Chapter 99 – Laplace’s Relative
Glutton Berserker ~The One That Exceeds The Concept Of Levels~
What Myne was talking about, itâs probably the second secret form ãDeadly Infernoã.
I and Myne fought Machine Angel Haniel before. It could regenerate back no matter how much attack it received, almost like an immortal. Due to that, no matter how strong Myne was, she couldnât beat it by herself. Thatâs why, she asked me to help her out.
And then, what I used to defeat Haniel, was the ãDeadly Infernoã. I had to lose 20% of my status to use that scary scythe.
The effect, due to the enormous curse put on the attack, was that if any kind of opponent was hit by itââeven if itâs immortal, would rot and would die instantly. Itâs a killing blow, but I had to land the attack on a precise spot. Itâs where the magical power was gathering inside the enemyâs body. Its âcoreâ so to speak.
By slashing that spot with the scythe, the curse will spread all over the body, preventing regeneration, and making the body rot very quickly, thus killing it.
Thatâs why, itâs an attack that does not allow any mistakes. A slight error, and I would end up losing 20% of my stats for nothing.
So in order to avoid mistakes, I have to enter semi starving state, so that my eyes would be able to see the flow of magical power. It canât be used all the time, since I canât see it unless I concentrate.
I told Eris and Myne to back away from the undead archdemon. It was still struggling to free itself from the weight of the black axe.
First of all, concentrate. Read the flow of magic on the undead archdemonâs body.
The source of magic were two black dots on its forehead. Fortunately itâs anywhere under the black axe. If we have to remove the axe first, there is a good chance that itâll go raging once more.
I told Greed while switching the black bow to scythe form.
[Take 20% of my status, I will end Rafal with ãDeadly Infernoã]
ãVery well. But, will you alright? That thing is an Area Eã
[Iâll be fineâ¦..Iâm no longer the me from the time at Gallia.]
When I ate Tenryu back at Gallia, the Gluttony skill overwhelmed me, and I survived only because of Roxyâs intervention. Iâm the owner of Gluttony skill. Because of this skill, I cannot avoid having to fight from time to time.
And the enemies, they donât grow weaker. I have a feeling that Iâll encounter more Area E in future. Well, itâs more like premonition.
Myne and Erisââacting alongside them, itâll be inevitable to fight strong enemies. I would eventually step in to where they were now.
If I kept relying on Roxy, then the result will be the same just like what happened back then.
[Letâs do it, Greed!]
ãYour resolve, Iâll answer to it. Very well, Iâll take 20% of your status.ã
I was struck with a sense of weakness as power left my body. In contrast, the black scythe in my hand grew bigger.
What appeared was a scythe with lined three blades. It looks like a beast claw at glance.
I raised the powered up black scythe, and turned toward undead archdemonââRafal.
[You used your power the wrong way. I used to be the same tooâ¦.]
I killed Hado Burix. He was responsible for sending Roxy to Gallia, and had kidnapped orphans in the kingdom just to play around and kill them afterward. For five years, I carried the grudge of not being treated like a human by him.
Stillâ¦â¦..I shouldnât have killed Hado. The idea of using my power to judge those who canât be judged by normal means, was just an act that puts sorrow to those around me.
When I told Aaron about it, he had a sad look on his face. I also confessed about it on the parting letter I wrote for Roxy.
Of course, not only about how I had killed Hado Burix. The real reason why I stayed at Heart mansion, how I was the one who killed the crown tier monster Assault Kobold, and destroyed the northern valleyâ¦â¦all the lies that I never managed to speak the truth of.
One lie lead to another lie, if you noticedâ¦â¦.Iâd lied to Roxy countless times. About how I wanted to become her strength, how I didnât want her to know about my Gluttony skill. I selfishly kept the truth from her just for my own convenience.
I became aware of this when I wrote the letter.
Therefore, one day when I can live as myself, without relying on that skull mask anymore, I wrote that that will be the time when I will apologize to her sincerely.
Even so, Iâm still unable to get rid of that part of me. The false self that lies within that skull mask reached out to me, whispered to me.
I heard a dark and heavy voice, that was nothing but the illusion that Gluttony skill put on me.
Perhaps there is the same evil inside me, just like Rafal. Itâs been gnawing on me, even after I have returned from Gallia.
During the audience with the king, such evil turned its face by clashing with that Lanchester holy knight guy. Aaron had to pointed it out to me. And even back at the research facility, my heart was drawn by the misery and greediness that prevented me from backing out, when I shouldâve done just that.
After reaching Area E, I came to understand it.
Regardless of how strong you are, if you wish to remain a human, you wonât be able to live alone.
Because of the great power, one will prone to make mistake. In such case, companions are needed to lead you in a good direction.
[Rafal, you are just like me]
It didnât seem to react to what I said. Rafalâs heart was no longer there after all.
Still, I wanted to say it.
[At first I thought that the way we were living in hatred was similar. You to meâ¦..and I to you.]
I raised the scythe quietly.
[However, letâs end this already. Nowâ¦â¦you are you, and I am me. Letâs end our ties here. I will continue onward, Rafal.]
At the mass of hatred that no longer capable of communicating like a human, I swung the second secret form Deadly Inferno.
The scythe left a claw-like scratch on its head. Then, starting around the wound, its body started to blacken.
The Undead Archdemon body grew black and began to fall apart little by little.
And then, an inorganic voice resounded in my head.
ãGluttony skill activatedã
ãDurability+6.1E(+8), Strength+6.3E(+8), Magic+9.3E(+8), Spirit+9.9E(+8), Agility+7.2E(+8) will be applied to your statsã
ãDark Magic, Spirit Unity will be added to your skillã
I held down the excited Gluttony skill for having consumed a straight Area E stats. At that time, I could hear inside my head the voice of Luna, the core of Haniel that Iâve consumed in the past.
ãI told you that Iâll lend you my power, didnât I. Donât forgetâ¦â¦ã
The pain subsided alongside that voice, only up to the point where blood started leaking from my right eye. Apparently sheâs keeping the Gluttony skill in check from the inside. I always said that Iâll deal with it myselfâ¦.but the truth is, Iâve been fighting together side by side with Luna all along. I must thank her when I meet her in my dream. Thanks as always.
I was taken out from my reverie by Greedâs voice.
ãFate, it beginsã
Something happened to the undead archdemon body. Its stomach area suddenly bulged. And then, after reaching critical point, it broken away from the body itself.
[Na! So thatâs the separation]
Although I expected that something will come out after Rafalââundead archdemon was defeatedâ¦â¦I never expected that it will be this many.
I cut away with the scythe, Eris shot with her bayonet. Even Myne retrieved the black axe and chopped at it, but all that did nothing.
The things that got out of the creatureâs belly were black bats. And their number easily exceeded a thousand.
Even if one of them was cut, shot, or crushed, it would immediately restore itself. I wanted to use ãDeadly Infernoã, but after observing their magical flow, I realized that each of the bats are a separate beings on its own. Iâll run out of status before I could cut down even half of them.
[What is this?]
Myne said calmly while kept crushing the bats.
[The collective creatures that is the origin of the Nightwalker. Andâ¦..the thing that will lead me to what I seek for.]
Glancing aside, I took out the bat that was trying to bite my shoulder, and slammed it to the ground.
The bats gradually converged together, creating a shape of a man.
And somehow, he was holding the black spear Vanity.
[Itâs been a while since we last met, that I canât hold myself. We used to be friends in the past, Myne the Wrath.]
A white haired boy grinned at Myne as if he was already very familiar with her.
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Authorâs Note:
Thank you for your bookmarks, ratings and impressions. I am very encouraged!
The second chapter of Glutton Berserk manga version is released for free in comic rides and Nico Nico etc.
It is carefully interesting to Mr. Takino Daisuke of the mangaka and draws it so please take a look!