir!!!”

Pien rushed to Risir.

“Are, are you okay!? Are you hurt anywhere!? A dark wizard handling wind magic- If I had known, I would have stayed by your side…”

Pien clung to Risir, looking up at him with a worried face and examining him all over.

Being genuinely worried by a girl who was two heads shorter than himself was quite a peculiar feeling.

Risir chuckled and patted Pien’s head.

“…I’m the fool for making you worry.”

Pien, who had fallen away from Risir, sat down a beat late and began to squirm in embarrassment.

-Thud

Dares and Tophin, who had hurriedly run to help Risir, stood still in a daze.

“Risir. What on earth-“

The two wizards reacted the same way as the dark wizard.

They demanded an answer to the situation that defied logic.

In response, Risir picked up a coin that had fallen near Gusra.

And confidently gave a thumbs up.

“Indeed, a lucky coin.”

“…”

“…”

Well. So what.

They were dumbfounded in many ways.

*

“Dares!”

“Todina!?”

As they were restraining Gusra’s body and wrapping up the situation, Todina jumped out of the carriage and approached Dares.

“Are, are you hurt anywhere!? What happened to Damin!?”

“Todina, you should be the one-“

“Todina, what are you doing- Didn’t I repeatedly tell you! You need to rest!”

Todina responded to the startled Dares and Tophin with an excited expression.

“But- I couldn’t just stay still!”

Todina spread her arms wide and hopped in place, spinning around.

As if the sensation of vitality was so unfamiliar that she couldn’t contain it.

“Dares! I think I’m all bett-…”

“Todina!”

Suddenly feeling dizzy, Todina collapsed.

Dares hurriedly approached and helped her up.

She giggled awkwardly.

Then, Tophin came over to check on her condition.

“…”

“Tophin, how is she!?”

“Her body’s energy is greatly depleted.”

“That means…?”

“Now, as long as she rests well, she will recover.”

“…!”

With a sudden movement, Dares pulled Todina into a tight embrace.

Todina, momentarily startled, flinched but soon gently wrapped her arms around him.

After enjoying the embrace of a healthy lover for a while, Dares spoke in a voice filled with emotion.

“Thank you… Tophin…”

“Ahem, I don’t think I’ve done anything particularly deserving of thanks.”

Tophin glanced at Lishir, who was standing beside him.

“…”

Dares stood up and faced Lishir.

“I don’t think I deserve thanks ei- Ugh!”

Lishir’s attempt at modesty was cut off.

Dares approached Lishir and suddenly pulled him into a tight embrace.

With a force incomparable to when he hugged Todina. Fiercely. Passionately.

A specific piece of information surfaced in Lishir’s mind.

Mages who handle the energy of fire sometimes become influenced by the fire’s nature, developing a fiery temperament-

Then, Dares grabbed Lishir’s arms and pulled him away.

He stared directly at his face.

His red eyes were burning with passion.

“Sir!”

“…Yes?”

“Feel free to be at ease. I want to be at ease with you too, Lisir! Can I consider you a friend!?”

“…Yes? What do you mean- Ugh!”

Lisir’s words, unable to keep up with the tempo, were once again blocked.

Dares hugged him fiercely once more.

“Lisir! This grace! I will never forget it!”

“It’s nothing, so you don’t have to.”

“Nothing!!! Don’t say such things!!!”

“Just giving me a ride in your carriage is enough-“

“Where to! Tell me your destination. I’ll take you to the ends of the earth!”

It was only after a long time that Lisir could free himself from Dares’ embrace.

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▷Destiny 41: Worm-eaten Happiness – Deactivated.

The corresponding perks are granted.

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■Lisir

Level: 15

Race: Human

Class: Mage

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[You have reached a certain level]

[Special traits according to your class are granted]

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…

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[The highest level of specialization in this field already exists]

[Accordingly, a specialized auxiliary trait is granted]

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…

…

[The highest level of specialized auxiliary trait in this field already exists]

[Accordingly, a random trait is granted]

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[A specific trait has been acquired]

[Accordingly, a new field is learned]

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