ALL NOVEL Chapter 55
55. I Thought Who Another
As expected, Enviel was seated against a massive tree in the forest.
He was the most outstanding talent among the elders of the Magic Guild, regarded as a force capable of confronting the Demon King single-handedly.
Each of his spells shook the heavens and the earth, and he was equally formidable in non-magical aspects. It’s said that when wielding a sword, his aura reaches unprecedented heights.
A man who had mastered both sword and magic. Armed with such overwhelming power and holding a high position, he had a strong following.
There were many blind believers behind him who looked like they’d perish without him. Even the academy’s vice-principal, Heidern, was someone who had been taught by Enviel.
But now it turns out he was a high-ranking member of the demon-worshipping sect? I can only imagine the reaction of those who had devoted themselves to him blindly.
‘The mental victory and self-justification mode is bound to activate.’
They would later transform into a group of fanatics just as crazy. Their research must be correct, and anyone opposing it would be labeled as dissent and judged immediately.
But, judging is just a euphemism; they would act like sociopaths, torturing even innocent passersby.
In the future, they would appear at the Magical Banquet in Chapter 5, where they would display their defiance against Aligieri, igniting Lyman’s fury.
Lyman going berserk and destroying the continent would be a thrilling scene, but in the current situation, it’s just terrifying.
‘I can’t get swept away in this.’
I wanted to nip it in the bud.
The primary reason for their transformation into a cult was Enviel’s survival. Enviel, who barely escaped, would gather his followers and brainwash them with speeches.
Even the first princess of the Empire, swayed by his words, would start opposing the protagonist group.
The collaboration between the cult and the twisted princess of the fairies. Thanks to that, characters like Jenny and others’ families or acquaintances would find themselves in danger.
Just imagining such a development makes me feel like I’m flipping out. The fandom even went so far as to call the bad ending the “justice realization ending”… That says it all.
Now, imagine this as not just on-screen but presented in realistic 3D and even 4D.
‘What the hell!’
While I’m not sure this is the way to evade it! I at least know how to minimize it.
We just need Enviel to die here. If he disappears, the various paths leading to a bad ending would be blocked.
“Cough… What is this…?”
Even with a fishing rod piercing his solar plexus, Enviel squirmed and spoke. He’s as tough as a cockroach, clinging to life.
If it were normal times, just imagining killing him with my strength would be unthinkable.
But look at him now. He’s lost all his power after being pummeled like a punching bag by Lyman.
In efforts to defend against Lyman’s attack, he poured all of his magical power into a shield, but even that was breached, leaving his bones and dantian shattered.
I didn’t need a skilled knight to kill such a guy. With just my power right now, I could pierce his upper body like wet paper.
“I told you, didn’t I? I would take you to a comfortable place.”
“Cough!”
– Acting Lv.6
– Never Lies Lv.3
Thanks to those skills, I was able to easily deceive him. It seems he mistook my concern for genuine care.
“Then you should go, Elder.”
I lifted Enviel high along with Leviathan. He flailed his legs in the air, trying to escape.
In front, he acted all benevolent, but behind the scenes, he was a psycho who would kidnap innocent people to use as test subjects.
I felt not a shred of sympathy.
“Who are you… really?!”
“….”
In response to that question, I simply drew a line across my throat.
“Muto. Devour.”
And summoned the spirit I absorbed.
The shadow I was standing on began to slither and transformed into a serpent-like form. The Shadow of Gluttony that devours everything, one could say it was Muto’s true form.
Muto climbed up the fishing rod and opened its mouth wide.
I heard Enviel’s desperate cries of ‘No!’ but… Crack! With that sound, it swallowed him whole.
It was perfect timing as I had just been considering what to feed Muto.
This snake-like spirit grows as it eats living creatures. Just imagining how much Muto would grow by consuming a high-caliber talent like Enviel sent chills down my spine.
Living up to its name as the Shadow of Gluttony, it monopolized everything of the opponent.
And Muto and I became one body. Whatever Muto consumed, I would also be affected by that.
This means the knowledge and skills absorbed from Enviel would flow into me!
[Muto the Spirit is satisfied from its feast.]
[Affinity with ‘Muto’ has increased.]
[Acquired some skills and knowledge from the absorbed prey.]
[Spirit Power gauge has increased.]
It became visible in an instant.
Suddenly, a headache hit me, causing pain. It felt as if an earthquake was shaking my brain.
As I bit my lips to endure it, visions of Enviel’s entire life began to flood my mind.
From the moment Enviel was born to now, all his experiences. That mass of information crawled into my head all at once.
‘Damn it…!’
It felt like my head was going to explode. Dealing with that vast amount of information was strenuous.
Right at the brink of passing out, the only thing that supported me was the system.
[Ingestion Rate Decreased: -80%]
[+8000 Credits]
[Experience has exceeded a certain amount! Acquired 1 Stat Point.]
[All status ailments are healed.]
Exceeding proficiency translates to leveling up. The fact that my diminished HP and MP recovered was a basic principle of an RPG.
The same applied to status ailments like poison or paralysis. Thanks to the healing energy flowing into me, I managed to endure without fainting until the headache subsided.
“Ha… ha… I thought I was going to die.”
He wasn’t just pretending to be an elder for so long. Truly, a rat’s nest of knowledge nearly overwhelmed me.
That knowledge was deeply connected to my Spirit Power. He had primarily specialized in dark magic and black arts, learning far more covertly than in other fields.
Because of this, my Spirit Power stats had increased more than other attributes. Thus, I managed to fulfill the requirements for a job change.
Spirit Power: 3/30
[Cursed Aura Lv.6]
Many other skills and knowledge lingered within, but explaining them all would take a lot of time.
In the first place, with my current abilities, I could not reproduce the advanced magic he used.
Even if I could barely use it, elevating it to a scrap level would be the best I could manage.
‘For a high-ranking cult official, he’s just unnecessarily strong.’
But that power had all become mine. It lightened my heart to think I’ve taken everything from that lunatic.
The moist air filled my lungs.
Sunlight glimmered through the gaps of the trees.
Chapter 2 was thus coming to a close, with only the epilogue left to go.
*
In the sports world, there’s a saying.
It’s not over until it’s over.
Angela returned from her Nine-Tailed Fox form to her human appearance. She eliminated all the dangerous substances infused with Luska’s blood flowing through her body.
She could no longer become a suicide bomber, and the possibility of her body collapsing due to side effects had vanished.
She was freed from the tragic barriers set by the black mastermind.
‘Surely Luska is alright? She was bitten, but…’
If she were an ordinary person, Luska would have sustained lethal injuries. However, due to her blessed physique, she still clung to life. If treated quickly, she could recover.
But, all expedition members had fallen unconscious from exhaustion. In total, this meant there was no one available to use healing magic.
In that case, it would be none other than Angela who would save Luska. The divine blood flowing through her would have regenerative powers.
Even if the talent-boosting effect wasn’t there, the rumors of the divine blood being special were not unfounded.
Recalling that fact, Angela injured her wrist to heal the wounds on Luska’s neck.
Healing the place she had bitten, it was indeed a clumsy situation of giving medicine while inflicting harm.
But thanks to this, Luska, revived, hugged her sister tightly.
That concluded the last scene of Chapter 2.
I returned to that place to see if it flowed as described.
However, everything had already passed.
“Hey buddy! Where the hell have you been?”
Mary looked up at me with a pout. Arms crossed and chest out, she was interrogating me. I almost wanted to ruffle her hair out of pride.
“Bathroom.”
“Where?”
“I just went to the bathroom. I had a countdown happening in my lower half.”
[Ingestion Rate Decreased: -2%]
[+200 Credits]
I casually brushed it off with a lie. At that time, it wasn’t our turn anyway, and the fight had already concluded.
Realistically, they would believe it even if I mentioned a bathroom break.
“Anyway, what happened?”
“Look over there.”
The ending of Chapter 2 had finished, and the epilogue was already unfolding. The wound on Luska’s neck and the hole in her abdomen had long healed.
However, the person they least wanted to see appeared before them.
“To think the students would resolve this chaos. Truly a historical moment.”
Talema End Hall Papias.
The leader of the Papias Kingdom grinned as he looked at the fox sisters. Also gathered were Principal Keiten, Vice-Principal Heidern, and other academy officials.
Having fallen into Enviel’s trap, they had been stuck for a long time deciphering the barrier. Even the principal, Keiten, had barely managed to cope, a testament to Enviel’s status being reaffirmed.
‘It’s just that Lyman is a monster.’
They had escaped using the gap created from Enviel’s plight. As is often the case, high-ranking individuals always appear after all commotion has settled, a classic cliché.
It seemed that during the time I stepped out, more than half of the epilogue had unfolded.
The teaching assistants, faculty, and inspectors were tending to the injured students.
Jenny and Mary were receiving care from them as well.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Not really.”
“Just to be safe, I’ll give you a check. There’s a chance you could have been harmed by the magical energy.”
An inspector approached me with a concern for students who appeared to be completely unscathed. They looked very diligent.
One of them approached Luska and Angela. As someone who couldn’t just stand by upon discovering students, he couldn’t turn a blind eye.
“I’ll handle these kids directly.”
At that moment, the voice of the King of Talema halted the inspector. He moved the inspector aside and approached Luska and Angela.
“You…”
The peaceful expression Luska had regained twisted in an instant.
The father of Totema and King of Papias, Talema End Hall Papias. He too was an enemy of the sisters alongside Enviel.
Of course, since Enviel’s objective was the destruction of the Papias Kingdom, he had also been deceived all along.
However, he was the one who captured the divine beast that was Angela’s father, and he was also the one who had led to Luska’s mother’s death.
In terms of ruining innocent lives, he wasn’t any better than a demon.
“It seems that child is the true form of the nine-tailed fox. Won’t you hand her over? After all, that divine beast was the property of our Papias Kingdom. I, too, am a victim betrayed by Elder Enviel.”
“A victim…?”
Luska muttered in a low voice, quivering with rage and impulse to kill.
It was Talema who had sacrificed her mother as an experiment.
Yet a ‘victim’?
That was an obvious absurdity.
“If you can’t do that… what will you do…?!”
Luska glared at him as if she were going to kill him. Even upon seeing the piercing glare that seemed ready to tear his throat out, Talema just laughed heartily.
Then, bending his head, he leaned close to Luska’s ear and whispered.
“Who would have thought… such a familiar face appears. You remind me of a certain maid who once worked under me.”
“…!”
Talema twisted his lips, openly mocking. He clearly knew who they were and chose to ridicule them.
“Her name was… Ruina Mad Eye, right? You even resemble her a bit. Especially you, with that black hair.”
The name just mentioned was undoubtedly their mother’s name. Hearing it invoked undeniable certainty in me.
He knows it all. He mocks us while being fully aware.
What could be the reason for his torment? Simply loathing us as sworn enemies? Are we a source of fear? Did we annoy him?
None of those.
It was simply because he was stronger. In terms of ability and power, he was always at the top.
Wherever he walked, it would inevitably turn into a sea of blood. Such a cruel disposition spread not just through the kingdom but throughout the Empire.
Be it monsters or humans, he never drew a line. Always craving bloodshed… I could never forgive this devil, who was even worse than a demon.
“Bind them.”
“Yes!”
The knights of the Papias Kingdom, who had been waiting, rushed to encircle Luska and Angela. Talema retreated with a look of disdain, regarding those deemed inferior to him.
“Look who it is. It’s not Luska Mad Eye, is it?”
The soldiers approached Luska pretending to know her, all wearing smug expressions. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to be around the same age as Luska.
They were also child soldiers trained as knights like Luska. Since they were the same age, they looked like they were likely in the same batch.
“You just followed your mother and ran away, huh? Quite a skill you have there.”
“Looks like that inferior bloodline never strays far.”
“That’s why you weren’t acknowledged for your deeds. Don’t you remember?”
They were definitely all from the same batch, which is why they recognized Luska and chose to taunt her.
Although Luska was the strongest among those cadets, the jealousy from her peers was sky-high. Even after receiving much help during battles, they ostracized her to a degree that was ugly.
This was the root cause of Luska’s unfriendly demeanor.
“Uh-huh. I don’t remember.”
“What?”
“I don’t remember who you are.”
The soldiers were left dumbfounded. Yet Luska harbored no deceit.
She only had memories of being isolated in the barracks… but she couldn’t even remember their faces. They never had any worth remembering in the first place.
“Don’t worry. I’ll help you recall soon. Tie her up!”
The soldiers forced Luska to kneel and began to bind her with ropes.
If captured like this, her life would plummet into the abyss once more. She could not afford to lose the happiness she had finally grasped so easily.
At the very least, she wanted to help Angela escape. After all, the opponent was the king of a nation. Even the principal or vice-principal could not intervene carelessly.
‘In this case…’
Going down together with Talema. That’s the only solution visible.
This was her final vengeance.
With that resolution, Luska readied her bow.
Boom!!──
It was at that moment. Not far off, something fell from the sky.
As if a meteor had collided, a shockwave swept through the area. Fortunately, it wasn’t strong enough to blow people away.
Everyone present had no choice but to turn their gazes towards it, startled.
‘Whoa! That nearly made my heart stop.’
I, too, felt my heart skip a beat. If someone remained unfazed by an explosion that size, what kind of creature could they be?
As the dust cleared, a silhouette emerged. It stood bipedally like a human but appeared off in some way.
It had horns and a tail, and a carapace-like covering enveloped its entire body. Only after the dust settled could I confirm it accurately.
“Ah… a demon?”
Principal Keiten’s face turned pale.
It was a literal demon.
Not a demon race or a Demon King, but a true monster.
Demons, elves, and beastmen usually bore similarities to humans, but this one, aside from walking on two legs, was entirely a monster.
Keiten could gauge its power the moment he laid eyes on it.
And he stepped back, cold sweat dripping down, contrasting the fearless demeanor he had shown before Enviel.
Not only the inspectors but also students like Jenny and Mary felt extreme fear upon seeing it, collapsing in place. Only a department head would be barely able to stand against it.
“…”
The demon quietly picked up a twig lying at its feet. It swung the thin twig effortlessly, which broke at the lightest touch.
“Uh?”
At that instant, something chilling occurred.
One of Talema’s arms literally vanished.
“Wh-what?!”
All characters present, including Talema, were astonished, while I alone remained unfazed.
‘I thought I was seeing things again.’
No need for worry.
That was none other than the protagonist of this game.
The ‘true form’ of Lyman Begilius.