Chapter 358 - Damsel?
"Student Irina hadn't returned to her dormitory."
Normally, such words shouldn't have made me feel in such a manner. After all, no matter what, it was normal for a student like Irina to have some business outside her dorms.
But, her state was not normal. She was in a possibly enraged state, and she was looking for a fight with something or someone. This was something I was sure of.
Therefore, if she hadn't returned to her dorms, that meant she found the thing she was looking for outside.
Considering the fact that the conflict between Sophomore years and freshmen was this easy to escalate, the possibility of a senior messing with Irina with some sort of insults and her reacting severely to that was high.
I could easily form such a scene in my head, and visualizing the results of these seniors being burnt to the crips by Irina's flames, I somehow trailed the results.
'She would most likely be reprimanded by the academy, and I don't think that that woman will take it well. This is not something that is beneficial at all.'
In the end, Irina needed to be found and then be talked with. If she needed to vent her anger, I hoped that it would be the training dummies, not your fellow humans.
'But, let's believe in her a little bit….I should check the general training grounds and other locations where she could train. Maybe she didn't return here not to face Seraphina? That is also a possibility as well.'
With that thought, I started moving.
My first stop was the combat training facility, a sprawling arena where students honed their combat skills under the watchful eyes of instructors for any possible case of conflict. I scanned the area, searching for any sign of Irina among the sparring students.
But she was nowhere to be found.
Next, I headed to the elemental training grounds, where students practiced harnessing and controlling the elements. The air crackled with energy as students unleashed bursts of fire, water, and lightning in their training exercises.
Again, there was no sign of Irina.
Feeling like this time, I would find it, I made my way to the third and final training facility: the advanced combat arena. This was where the academy's students sparred and trained, pushing themselves to their limits in pursuit of greatness, and the place that I had frequently visited. After all, this place was where you could personally combat against the golems.
However, I doubted they could hold against Irina as they would compared to the training golems in her dorms.
As I entered, I saw that many of the students had already occupied the rooms. Well, that was to be expected since the second semester was slowly reaching its end, and the final exams were approaching.
In any case, after seizing the place and checking if there were any familiar traces of mana, I turned my attention to the place where I could possibly find my answer.
Approaching the receptionist's desk, I inquired if Irina had been seen in the vicinity.
The receptionist, a young woman with a friendly demeanor, nodded in response.
"Ah….You are talking about the girl with the fiery red hair, right? Yes, she was here earlier," she confirmed, her voice tinged with both concern and a slight fear. "But she left not too long ago. She seemed...disturbed and somehow drunk. She was emanating a strong pressure, and it even made me burn a little."
It seemed like Irina had left an impression on the receptionist woman.
'But, drunk? What does that mean?'
Somehow, that word made me narrow my eyes.
"And to think that first-ranked student would come here to train….It is my first time seeing such a thing."
The receptionist said. It also seemed like she had checked the name of the student from the database. Well, it was to be expected that she would be curious.
"Thank you for your answer. I will check up on her now."
After taking my thanks, the receptionist revealed a smile. But somehow, I could sense a slight pity in her eyes. It seemed she pitied me, thinking it would be a hassle to deal with Irina.
And she was probably right.
However, the word drunk. It rose the ominous feeling in my heart.
'It can be Mana Exhaustion…But, Irina wouldn't be that careless….No, she definitely can be.'
I would like to request the footage of Irina leaving, but my request would mostly be met with a bunch of suspicions.
'And she is still not answering any of my calls.'
None of my calls were being responded to. In any case, since she hadn't left long before, I wanted to attempt to trace her steps.
But, there was one thing that was hindering me from doing that. It was because Irina's mana was exhausted. The phenomenon of Mana Exhaustion occurred when even the basal mana that was required for an Awakened body to operate inhumanly was used.
Naturally, that also meant that the mana imprint was lost, and it was nearly impossible for me to trail her mana even with [Perceptive Insight].
–RING!
But right at that moment, I got a message notification on my smartwatch.
[Irina: D.]
The message notification on my smartwatch pulled me out of my thoughts, and I quickly glanced at the screen. My eyes narrowed as I read the single letter displayed: D.
"D?"
I muttered to myself, furrowing my brow in confusion. What could Irina possibly mean by sending just a single letter?
At first, I entertained the idea that it might be some sort of prank or joke on her part. Irina was known for her weirdly mischievous nature, and sending a cryptic message like this could be her way of teasing me or joking with me.
But then, I shook my head, dismissing the notion. Knowing Irina's character, if she wanted to get back at me, she would send a barrage of insults or some cleverly crafted message designed to rile me up.
So, what did the letter "D" signify?
My mind raced with possibilities, my brain working at a rapid speed. In that instant, I thought of countless different scenarios and formulated them in my head.
There could be many things, like when she was messaging, she fell asleep from fatigue, or she was caught up in a fight.
'And, if she caught up in a fight with her Mana Exhausted state….That can be dangerous….But, knowing her strength, I am sure she must have already recovered to some extent. According to the receptionist, it had already been half an hour after she left. That means she should be conscious by now, so the drunken state doesn't make sense.
Then, while she was trying to convey a message to me, she was interrupted. And with her being weak, she wasn't able to defend herself. This is possible. But why the letter D? What starts with the D, and why did she send it to me?'
At that moment, I started considering our past interactions and the recent events from Irina's eyes. And then, I noticed why she did so.
'Evil Spirit and a Demon. Only she knows I dealt with Belthazor…..And D….This is possible.'
The moment I considered this, I came to a conclusion.
'I don't want it to be true, but it can be very well that she was in this suction because of a demon-follower.'
The moment I reached this conclusion, I immediately started typing. Entering the site that I had been frequently using, I messaged my hacker group.
[Find me the location of this number. It is urgent.]
I sent the message to the Horde.
[Horde: Understood. I will start investigating it.]
Of course, knowing that Irina was an Emberheart, her smartwatch was bound to be interfered with. It would be hard to track her by normal means, but Horde was a cheat when it came to that.
They were the best hacking organization in the world, and with the investments I had made in them, they very well had the equipment.
Of course, while they were doing that, I also didn't wait either. I instantly left the training grounds and slowly hid myself. I did it so that any situation like that in the noon wouldn't happen.
It was my own lack of consideration that such a thing happened in the noon, and the results were dangerous. Though it was not my clear responsibility, my blood was boiling a little.
After waiting in the shadows for a little while, another message notification appeared on my smartwatch, indicating a response from the Horde.
I quickly read the message, my eyes scanning the screen for any information about Irina's whereabouts.
The message displayed the location of Irina's smartwatch, pinpointing it to a specific area.
However, what caught my attention was the additional note from the Horde, warning me that they might be tracked back and wouldn't be able to respond for a while.
I nodded to myself, acknowledging the risk. It was to be expected, considering the nature of their work as well as the target being an Emberheart. The headquarters most likely knew about the attempt to trace her position. They might even be alerted as well.
With a quick reply, assuring them that it was okay and thanking them for their assistance, I turned my focus back to the task at hand.
Checking the location provided by the Horde, I noted that it was slightly off from the main road, nestled among the surrounding greenery, though it was subtle.
'That location is not even that far off…..Hmm?'
SWOOSH!
Without wasting any time, I made my way there, moving swiftly and silently through the shadows.
Arriving at the vicinity of the designated spot, I activated my [Aurora Raven], summoning the ethereal bird to scout ahead for me.
From its vantage point, I could see the smartwatch lying on the ground, its screen turned to the ground. But there were no traces of someone else being there at that moment.
THUMP!
But, my heart clenched with a sense of dread as I approached, my senses on high alert.
I knew what this feeling meant, and it basically confirmed my suspicions. After all, there were the remnants of demonic energy there, and that was activating my passive.
And if there were remnants of demonic energy but no one, that meant only one thing.
'Irina is captured.'
"Tsk."
I could only click my tongue seeing this place. After all, from the remnant traces on the ground, I could already form the scene in my head.
As I examined the traces on the ground, a scene began to form in my mind, pieced together from the evidence before me.
In my mind's eye, I saw a girl lying on the ground, her hair sprawled out around her like a halo of flames. She seemed weakened since she pushed her weight onto the ground, her movements restricted by some unseen force, her body not moving as freely as it should.
Despite her struggle, she attempted to rise, and her determination was evident even in her weakened state.
The traces of her struggle were on the ground laid bare.
Standing over her was another figure, their presence looming ominously in the scene. But her presence was faint since the depth of her footmarks wasn't as deep as it would be. It seemed she was putting effort into concealing her traces as best as she could, but my eyes were special.
She seemed to emanate a dark energy, her intentions clear as they gazed down at the girl with a cold, calculating stare. With a swift motion, Irina was lifted, and then she disappeared.
'But, well, I am the best tracker in this academy.'
Chapter 359 - Damsel? (2)
"Hmm….."
As Irina slowly regained consciousness, she found herself engulfed in darkness.
'Where am I?'
Panic surged through her as she struggled to make sense of her surroundings, her heart pounding in her chest.
For what felt like an eternity, all she could perceive was the suffocating darkness that enveloped her. But gradually, her vision began to clear, and she realized that she was in a dimly lit room.
'A room?'
Faint candlelight flickered across the walls, casting eerie shadows that danced around her. The air was thick with a musky scent that made her nose wrinkle in discomfort, and she found it difficult to draw in a breath.
Fear gripped her as she realized the gravity of her situation. She was trapped in this dark, unfamiliar place, with no idea how she had gotten there or what awaited her.
Struggling against the restraints that bound her, Irina attempted to free herself, but her efforts were met with little success. The bindings held firm, leaving her feeling helpless and vulnerable.
'Mana….I can't feel my mana.'
Then, slowly, everything came crashing. Her memory was recovered.
She had been abducted by that girl whom she had seen before but couldn't remember her face. However, as her memory came back, she also noticed someone in the shadows.
Since her access to mana was limited, she was no longer any different from a non-awakened. After all, she was a mage, and even her senses were trained by mana, and without it, she was hopeless.
That was the reason why it took her this long just to recover.
In any case, as she gradually recovered, she looked at the scene before her. The silhouette was doing something on the ground right before her. Her arm was moving constantly as if she was drawing something onto the ground.
"You are finally awake."
But then the voice turned her head to her. Even in the darkness, Irina could see the dark brown eyes. It was a subconscious feeling transmitted to her by the source. With her experience, Irina could tell such things.
Her brain was warning her instinctually.
Irina's heart raced as she struggled against her restraints, the gravity of her situation sinking in. But she knew that she had to remain calm, to find a way to reason with her captor.
After all, this was not the first time she had been abducted. She needed to cool her heart down.
"Release me," Irina began, her voice feeling arrogant. " Whatever your reasons for bringing me here, I can assure you that I mean no harm to you. If you let me go, I promise that I will act as though this never happened."
Her words were sincere, but she didn't speak them with the hope that the girl would believe in her.
They were true; after all, making an enemy out of an Emberheart was a grave mistake, one that could have dire consequences, but at the same time, the girl would know that she had already made an enemy out of the Emberheart.
This was to instill the idea of the fact that she was just a naïve, arrogant girl in her head so that she could lower her guard.
"Heh…" And just as she expected, a snicker left the girl's mouth. Looking at her with a somehow hateful gaze, the girl continued. "Do you think I will be fooled by such words? The moment I release you, you will burn me alive. I know at least this much about you."
Somehow, the girl's words made Irina a bit proud, even though it was stupid to feel like that in such a situation. After all, it implied that even people like this girl feared her prowess and character.
"You are so stupid that you got caught in such a situation," the girl continued, her voice laced with disdain. "And then you still rely on your household. I hate people like you, who have everything from the start just by being born."
Irina gritted her teeth at the girl's words, feeling a mix of frustration and resentment welling up inside her. How dare this girl speak to her in such a manner?
'I had everything just by being born?'
Of course, from the outside, everything looked like she was born lucky, with the talent to be the strongest fire user and the resources of a noble family like Emberheart.
Who wouldn't want it, right?
"You were born beautiful, born with talent, born with the resources. You had everything under you as if the world was ready to give you the red carpet treatment."
But as the girl spoke, Irina's attention was drawn to the faint smell of metal that permeated the air. It was a scent she knew all too well—the unmistakable odor of blood.
Her gaze narrowed as she surveyed the room, her eyes falling upon the intricate symbols that the girl had been drawing on the ground.
With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Irina realized the true extent of her predicament.
'A ritual.'
What this girl was doing was clearly evident from her actions. She was preparing for a ritual. Even though Irina didn't know many details about the ritualistic magic since it was rather disgusting and was used by evil people, she had the basic knowledge.
And she knew most of them used blood as the conjunction point.
As for what this ritual meant or what those symbols meant, she wasn't completely well-versed in that topic.
But, it was obvious that the ritual was up to no good. After all, the girl before her was a demon-contractor. The demonic energy she felt was real.
And, if there was a demon contractor, they could never be up to any good. This was the basic knowledge for the students of the Arcadia Hunter Academy as well as a member of the Emberheart Family.
Irina forced herself to remain calm, pushing aside the surge of panic that threatened to overwhelm her.
'What to do now?'
She knew that getting worked up in this situation wouldn't do her any good—she needed to think rationally and find a way out of this predicament.
Her mind raced as she considered her options. She couldn't rely on her mana in her current state, and attempting to overpower the girl physically would likely end in disaster. No, she needed to find a more subtle approach.
No matter which angle she looked from, the escape was impossible. She would eventually confront this demon. She had also left her smartwatch so that 'he' could track it down.
Recalling the message she had sent before she was kidnapped, Irina felt a glimmer of hope. If 'he' received her message, there was a chance that he would come looking for her.
And if he did, she needed to be ready to seize the opportunity. However, she doubted she would need it.
But this was under the prediction that he would come.
-Irina and I have a history, but that doesn't mean I condone her actions. Sometimes, it's easier to keep someone close to keep an eye on them rather than risk them causing trouble elsewhere.
Recalling his words, her heart somehow felt clenched. Would he really come? After all, wasn't she just a bother in his eyes? Someone he would need to look after and be close to so that he can keep an eye on her?
Wasn't this how he viewed her? Why would he bother with coming here? In the first place, would he even get her message?
'He would. There is no way he wouldn't understand something is amiss.'
He was smart and had a weird way of logically thinking about everything. Putting up the clues together was one of his forte. She still remembered how he managed to find the location of the Phantom's Land from all these fragments of paper.
Therefore, Irina was very well aware of the fact that he was talented. A talent that she didn't deserve?
-After all, I am way better than Irina, aren't I? Smarter, easier to talk to, better personality, more beautiful, and most importantly, stronger.
-You certainly are smarter, and you seem to have a better personality.
She recalled the end of the conversation. At this point, she wasn't particularly stuck around the comparison. However, now that her mind was clear as she got rid of her 'Mana Exhausted' state, she could think about his words and clear her resolve.
'At the end of the day, isn't it always the same thing? People will approach me with the intent to get something from me as an Emberheart, just like that woman. Everyone is like her, who only views me as the heir of the Emberheart Family.'
'I thought he was different, but I guess he was the same. It was my own fault for trusting someone like him. But why do I feel this bitter? Why does this make me so angry and suffocated? Why do I still remember the times we constantly bicker with each other? Why do I remember how we fought back to back in Phantom's Land, how he led in the practical dungeon?'
She couldn't reason at all. Even now, she didn't know the answer. Yet, in the end, she had resolved herself.
Even if it hurt and she felt suffocated, she needed to accept the reality. She was alone now, and she needed to do it herself.
'That is right, I will do it myself.'
She needed to buy herself some time. With that in mind, Irina decided to play along with the girl's intentions, at least for now.
If she could keep the girl distracted, she might be able to find a way to escape.
"Fine," Irina said, her voice steady despite the fear that gnawed at her insides. "If you don't release me, then at least tell me what you plan to do with me. What is this ritual you're preparing?"
The girl's smirk sent a chill down Irina's spine, confirming her worst fears. It seemed her captor not only understood her intentions but relished in the knowledge that Irina was powerless to stop her.
"Ah, you want to know what this ritual is for? How amusing. Well, let me enlighten you, dear Irina Emberheart. This ritual is a dark and twisted practice. It's designed to transfer and absorb the powers of the target into the caster. And let me tell you, it's quite effective.
Not only will I gain your precious abilities, but I'll also inherit a portion of your fate as a negative consequence."
As the girl spoke, Irina's blood ran cold. The implications of what she was saying sent shivers down her spine.
"But that's not all. Once I've taken everything from you, I plan to end your miserable existence. There's no better sensation than stealing everything from someone like you, who has everything handed to them on a silver platter."
The girl's smile was so twisted that Irina couldn't help but feel the urge to puke.
"Of course, I was not normally going to do it this fast. But this whole senior-freshmen confrontation made it incredibly hard for me to wander at night. But well, thanks to the Lord, I was able to come across you because of that. I guess this is what one calls fate?"
Irina's eyes widened in horror as the girl suddenly approached her with a dagger in hand, the glint of metal reflecting the dim candlelight.
"You see, even if you wanted to gain some time, it would be pointless," the girl taunted, her voice dripping with malice. "Your mana is completely sealed, and nobody could find this place. I've ensured that with powerful artifacts, and I would sense if anyone had entered."
Irina's breath caught in her throat as the girl raised the dagger, the blade glinting menacingly in the dim light. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as she braced herself for what was to come.
Without warning, the girl made a swift movement, cutting Irina's cheeks with the dagger and drawing blood. Irina winced in pain, feeling the sting of the cut as warm blood trickled down her face.
"Therefore, we will be all alone until I get everything from you," the girl continued, her voice cold and devoid of emotion.
"And once I am done with everything, I will feed your body to dogs. You will serve a fine meal."
SWOOSH!
But, just as the girl was about to drip Irina's blood onto the circle she had drawn, something flew at a rapid speed.
SLASH!
Slashing the hand that held the blade.
Someone made their entrance.
Chapter 360 - Damsel? (3)
Everyone has something they excel at. This is a lot more prominent in this world, where people's talents are being determined by something that they don't have complete control over.
After all, the existence of the status window itself makes the people limited to only one path.
The [Trait]s that are given to you is what you need to follow. That is a predetermined path. And I am no exception to that rule.
My first trait, [Perceptive Insight], is the thing that showed my future path for the first time.
Tracking, acting as a ranger or scout, etc. It was evident that my talent relied on observation, and that was still the same now.
It improved, but its essence remained the same. I was an observer and reader of traces. And this trait amplified was something another.
It was my passive, [Vengeful Bane]. It amplified my senses and strength against a demon, but the trigger to that was mainly demonic energy.
If I was in the presence of demonic energy, I would get a notice. This made me a demonic human detector in some ways.
THUMP!
And now, as my heart was beating this fast, this trait came alive. Demonic Energy was present, and there was a faint struggle of fighting. The situation suggested that Irina was captured by a demonic human.
'It is very hard to assess the strength of the demon contractor from these traces since the struggle wasn't even that long, but it feels like the demon contractor didn't want to waste too much time. It was in a hurry. If that is the case, then it may not have the necessary strength.'
I assessed while looking for any possible traces that could take me to my destination.
Activating my [Perceptive Insight], I focused my senses, allowing the world around me to take on a new clarity. With this heightened perception, I could see the flow of mana across the atmosphere, like threads of light weaving through the air.
Of course, that wasn't the end. I was not wasting my time while learning magic all this time. Even though I recently shifted my focus to mind magic, there was also a certain field that I was interested in.
Visionary.
A special field that was reliant on the reading of the world. Basically, it is a field that looks at things beyond norms, and it includes mana as well. It is a field that also produced the basic required skill 「Mana Observation」. After all, even if it was a basic skill, it stemmed from an analytical approach.
While studying magic, I looked for theories that could help me strengthen my [Perceptive Insight]. Even if compensating for your weaknesses is good, you should never look over the parts of your strengths that are lacking.
And there, I came across a special theory of magic just at the start of this week.
The theory indicated that every manipulation attempt of mana was basically an entry. Utilizing a spell and using it as an entry to a certain mechanism that was directly related to reality.
Skills and traits were also predetermined algorithms that would just ease the production of these entries.
It was a weird concept, like something that came out of a machine, a logical operator. The world of binary codes may certainly look like that, but how can the real world be like this?
But, somehow, I thought about a way to utilize this theory. After all, I was a lot different from the general researchers since I could see the world differently with [Perceptive Insight.]
Have you heard of Murphy's Law? Most people would know about it. If one thought of something, at the end of the day, that thought would manifest and become a part of one's reality.
And this law was observed by many people to be true. But how come this could happen? How could we manifest our thoughts? Was there such a power?
Scientists and psychologists have given an answer to this. When we thought of something and accepted that in our lives, then our brains would look for clues to support this thought. Those who thought the world was against them would look for clues to support this claim. Whenever something bad happened, our brain took this as if it were possible evidence of our thoughts.
In essence, Murphy's Law indicates that our thoughts are related to how we perceive the world. And that was my only limitation.
[Perspective Insight] was such an ability that it was not limited to the things that could be seen in the real world. It was related to my thoughts. I could grasp everything if only I could think from different perspectives.
I asked myself, what if I looked for entries? What if I assumed that they were real and they really existed, and I wanted to grasp their meaning? If so, would I be able to see things?
The answer wasn't clear. I tried it many times, but I wasn't able to reach a clear conclusion. Maybe my approach was wrong, or maybe the tools underneath me were wrong.
But right now, my thoughts bore fruit.
'They are really there.'
As I scanned the surroundings, I noticed the intricate dance of psions, their vibrant colors swirling and intermingling in a delicate balance.
But amidst this harmony, there were disruptions and anomalies in the natural flow of mana.
In certain areas, the psionic harmony was slightly distorted, as if a discordant note had been struck in an otherwise perfect symphony. These distortions were the telltale signs of Demonic Energy, their presence clashing with the natural psion distribution of the human domain.
They were not natural, a clear attempt to manipulate and change the world itself.
'So, it is related to the Demonic Energy. Of course, it is.'
Realization dawned upon me as I observed the disturbances in the flow of mana. My efforts to find entries, to see beyond the norms of magic, had borne fruit. I could see the attempts of demonic energy to manipulate and change the world around me.
From this point on, I didn't need to do anything else. With this newfound clarity, I followed the trails of demonic energy manipulations, each distortion in the psionic harmony guiding me closer to my destination.
I moved with purpose but without urgency, keeping myself calm and focused as I tracked the source of Irina's captivity.
Step by step, I followed the subtle clues left behind by the demonic energy, my senses attuned to the faintest disturbances in the atmosphere. With each passing moment, I drew closer to the epicenter of the disturbance.
'The penthouse of the girl's dormitory. The fifteenth dormitory, huh? Interesting. So, she had been hiding right before their noses.'
I remembered a certain demonic human who would later wreak havoc in the academy secretly and then leave.
'Danielle. I guess her time did come.'
Normally, she was supposed to last a lot longer, but it seemed she was getting reckless. It was most likely because of this whole stir I caused.
While this worked well for certain demons, and it was bait, those like Danielle without faction would find it hard to operate.
Slipping into the shadows, I observed the slight "curtain of darkness" that seemed to shroud the penthouse of the girl's dormitory.
To the untrained eye, it would have appeared as nothing more than a trick of the light, but with my heightened sensitivity to demonic energy, I could sense that there was something concealed there, something sinister lurking just beyond the veil.
With a silent resolve, I quickly bypassed the small fences that covered the dormitory grounds, moving with the agility and grace of a practiced acrobat. My movements were fluid and deliberate, each step calculated to minimize noise and avoid detection.
After all, for a person like me, stealth was one of the most important aspects, and I could never let it go. I had already trained myself to climb on walls and trees and fall down from heights.
As I approached the penthouse, I concealed my presence even further, blending seamlessly into the shadows as I prepared to enter.
WARP!
With a deft flick of my wrist, I bypassed the wards and alarms set by Danielle that guarded the entrance, slipping inside unnoticed.
The spatial leap of short distance worked wonders.
What greeted me inside was a scene straight out of a nightmare. Irina lay unconscious in the center of a complex symbol etched into the floor; her features contorted in pain as dark tendrils of energy coiled around her body.
Instantly, I recognized the symbol for what it was—a ritualistic magic designed to transfer the strength of the target to the caster.
Since I saw this same circle in the game, it has already been recorded in my memory once.
It was a vile and insidious spell, one that drained the life force of its victim to empower the one who wielded it.
And it seemed the ritual was almost completed since Danielle, with her blade, slit Irina's face.
"And once I am done with everything, I will feed your body to dogs. You will serve a fine meal."
THUMP!
With the presence of the demonic human before me, my heart started beating fast. Already, I could feel my passive taking effect.
The hatred inside me was slowly making its appearance.
Danielle took the blood from Irina's cheek, and she was about to drop it into the circle.
SWOOSH!
But I was already having a hard time holding it in. I channeled my mana into the chakram I was holding.
[Celestalith] had already been brought out and was ready to strike.
"Huh?"
Danielle's hand was thrown to the ground outside of the circle with the blade it was holding.
Chapter 361- Damsel? (4)
Irina's eyes widened as she turned her gaze towards the figure who had just entered the room.
His presence seemed to fill the space with an aura of danger, and Irina couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine.
The newcomer's black hair fluttered in the dim light, his pale skin illuminated by the faint glow of the candles.
'He is here…'
But it was his eyes that drew Irina's attention the most—icy purple orbs that seemed to pierce through the darkness with a cold, calculating gaze.
'But, what is this suffocating feeling.'
But it wasn't just his appearance that sent a chill down Irina's spine. It was the palpable sense of menace and hatred that seemed to radiate from him, an unmistakable aura of danger that made her heart race with fear even before she could think.
It was not something that she could control. After all, even before her mother's presence, she had never felt this much threat. It wasn't because this presence was stronger than her mother, but the raw intent that was released by him warned her instincts.
It was as if she was now before a monster.
"Who are you!"
The girl whose name she had yet to know spoke, her voice filled with pain. How could she not be? After all, her hand had just been sliced down.
"…." Yet, no answer came. Under the dimly lit room, he looked at the girl.
SWOOSH!
The grey tendrils suddenly flashed, and then the blade that had just been thrown returned to his hands once more. Irina, with her strong mana vision, was able to see the grey tendrils.
CLANK!
"Tsk."
But this time, the girl was prepared. Growing her nails, she deflected the circular disc with her hand.
"It is you."
It seemed like the girl was able to recognize the intruder.
"Astron Natusalune." She muttered his name, locking into his eyes. "To think that out of all people, you would come here."
Then, Irina somehow remembered the girl before her. After all, she had seen this girl in their classroom before, the girl that was around Sylvie.
'What was her name?'
Yet she was unable to remember her name. Of course, her name wasn't that important in this predicament that she was in, considering that she could lose her life right at that moment.
Yet there was something strange. For someone who was on the verge of losing everything she had, she didn't feel fearful.
The sadness and anger that she had felt also vanished for some reason. Rather, it was replaced with a weird feeling.
She had a weird feeling that she didn't know why it was there. She felt happy.
'He really came.'
Even if she didn't want to make herself believe it, she knew inwardly that she wanted him to come. It was with such hope that she sent that message to him, even if that message was undoubtedly too lacking. Even if she knew that it was too unreasonable to expect him to come, she just expected it.
'That means I am safe, isn't it? Even if this girl is a demon-contractor, he was able to kill a demon on his own after all.'
SWOOSH!
The girl dashed from where she was standing, her body swirling with a dark energy. Her eyes gleamed crimson for a split second, her lost hand already regenerated.
It was undoubtedly the power of a demon. The girl, being a demon contractor, was making use of her powers.
–CLANK!
With swift and precise movements, he deflected the girl's claws with his shining-red dual daggers, the metal clashing against each other in a symphony of battle.
–CLANK!
Despite the ferocity of her attack, Astron maintained his stance, his movements fluid and controlled as he countered each strike with precision.
There was a gracefulness to his movements, a deadly elegance that belied the danger he posed to his adversary. His eyes didn't leave his enemy's face even for a split second.
Irina could see strange emotions in his eyes, emotions of such intensity that she had never seen before.
"I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL KILL YOU NO MATTER WHAT! I WILL KILL EVERY ONE OF YOU!"
But somehow, at that moment, she felt like a voice echoed in her ears. It was a voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Irina felt like she had heard this voice before, but she couldn't say when.
As if she had lost that part of her memory. But she couldn't think about that now.
As the clash continued, the girl spoke. "You're not bad, Astron Natusalune," she remarked, her crimson eyes gleaming with intrigue. "Seems like you really earned your raise in rankings."
–SWOOSH!
"But, your mere strength won't be enough!"
Following that, she instantly appeared right behind him, seemingly teleported, her body leaving after images.
Her speed was so fast that even Irina was surprised. The strength of this girl could even match the students with a relatively higher ranking. She was no different than a prodigy if she displayed this prowess.
Her claws, filled with demonic energy, struck him rapidly as if to penetrate him right from his chest.
SWOOSH!
But, contrary to what both Irina and Danielle expected, her claws met with only air alone.
SLASH!
Because Astron had already twisted his body to the side, moving at a rapid speed, and slashed Danielle's legs.
THUD!
And then, without giving her any time to react, he kicked her from her feet, knocking her out of balance for a split second.
As Danielle fell to the ground, Astron wasted no time in following up with another attack. With lethal precision, he aimed to slash her neck, intending to incapacitate her before she could regain her footing. But before his blade could make contact, something unexpected occurred.
BOOM!
An explosion erupted from the ground beneath them, sending shockwaves rippling through the air and forcing Astron to leap back to avoid the blast.
Smoke billowed up, obscuring his vision and momentarily disorienting him.
THUD!
And Irina, who was defenseless without her mana, could only be blasted off. Her body hit the wall with a speed that almost made her cough blood. Her vision slightly blurred with the world constantly swirling around.
She was having a hard time holding her consciousness.
'It is okay now, right?' Yet she didn't resist. Even though she was incredibly curious about the prowess of this guy, right now, she didn't have the necessary strength to cling to her consciousness. She was tired of all these constant emotional turmoils she had today.
'It should be okay….He will take care of the rest.'
Now that he was here, inwardly, she trusted him and closed her eyes, letting herself succumb to the sleep.
When the smoke cleared, Astron's eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, searching for any sign of his opponent. But before doing so, he saw Irina with her consciousness lost.
'Now, I can go all out.'
With his constraints gone, he could now fight with all his power. As he scanned the room, he saw Danielle had managed to put some distance between him, her bloodied legs bearing witness to the intensity of their battle.
With a quick leap, Danielle landed gracefully a few meters away from Astron; her eyes narrowed in determination as she locked onto him once more.
Despite the pain and injuries she had sustained, there was a fierce resolve in her gaze, and with that, her injuries rapidly healed.
"You really are not bad," Danielle remarked, her voice tinged with both admiration and defiance. "I didn't expect you to be this skilled."
"…."
"Cat got your tongue; why are you not talking?" Danielle looked at him with a smirk.
"…..I had been waiting." Suddenly, a voice came from him, his purple eyes looking at Danielle.
"You have been waiting?"
"Yes. Waiting for an opportunity to kill you. And now it came before me; don't even think of leaving his place alive." His words held certain emotions, immense hatred.
"Hmm?" Danielle hummed, somehow feeling intrigued.
'This guy thinks he can kill me? With his measly abilities?' She couldn't help but smile. What could she do? After all, the guy who was the last ranked student of the academy just two months ago thought he could kill her as a demon contractor.
Where did this arrogance come from?
"Ahaha…." A faint laugh escaped her lips. "AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!" She couldn't contain her laugh at all… "Ahahahhaha…. This is so hilarious….Ahahahahaha….I can't, I really can't…"
As Danielle threw a depreciatory look towards Astron and narrowed her eyes, she couldn't help but laugh. The idea that someone as seemingly insignificant as him could pose a threat to her was utterly ludicrous in her mind.
"To think that you are someone this stupid enough to think you can beat me with your measly strength," Danielle chuckled, her laughter echoing through the room with a mix of amusement and disdain. "You really are something else, aren't you?"
Her words dripped with sarcasm as she continued to mock Astron's audacity. Despite his confident demeanor, she saw through his facade and found his arrogance amusing.
"And here I was, expecting more after hearing so much from 'Sylvie,'" Danielle remarked, her tone laced with disappointment. "But I guess th-"
SWOOSH!
But before she can even speak further, Astron's figure blurred. He was blended into shadows, and after a millisecond, he appeared right before Danielle.
SLASH!
His red dagger flashed under the dimly lit room, slicing through the air with lethal precision. Danielle barely had time to register his movement before she felt a searing pain erupt from her right abdomen as the dagger made contact.
"Ugh!" Danielle gasped, staggering back as blood seeped from the wound, her eyes widening in shock and disbelief.
But before she could fully comprehend what had just happened, Astron's dagger plunged into her chest with brutal force. Agony ripped through her body as she coughed up blood, her senses reeling from the sudden attack.
Her reflexes kicked in, and she instinctively slashed out towards Astron, hoping to fend him off. But to her dismay, he effortlessly evaded her strike, once again disappearing into the shadows before reappearing on her other side.
SLASH! STAB!
He once again slashed her abdomen, this time from the other side, and then he stabbed her in her chest.
"Urkh-!"
She coughed blood once again, her vision getting blurry. She once again sustained another internal injury.
'He is moving so fast! Is he teleporting?'
He was seemingly teleporting, but Danielle wasn't able to keep up with his ability to move.
'Tsk! I didn't really want to use it, but I guess I have no choice.'
With that thought, she narrowed her eyes, biting her tongue.
"RAAAAA!"
BOOM!
With her scream, a sudden explosion occurred, blasting everything around them off. It was a much stronger explosion than the one before since Danielle didn't want to destroy the ritual before.
But now she had no choice.
That explosion also removed the remaining candles that Danielle had put herself, drowning everything in the darkness.
And with her transformed state, she looked into the darkness, searching for his enemy.
After all, she revealed her 'Rakshasa Form.'
Chapter 362 - Damsel? (5)
Rakshasa Form.
Rakshasa itself is a type of demon, and those who borrowed the power from demons could use it to some extent.
And now, standing before me, Danielle had utilized this, turning herself into a half-demon. It seemed she belonged to a branch of demons who had yet to establish a strong influence in the human domain.
"Grrr…."
She growled, looking at me. Her face now transformed, with her nails getting slightly wider and stronger.
'Inferior bitch. You, who can't achieve anything, can only borrow from low-life demons.'
My hatred ran deep. At that moment, I was hardly able to contain myself.
"Where are you?"
Yet, there was one thing that no one knew about me. The power that I had gotten from the very primordial of the race that she had relied on. It was ironic that this power was the very thing that had assisted me so far when it came to erasing its whole race.
Thanks to it, in the darkness, I reigned supreme. When there was no light, when it was night, I could reveal my true strength.
With my presence concealed thanks to [Shadowborne], I watched the inferior demon-contractor looking around, her teeth growling.
Now that she had activated her state, it must be getting hard for her to control herself. This state was only temporary, after all.
But, well, dealing with low lives is nothing hard for me, but at the same time, it is the only time that I can find solace in these feelings drowning me.
With a silent leap, I emerged from the shadows, my daggers poised for a deadly strike. The darkness cloaked my movements, concealing my presence until the very last moment.
SLASH!
My blades sliced through the air with lethal precision, aiming directly for Danielle's chest. The sudden attack caught her off guard, her growl turning into a gasp of pain as the daggers pierced through her flesh.
"Urgh!" Danielle's voice wavered with agony as blood spurted from the wound, staining her demonic form.
Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief, realization dawning upon her that she had underestimated me.
This was why I was waiting all the time.
To see this expression on her face.
To see surprise.
The demon contractors had one thing in common. They lacked strength and the necessary talent. They compensated for this by making a deal with demons, but at the end of the day, their inferiority remained the same.
This ate them inside, knowing that they would never be enough.
This woman was no different.
Since she was a demon contractor, since she made a deal with a demon, she was naturally bound to become inferior.
"It is interesting, isn't it?"
I mumbled.
"Come here!"
SWOOSH!
A slash of claws came from my side. Its speed was fast, probably faster than the current Ethan.
Shadow Leap.
But, I had once again blended into the shadows, erasing my presence.
SWOOSH!
Seeing her attack missing, the girl, who now became a lesser being, couldn't help but shout in frustration.
"Show yourself!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
She continuously attacked the empty air around her with her claws, and blades of aura flew all across the space.
Yet, the only thing I needed to do was to read the trajectory of the attacks and then evade them. It wasn't even hard for me with my [Perceptive Insight].
As her rampage attack ended, I readied myself.
SWOOSH!
I once again leaped out of the shadows with my daggers ready.
STAB!
The first stab was aimed right at her chest.
"Kurghk-!"
I intentionally revealed myself right before her face so that I could see the expression on her face.
TWIST!
As I twisted the dagger I stabbed, more and more blood poured from her mouth.
"How is it?" The question left my mouth. It was natural, as I was relishing this feeling. "Do I look stupid now?"
At first, I found it hard to understand. Why did people like these demon contractors always have this misconception that what is being revealed always needed to be true? Why did they put this importance on rankings?
Why couldn't they be careful about the fact that there could be someone who hid their strength? Was it that hard to understand?
But then, after observing people more, I came to the realization of why they thought so. People worked for recognition. They wanted the world to know that they were better. They deserved what they had; they deserved to be looked upon.
People wanted to feel like they were above others. Ironically, to achieve that feeling, they were dependent on the same people they wanted to feel like they were better than them.
Therefore, they thought everybody was like them. Everybody sought recognition like them. Thus, the idea of someone refusing that recognition despite having the capability couldn't cross their head.
This is what differentiates me from them and others. I don't live to see the recognition from people.
What I live for is something simple. It is for my revenge.
I live for my vengeance.
That vengeance is what drives me forward, what fuels me. Even if it also kills me inside, it also keeps me alive.
I love to see the despair on the face of my enemies. I want them to experience the same thing she felt. I want them to understand how it feels to be done the same thing.
I want their world to crumble right before their eyes as well.
"Urghk-!"
Danielle continued to cough blood with my dagger twisted.
THUD!
But of course, being the cockroach inferior dogs they are, she couldn't help but grab me from my hand. The desire to live was evident in her eyes, but slowly but surely, something that hadn't been there before was making its appearance.
With a surge of demonic strength from her Rakshasa form, she managed to wrench the dagger out of her chest, the bloodied blade gleaming in the dim light.
I watched with a cold gaze as she lunged towards me, her claws extended and infused with dark energy. Threads of darkness snaked around her, manipulated by her demonic power, aiming to ensnare me in their grasp.
Yet, I easily detected her movements with my [Perceptive Insight], evading each attack with calculated precision. Her frustration grew evident as her strikes missed their mark, the threads of darkness dissipating into the air.
"Is that all you've got?" I taunted, my voice laced with disdain. "Pathetic."
Danielle's eyes burned with a mix of pain and fury as she realized her attacks were futile. With a primal snarl, she launched herself at me once again, desperation driving her movements.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't overcome the gap in strength between us.
I danced around her attacks effortlessly, my movements fluid and graceful, like a predator toying with its prey.
"Maybe I expected much from you. I even gave you the time to prepare yourself to get stronger, but you somehow even messed this up?"
I couldn't help but look at her with pity. If she hadn't targeted Irina, I was going to let her gain more influence in the demon-contractor community so that I could get more information from her, but being inferior, being they are, she couldn't even do one thing properly.
Danielle's frustration reached its boiling point as she continued to face my relentless attacks. With each futile strike, her desperation grew, and the realization that nothing she did was working began to dawn on her. Bloodied and battered, she could feel the weight of impending death looming over her.
This is how the world worked. In the face of death, people who had things they needed to prove became weak.
It was the biggest fear of the living.
The death.
We all know we can't escape from it, we all know that at the end of the day, it will find us, yet we all live to prolong it as much as we can.
And once people like them face death, the fear in them will grow. They will look at you with fear, with despair.
Their eyes will show everything.
Same for Danielle.
"No!"
SLASH!
It attempted to attack me with a berserk strike, yet the only thing I needed to do was to hide in the shadows.
"Show yourself! Show yourself to me!"
It screamed, looking around with fear.
SLASH!
It tried to find me, using everything she had. However, at the end of the day, just like every living being, when witnessing that everything was lost, it also fell into despair.
It fell onto her knees, its Rakshasa form disappearing.
Now, only her real body returned.
"Why? Why won't anything work?" she screamed, her voice filled with a mix of anguish and rage. "Why does it have to be me?"
I paused for a moment, my cold gaze meeting her desperate eyes. Despite the pain and fear evident in her expression, there was something else there—something deeper, something vulnerable.
"Why you?" I echoed, my voice dripping with contempt. "Because you're weak. Because you're inferior."
"Because you made a deal with 'demons.'"
Danielle's hands shook as she struggled to maintain her composure. The facade of confidence she had worn as a demon contractor was crumbling, revealing the terrified girl beneath.
"But... but I had a deal," she stammered, her voice trembling. "I had power."
"Heh…"
I chuckled darkly, the sound echoing in the dimly lit space. "Power? Do you call that power? Borrowing strength from demons, clinging to their scraps like a desperate animal. That's not power, Danielle. That's weakness."
Her eyes widened in disbelief, tears welling up as the harsh truth sank in. "No... no, it can't be. I... I'm not weak."
"No, you are. Both you and me. We are not that different."
I took a step closer, my daggers gleaming in the dim light.
"Do you know what is the real strength? The real strength is being able to fight even though the defeat is prominent so that the people you hold dear can live their lives. The real strength is such that you can sacrifice yourself so that the people you hold dear can see the next sunlight.
The real strength is being able to smile even in the face of death, even if you fear, just so that the one you want to protect wouldn't feel burdened."
"This is the real strength."
"And beings like you are the ones who took such a strong person from me."
As Danielle's desperation reached its peak, she frantically scanned her surroundings, searching for anything that could save her from the inevitable.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she grasped at straws, her mind racing with fear and desperation.
But then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something—the unconscious body of a girl with red hair lying on the ground.
Recognition flashed in Danielle's eyes as she pieced together the puzzle.
I had come here to save that girl, to protect her from whatever danger she was in. In her eyes, that was the case.
With a desperate glimmer of hope, Danielle latched onto the only lifeline she could see. She stumbled towards the girl's body, her hands trembling as she reached out to grasp her, intending to use her as a hostage, as leverage to save herself from certain death.
"You lot are such pitiful creatures, after all."
But before she could even lay a hand on the unconscious girl, I had already seen through her desperate ploy. With swift and decisive action, I closed the distance between us in an instant, my hand piercing through Danielle's chest with deadly precision.
"Urghk-!"
Her eyes widened in shock and agony as she felt the searing pain of my hand tearing through her flesh, reaching for the core of her being.
"NOOOO!"
With a guttural scream of anguish, she realized the futility of her actions, the hopelessness of her situation.
"It is such a pity….But don't worry, you will make a fine meal for dogs."
I stared into her eyes with cold detachment, my grip tightening around her core as I crushed it mercilessly.
"AAAAAAARGHK!"
Her screams echoed through the darkness, a symphony of pain and despair as her life force ebbed away.
And then, in an instant, it was over. Danielle's lifeless body slumped to the ground, her eyes vacant and empty, her screams silenced forever.
As I stood over, I couldn't help but feel the emotions inside me calming down. Even though the aftertaste was empty, I now extinguished this fire for a while.
"Hmm...Astron?"
Yet, seemingly enough, a voice made me return to reality.