I Became a Ruined Character in a Dark Fantasy
Chapter 242

Chapter 242

—...!

It was Mev. The divine energy surrounding her entire body carved a crimson trail in the air like wings as she surged forward. But what captured Kralen's attention even more was the sword she raised. Red lightning crackled along the blade, which glowed a deep crimson.

Shwaa!

The sharp sound of cutting air finally reached Kralen's ears. He instinctively extended his hand. The dense magic around him rapidly condensed, forming a large barrier in front of him. Covering his body with his wings was a purely instinctive reaction.

Crack!

The blade collided with the shield. Like a spiderweb, the lightning burst out and covered the barrier. The barrier shattered into pieces as the Red Knight descended.

Crack.

Even without the lightning, the red blade cut through Kralen's wing bones like they were clay. The sword, imbued with divine power, deeply pierced Kralen's neck.

One of Kralen's knees buckled.

—You... again...?

Kralen's wail echoed in the air. Mev, of course, gave no reply.

Swoosh—

She released her grip on the handle with her left hand and simply clenched her fist, swinging it toward Kralen's face. Despite the Hellfire flickering like sparks all over her body, she moved as if she didn't care.

Crack!

Her fist slammed into the center of Kralen's face. The divine energy bursting from her punch swept over his head. Kralen's bent knees buckled completely.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Mev continued to rain down blows until Kralen was completely down. Then she pulled out the sword embedded beneath his collarbone. As she raised the sword, the magic stone in her arm glowed, and a red wind enveloped the blade. She twisted her body and slashed down.

Swoosh! Crack!

Kralen's head, with a caved-in face, was severed from his body. At the same time, the magic stones embedded in Mev's chest plate flashed. She extended her left hand toward the rolling head.

Whoosh, boom!

A Fireball sprouted from her grasp and exploded. Unlike the high-tier chest plate inscribed with Dancing Flames, Nasser's plate armor was engraved with a Fireball spell. According to Ian's assessment, it was at level three. Though less powerful than an identical spell cast by a mage, it sufficed to incinerate the head melting from the divine power.

"...." Mev looked down at Kralen's twitching, headless body, then raised her sword once more.

Sizzle...

Kralen's body began to melt. Mev, undeterred, swung her sword. The blade, imbued with divine power, shredded Kralen's now mushy body.

—Yes... You are not one of the members of the Dawn Brigade. You are an avenger, a purifier blinded by vengeance. Well prepared, Dragon Slayer.

Kralen's voice echoed in a deep, resonant tone, as if he felt no pain at all. In reality, that was probably the case.

Whoosh—

Simultaneously, the spell circuits beneath the debris began to shine brightly. A purple vortex swirled in the air immediately afterward.

Rumble.

As the vortex condensed, it released a shockwave. Both Mev and Ian simultaneously unfolded their golden force fields while Kralen’s voice continued.

—But it is a meaningless effort. I have already become an immortal being... Your strength will fail before my death comes.

Within the mass of chaos power spewing out shockwaves, Kralen's body was being reconstructed. The speed was much faster than before. But only Mev looked up at it.

Ian, hiding behind the shield, was looking elsewhere, beyond the cross-sections of the connected corridors.

Ian’s eyes, flickering as if veiled, finally stopped at one point.

... Found it.

The corner of his mouth began to curl.

—Struggle all you want. But in the end, you will serve me as the new king of this era.

The whispering voice echoed. By now, Kralen's body had almost regained its original form.

Rumble...

Ian stood up as he withdrew the platinum blessing, while the remnants of the shockwave still echoed in the air. Instead, a blue force field spread across his body. It was enough to withstand the aftermath.

Looking at Mev through the shield, he spoke. "Keep killing him. Eventually, you'll really be able to kill him."

Without waiting for a reply, Ian turned away.

A low, calm voice followed him from behind. "As I said, gladly."

With a crack, the vortex dispersed, and it released a final, deathly shockwave.

Amidst the scattering remnants of Hellfire, Kralen, having completed his reconstruction, opened his eyes in the center.

—... Where do you think you’re going?

His body, floating in the air, was still in its incomplete state from the first awakening. The wings were still bare bones, and his skin was thin enough to be translucent. It was likely the limit of rapid regeneration.

Thud, thud, thud—

Ian used the shockwave propelling against his back as a driving force and ran forward. Kralen, watching Ian’s retreating figure, narrowed his eyes.

—Could it be...?

Yes, exactly that. You bastard.

Ian muttered inwardly.

From the moment Mev clashed with Kralen, Ian had been using Magic Detection to examine the spell circuits. He was reverse-tracing the magic. The source of the magic was likely where Kralen's soul resided. This spot, where all the spell circuits converged, was the perfect place to deduce its origin.

—You wretch...! Do you think I'll let you escape?

Kralen's reaction confirmed Ian's hypothesis. Silently, Kralen flew toward Ian, preparing a spell. An ominous concentration of magic gathered in the air. It was likely a void spell. But Ian didn't look back.

Whoosh.

"And where do you think you're going?"

The Avatar of Vengeance was guarding his back.

Boom, boom!

A red flash erupted behind him, scattering the condensed magic.

—You wretch...!

The confidence vanished from Kralen's voice. He had likely inscribed these spell circuits here to hide his weakness, but from now on, they would become his downfall. No matter how many times he came back to life, the Avatar of Vengeance would always be waiting for him. And it would guide Ian, helping him pinpoint the source. As long as Ian activated the Magic Detection, it would become increasingly accurate.

There truly is no such thing as a useless skill. Though it never seemed so in the game.

Muttering to himself, Ian raced down the corridor, pushing against the relentless flow of magic.

***

"Hmm...."

Nasser furrowed his bronzed brow, deep in thought. His pale brown eyes remained fixed on the mansion. The strange earthquake and the purple flashes at the windows had long since disappeared.

The mansion, now shrouded in darkness, was eerily silent. But to Nasser, this silence was even more ominous, suggesting that the mansion's interior was completely cut off from the outside. The faint, sinister magic emanating from beneath the ground confirmed his suspicions.

"Do you guys think it is really okay to just stand here and watch, Nila, Selim?"

He turned and looked back, addressing the two white horses beside the carriage. Instead of replying, the horses snorted and pawed the ground. Nila and Selim were their names.

Around them lay several horribly twisted and mutilated corpses—the stablehands and gardeners. They had begun transforming with screams when the mansion shook and the ground glowed with ominous purple light. Nasser had dealt with them as they attacked, with Nila and Selim doing their part as well. Trained as warhorses and equipped with enchanted barding, they were more formidable than most humans.

"Yeah, I know. My job is to protect you... I am the coachman, after all."

Nasser shrugged, holding his sword and shield, and walked over to the horses. Even now, his skin tingled all over. It was the influence of the sinister magic pulsing through the ground.

If not for his body and mind, hardened over years of divine blessing and training, Nasser would have fallen under its spell long ago. The horses were safe thanks to their barding, which glowed faintly with embedded magic stones.

Nasser couldn’t leave them, not even for a moment, in case he needed to replace those stones. If the protective enchantments broke, the horses would also fall victim to the malevolent magic.

"...!" Nasser's head whipped around at the sound of a door opening and numerous footsteps approaching from afar.

"Move quickly! Remember, securing His Excellency's safety is our top priority! Figuring out what's happening comes after!"

"Damn...." Nasser clicked his tongue and ran toward the mansion. Someone had clearly heard the commotion and brought soldiers.

Watching the line of soldiers and knights entering the garden, Nasser shouted.

"Don't come any closer! It's dangerous here!"

"...?" The soldiers and knights turned to look at him.

Nasser shouted again. "Everyone, get out! Seal the main gate now!"

Not a single person followed his orders. Instead, the knight, who had signaled to the soldiers, approached him, shouting.

"You there, drop your weapon at once! Explain exactly what is happening here!"

"...." Nasser exhaled a short sigh. He was once again reminded that he was no longer a Purifier, a paladin, or even a member of the Great Church. However, he couldn't give up.

"I will cooperate as you wish! But first, you must withdraw your troops—" Nasser's voice trailed off like a deflating balloon.

The soldiers running toward the mansion noticeably slowed their pace. The knight approaching him did the same. Suddenly, everyone looked dazed, as if entranced. Their eyes began to glimmer with a purple hue.

"Oh, no...." Nasser stopped in his tracks.

As he began to step back, the soldiers and knights all turned their heads toward him in unison. Beyond the dark garden, countless pairs of purple-glowing eyes flickered.

Step, step—

They began to walk toward Nasser, expressionless, drawing their weapons as they came.

"Oh... Lu Solar." Nasser sighed in resignation.

Backing toward the carriage without stopping, he raised his sword and shield. Holding the sword by its blade tip, he gazed at the approaching knights and soldiers and muttered.

"... Don't hold it against me. I warned you."

As if hearing his words, the soldiers charged.

***

Boom, boom, boom—

The shockwave swept through the hall. Hidden beneath his golden force field, Ian calmly surveyed the scene.

It was a library deep on the second floor. The engraved spell circuits were converging behind a bookshelf in the corner.

A secret passage. How cliché.

As Ian snorted in mild amusement, a voice erupted through the explosion.

—You will regret this... Without me, not just the West, but even the central of the Empire will be thrown into chaos. Your choice will bring even greater chaos and darkness.

It was Kralen. He seemed to have shifted to persuasion. Ian didn’t bother to respond. Not that Kralen could hear him anyway.

Kralen had already died twice more at Mev's hands. Now, he was reviving again. The spell circuits were expelling magic at an incredible rate.

The shockwaves only occurred after Kralen’s death. While he might be able to control the spell circuits while his body existed, Mev clearly wasn’t giving him the chance.

—You won't be able to control the Isles. Even if a new lord is appointed, do you think they can handle those sea pirates? The fleet will fall into their hands, and the inland sea will be isolated.

And letting you turn this place into a land of the dead is okay?

Ian muttered to himself as he extended his sword.

Woosh, boom!

A Fireball pierced through the dissipating shockwave, smashing the bookshelf into pieces with an explosion. Beyond it, a narrow staircase leading underground was revealed, with spell circuits densely inscribed on the floor, walls, and ceiling.

Sssst—

At that moment, the purifier's cloak settled on Ian's shoulders. The light of the Mantra circuits had dimmed, nearly exhausted of magic. But it didn't matter.

Tat-tat-tat—

The destination was now within reach.

Casting Wind Blade, Ian dashed forward, his cloak billowing as he practically flew down the stairs. The stairs were long and winding, but such phenomena were no problem for someone as accustomed to them as he was.

If this were a game, I wouldn't have reached this point so easily.

As he ran, Ian imagined how things might have played out in a game. He would probably have needed to evade Kralen's pursuit while tracking the source of the magic, killing him repeatedly, and advancing during his regeneration periods, all while dodging or enduring the shockwaves.

There was no need to think deeply to realize how tiresome and exhausting that process would have been. He would have seen the game-over screen many times. Of course, there might have been a simpler but more brutish method: killing Kralen over and over until the power within the void mark was exhausted. This would have been a strategy for veteran players, possibly with additional rewards.

Not that it matters right now...

Soon, the underground chamber came into view. Sliding to a halt, Ian took in the scene. Aside from being quite spacious and luxurious, it was a typical dark mage’s laboratory.

A large desk with ink and quill, thick books that seemed to be research journals, and grimoires filled with sinister spells filled the room. Spell circuits etched into the floor converged on a pedestal in the center of the chamber. Atop the pedestal sat a crystal orb and a stone fragment bearing the void mark, each as large as a human head.

The moment Ian saw them, he didn't hesitate and launched himself forward.

He had no way of knowing what defenses might be in place here. Whatever they were, he intended not to give them a chance to activate. He had no way of knowing when Kralen would die again. Examining the room's contents in detail could wait until everything was over.

—This cannot be... The long-awaited era has only just begun... only to end so meaninglessly....

A voice tinged with despair echoed through the air.

As Ian vaulted over the pedestal, he muttered, "That's just how life is."

Unfair and absurd.

A white arc descended into the center of the flickering crystal orb.

Thud!