#273
Hesperon used “Hyper Awareness” and quickly scanned his surroundings to assess the situation.
‘The slum on the outskirts of Jeron. No one else around… Is it a barrier? Looks like they planned this from the start.’
Even in the liveliest of cities, there always exists darkness where the neglected gather.
The place he found himself in was precisely that.
Located on the outskirts of the capital, far from the main areas, it was a dangerous zone with harsh environments and poor law enforcement.
‘This wasn’t prepared on a whim. Setting a trap here means they must have predicted all my movements.’
His gaze then shifted to the thirty or so masked figures surrounding him.
Even with Hesperon’s not fully matured senses, he could distinctly feel the sharp tension emanating from them, the scent of those who lived in the shadows.
‘Assassins? No, they aren’t just that. It seems there are those who have mastered aura mixed in with wizards.’
Not just anyone could command such a group.
Even if it was a slum, it took considerable power to plan an attack using a barrier in the capital.
Finally, he turned his gaze to the only man in the group without a mask.
In fact, he was the most problematic presence at the scene.
“Well, well, it’s been a while, Sir Stav… Ah, wait, I guess you’re no longer a ‘sir’?”
The martial arts master and former Imperial Guard Captain, Stav.
With Riley not saying anything for a while, Hesperon thought he had taken care of him long ago, but it seemed he had somehow managed to escape.
“Hmm— it’s nice to see your face again after such a long time. I really missed you. Thanks to you, I had quite the valuable experience.”
With Hesperon’s cheerful greeting, Stav chuckled softly in response.
Judging by his appearance, it was easy to imagine what kind of experience he was talking about.
‘It seems he has indeed suffered quite a bit.’
As a knight who reached the extremes, his once solid muscular body was now shriveled, and his complexion was ghastly from rapid aging, malnutrition, and fatigue.
And above all…
“Phew— seeing you like this is quite the comedy. It’s rather amusing.”
His right arm was cut off at the shoulder, and a leather eye patch covered his right eye.
On top of that, several marks of torture marred his body.
It looked like he had received some treatment, but the damage was so severe that the resultant loss and aftereffects were clearly visible.
“I can’t say you escaped alone, but I suppose those friends helped you out?”
Given his appearance, which looked like he had been imprisoned for a long time before finally escaping, Hesperon casually threw out some words.
He could guess the situation roughly, but he wanted to confirm more precisely.
“…Indeed, you really don’t seem like the same guy. That power is quite peculiar. Pure curses, neither black magic nor abyssal power.”
However, Stav simply stared at him with a strange look and changed the subject.
Srrr—
Then, with his left hand, which had only three fingers left, he slowly drew his sword.
“I want to kill you right now, but I must endure due to our promises.”
With that, dark energy rose like flames from his sword.
It was a destructive and chilling energy, completely different from the aura he used to wield; it was black magic.
“…!”
And the moment Hesperon felt the flow of that energy.
He instinctively moved.
Twisting his body and thrusting his right hand forward.
As the spiraling black energy surged towards him—.
Kwaaaang—!
“Ugh!”
It collided with the black magic that had surged close and sent shockwaves in all directions.
“Tsk, I was planning to slice your shoulder. As expected, not my forte.”
The one-armed Dark Knight muttered in dissatisfaction.
Enhancing his physical ability with the secretly prepared magic, Hesperon quickly retreated while furrowing his brows.
While he managed to block the ambush, the impact seemed to have been stronger than expected, leaving the arm he used to block trembling.
Since black magic itself was inherently offensive energy, it couldn’t be completely neutralized by his attack-specialized “Right Arm of Desire”.
‘Is this what they mean by “you may be rotten, but you’re still a peach”?’
It seemed the aura pool had been damaged, and he had absorbed the black magic instead…
Even among the extreme level, he was undoubtedly formidable, having an adaptation period that was not long; the power was incredible.
‘But it’s clear he’s weaker than before, so maybe I can hold out. The problem is those guys.’
Some of the masked figures surrounding him began to show signs of movement in support of Stav.
Most were still blocking his escape route, but more interference in such a critical situation was certainly not good news.
‘I can’t use “Hero’s Footsteps” yet. That leaves only Summoning Release as a means of evasion.’
He had just sent Harley to Tarak to hunt down revolutionaries and had only a short time ago sent him back to the southern regions.
But the “Dimensional Teleportation Circle Summoning” also had over a day remaining on its cooldown, so he hesitated to use the Summoning Release recklessly.
Just as he was contemplating his next move.
-Heron? Is there a problem?
Ignoring the spatial barrier set up by the masked figures and bypassing it, Riley’s voice came through via the “Chain of Pact”.
She seemed worried, perhaps sensing something from the intense clash that had just occurred.
-Ah! Riley, we’re in big trouble here!
And Hesperon…
Without a moment’s hesitation, quickly informed her of the situation he was in.
‘Riley is involved, so she ought to know! I’m the one caught up in this!’
The ambush had occurred right after she left, and judging by what Stav said, the goal was likely to take Hesperon hostage.
So their intent was quite apparent.
-Stav is there, you say?
Hearing the backstory rapidly conveyed, her voice dropped cold.
A demeanor Hesperon had never seen from her before.
-So he’s alive, then?
-Um… My body is pretty beat up, but I’m still alive.
-Hah! …This is embarrassing. I thought I had everything under control, but it looks like those rats are still hiding around. Well, considering I haven’t been in charge for long, it’s understandable… There’s a lot to deal with moving forward.
It seems she had thought Stav was already dead.
After hiding him for interrogation in an unofficial location for revenge, they had taken advantage of a sudden shift in power to sneak in.
A frustrated sigh escaped from Riley on the other side of the connection.
-But Heron, are you really okay? The fact that Stav is there means…
Then, suddenly, she rushed to ask in a worried tone.
No matter how damaged his body was, that level achieved wasn’t easily lost.
Besides, she had witnessed Hesperon barely escaping from another such situation.
Because of that, it was only natural for her to worry, especially as eye and arm concerns arose, forcing him into a hospital stay.
-Hmm, that’s…
And in response to her concern, he answered.
-I’m holding up better than expected…?
An inappropriate confidence lingered in the air.
*
Sshhhh—
Stav charged at him with fierce momentum.
He realized it was still dangerous to face Stav head-on, even when they first clashed.
‘Then, as long as I don’t clash directly…’
The bracelet on Hesperon’s arm emitted a sinister light.
With it came a surge of reflexes as he overwhelmed his limits.
While it was an item laden with a powerful curse, it also worked seamlessly with his movements, and he had no hesitation in using it.
‘Whew, this is fantastic.’
The “Curse Devourer” he possessed was swallowing everything up and converting it into his own power.
However, simply relying on that wasn’t enough to throw off the dark knight who had reached the extremes.
A sword imbued with black magic flew straight at him in an instant.
Kwaaaang—!
Just before he was hit, a barrier emerged in the air and shattered, leaving only the shockwave behind.
“Ugh!”
Hesperon, caught in the aftermath, was thrown back and grimaced.
Though his insides lurched from the impact, it was still better than being cut down by that horrifying blade.
In the moment of time he bought by escaping Stav’s pursuit, he lightly flicked his fingers.
In an instant, dozens of strands of black threads materialized in the air, making him feel as though he was pulled upward swiftly.
“Ugh— not again! This annoying clown!”
Once again, Stav missed his chance, grinding his teeth in frustration as he wildly swung his sword.
In stark contrast to Stav’s frustration, Hesperon sighed in relief as he watched the protective ring dissolve into dust.
‘Phew, that was close this time.’
Ssh—
Every finger movement caused a portion of energy previously scattered to briefly materialize like threads and pull on his body.
It offered not just speed but the flexibility to move freely in the air’s environment.
‘Using the lurking curse and its materialization for mobility. This is my first time using it in real combat, and it consumes more mental energy than I expected.’
To begin with, curses are effectively unmatched in their stealthiness.
Since they don’t have a physical form, they can’t be cut off in any ordinary way, and even if someone tries to erase them with powerful energy, they can be repeatedly revived via the “Right Arm of Desire” given just a moment.
‘In that moment, I can endure using magical equipment and stats for support.’
Besides, the curses consumed in the process could be replenished with his magical tools.
‘All those efforts put in stealthily from the start paid off.’
In this limited space, a little bit of time was granted.
This was already the web of curses he had woven.
Of course, unless a powerful magician capable of wiping the whole area clean appeared, he didn’t need to worry too much.
‘Here they come again.’
At that moment, Hesperon’s gaze darted sideways.
Having momentarily shaken Stav off with agility, he was still aware that he had more than just him to deal with.
Swoosh!
A masked figure, as if predicting his path, suddenly swung their sword.
Unlike at first, when Stav had left him alone, this adversary had changed to a proactive stance.
‘But if it’s just this level of opponent…’
Curses are fundamentally aggressive and harmful by nature.
Just like now, using agility was merely an additional effect.
The masked figure approached him.
He extended his right hand toward them.
And then clenched his fist.
“…!”
At that very moment.
Hundreds of black threads revealing their form around him tightened toward the center, spraying a mist of blood.
Not just a manifestation of physical force, it mixed a curse that drastically diminished resistance and defense, creating a lethal execution.
Unless the opponent had achieved a certain level of strength or had equipped strong defenses to enhance their immunity, it was nearly a deadly technique.
‘Of course, it’s a huge energy drain too.’
Whoosh—!
After taking one life, the black flames that coiled around Hesperon’s arm took shape.
It formed the elongated body of a black dragon, with a pair of protruding horns and a magnificent mane, revealing its sharp eyes with satisfaction.
Devouring the last feelings of resentment a life held.
“Grrrooo—!”
“Gah!”
Ka-boom—!
Hesperon darted away swiftly, avoiding the destructive black magic unleashed by Stav.
Adorned with the curse magical tools received from “Avatar Cloud” once again.
-Heron, are you really okay? Can’t you teleport like before? No, perhaps I should return instead…
Just then, as he concentrated on the battle, Riley’s voice chimed back in after a momentary break.
Her gentle tone, now tinged with worry and anxiety, felt like a stark contrast to the fierce atmosphere that had prevailed.
-No, if you do that, it’ll look bad. I’m still good. It seems I’ve grown quite a bit more than I thought. Who knows, I might even get out of this by myself!
Certainly, from time to time, diligently drinking the “Growth Elixir (7 Days) (200,000)” proved to be worthwhile.
Being able to substitute overwhelming differences in levels with cash, what a marvelous capitalism!
Long live the Karma Shop!
-Hmm— you said you’re in the slum southeast of Jeron, right?
-Oh? Uh… but…
-Don’t push yourself thinking you can get away alone. Focus on holding out. I’ll send help soon.
However, in response to Hesperon’s confidence, Riley’s voice came back sharply.
-I really should have wiped them out earlier…
Following that, she seemed to utter something eerily dangerous, but he was too preoccupied with dealing with Stav’s attacks to process it.
‘With the effects of the Elixir and real combat experience, my rate of growth is incredible!’
He hardly had time to be concerned about such trivial matters with his skills rising at an astonishing pace.
