LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 67
Chapter 67: The Whispers of Darkness
Whooooosh…
A grand darkness envelops the surroundings.
“Typical of a fool, dealing with such filthy power.”
Though Neil’s words are dismissive, his tension is palpable.
[Faust’s Strength: Greed is activated.]
[Faust can use all the weapons of demons.]
[Faust is a failure. Sometimes, there is a backlash when using the weapons of demons.]
Whoosh-!
He swings his stance around the lake once.
For the first time in a long while, he draws the sword of the demon Crocell in its truest sense.
Ssssssh…
Elegant and beautiful.
Yet profound and ominous.
Slowly, the lake projects Crocell’s illusion into reality.
[Faust uses the Pit.]
[The Pit takes the form of a black lake.]
[The Pit dominates a vast area, limiting the vision of enemies within, and steals 15% of the stats from up to 5 targets.]
[Targets within the Pit’s area suffer a 50% reduction in all health regeneration and healing.]
[The Pit persists throughout the battle, shifting its central range based on the user’s location.]
A tingling power surges.
Just stealing 15% of the stats brings forth such power… Neil’s diligent training despite his young age is evident.
‘No wonder he’s ranked among the top of the fifth act’s bosses.’
He might even surpass the first act’s boss, Carl Kurso, in individual stats. However, whether he has as rich combat experience as Carl… remains to be seen.
“How cunning, too cunning. You’re not an adventurer, are you?”
“Curious about many things, I see.”
“If one who hides in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity, is an adventurer, then that’s disappointing.”
Whoosh-!
He spins a halberd, similar in size to his own body, to take position.
‘Brawling. I’d rather avoid a melee if I’m not certain.’
He’s the spitting image of his mentor, Skala, who is strong as a bear and moves like a leopard climbing trees.
The appearance of his investigation team in Episode 5’s final act is a wall that users who haven’t paid will encounter for the first time. All the investigators are strong, and the demon minions were all shredded by Neil’s party.
When I played, I remember pushing through by paying for upgrades. Now that I can’t pay… I’ll have to think about how to tackle this.
He’s come here alone, finding it hard to extract himself, and this place isn’t a dungeon but the outside.
These are all conditions I must exploit.
Whistle-!
[Faust uses the Biting Decay.]
[Biting Decay is the condensed essence of severe cold.]
[The periphery hit by Biting Decay slows all speeds by 10%.]
[Biting Decay stacks.]
[When Biting Decay stacks reach a level that causes frostbite, necrosis or amputation progresses.]
[The number of stacks causing frostbite varies depending on the target’s resistance to cold and poison.]
A flare signals the start of battle.
He fires the liquid form of Biting Decay. Can he react even with limited visibility?
“Ugh!”
Ting-!
The decay bounces off the halberd.
His skills are real.
I put aside my doubts. It’s a life-or-death battle with a true expert.
“Haah!”
Neil sends a wave precisely in my direction. It’s a technique once used by Skala.
[Neil uses the Wobbly Swing.]
[A radial wave spreads out, shooting forward.]
[The wave deals physical damage equal to 230% of the attack power, and 280% at the points where the waves overlap.]
Crack-!
The force cuts down the trees in its path. Naturally, I’m too far for such a large technique to hit me.
Boom-!
Unlike the previous fight with Carl Kurso, the moment I’m close to him will be extremely short.
Because this place is a forest full of obstacles.
Unlike the exposed depths, here, the enemy has very few means to target me from a distance.
Whooooosh…
I fill my hand with the power of decay.
Fwooosh!
I fire the power of decay in various directions, one after another.
“…”
Neil focuses his senses.
[Faust uses the Formless Evil.]
[It can transform the traits of the biting cold.]
[Within the Pit, the speed and amount of transformation increase.]
Ting-!
Ting-!
Ting!
As the power of decay hits the trees, it changes direction and bounces off.
Ting-!
Ting-!
Ting!
From one tree to another, as it collides with obstacles, Neil must be confused.
And then.
Ting-!
After hitting the last obstacle, it heads straight for Neil, who has stopped in place.
The attacks fired from various directions concentrate in an unexpected moment.
How is this possible? I don’t know.
It’s possible only because I am Faust.
The projectiles of decay, too, move as if they were limbs, clearly visible.
“Gasp!”
Bang-!
Neil swings his halberd broadly to fend off three decays, but one gets through.
The decay seeps into his left shoulder. For now, it just slows his movements a bit.
I haven’t landed an effective hit yet, but I’m steadily…
Boom…
Suddenly, a sensation as if my heart is sinking.
“…So it is.”
The overuse of the lake’s power diminishes my life force, which is tied to the core. It’s as if I’m fighting with my very life, not just magic.
Screeeeech!
Neil blew the horn he had hidden in his embrace.
“Do you know what this sound signifies?”
“It’s just noise.”
“It’s a call for aid among investigators, a sound only they understand.”
“…”
“This domain… it can’t contain sound, can it?”
It’s a noticeable fact.
“I can’t see… don’t come in!”
“Don’t enter! Get me out!”
Adventurers attempting to enter the pit continue to increase. Even now, their faint voices reveal their feeble presence.
If they manage to regroup and enter the pit, the situation will become more difficult than it is now.
“Hey! Don’t enter this dark domain! Let only the investigators in!”
Neil laughed confidently, looking at the empty space where I wasn’t.
“Did you think I’d just die quietly if you trapped me here? Fool.”
“If I knew you were this noisy, I wouldn’t have bothered talking.”
“The investigators who heard my call will arrive here. Or… even if they’re late, my master will appear after defeating Urea. Once my master arrives… you’re all dead.”
“Then… I’ll have to kill you before that.”
“Ha, you think that’s possible? Idiot…”
I steadied my breath.
Realizing that dragging this out would be disadvantageous, I decided to kill him with this next strike.
The aura of decay also contributes to eroding the core’s energy, but maintaining the pit over this wide area was the most burdensome.
An attack that cannot be avoided…
A powerful strike?
No, that doesn’t suit the lake.
A lethal, sinister strike is needed. A combination that will drive him to death in one go.
“Good.”
“What’s good about it?”
“This is my full power. If you block this, you win.”
“Kuk… Puhahaha!”
“If you don’t block it, you die.”
“…”
His laughter stopped abruptly.
He must have realized it wasn’t a joke.
Whooooosh…
Pew-pew-pew!
Pew-pew-pew!
Like before, I fired decay in multiple directions. The first three shots went backward, the next three towards the trees around Neil.
In an instant, a chunk of life force drained away. I felt something surge up, but I suppressed it.
Ting-!
Ping!
The decay, bouncing off the trees, prepared to attack again. But having experienced the pattern once, Neil would be able to handle it more easily this time.
“Hrmmph…”
Gripping the halberd…
‘Now.’
Crack-!
Crack!
“…What?”
The decay I shot from behind a tree close to him pierced through the wood and flew towards him.
At a very fast speed, carrying a strong force, it would reach him before the decay gathering from all sides.
He had to choose.
Either deal with the three decays flying at him from all directions or the two that would arrive slightly faster.
Either way, with the heavy two-handed weapon, the halberd, he couldn’t fend off all of them.
“Kukkuk… This is why simpletons are…”
Whooooom…
The halberd vibrated.
“I’ll just cut them all down!”
[Neil uses the Steel Ripple.]
[The slashing attack spreads out in a circular form and requires a preparatory action.]
[The slash deals physical damage equal to 180% of the attack power.]
Crack-!
The slash swept away the aura of decay. In addition, the surrounding trees were razed, all swept away.
It seems he planned to block any attacks hiding behind the trees.
Neil thought he had gained the upper hand in the battle by using this move to counter the expectation that he couldn’t fend off all projectiles with the heavy halberd.
“Kiha! Where will you hide…”
He must have guessed my location by cutting down nearby trees.
At the same time, he would have pushed the imagined location of me out with the slash.
Whooooom…
Pew!
I appeared above his head. In the pit, with severely limited visibility, he must have mistakenly thought there were no trees because he had cut them down.
But in the moment the slash swept through, I was already above the trees, free from the aftermath of the slash, and I had gained a few seconds by leaping.
His mistake was assuming that ‘since the trees are cut down, above is safe.’
Pipit…
[The Biting Decay reaches the threshold for frostbite.]
[Necrosis occurs.]
The hit was on his left shoulder, previously marked by me.
Creak…
“Arrrrgh-!”
Fsssssh…
His left shoulder rotted away, leaving him one-armed.
One arm is not enough to wield a halberd.
But then…
Crack-!
His necklace shattered suddenly, releasing an immense energy.
[The Wolf’s Protection is activated.]
[The wearer’s physical abilities are momentarily amplified.]
In other words, a talisman.
A cherished token given by Skala, worried for his disciple.
Boom-!
He grasped the halberd with one hand.
“I’ll kill you! Noooooo!”
[Neil uses the Aura of Menace.]
[When a target is in close proximity, it draws them in.]
Whooom…
I’m pulled towards him as if by gravity.
I aim to strike him down with the lake’s power, while Neil swings the halberd skyward with one arm.
Clang-!
Whoooom-!
A clash of forces, like a stormy wind.
Gulp…
“Blargh…”
I vomited the blood I’d been holding back.
I could see Neil laughing.
Then his face twisted into despair.
Pip-pip-pit-!
Of the six shots of decay I fired initially, the three I shot backward finally returned. I had judged they would be needed if he hadn’t died by this point.
“This…”
He had to make another choice. To fend off the three decays flying back at him or to face my sword.
And by now, he must have realized that his choice was meaningless. Either way, he dies.
“Aaaaaah!”
Neil screamed, doing his best.
Bang-!
He swung the halberd to create distance between us, planning to turn and fend off the decay.
Of course, I couldn’t let that happen.
Boom-!
I steadied myself and closed in on him.
Swoosh…
…Admirable.
He maintained his focus until the very last moment.
Instead of fending off the decay, he twisted his waist to dodge all three shots. And those three decays were now flying towards me.
…Just as I had anticipated.
Swinging my sword at the decay, I saw his face. His vacant eyes told me he had already sensed his death.
Tatatang-!
I struck the decay, sending it ricocheting towards his head.
Puff-puff-puck-!
[The Biting Decay reaches the threshold for frostbite.]
[Necrosis occurs.]
“Ah… Ugh…”
Crunch…
His head turned to dust and disappeared. That was the best I could do.
“Cough…”
I kept coughing up blood.
Swoosh…
As I retracted the pit, I saw adventurers in the distance.
“That, that is…”
“An investigator! It’s an investigator!”
The four menacing presences came into view.
“Neil… Neeeeeeil!”
“No, no, no, no!”
“If Skala finds out about this…”
The investigators who were with Neil…
Could they run?
Not right now.
So, face them here?
Am I sane?
How… How should I…
“You’ve been well-fed, wasting your strength on trivial matters.”
Thud…
Thud…
Men in black clothes and masks poured out and stood before me.
I knew one of them.
He whispered so only I could hear.
“Run, Faust. I’ll buy you time here.”
The boss.
The executioner, Romwell.
He… said.
“I wonder how smooth the scalps of these foolish investigators will be! Hahahaha!”