In the [Reincarnated Hero], the power of the Great Demon is treated as omnipotent.
Maybe that’s why Markosias’s Curse of Obedience has such a vicious gimmick.
Just like Bunea’s ‘Instant Death Curse’, it carries the utterly cheap trait of being ‘uncastable’.
In the Closed Beta, they didn’t just place it in a debuff slot; they treated it as a ‘skill’ applicable to the target, employing a method that could not be dispelled by Dispel Magic.
Thus, I became able to choose this curse.
[Markosias’s Power – Curse of Obedience] (State of Obedience)
[Would you like to choose? (Yes/No)]
Of course, even if I steal this, it doesn’t mean I can use the power of obedience.
On the contrary, I would become a subordinate of Markosias.
However, if I don’t steal this, Aria will remain his subordinate.
‘…I’ll take it instead.’
Ideally, my plan was to steal this skill and immediately log out of the game to escape to reality.
But…
I truly wondered if the Goddess of Luck was by my side, for a way to break through had also appeared.
I smiled bitterly…
My ring.
I took out [Great Sage’s Memorize: Chains of Induction].
Then I registered the skill I obtained by defeating Nicolseta, who had become a Demon, [Haisman’s Secret].
—————————————————
▶[Haisman’s Secret – Extraction/Creation] [Lv.2] (Active) (Ultimate Skill)
: Extract one skill you possess to create a paper scroll. The created scroll allows the user to tear it to obtain the extracted ability, treated as a buff.
(*Usable once)
The Haisman family has been known since ancient times for their mastery of magic sensitivity and extraction.
-Rezilus’s Memo.
Exp: (0/300)
Acquisition Difficulty: Normal
—————————————————
‘I didn’t expect it to fit so perfectly…’
My plan is simple.
I will steal the power placed on Aria, that is, the curse for the ‘Prologue of Resurrection’, and then use the ‘Haisman’s Secret’ I’ve engraved with Double Chant to extract it in scroll form.
Then, both Aria and I can escape from being his subordinates.
‘Select, Markosias’s Power – Curse of Obedience.’
As I choose the skill…
[Stealing Markosias’s Power – Curse of Obedience!]
-Wooowww!
A violet afterimage began to appear on my body.
“Feels dirty.”
Is this what Markosias’s squeezing magic pressure feels like?
-Creeeeek!… Creak!
“Guh…”
The intense pain was constricting my heart.
I was suddenly impressed by Aria’s greatness.
[Double Chant: Haisman’s Secret – Extraction/Creation]
And at that moment, the Double Chant activated.
The magic pressure that had been weighing down on me surged forth in an organized manner,
-Swoosh, swoosh!
And seeped into the parchment in the air, starting to form letters.
‘Nicolseta, you troll in and of itself, you’re so helpful…’
-Ding!
[Extraction Complete]
[You have obtained a new item]
—————————————————
[Created Scroll: Markosias’s Power – Curse of Obedience]
[Rarity: ???]
[Using it will make you a subordinate of Markosias]
[Can be used]
—————————————————
Eventually, a mocking piece of his “dog-like” skill came to me in scroll form.
‘Come quickly, Markosias.’
All that was left was to wait for him.
*
Again, in the Valley of Death.
-Ping! Ping!
-?!
Suddenly, it felt like something in Markosias’s head was snapping repeatedly.
‘……’
He could sense it intuitively.
Just like with Dalian. Someone had escaped from being his subordinate.
‘Wait…?’
-Woman?
-…
The silver-haired woman before him showed no reaction.
-Woman??
It felt like talking to an empty space.
“Did she break free from being a subordinate…?”
For some reason, at that moment, Aria was not a subordinate of Markosias.
It didn’t take long for him to completely grasp this situation in his surprise.
“It doesn’t matter… After all, without that brat, the chances of these beings defeating me… ”
As Markosias raised his head to resolve the matter,
-……
Three pairs of black wings stood ready before him.
An exquisite beauty unlike any he had seen even from the succubi of Pandemonium.
“Hmm…? Who are you…?”
-Thud.
-?
-KWA-BOOM!!!
With a single snap of her fingers, Markosias’s body was split in half.
-Bah…!
More precisely, the pain of being split in half.
-Grahhh…
The pain was so great he couldn’t even scream.
For a moment, it felt surreal to think that a Tarchangel had been sent from Pandemonium to support him.
-BANG!!!
Before he knew it, he was impaled vertically into the ground.
-Graah! Gwaaaaaah!!!
In contrast,
The woman hovering in the air remained so noble.
‘The one who wielded fire… that woman…?’
Unlike the eagles and demons that spiral around the air circling their prey, waiting for them to die…
Without making any movement, she coldly pronounced an end.
“…Die…”
-Snap.
This time there were two snaps of her fingers.
The pain had only just begun, and this was dangerous.
-BOOM!!! BOOM!!!!
The magic following this simple, clear gesture was truly massive.
-KWA-BOOM!!!!
Black meteors began crashing into Markosias’s entire body.
He couldn’t see anything.
Each part that made up his form was starting to shatter, one after another.
This was not the end.
From the inside, flames erupted, and he soon began to melt.
It was the Black Flame.
A fire that inflicted pain as if it were grinding his bones.
Once ignited, they burned down to the very soul…
The one who wielded the unquenchable fire of Pandemonium had appeared.
-Sa…save…!
.
.
.
There’s no need to explain.
The aftermath was one-sided.
The dignity of a Great Demon looked utterly ridiculous,
As Markosias writhed in agony before dying outright.
-Haah. Haah. Haah. Haah. Haah.
I don’t know. How long was I burned?
My memories were all torn apart, but it’s certain I endured an excruciatingly long suffering.
As I escaped from that nightmare, gasping for breath…
-BZZZZZZZ!!!
One of his other powers activated. The Well of Souls.
Unlike other Great Demons like Bunea who can’t resurrect when pierced by the Holy Sword,
Markosias had gained the power to endure and return, so it was the only thing he could cling to.
‘I have to return… to my brood… quickly…!’
And he was forced to acknowledge it for the first time.
The latent potential of humans when faced with extreme situations.
He had been too complacent and had ignored them.
Once he regained a new body, he would gather strength and march on sharply without teaming up with worthless humans.
“Hahaha… hahaha!”
Thinking that way felt absurd.
It’s laughable that he lost to mere trivial creations.
However, it was probably better than Bunea. No? Definitely better.
At least he was given a chance to take revenge on those bastards.
.
.
.
-Tep, tep.
-Plop!
Markosias’s body began to reconstruct in his hatching pit.
-Huff… Haah…
The familiar air of Pandemonium, the abyss with a 5th legion present, relaxed him.
He was surprised.
He never thought a human girl would awaken the strength of a Tarchangel…
‘Might be a lower Tarchangel. Or perhaps even beyond that…’
Unlike himself, who was a Hightarch or Authority, she was at least on the level of a Product Angel.
“The essence of Pitbit Jae and the rampaging Magic Tower must have influenced her…”
Unfortunately, only humans could absorb the essence of monsters.
‘Humans’ greed knows no bounds.’
The memory of a few minutes ago, where he was encircled by Black Flames and screamed madly.
-Thud!
He slammed his fist on the ground.
“…It’s awful. So awful…!”
Markosias needed time to recover and compose himself after feeling disturbed.
“Fine… Today, it’s a human woman…”
He thought to take a few human women and abuse them until they died.
Seeing them struggle to survive was sure to irritate him, as he had put that hobby aside for a while.
-…
He even hesitated to bring up that woman’s face but had to overcome it.
-Tep… tep…
When Markosias’s body was nearly complete again.
-Clank.
-…?
With a chill of silence, a cold metal touched the back of his head.
-…Who… who is it…?
At the same time, a familiar instinct pierced his mind.
An unpredictable arrow from that bastard.
Fear seeped into his bones.
-Who… who asked…!
His heart sank reflexively.
In truth, Markosias knew best who it was.
But delaying to answer a question with a decided answer was a testimony that Markosias, who had always felt life boring, was anything but boring right now.
-T-That… woman! Is there anyone else here…!
His body didn’t move.
His physical form hadn’t returned fully yet.
Instead, his heavy body trembled violently.
This was the first and last time he felt this emotion called fear.
And the mouth of the person who had given him this horrible gift opened.
“Hello.”
-Ah… s-s-save…
It meant both a greeting and farewell, just two human words.
-!!!!!
With those words,
The sound of a crossbow that heralded death echoed throughout Markosias’s hatching place.
