Chapter 514
From beyond the faint mist, an intense and peculiar energy began to emanate. Illyna grew concerned upon witnessing Davey's frozen expression.
"What's this? I thought you were already dead. Lucky you, and a human at that... You seem like you might taste quite rich."
Emerging from the mist, a captivating beauty appeared, leading a group with veils covering their faces. While the others wore pinkish veils that concealed their visages, the woman at the forefront did not. She was clad in an alluring outfit that left nothing to the imagination, devoid of modesty.
"L-Lady Marka," Liline said softly.
Observing the tense expression on Liline's face, it became evident that the superior succubus Marka was the one Davey had been seeking.
"Hmm... Well, fine. I would prefer it if you disappeared, but if you’re alive, it's destiny," Marka said indifferently, lightly brushing her long hair aside and stepping forward. She then addressed Davey, "I didn't expect a human to come this far."
"Demons freely roam our continent. Why can't a human enter demon territory?"
"Heh... Hahaha, truly a fearless human. So, was the gluttonous hound Cerberus fortunate enough to be absent? Regardless, give me Liline, human, and leave immediately. I'll spare your life."
As Marka spoke, as if she were doing Davey a favor, Illyna seemed poised to retort, but Davey, focusing elsewhere, raised his hand to stop her. He muttered, "Hmm... Should I gather more... Or should I do it now..."
"What?"
"Ah, nothing much. This is fun. You said you'd spare my life?"
"Honestly, I don't have time to focus on someone as insignificant as you. I don't know how a mana-less creature like you managed to resist me, but it seems you're relying on that human woman. My advice: assess the situation before getting involved."
Lady Marka spoke as if she had no interest in him whatsoever. It appeared her intended destination was likely the hidden village of believers in the deity or Iro’s village within the underground mountains.
"What has happened that has angered you so?"
"My partner's presence has vanished, and the life of a subordinate I valued was prematurely extinguished. So, little human, would you mind stepping aside before my patience wears thin and I tear you all apart?"
At her words, Davey smirked and said, "King of the Dead, Deian."
Marka stiffened.
"And Succubus Lapis," Davey added.
"Human."
"You're searching for them? What will you achieve by looking for the two who are already deceased?"
"You..."
"Ah, do you wish to find their bodies? I'm sorry, but Deian melted away like water, and your subordinate passed away just a while ago. It seems you might have to hold their funerals later."
"..."
"Of course, I'm not sure whether I should offer you a condolence fee or congratulations. From the perspective of the partners who teamed up with a mad succubus like you, it seems they made a perfect escape."
As Davey spoke impassively, a pinkish aura emanated from Marka's entire being. A strange energy swirled within her at the level of a Swordmaster.
"Don't vent your frustrations in the wrong place."
With a sudden movement, as if Davey's words were a trigger, Marka's hand swung like a flash of light. Simultaneously, a pinkish blade aimed to sever Davey's neck.
Clang!!
But faster than that, Illyna drew her sword, Caldeiras, and intercepted the attack.
"..." Illyna, gazing at the trembling blade with a frown, glared at Marka.
Marka, her expression now devoid of emotion, turned to Davey and asked, "Just to confirm, human. The one who killed Lapis was..."
"I did. Just a short while ago."
Clang!!
Before he could finish speaking, the pinkish blade once again attempted to strike. However, Illyna swiftly swung her sword, blocking Marka's attack.
"Davey, do we really need to provoke her like this in such a situation?"
In response to her question, Davey briefly glanced at the flow of mana that Marka momentarily revealed. He then nudged her back. "That's enough. Illyna, take care of it."
"What?"
"I think I need to have a chat. Finish her off."
Illyna looked at Davey blankly upon hearing his words. With a faint, delicate hand, she pointed to herself, asking, "Me?"
"Yes, you." Davey smiled cheekily at her uncertain response and lightly tapped her shoulder.
Crash! Clang!
Amidst their conversation, Marka's pinkish blade once again flew toward them. However, with a flash of silver, Illyna's sword, Caldeiras, deftly cut it down.
"It must have been valuable, hasn't it? Did you even help absorb it from the side?" Davey teased.
Illyna's expression turned odd at his words. "You cheeky brat…"
"Considering its price in gold, that millennia spirit crystal could fetch thousands, if not tens of thousands."
Across the continent, many would turn a blind eye to other matters just to buy the millennia spirit crystal if it meant breaking through a barrier.
"Who... Who wouldn't do that?!" Illyna, flustered, strode forward, blocking Marka's path.
Marka's face displayed cracks at her audacity.
"Illyna," Davey said.
"Why?"
"In my past world, there was a saying.”
“…”
“Moderation is best. It means that going to extremes is worse than not doing enough."
"Being extreme is worse than doing too little?"
"You should be careful. Right now, that applies to you."
King of the Dead Deian was an opponent Illyna could not handle, even with the absorbed millennia spirit crystal. But now, things were different.
Illyna, who had been silent until now, nodded and raised her sword. Seeing her do this, the smile disappeared from Marka's face.
"Guardians."
"Yes, my queen?"
"I will order to…"
The alluringly dressed women in pink veils bowed to her.
"Kill them, no, keep them alive. I'll personally turn them into a state where they can neither live nor die." With a chilling expression, Marka ground her teeth, spitting out her cold command.
"We will obey, my queen."
At once, they rushed toward Illyna, who was quietly closing her eyes.
The powerful aura emanating from Illyna became even more palpable. Even if there was a clear difference in power, the strategy known as Aura Core Emission was designed to handle such powerful opponents. The succubi surely expected Illyna to either counterattack or evade.
Crash!
However, the lead succubus guard who struck out was neither evaded nor countered by Illyna. Illyna simply, with an emotionless face, caught the sword with her bare hand.
"I have been observing Davey's swordsmanship for so long." On Illyna's face was a smile so radiant that even the demons would blush.
In contrast, the demons behind their veils seemed shocked, even if their facial expressions couldn't be seen. Did they really think she couldn't deflect even one of their swords with her bare hands?
There were many geniuses in the world, but as far as Davey knew, none were on par with Illyna. If the legendary warriors, Dokgo Jun and Ares, had possessed the talent she did, they would never have been eliminated in the middle of the infamous heroes' bloodbath contest.
In simpler terms, her talent wasn't just genius; it bordered on catastrophic. Illyna had the ability to rapidly adapt and adopt anything she observed multiple times. Time was on her side, and experiences were her nourishment.
Reina, the Hero of Light, was an example of Illyna's potential future, although Reina’s bloom was cut short before it fully blossomed.
Maintaining a surprisingly cheerful expression even as she repelled the demon's sword, Illyna brought down her Caldeiras with a force as if drawn by immense gravity.
[Longsword]
[Split Mountain with One Hand]
Crash!
With a tremendous force behind her swing, she generated a brilliant flash of light and delivered an intimidating single strike against the succubi advancing in the Aura Core Emission formation. It was a sheer display of overwhelming force, rendering intricate techniques useless.
Davey witnessed it all unfolding before his eyes.
* * *
Marka, the Queen of Succubi, remained still in her place. With an air of arrogance and nonchalance, she merely crossed her arms, coldly observing Illyna's confrontation with the succubi guards.
Meanwhile, Davey briefly cast a glance at the ongoing battle before returning his focus to the status window. It became evident that Marka, too, had assessed that the primary threat was not him but Illyna. Holding the dimensional key in silence, Davey found himself immersed in contemplation. "Should I? Shouldn't I?"
He possessed five stacks of metamorphosis, offering him the chance to attempt the title unlock twice.
"No, I need to stay composed. Last time, I made dozens of attempts just to unlock it once."
However, the immediate concern transcended the title unlock. An enigmatic entity, which Davey identified as Neltarid, had once again reached out to him. Goddess Freyja, typically benevolent, seemed unlikely to tolerate such an entity operating within her domain. Paradoxically, her mercy appeared to be in short supply.
The darkened dimensional key bore traces of the god Neltarid. If this deity could communicate, Davey might have an opportunity to converse directly with it. Faced with this pivotal issue, Davey found himself deeply immersed in thought.
"The crucial point is that Neltarid has reached out to me." Davey was not naive enough to disregard the potential chaos that would result from bringing humans from Earth. Yet, the same Neltarid, who had initiated this turmoil, was now blessing and assisting him. The question lingered: Was this god a friend or foe?
Amidst his intricate musings, Davey distilled the possibilities. Nonetheless, he understood that he would not ascertain the truth unless he initiated direct contact. The only paramount decision remaining was, "Should I take the plunge, or should I refrain?"
Davey had five stacks of metamorphosis, which presented a 50-50 chance of success. It was a binary outcome; either it would happen or it would not.
"No, I should deliberate further."
Considering potential unforeseen consequences, the wisest choice for Davey was apparent. For the moment, he would disregard the uncooperative goddess Freyja and explore the power of this enigmatic being firsthand.
Taking a deep breath, Davey pressed his hands together and murmured with closed eyes, "Oh, Neltarid, grant this unworthy soul a valuable insight."
- BEEP
- Would you like to attempt the secondary unlock of the title [The Unfazed Summoner]? Required resource - 2 stacks of metamorphosis.
With devout and sincere intent, Davey offered his prayer. Taking a deep breath, he attempted the unlock. Then, a brilliant light engulfed his vision.
* * *
BOOM!
The attacks from the succubi, who had undergone extensive training, were relentless. Individually, their power paled in comparison to Illyna's, but their impeccable teamwork was truly astonishing. If this had occurred before she consumed the millennia spirit crystal, they might have forced her to retreat.
However, the situation had changed. A vast reservoir of mana swirled within her, continuously invigorating her. Davey's gift of the blood circle amplified a complex mana formation, channeling and augmenting her strength.
‘Just a little more!’ Davey had entrusted her with this power.
Amid the chaotic skirmish, Illyna managed to break through a portion of the guards' formation, setting her sights on their leader, Marka. Despite the succubi's concerted efforts to obstruct her path, Illyna recalled, "In such a battle, the most reckless thing is to break formation impulsively."
Without being mind-readers, even these beings who had trained together for centuries couldn't fully comprehend one another's actions. As Illyna disrupted the formation in haste, chaos quickly ensued among the succubi.
Illyna mercilessly cut down a slender succubus, her blade splattering blood in every direction. Their disintegrating formation no longer posed a challenge. It was more prudent to focus on the most formidable adversary rather than waste energy on minor threats.
With a determined stance, Illyna confronted Marka, who remained unperturbed. The ground beneath her seemed to distort with an eerie noise. Gathering an unprecedented surge of strength, akin to a tightly coiled spring, she lunged at Marka.
‘Finish it in one blow!’
She was not weak, but the world harbored many beings stronger than her. Hesitation in battle against such formidable adversaries would only spell trouble.
Boom!
With the sound of air bursting, Illyana rushed toward Marka like a flash of lightning after disrupting the formation. In the process, succubi guards threw themselves in front to shield her, but they could not halt Illyana’s relentless charge.
However, just as her sword was about to reach Marka, she suddenly widened her eyes, sensing a sudden surge of heat. When she regained her composure and came to a halt, she saw a bizarre energy, a blend of red and black, piercing through her shoulder.
‘Oh no…’
Her attack was too careless. She had been relieved, letting her guard down despite Davey's cautionary words.
"Gah..."
She had promised to handle it. She had assured herself. The bitterness of being unable to handle a single foe and having received a critical wound flooded her.
"You arrogant child." Lady Marka extended her hand, releasing that strange energy, slowly approaching the staggering Illyna. Then, creating another energy sphere identical to the one piercing her shoulder, she remarked, "How foolish and naive, prey will always be prey, no matter how much it resists. Did you think I was merely watching?"
"Gah... Hck!"
Choking, Illyana swayed as Caldeiras shouted, casting a healing spell. But Marka's power emitted a force that interfered with her healing. Realizing she was utterly outplayed, she felt dizzy.
"First, I'll tear off your arms, then feed them to the monsters before your very eyes. I'll make you watch as they tear you apart limb by limb!" In a voice thick with madness and anger, Marka gripped Illyana's throat, her eyes gleaming menacingly. And then…
"Keh... Hck..."
Just as Illyna’s vision began to blur from the force on her throat, there was a loud blast.
Boom!
Marka's upper body was sent flying. It all happened so quickly that not only Liline Orlouge but even the still-alive succubi guards gasped.
It was a familiar attack. Certainly, it was the mystic technique Davey had used against the prince of the Boltis Kingdom, who had been turned into a vampire in the Duchy of Felicity. Illyna recalled asking him about it, intrigued by its nature.
‘It was surely... Bloodthirst Strike, or something of the sort.’
Of course, its power now was incomparably greater than what Davey had exhibited back then. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to send a superior succubus, one who had absorbed the power of the demon king, hurtling through the air with a single strike. As she watched Marka crumple so effortlessly, Illyna cast her gaze upon the young girl, Liline Orlouge, who stood there gaping. She too appeared unprepared for such an unexpected turn of events.
Moments later, Davey's voice resonated, tinged with frustration. "Two failures... That's three in total. Despite my prayers, I've failed."
"What?"
‘What on earth is he talking about?’
Illyna, bewildered and attempting to comprehend, was interrupted by Davey's voice once more. "I'm on a losing streak. From now on, I'm ignoring the trivial stuff and charging straight ahead. So..."
Before she could ponder his sudden change in demeanor, Davey's cold voice reached her ears again.
Turning her head, she spotted two succubi who seemed to have been preparing a surprise attack on her. Caught by Davey, they were struggling in his grasp as he held them by their hair.
"No questions."
Simultaneously, an overwhelming surge of mana began emanating from Davey. Just moments ago, he had been willing to entrust the situation to her. However, now he was blazing with determination.
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