Chapter 131: The Hero Who Left Her Behind [Part 2]

Chapter 131. The Hero Who Left Her Behind [Part 2]

Abyssal Corpse Parasite. It was a parasitic undead creature capable of possessing almost any corpse, regardless of whether its original owner had been human, beast, or monster. As long as the body retained enough magical structure, the parasite could crawl inside, seize control, and even utilize some of its host’s original abilities.

Naturally, these creatures preferred powerful hosts. Unfortunately for this particular parasite, its core was damaged. Severely damaged. Which explained why it had remained inside Elena’s relatively ordinary body instead of finding something stronger. And why it had needed so many elaborate tricks to complete this ritual.

"Hahahaha..."

A laugh interrupted my thoughts. Soft at first. Then louder. Wicked.

Elena’s shoulders trembled as she slowly pushed herself off the ground.

Theo gasped. "Elena?"

She rose unsteadily, her silver-blonde hair falling across her face. Her white bridal gown dragged over the shattered runes, and her lips stretched into a smile that looked painfully wrong on such a delicate face. Then she looked at me.

"You..." Her voice was hoarse. "You are that magus from the Holy City."

So we had met before.

"You destroyed our soldiers," she hissed. "You slaughtered our armies. You and those wretched heroes killed our lord!"

I tilted my head. "Yes. That does sound like something we’d do."

Her smile twisted. "But you fools know nothing! Our lord cannot be destroyed! His soul will always find a way back!" She spread her arms, laughing. "He will return! He will come for us!"

I almost laughed. Because, unfortunately for her, I was from the future. And in the history I remembered, there had never been a second Dark Lord. No glorious resurrection. Just a dead tyrant whose followers apparently refused to accept their employer’s permanent retirement.

"He won’t come back," I raised my hand.

[Abyssal Darkness Manipulation]

The remaining darkness gathered around me, condensing into dozens of narrow blades.

Killing an Abyssal Corpse Parasite wasn’t particularly complicated. Especially a damaged one.

First, destroy the host’s body until the parasite could no longer maintain control. Then locate its exposed core and eliminate it before it escaped into another corpse. Messy, certainly. But effective.

I pointed toward her. "Goodbye."

The blades shot forward.

Then...

-CLANG!

A dagger intercepted the first blade.

Theo stood between us, his trembling weapon raised defensively.

"Theo." My voice dropped. "Move."

He shook his head. "Please..."

Behind him, Elena’s expression twisted into a delighted grin.The little bastard was enjoying this.

"Theo," I repeated, "this isn’t a negotiation."

"I know!" His voice cracked. "I know she’s dead! I heard you!" His dagger trembled. "But even if it’s only her corpse... Please, my lord. Can’t you spare her?"

It was the request I hadn’t wanted to hear.

I looked past him toward Elena. A body that had been walking around Lumenford, smiling at customers, teaching children to draw, and preparing for a wedding.

The parasite suddenly lunged.

[Voidwind Manipulation]

A violent gust struck Theo, throwing him sideways before Elena’s dagger could reach his back. He landed several feet away with a startled cry.

Another gust slammed into Elena. Her body flew backward and struck the cave wall.

I raised my hand again. The dark blades gathered. This time, I wasn’t going to hesitate. But something caught my ankle.

"My lord!" Theo had crawled back and grabbed my leg. Tears streamed down his face. "Please... Please don’t destroy her!"

I looked down at him. My patience ran out. "Theo."

He tightened his grip. "She’s all I have left of her." That sentence. Of all the things he could have said.

I slowly raised my hand toward him. "I warned you. Twice. And yet you keep getting in my way."

Theo closed his eyes. His fingers remained wrapped around my ankle. He was trembling. Terrified. But he didn’t release me. He’d rather die than watch me cut Elena’s body apart. What a ridiculous man.

I clicked my tongue. "Tch." My hand remained raised.

There was another method. One that could destroy the parasite without shredding Elena’s corpse. Unfortunately, it was considerably more unpleasant for me.

I looked toward Elena, who was already rising again. "Congratulations," I muttered. "Your pathetic love story just became my problem." I dismissed the dark blades. Then opened my palm.

[Light Manipulation]

Golden-white light blossomed between my fingers. Immediately, pain erupted through my chest.

"NGH!" My breath caught. Black veins crawled beneath the skin of my wrist, spreading toward my forearm like poisonous roots.

[Warning: Curse Reaction Detected]

[Curse Stability: 91%]

Apparently, my curse had developed a personal grudge against Light Magic. To be fair, I’d been using it rather frequently lately. And considering my Forbidden Arcana was fundamentally opposed to conventional holy energy, forcing both powers through the same magical circuits was probably equivalent to pouring acid into an open wound.

Scientifically fascinating.

Physically miserable.

The pain intensified. My fingers trembled. I clenched my jaw.

’Come on. Just a little more.’

Light Magic. The natural enemy of undead creatures. Not the crude kind that merely burned flesh, either. I was concentrating it into a purification spell designed to target foreign necromantic energy while leaving the physical host intact. A delicate operation. And I was performing it while my curse enthusiastically attempted to murder me from the inside.

I raised my glowing hand toward Elena. "Cleanse!"

Brilliant light erupted across the cave.

Elena screamed. Not with a human voice. Something inside her shrieked, a horrible, layered sound that made the surrounding rocks vibrate. Her body convulsed as black mist poured from her mouth, eyes, and fingertips.

The parasite emerged. A grotesque, many-legged shadow with a cracked crimson core buried inside its writhing body. It tried escaping toward the unconscious brides.

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, no, you don’t."

The light intensified. The parasite twisted violently, its damaged core cracking beneath the purification energy. Then... It shattered. The creature dissolved into dark smoke.

Elena’s body began falling.

And at that exact moment...

[Evolution Progress: 100%]

A massive magic formation suddenly appeared beneath my feet. Violet-black runes spiraled outward, forming several concentric circles filled with symbols I’d never encountered before.

I recognized the basic structure of an evolution formation. But these inscriptions...

They weren’t part of any magical system I knew. The symbols moved. Rearranged. Evolved. Then a torrent of Forbidden Energy surged through my body.

My eyes widened. The pain from my curse abruptly changed. Instead of tearing through my magical circuits, the energy began circulating around them, reinforcing the damaged pathways.

[Forbidden Arcana Evolution Complete]

[Previous Class: Corrupted Magus]

[New Class: Abyssal Magus]

[Curse Assimilation Efficiency Increased]

[Forbidden Energy Capacity Increased: +50%]

[Forbidden Energy Regeneration Increased: +30%]

[Arcana Injection can now be used on low-tier living beings. Success rate varies depending on the target’s rank, magical resistance, and physical condition.]

[Curse Resistance Increased]

I stared at the notifications.

[New Transformation Unlocked]

[Abyssal Incarnation]

[Type: Forbidden Transformation]

[Maximum Duration: 10 Minutes]

[All Physical Attributes increased by 100%, Magic Power and Spell Output increased by 150%, Forbidden Energy Regeneration increased by 200%. All Abyssal Skills are enhanced, while Corruption and Curse Resistance are greatly increased.]

[Special Effect: Abyssal Incarnation allows the caster to temporarily manifest an abyssal body, enhancing physical durability and enabling partial regeneration through Forbidden Energy.]

[Limitation: Transformation automatically ends after 10 minutes.]

[Penalty: Severe Forbidden Energy exhaustion and temporary reduction in mana regeneration after transformation.]

Then another notification appeared.

[New Skill Acquired]

[Abyssal Curse Devourer: Absorbs external curses, corrupted mana, and hostile necromantic energy through direct contact or a targeted magic formation. Absorbed energy is purified through Forbidden Arcana and converted into usable Forbidden Energy. Absorption efficiency depends on the target’s rank, resistance, and curse complexity.]

[Limitation: Cannot directly absorb the user’s original curse. Excessive absorption may cause Forbidden Energy overload.]

The evolution formation slowly disappeared.

My breathing steadied. The black veins receded beneath my skin, although the lingering pain reminded me that my curse hadn’t magically vanished.

Still... Worth it.

At last, Theo opened his eyes. For a moment, he looked confused why I didn’t kill him. Then his gaze fell on the silver-blonde woman lying motionless on the stone floor.

"ELENA!" He released my leg and scrambled toward her.

"Elena! Elena, wake up!" He dropped to his knees and gathered her into his arms, holding her against his chest as though his warmth alone could bring her back. "Please... Open your eyes. It’s over. Everything’s over now..."

I didn’t say a word.

What could I possibly say?

My job was done. The ritual had been destroyed, the parasite eliminated, and the other eleven brides were alive. That should have been enough.

Then I heard footsteps approaching from the entrance.

"Lord Valen!" Lord Veymont appeared with several guards. Their weapons were drawn, and their expressions immediately changed when they saw the devastated chamber.

"What happened here?"

Before I could answer, a groan came from behind us.

"Ugh..." Chief Marr stirred. He slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself into a sitting position, looking around in complete confusion. "My lord? Sir Valen? What... What happened to me?"

Lord Veymont hurried toward him. "Chief Marr! You’re alive!"

The chief rubbed his forehead. "I remember seeing a bride near the old watchtower. She was walking alone, so I chased after her. I followed her toward the cliffs, and then..." He frowned. "Nothing. I don’t remember anything after that."

So that was how they’d brought him here.