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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 32
“!!”
The previously relaxed escorting demons instantly straightened up, their auras sharpening.
Alros stepped forward.
“Drive it into the cave.”
Now, Alros just had to use the Preparation Spell on Karazov to carry out the ritual.
Soon, a massive shadow loomed within the cave.
Karazov was a beast that resembled a peacock.
Except it was grotesque rather than beautiful.
Its body was twice as large, and its wings were covered in blotchy patterns that looked like stains of filth.
Its neck was as thick as a log, squirming like a serpent.
It had three pairs of monstrous eyes, and its head was massive—shaped like a solid iron mace. Getting rammed by that head wouldn’t result in mere light injuries.
But the most dangerous part was the poison.
Every time Karazov moved its wings, a puff of ashen-white powder fell from them.
A toxin that clouded consciousness—anyone exposed would fall into an incapacitated state without resistance.
A beast with both a powerful body and deadly poison.
‘Class-wise, it’s considered a 4-star beast, but it’s not actually that threatening.’
Karazov, despite its strength, was timid.
Even the slightest show of aggression would usually send it fleeing.
That’s why neither Alros nor the escorting demons looked particularly tense.
“Young Master Alros. Karazov is a coward. It never attacks first, so just calmly use the Preparation Spell.”
Alros nodded and stepped toward Karazov.
But Karazov’s response was strange.
Grrr!
It let out a low growl.
A rough, guttural sound.
But Alros didn’t think much of it.
He assumed it was just whimpering out of fear.
Before casting the Preparation Spell, Alros even threw a glance at Chris.
As if to say, Watch closely how it’s done.
And then—
Just as he reached out to activate the spell—
An unexpected turn!
KIIIIAAAAAAHHHH!!!
With a monstrous screech, Karazov launched a headbutt.
Alros, caught completely off guard, failed to dodge the attack.
Thwack!
Struck head-on, he was sent flying through the air.
“Young master?!”
“Are you all right?!”
The escorting demons, shocked, rushed to Alros.
Grrr.
Flap!
Karazov flapped its wings.
The demons’ faces stiffened.
“Poison!!”
“Take it down before the poison spreads!”
Fortunately, all the demons had taken the antidote in advance.
But even with the antidote, they couldn’t completely resist the poison.
The longer they were exposed, the more the poison would overpower the antidote—and that would be the end.
They had to subdue it before that happened.
The demons rushed in.
Thud!
Karazov easily blocked their attacks. The second victim was sent flying, spraying blood.
“W-why?”
The demons were shaken.
Karazov had never shown this level of aggression before.
Normally, even a slight threat from a sword would make it freeze in fear.
That’s why, despite being a 4-star beast, only young demons went out to hunt it.
But now, Karazov wasn’t frightened at all—it was rampaging like a wild beast. Its three pairs of green eyes glowed fiercely.
There’s a reason.
The only one who remained calm in that moment—Chris—thought nonchalantly.
Because I did this.
The arousal agent Chris had spread the night before wasn’t ordinary.
Using alchemical techniques, it heightened the beast’s aggression to an extreme. That’s why Karazov was acting so wildly.
On top of that, I secretly placed a curse too.
The curse Chris used was Forgetting of Fear.
Just like its name, it was a black magic curse that erased fear. Thanks to it, Karazov now fought with the fury of a berserker.
“Call for backup from outside!”
“It’s too late! We have to handle this ourselves!”
But they were no match.
All the escorting demons were barely adults—young and inexperienced.
Their achievements were, at best, 2-star level.
They were brought down one by one by Karazov’s crazed bird-like rampage.
More than anything, the poison was the problem.
Every flap of its wings released poison that clouded their minds.
N-no...
At this rate, we’ll all die...
Despair began to creep across the demons’ faces.
Then—step.
A quiet footstep echoed in their ears.
A sound that rang in everyone’s mind.
“!!”
Startled, they turned their heads to see the elegant young noble, Christian, wearing an irritatingly smug smile.
“House Tyramin really is useless. Do you need my help?”
It was time for the hero to step forward.
* * *
“……”
Alros and the escorting demons looked dumbfounded.
What the hell is this lunatic saying now?
How was Chris going to save them?
They were all 2-star level.
Chris was just another 2-star demon like them.
And yet, Christian spoke arrogantly, as if he could actually defeat Karazov.
“If you agree to treat me as your elder brother from now on, I’ll help you—just this once.”
“You crazy bastard.”
Alros spat out a curse.
But why? Was it because of that infuriating, baseless confidence?
He actually felt like Christian might really be able to resolve this mess.
“Well? Hurry up. Not like we’ve got time to waste.”
Just then, Karazov opened its jaws wide toward a fallen demon.
If nothing was done, that demon would die.
In the end, Alros couldn’t hold back and shouted:
“You crazy bastard!! Help, you son of a bitch!!”
Chris raised the corners of his mouth.
“From now on, treat me as your elder brother.”
And at that moment—
Flash!
Chris threw a dagger.
Flying in a straight line like drawing a line in the air, the dagger struck its target—crack, hitting Karazov in the head.
It was an incredibly precise throwing technique, but it didn’t inflict any damage.
Its armor-like hide deflected the blade effortlessly.
But it succeeded in drawing attention.
Karazov turned its gaze to Chris.
Screech!!
With a shriek, it charged!
Chris spun his body halfway to the side, dodging the attack, and as they passed, his sword slashed at Karazov’s wing.
Clang!
As expected, it didn’t work.
It bounced off like striking steel.
To injure Karazov, he’d need to use a Black Sword infused with demonic energy.
That kind of weapon required at least 3-star ability.
In other words, only a 3-star demon or higher could land a proper hit on Karazov.
It might work if I used group tactics, but that’s not feasible right now.
An opponent he couldn’t beat through a head-on fight.
But it was fine.
There was another way.
“You’re showing off like some hotshot and now acting like a damn idiot?! Just run away while you still can!”
Alros yelled furiously.
The demons, including Alros, were already paralyzed by the poison—escape was no longer an option.
“This is a matter for House Tyramin! It has nothing to do with you, so get lost while you still can!!”
Chris showed a slightly surprised expression.
Though laced with curses, it was, in its own way, a sign of concern for him.
Did we bond a little after getting our asses handed to us together?
Same with Teren—nothing forges brotherhood like fists flying back and forth.
“I appreciate the concern, but…”
Clang!
Chris’s sword struck Karazov once more.
Chris dodged Karazov’s attacks, blocked them, and struck back at every opening.
Seemingly meaningless counterattacks.
No—not meaningless.
Amid the exchange of blows, Chris was preparing a trick.
“I told you. I have a way.”
Clang!
Chris dropped his sword.
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock.
“W-Wait, that’s dangerous…!!”
At that moment, Chris stretched out his hands.
One hand toward Karazov.
The other pressed against his own body.
An incomprehensible action.
And then—something unbelievable happened.
Clunk!
Karazov stopped moving!
Frrr.
As if resisting, Karazov’s wing feathers trembled.
Then, Chris spoke in a firm voice.
“Fold your wings.”
“?!”
Amazingly, Karazov obeyed.
Its flapping wings folded in.
The demons of House Tyramin shouted in shock.
“Control Arts?!”
“How?!”
Chris thought to himself with ease.
How? I showed you during our duel, didn’t I?
Of course, it wasn’t as if Chris had fully mastered the Control Arts in that single moment.
He had already learned the fundamentals from House Khazar, and even after his duel with Alros, he had secretly continued practicing whenever he could.
I couldn’t copy it perfectly, so I made my own modifications.
Since he hadn’t learned it through formal instruction but had stolen glimpses during a fight, there were still many gaps.
Like a magic formula with missing pieces in between.
The gaps were filled in Chris’s own way.
‘So, I guess you could say it’s Chris’s version of Tyramin’s Control Arts? They say imitation is the mother of creation after all.’
One hand controlled the monster's movements, while the other cast a curse dark magic, subduing the beast’s spirit.
“Now, head to that altar.”
Chris ordered.
Karazov resisted, but Chris’s other hand emitted a dark light.
With the fear curse dark magic, Chris broke Karazov’s will to fight.
“Th-This is insane. How is this happening?”
Control Arts was an extremely difficult technique, one that could not be used unless one had spent a long time training to control monsters.
That wasn’t all.
What was even more shocking was this:
How could someone cast curse dark magic while using Control Arts at the same time?
They were completely different forms of power!
Even Tyramin’s Control Arts blended curses with it, but it was impossible to use each power separately like this.
Amid the demons’ astonishment, Karazov climbed onto the altar he had prepared.
The altar was placed before the rift of Gehenna.
Kiaaaak!!
Karazov screamed in terror from the malicious energy spilling from Gehenna.
Chris focused his mind.
‘I need even greater fear to overwhelm the malice of Gehenna.’
Chris’s other hand darkened even further.
A greater wave of fear filled Karazov’s mind.
When that fear overwhelmed even the evil flowing from Gehenna, the ritual Chris was performing changed.
Ecstasy joined the fear.
A ray of light, like a hymn of joy, shined through the fear. Joy.
This was the process of the Ebony Rite.
When Karazov overcame even the fear of Gehenna and, in joy, gave his life for the caster, the ashen orb within his body would transform into a Black Pill.
The pure crystal of darkness that had overcome even the malice of Gehenna.
‘Now!’
Chris’s hand flashed.
In his hand was a dagger.
A dagger brought back by the wicked merchant Grantel, now fitting into the category of a rare item.
The dagger cut through Karazov’s armor-like skin.
Pah!
Green blood splattered, and Chris reached inside.
When he pulled his hand out, there was a small orb in his palm.
A spirit orb.
“Black Pill?!”
“No, it’s Grey Pill!”
The demons of House Tyramin cried out.
The orb in Chris’s hand was not black, but gray.
Chris visibly frowned.
“It’s not a Black Pill. Did the ritual fail?”
It was a lie.
The Black Pill was currently inside Chris’s pocket.
How did that happen?
‘I switched it.’
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[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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