Ding!
———————————————————
[Caeran Hiss]
▶[Status Average]
: 5.5
▶[Specialization]
Sword Mastery (8)
Circle Magic (6)
▶[Unique Traits]
Willpower (Lv.2)
Massacre (Lv.4)
Absolute Growth (Lv.5)
Demonization (Lv.1)
Blessing (Lv.1)
———————————————————
‘The resilience is gone… So, the new traits are just Demonization and Blessing, huh.’
One of the problems with the classic version of [Reincarnated Hero] is that players can only check the detailed patterns of targets when they encounter demon races, demons, or demon creatures.
Currently, Caeran is in human form, and this level of information identification is the best he can achieve.
In other words, if I want to check the self-made daughter skill he obtained by acquiring the power of a demon, I’d have to force him into demonization.
…
“Long time no see.”
“Cough! Who the hell are you?!”
Thud!
“Gah!”
I stepped on Caeran’s neck and aimed the crossbow.
Demons can’t exert their true power outside of their territories.
That’s why it made the best sense for Caeran to be the one suitable for the demons’ operation to activate the Mystic Island magic tower; he can take human form.
So, taking advantage of him being in an unguarded human state and having used a ton of magic in the tower now was the best choice.
Thanks to the parasite skill, the human form of Caeran, who lost his copy, must be incredibly weak.
In any case, after getting hit by a few crossbow bolts bestowed with status ailments, Caeran is left with no choice but to stay quiet for a while.
“Let go! Damn it! Let me go!”
As he began to convulse beneath my foot, I stepped down harder and poured the lowest-grade potion all over his body.
Slurp!!
Since it wasn’t a high-quality one, Caeran’s wounds started to painfully stitch themselves together.
“You bastard! Ugh! I swear I’ll kill you! Do you know who you’re messing with?!”
While I let his words slip through one ear, I coldly replied, “Try it.”
“……?”
“Demonize, go ahead.”
In that instant, as Caeran blinked in confusion, I ground the base of my hard boots into the back of his neck.
“Gurgh! Grrr…!”
With each press, blood began to ooze from his mouth, nose, and ears.
Whack!
I kicked Caeran’s hand and put it against the magic stone.
“Gurgh…?!”
“Try it, hurry.”
“Hee hee hee…”
At my urging for demonization, Caeran suddenly started to chuckle.
“Damn, am I an idiot? You think I’ll do what you say?”
Oh.
Even in pain, he managed to force himself to smile as if he was trying to provoke me.
“I should have killed your pup, Lev Denec, earlier. But whatever. If you want to kill me, go ahead. Hehe… if you don’t kill me now, those girls who follow you around will… Cough!”
“Save the chit-chat.”
Thud!
The next words from Caeran never came, because my foot was planted squarely on the back of his head.
‘So, he isn’t at a level where he can absorb dark magic on his own yet.’
Assuming so, it seems he doesn’t have the common resurrection technique from demon races, “Well of Souls.”
He must have used it to resurrect himself to get rid of the parasite skill I spread.
Yet, the fact that he challenges me to kill him suggests he must have some hidden card up his sleeve…
“What about it?”
I took his provocation head-on.
“If that’s your wish, I’ll grant it myself.”
“…!”
Slurp!
I grabbed the half-dead guy and backed him up against the faded edge of the magic tower, leaning him against the magic stone.
“???”
Thud!
Crash!
With an enchanted holy arrow soaked in the lowest-grade potion, I shot it into his chest.
“Gah!!!”
Hearing the sound of something puncturing his ribs was terrible, but it didn’t matter.
“Damn it!! Just kill me, damn it… Cough!”
He shrieked while coughing up blood.
Hmm, he might really die like this.
“That won’t do.”
“?”
I selected the “Black Dragon’s Vessel” skill I had pre-placed in my skill slot.
———————————————————
▶[Black Dragon’s Vessel] [Lv. None] [Ultimate Skill]
: Slowly injects the black magic that you possess into the specified target.
(When the target is a demon: Growth)
(When the target is a non-demon: Corruption)
(*You cannot be the target.)
(Details not available)
Difficulty Level: Extremely Difficult
———————————————————
I acquired the skill “Black Dragon’s Vessel” after helping war heroes Scarlet and Dustin to take down the “Black Armor.”
This skill could grow a target if it was a demon, or corrupt it if otherwise.
Caeran, who only becomes a demon when activating demonization, falls under the latter.
Whoooosh!
After activating demonization, I placed my hand on the central magic stone and absorbed enough dark magic.
[Erosion Level: 100]
And,
“Activate.”
Swish!!
I began pouring this indiscriminate dark magic into him.
‘This should force him to demonize without killing him…’
“What are you doing? Gaaahhh!”
As my hand made contact, a scream echoed through the air, unlike any he had produced before.
“You bastard! What the hell are you doing to my body?!”
“I’m curious how long you can hold out.”
I knew the magnitude of this pain.
Even the mere act of me demonizing was enough to make me break into a cold sweat and nearly lose my mind;
but no matter how much Caeran owned the vessel of a self-made daughter,
if he’s being injected with the endless black magic emitted by the magic tower, he’s definitely going to experience extreme pain that rips apart all his nerves.
Crackle! Crackle!!
“Grah! Ugh!!!”
Soon, Caeran’s face swelled as if filled with pus.
He reached a point where he couldn’t endure with reason anymore.
Whoooosh!!!
I reduced the amount and continued to inject dark magic into him.
“Damn it! I will kill you! I swear I will kill you!!!”
“Yeah, please do.”
Caeran’s voice was no longer even remotely from his age.
It was a grotesque voice so distorted it was hard to comprehend the words.
And as if this situation was a warning bell, the ominous sounds of the dark magic wrapping around him intensified.
Whooooooosh!!!
Just then, a status window popped up.
Ding!
———————————————————
▶[Great Demon – Caeran Hiss]
[S Rank Demon (Unstable demonization, stacked status ailments, weakened due to low health)]
[Human-type, Demon]
[Threat Level: ???]
[Feature: Gained demonic power from Yellody Latashia]
[Encounter with Boss! Patterns can now be previewed!]
[Details available]
———————————————————
“Good…”
Caeran had transformed into a grotesque figure that wouldn’t even remind anyone of his past self.
His body was soaked in blood with forcibly stitched scars, and he was halfway through demonization.
A silhouette of something neither this nor that.
Whoooooosh!!!
“Lev Denec!!!!!”
“Yeah, keep that mouth open.”
“…!”
Before he could go into a rampage, I shot two holy arrows into his mouth.
Crash!
Bang!
The sounds of hitting something like an aluminum bat against a steel plate echoed, and he hung there, mouth pierced, dangling from the magic stone.
“Damn… bastard…”
Sis…
Caeran’s mind streamed into darkness trying to force recovery as the dark magic entwined around him blazed furiously.
I had about 20 holy arrows left; if Caeran’s status ailments wear off, or he dies, he would get a moment of opportunity.
‘Timing is crucial.’
According to the recent updates of [Reincarnated Academy], considering Caeran’s nature, he definitely possessed ambitions to double-cross Markosias and even target the Demon King.
If so?
He definitely must possess the skill of the “Flame Demon.”
‘Hierarchical Conflict.’
Or perhaps some outrageous OP skill beyond that.
I watched as the guy was on the verge of bursting, practically a dark purple balloon, and asked, “What will you give me?”
“W-wha…?”
Perhaps due to the repeated pain, he was quaking in fear.
‘If he’s going to take down the Demon King…’
S Skills can’t satisfy that ambition.
“I guess I should add a little more.”
“Damn! D-don’t…!”
“What are you saying?”
Whoosh!
I activated “Black Dragon’s Vessel” once more.
Now I could corrupt him and also make him grow.
‘An SS Rank reward is absolutely necessary.’
I adjusted his health and unfolded the detailed pattern view.
*
Around the same time.
Shaaa…
“Ugh…!”
Aria was pouring all her energy into healing Aveline.
‘…This isn’t just a simple wound from a demon.’
While it’s true that injuries caused by being consumed by dark magic are hard to heal, Aveline’s wounds were slow to recover even with the infusion of sacred power.
Meaning, she was undoubtedly cut by something that had gone through a secondary processing or even an enchant.
Looking at the clean cross-section, it must have been the trajectory of a sharp sword.
‘Could it be a Demon Sword?’
In an instant, the sword she received from Liris flashed in Aria’s mind.
It’s possible that the injury was inflicted by such a weapon.
…
“I’m sorry I can’t help you, Prince Edwin… Lady Melissa…”
Despite Aria’s dedication, Aveline’s consciousness was steadily fading away.
Eventually, her vision darkened.
‘!’
All the strength drained from her body.
Where did it all go wrong?
Was it when I found out Caeran was a demon?
Did I commit the sin of completely overlooking that fact?
No, if I hadn’t acted recklessly at Pitbit Jae…
‘I don’t know. I just don’t want to die…’
Not yet having gained recognition from her brothers or father,
-Need my help, do you?
At that moment, a heavy voice, one Aveline had never heard before, descended into her ears.
-…!
It was slightly low but rang like a bell.
Harshly, it was the voice of Markosias, carried on the magic left by Caeran.
However, the ignorant Aveline had no way of knowing this fact.
‘Oh, my! An angel…!’
At the brink of death, she made a mistaken assumption.
She mistook the approaching alien form of darkness as mere optical illusions from her deadly wound and gasped in awe.
‘I am being saved…!’
If only she could live, if only she could live…
With that, Aveline, fully prepared to accept anything, opened her arms wide.
“Y-yes…! Of course…!”
She embraced the demonic energy slowly descending upon her.
Hah! What a disgusting creature! No need to seduce her!’
Markosias laughed maniacally.
In truth, he was not aiming at Aveline.
Of course, this creature had some sacred powers, making her good to toy with, but…
What Markosias saw through Aveline’s eyes was none other than…
Silvery hair that resembled the outer walls of Valhalla.
Blue eyes like the sky draped across heavenly clouds.
Aria Bluebell.
Pure sacred energy emanated from this girl.
‘Andras, now I understand why you were so hung up over one girl…’
He licked his lips. This girl definitely had the potential of a saint.
Moreover, with Markosias’s pronounced hatred toward her…
‘Psyche, I never expected you to remind me of her.’
As the Great Demon savored the moment,
Thud! Thud! Thud!
?
Suddenly, the magic of the tower began to shake violently.
