Chapter 73: Berserk vs Steroids!

Ryuji's eyes flashed with amusement, seeing Lich's change. He stepped back, waiting for them to finish while looking back at the party. Sheila looked at him with a fearful look, but to Ryuji, she just looked even more adorable.

The strange power she showed earlier triggered something inside him. It made him want to crush her, tear out her insides.

Though he didn't know why he felt that way, the mere shimmer of her divine magic seemed to make him want to push her down and... 'Forget it, let's enjoy this battle.' He thought to himself, seeing Yumiko, Paul, and Erika were now safe and out of the monster's range.

"You foolish dog, hiding within that human physique and thinking you can defeat me! A pure-blooded demon!"

The Lich's body transformed completely. Ryuji felt it resembled the scene in novels where the main character takes a random body-tempering pill and suddenly gains an eight-pack of abs and super-strong muscles.

However, this sight just pissed Ryuji off when he thought of the daily agony and disgusting diet he needed to maintain to keep his six abs after five years of hard work! "I don't really care what names you call me.

That shit is a daily occurrence to me, but your damn existence just pisses me off, you dried prune piece of shit!" Ryuji's low voice became distorted, deeper than usual, as he stepped towards the transformed Lich.

No longer wearing a robe, with his upper body exposed, the steroid lich had a tight, muscular body and stood three metres tall. He looked down at Ryuji with an arrogant look while holding an enormous blade.

"An ant dares to insult this king? Do you seek instant death?" The Lich spoke with a more human voice, which made Ryuji feel a sense of irony that the stronger he became, the more human this monster felt to him.

"Don't forget our score is Fifty Seven to Zero. I crushed your skull so many times it's not fun anymore. What's your name anyway?"

"YOU--"

Ryuji didn't bother to be pleasant to the lich anymore. His tone and voice sounded absurd to those who heard it faintly. They felt he had become a different person.

He normally spoke extremely well, with an elegant tone, yet this violent, thug-like voice sounded a little too aggressive. It shocked Paul and Alicia while bringing a wide smile to Yumiko's face.

"You little shit! This mighty and feared Diabolica has never lost to the likes of a half-breed!" The lich roared.

The series of heavy blows caused Diabolica to retreat with hasted steps and dark flashes of steel flickering in the air while feeling a savage vibration from his blade. Suddenly, Ryuji appeared in front of him within a second. His axe moved downwards and chopped down on the Lich's muscular form.

Diabolica blocked the first blow and felt the ground shatter beneath him. However, Ryuji smiled at him, eerie and wide-mouthed. His axe continued smashing down again and again like a man using a hammer to crush a hard-boiled egg, trying to crush his opponent by chopping relentlessly in the same place.

"Die, damn it! Stop regenerating and just disappear forever!" Ryuji growled at the lich. He felt annoyed by the lich healing his wounds, leaving all of Ryuji's efforts in vain.

Diabolic felt enraged from the brutal assault—with the flick of his fingertips, a powerful burst of magic slammed into Ryuji's chest. A powerful force sending him hurling into the air. The impact almost deleted the red bar representing his life force.

"Inferior rat!" Diabolca roared.

Ryuji floated midair for a few seconds before activating the Grasp of Blood to pull himself onto the castle walls. He spat a glob of blood before he rolled to the side.

The cold sensation of the stone floor on his exposed back felt amazing, cooling him down. While thick smears of blood from his now-healed wounds stained the floors.

A wave of dark energy flowed in a huge halo before shattering, and somehow, Ryuji knew his fun had ended.

"Ryuji, we've destroyed it!"

[Forbidden skill activated]

The pleasant voice of his system sounded. Before he could comprehend the situation, a sensation of suction appeared in the centre of his palm.

—Gula's Bane (locked)

Diabolica's skull disappeared, and his entire existence faded under the strange power that seemed to come from Ryuji's body. A moment of confusion struck him because the next words from the pretty voice in his head and the feeling of pain in his body stopped his thoughts completely.

[Gained +10 Max Rage]

[Gained +2 Strength]

[Gained +4 Intellect]

**

"..."

Ryuji stood in silence for a moment. He could feel portions of Diabolica's thoughts and knowledge flowing into him. It felt disgusting at first, but then he learned something about himself... It made him feel a sense of shock and loneliness.

'If this is true... am I really...' Ryuji's thoughts stopped because a lovely blonde fox dashed towards him, making him realise he might never be alone again in this world with her around as she leapt into his extended arms.

"I did it Ryuji! I crushed that jar!"

It was at this moment that Ryuji felt glad to have the party members he did. Able to trust them to take care of the jar while he could go wild... Even with Erika coming to his rescue, he felt a sense of belonging despite the strange gaze Sheila now gave him.

[Tattoo Gained]

Enraged Lich's Tattoo of Arrogance (Unique) - Cannot be upgraded

Increases Strength by 10

Increases Intellect by 10

Learn Spell Blood Ray

This tattoo will increase the awakening speed of your dormant bloodline.