Chapter 75 – A Traditional Hero (1)
Ellenoa was surprised by the monster"s sudden stop, but as Theodore shared senses with Gluttony, he could hear the conversation between Gluttony and Pride. The voices which spoke in the low-frequency range were not at all gentle. The disgust they had toward each other was clear and out in the open.
In particular, Pride (Superbia) spoke with outright disdain, –You are still obsessed with inferior monkeys. It is shameful to cla.s.sify you as one of the Seven Sins. What is the value of those who rely on time and luck?
–Beauty and intellect is a concept that a ma.s.s of flesh like you won"t understand.
Gluttony didn"t back down and gave as good as it got.
–No matter how you collect and combine genetic factors, you are still limited to living creatures. You are nothing but a loser who has given up on surpa.s.sing the limits of a species. Gathering the best parts of creatures, isn"t that nothing more than a chimera?
–Nonsense! Pride dismissed Gluttony, speaking with the arrogance it was named after.
Now, the vocal range was lowered even further. The sound caused Theo and Ellenoa to feel discomfort as they sat down. The unheard shout broke the spirits of the two people. It was a terrifying threat a.s.sociated with Dragon Fear, something which appeared in forgotten legends.
"Cough!" Theo coughed up some blood. Following the series of shock waves, his circles were strongly shaken by Pride"s shouts. If a human didn"t know magic or aura, their heart would"ve stopped.
The enemy"s very existence was different, allowing Theo to feel the gap directly with his body.
"d.a.m.n it. What the h.e.l.l is this monster? Why is it attacking us?!" Theo"s hysterical question was thrown out without him expecting an answer.
-The autonomous maneuver type grimoire, Superbia. Like me, it belongs in the Seven Sins set. If the attribute I symbolize is [Gluttony], then it is [Pride]. It is a "species usurper specialist" and is made up of the species it eats.
Gluttony returned with a clear answer as always.
Theo quickly picked out some keywords and asked another question. He had a feeling that this information would determine the life and death of the two of them. "Usurping species? Is that Pride"s power?"
–That"s right.
Theodore listened without missing a single word.
-Just like I am a grimoire that collects magic books, it is a grimoire that collects creatures. It has the ability to store the genetic information of a species, regardless of the individual performance of the organism. Once it eats a sample of a species, it can reproduce the innate traits of that species.
"The innate traits?"
–For example, a troll"s regeneration or an ogre"s muscular strength.
That was enough. Theo"s expression turned into one of fright as he understood Pride"s power.
Pride had the ability to eat a species and gain its best traits! It wasn"t inferior to Gluttony"s ability to extract essences from magic books or magic power from artifacts. No, it might even be superior when it came to fighting.
Moreover, based on the horrible creature, the traits which could be reproduced didn"t stop at just one or two.
"How many traits can it use at the same time?"
–Hmm. Gluttony looked at Pride for a moment before replying. –It has already unlocked four seals. Right now, it can use five combined… User, do you mean to fight Pride?
"What choice do I have?"
–There is no need. He didn"t come to eat us.
"What?"
The one who answered Theo"s question wasn"t Gluttony, but Superbia who had been thinking about something.
–Well, it is good. It is a waste of time to chat like this.
The eight legs started advancing. As the ugly form leapt forward, Theo naturally stepped out in front of Ellenoa and raised his magic power. Theo"s sensory perception was telling him to run away, but his human instincts made him act. He couldn"t seem to run away after thinking of the sacrifices the senior magicians had made.
Then Superbia asked in a strange voice, –What are you doing, Gluttony? I came to eat a high elf. I have no interest in a monkey.
"…Don"t make me laugh." Theo ignored his spasm of fear, and while staring at Superbia, he declared firmly, "I won"t give anything to you."
It was a courageous action which deserved a standing ovation.
-Then die. The predator sentenced him to death without any hesitation.
Pride changed in an instant. Its eight spider legs turned into four horse legs, while the upper body became a weird mixture of a locust and gra.s.shopper. It quickly shifted to three traits which would produce results: a centaur"s lower body; a storm locust"s wings; and a spriggan"s acceleration ability.
–Swaeeeeek!
It moved beyond the barrier of sound as the hooves, containing enough destructive power to crush steel, slammed toward Theodore"s body.
"Ah, I"m doomed." Theo was sure he would die from the blow.
His body couldn"t even grasp the timing of the acceleration of the huge body, let alone respond to the attack. So, it wasn"t Theodore who responded to the death blow, but the instincts of Lee Yoonsung who was sleeping inside him.
Kwaduduk…!
The skill, Protection Bangle, was activated. Three shields unfolded around Theo"s body in a reflexive manner, then Theo used his magic power.
"Battle Song.
"Last Requiem.
"Presto."
Battle Song revolved all five circles and improved his reaction speed to the maximum for a moment.
The monster"s horse hooves were crazy fast, and Theo sank deep into his consciousness in order to use a secret technique to survive. It was one of the most advanced techniques in the eastern martial arts, Force Dispersion. (TL: literal meaning is using 4 taels of force to win against 1000 jin, or using a little amount of force to win over a greater force)
Theo"s two arms moved at a dizzying speed.
Paaaang!
Despite alleviating a lot of the damage, Theo was thrown back like his arms were broken. The shock wave, which threw Theo, shattered seven trees and the rocks behind him. If the shock wave had hit him directly, it would"ve wreaked havoc on his body!
"Cough!"
Although the the attack hadn"t even hit Theo, it snapped several of his ribs. While sitting down, Theo used healing magic. He was pushed to Ellenoa"s side due to the shock wave, but he was too shocked to be aware of it.
It was commendable that Theodore had managed to defend himself, but he couldn"t do it again. He couldn"t afford to be hit by Superbia even once.
"If I get hit one more time… I will die."
Putting aside winning or losing, Theo would just die. Superbia"s resistance was at least of the master level. Considering Theo"s luck, winning wasn"t even an option. He would just struggle desperately until he died like a bug. There was a terrible gap in strength between Superbia and Theodore.
However, Superbia laughed at Theo on the ground before giving one last ridiculing remark.
–You are quite good for a monkey. I will forgive this once.
It didn"t say anything else as its eyes stared at Theodore. There were six pairs of compound eyes which could observe 360 degrees. The red light coming from the eyes induced a horror which humans couldn"t face. Their minds would likely be broken by the sight.
As for Theo, he could stay as he was. Then he could survive. It might be cowardly, but survival was his first priority. Gluttony had advised Theo that he could survive if he just stayed still. Gluttony whispered like a snake for Theo to turn away from the high elf shivering by his side. It wasn"t a bad thing to run away.
"…I"m crazy." Theodore smiled and slapped his cheeks hard.
Jjak! Blood filled his mouth, but that was good.
Theo didn"t have to listen to this voice. The magic, which had subsided due to fear and powerlessness, began to boil again. Still, there was no chance of winning, so Theo asked his companion for advice, "Gluttony."
–What?
"Tell me how to defeat it. No, it is okay if I can"t win. Teach me how to beat up that son of a b.i.t.c.h.’
Despite being a grimoire like Gluttony, the opponent was an independent monster which didn"t need a user. If so, Theo wouldn"t be able to catch it unless Gluttony cooperated.
Feeling Theo"s strong intentions, Gluttony asked in an uncomfortable voice, –Why User? Why try so hard? This high elf isn"t that precious to you.
"I"m not fighting for that reason."
If Theo compromised once, it was easy to do so a second time. The third time would be even easier. Theodore Miller would become someone who was alive due to his cowardice. He would rather die of his own will than become a cowardly bystander.
Theo"s voice, filled with a determination to die, was transmitted strongly to Gluttony, whom Theo was connected to.
This was a foolish, irrational judgment. However, Gluttony drawn to the unknown choice. -…Okay. I will pay the price in advance. This is the first time I"ve had a user like you.
Gluttony"s previous users had always been cold, and their goal in life had always been to become a master of magic. There had been many magicians who filled these pages to the end and died without leaving a name behind. However, none of them had tried to fight to the end for their own beliefs. Perhaps this strange user might show Gluttony what it hadn"t found in the meantime.
The original sin, which collected wisdom, made a gamble for the first time.
[Error! Error! Unauthorized request. The 4th Seal has been released through an unusual means.]
[Gluttony"s function has been opened forcibly. The user should check the information window of the corresponding function immediately. However, this function was unlocked via an abnormal path.]
[Grimoire "Gluttony" / C Rank]
[Gluttony"s 4th Seal was released through unusual means. From now onward, the user can borrow the power of an author which Gluttony has extracted. However, once the author has been overwritten, the author can"t be loaded twice.]
[The C Rank "Overwrite" has been triggered!]
[The object "Alfred Bellontes" has been loaded into the user"s body.]
Alfred Bellontes was the war hero who had murdered thousands of soldiers during the Bellontes Empire"s Revolutionary War half a century ago, and his reputation had become widespread.
Even master level opponents had avoided fighting him, and he had been called a genius of battle. As Alfred"s ego, who had been sleeping deeply, overwhelmed Theodore"s body and soul, a blue light appeared at Theo"s fingers.
This was the fourth function of Gluttony, the greedy grimoire.
At that moment, a hero from the history books returned to the present age.
TL: Superbia is the Latin word for Pride.
Current schedule: Next Patreon goal has been reached!! Thank you for the support. There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.
Chapter 76 – A Traditional Hero (2)
–Hmm?
Simultaneously, Superbia noticed the changes happening to Theodore"s body.
Its senses exceeded a human"s by dozens or perhaps hundreds of times, so it could catch even the slightest differences. The a.n.a.lysis was completed instantly, covering the amount of sweat, the speed of the pulse, the body temperature, and the expansion and contraction of pupils.
"Oddly enough, the fear in the monkey"s body has disappeared." Superbia was puzzled.
–You… What type of trick are you playing?
Any creature had to be afraid of Superbia, since it was at the apex of the food chain. It didn"t matter what the creature"s individual strength was as they would be filled with an instinctive fear. Magicians and aura users were no exception, even for those beyond a certain level, and it was the same with monkeys. Unable to understand the phenomenon, Superbia felt uncomfortable.
Theodore slowly raised his body. He lifted his right hand, which was ridiculously small in comparison to Superbia"s claws. Then…
Paang! A flash emerged from his index finger and broke into Superbia"s skull.
"…Ah?" Ellenoa, who wasn"t breathing well, couldn"t help opening her mouth. It was because the sight of the head being broken wasn"t realistic. For a normal creature, it would be an instantaneous death blow.
Theodore—no, Alfred looked down at the body with clear eyes after striking the blow.
He nodded and clenched his fingers. "Wise. You realized that it was better to pick me."
At the present time, there were only two authors Theo could summon with [Overwrite], Alfred and Lee Yoonsung. In the case of Myrdal, the option to use the Overwrite function with him never came up, so Theo only had one of two choices. Theo was torn between Lee Yoonsung and Alfred, but he eventually made his decision… and Magic Bullet"s Creator, the war hero Alfred Bellontes, was loaded.
Gududuk…gududuk…
However, a monster which had killed dozens of elite magicians couldn"t fall to such degree of damage.
The flesh at the bottom of the head started growing back, and the bones rising from the neck were completed. The regeneration was almost like a reversal of time. There was a cold light in Alfred"s eyes as he watched the bizarre phenomenon in front of him.
"It is more than a troll. This isn"t regeneration but closer to immortality… It isn"t an enemy I can win by killing."
That was the mistake Herman and the other convoy magicians had made. In order to completely destroy the monster, a master level or someone with Veronica"s or Blundell"s firepower was needed. If they had just focused on tying up its feet thoroughly, the magicians in the 1st and 3rd Cars wouldn"t have been killed.
–You b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Monkey, you…! A horrific low frequency scream emerged from Superbia, whose face was already half recovered.
The flesh the monster now had was different, but it still stared at him with six pairs of compound eyes. The fact that it had been attacked by a mere monkey scratched its pride. The will to kill was immediately reflected in its form.
"Ogre"s power. Minotaur’s power. Cyclops" power."
Superbia"s body suddenly swelled up.
It grew beyond three meters and was twice as wide, while the muscle fibres rose above the skin to cover the whole body. Red tendons and muscles tangled together like rope to create a form boiling with murderous impulses.
The incarnation of violence raised an arm which was thicker than a log.
The monster"s four fists struck the ground with a furious roar.
It was literally a great destruction! The earth cracked and shook in the places where Superbia"s fists. .h.i.t. The sound of the world crying out rang loudly as Alfred jumped up while holding Ellenoa. The shock wave was transmitted through the ground and would explode their insides if it hit them!
"Ellenoa!"
"Yes, yes!?!" Ellenoa replied involuntarily to the powerful voice.
"I will blow you away! Take care of your landing!"
There was no time for a reply. Alfred pulled out wind magic from Theo"s memories.
He used Gust Wind, a blast which could blow a person away like a leaf. Combining that with Superbia"s shock wave, it wasn"t difficult to fly a few hundred meters. He needed to use this interval to shift Ellenoa to a safe distance away.
So, Alfred blew Ellenoa away without any hesitation.
"Kyaaak!" Ellenoa shrieked with an absurd expression as she was pushed and sent disappearing into the night sky. Alfred was anxious about the landing, but it wouldn"t be a problem for a high elf who was loved by nature. He also kicked away from the epicenter of the destruction as he continued to think.
However, as soon as he landed on the ground…
Huuung!
A huge fist emerged from the dust cloud. It was enough power to push away the dust using wind pressure alone!
This. .h.i.t was three times more powerful than the first. If he were hit with this, he would disappear without a trace. So, Alfred gave up on attacking and concentrated all his strength on his chest. This was the body technique received from Lee Yoonsung—the Iron Board technique.
A red pillar stretched up before his upper body at 90 degrees.
Pik!
He got a nosebleed as the huge fist hit him. However, he raised a hand to his nose while throwing himself to the right. It was overwhelming just being near the violence. As he attempted to open the gap, the monster stretched out the other three fists at the same time.
Aldred smiled coldly as he faced the wall of death. "Fool."
His body accelerated, momentarily appearing like a haze.
"Battle Song. Sonata of Speed. Vivace."
Moving one beat faster meant he would die. Moving two beats faster also meant he would die. If that was the case, then he would move three or four beats faster.
Alfred dispersed the force of the three fists more precisely and accurately than the inexperienced Theodore would have done. He penetrated the gap, which was the size of a needle hole, without any error. Alfred moved like he was dancing and dug toward Superbia"s chest.
Then his hand, which was sharp like a spear, pierced the monster"s chest.
Puhwakak!
The four Magic Bullets, fired from every digit of the right hand, except for the thumb, cut through the muscles covering the monster"s heart.
–■■■■■――!! Superbia"s body started glowing from the terrible pain.
One attack from Superbia would break down the human body instantly. It would be over in one blow. Just a light scratch would cause a severe injury. Then the human"s breath would be cut off in the following attack. On the other hand, Alfred had the battle penalty of not being able to kill his opponent.
Despite that, the hero was dancing like a storm in front of the monster.
–This rat b.a.s.t.a.r.d!
Neither of Superbia"s attacks with its fists or feet worked. Alfred avoided the punches and kicks, and then brutally attacked any gaps which were exposed. It was the essence of a marksman to pierce the vital points. With simple attacks, Superbia was just Alfred"s prey.
Alfred sent Superbia a look of derision. "If you can"t die, I"ll just turn you into a living beehive."
If it continued like this, Alfred would be able to endure for an hour or two. Every time a flash was fired from his fingers, the monster struggled while the hero firmly defended his superiority.
However, that thought was soon overturned.
* * *
Exactly five minutes later…
-….Indeed, I know your trashy trick now.
Its pride was more important than anything else, but Superbia"s intelligence was absolutely not low. Just as Alfred observed it, Superbia was also watching Alfred. This was the type of prey which should be hunted.
As Superbia transitioned into another form, Alfred felt a chill run down his spine.
Crunch… crunch…
Its front legs were like that of an octopus while the tail was like a blade. This was a shape which completely deviated from the human form.
Alfred was able to overwhelm Superbia because he had antic.i.p.ated its behaviour. It wasn"t difficult to know the timing by reading the movements of the muscles, joints, and cartilages since they resembled humans, no matter how strong they were.
However, he didn"t know the characteristics of the monster. so his responses would be delayed.
–Die.
Shortly after that, the s.p.a.ce was cut horizontally. It was Caracalos" blade tail!
Alfred jumped backwards reflexively, but blood still sprang from a cut in his chest. He didn"t receive a scar due to most of the power being blocked by the fabric, but if his response had been a bit late, his heart would"ve been split in two.
This time, Theo"s knowledge had saved him. Caracalos was a dangerous A rank monster which inhabited the southern swamps. Its tail was small but contained mithril, so it was well known as a weapon which could slash through any metal or defense spell.
"d.a.m.n it, that is more than an aura user." Alfred clicked his tongue as he came to know the information belatedly. He had lived in the north all his life, so he"d had no interest in the southern creatures. Moreover, he hadn"t read books like Theodore.
If surprise attacks like this kept on happening, it would be difficult to hold out for 10 minutes, let alone an hour.
Therefore, Alfred talked to "him," who was watching. "Boy, can you hear me?"
–I can hear you. Speak. It was Theodore Miller, the owner of the body.
The two men, who were like the front and back of a coin, finally looked at each other.
Although Alfred was using Theodore"s body, he couldn"t fully utilize his abilities as the skills acquired by Memorize or the artifacts thoroughly belonged to Theodore Miller. Alfred Bellontes was a stranger in Theo"s body, so there were limitations.
"From now on, I will deeply connect to your consciousness. I need your consent to do that."
–Sure, I agree.
"That is a fast response. Is it okay to decide so quickly when you don"t even know what side effects there will be? Connecting my consciousness to yours can be dangerous, even if I am inferior when it comes to magical knowledge." The blonde man looking at Theo with an anxious face.
Alfred"s appearance remained unchanged in the world of their consciousness. He had the majesty of royalty and the dignity of a warrior who had been called a hero.
Theo felt strangely impressed as he slowly nodded. He was determined from the moment he decided to fight that monster.
"…I respect your will, Boy."
There was no way to withdraw anyway. It had reached the point where Theo needed to rush to the end… at least until Ellenoa"s safety was guaranteed, or when Veronica arrived. Until then, he needed to protect himself from the death appearing before him. Gambling with the hero"s soul was better than having a worthless death.
Then at that moment…
[Object name "Alfred Bellontes" and the user "Theodore Miller" have perfectly harmonized their consciousness. The Overwrite function has been stopped. The user"s self might become contaminated.]
[Hidden feature "Transmission" has been activated.]
[If Transmission is successful, the fragment of Alfred Bellontes will be completely restored. If you fail, you will lose all the skills you have acquired from the essences. The mental shock can also cause the self-destruction of your ego.]
[Are you sure you want to approve "Transmission"? – Y/N]
Theo didn"t hesitate, even with the creepy advice.
"Transmission!" As he answered, two flashes of light sprang from the dark mental world. One was the soul of the majestic and brilliant hero, while the other was the soul of a body not yet fully grown. The two lights danced erratically in the air before becoming one stream.
Kiiing!
It seemed like a lightning bolt struck Theodore Miller"s head.
Current schedule: Next Patreon goal has been reached!! Thank you for the support. There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.