Chapter 27.1

Chapter 27.1

EP - 027.1 - Purifier

“...Do! Dowd! Are you okay!”

I hear a voice calling me like that amidst my faint consciousness.

Then I could feel a hand pulling me out from the rubble of the collapsed building.

Dust and broken debris tumble from my body.

“...Elnore?”

As I was dragged out, I met eyes with Elnore, who was looking at me with a worried look.

“You...!”

Elnore's eyes shook as she fully confirmed my condition.

I'm probably pretty injured.

Well, I was helplessly crushed by a collapsed building.

“...”

This is what happens when the skill doesn’t activate.

As I confirmed before in the mock dungeon, the skill would only react to attacks that are 'hostile.'

If it was simply a building collapsing due to the aftermath of the impact, then Dowd Campbell's F stats will remain as is.

‘Fractures, concussion, dislocated joints...’

My vision was shaky as I feel warm liquid flowing down my face. I was dizzy and uncomfortable.

“...Huu.”

Right. This is how it goes.

An insect-like existence's life, whose stats are all F, is as fragile as a candle in the wind. There's simply no other way around it.

〚...This is amazing.〛

With quivering eyes, I stared up at the sky where a mutated Marquis Riverback floated.

The Devil's Essence that he swallowed earlier is now lodged in the middle of his chest, pulsating like a heart.

With demonic energy wrapping around his body like armor, he was already too far gone from being human.

An abomination.

There is no other way to put it.

〚When the Prophet gave me this, I wondered if there would even be a situation where I would use this.〛

He grinned as he looked down at me and Elnore.

〚I’ll admit it. You were more troublesome than I thought. 〛

Then, he flew up to a higher altitude.

〚However, will you be able to handle this?〛

Yeah.

I wonder about that too, you btch.

‘...Straight from the first chapter.’

I can't believe this worldly bullsht.

Looking at Marquis River back swiftly flying away, I inwardly sighed. It’s a speed that I didn't even try to think of catching up to.

Originally, the ‘corrupted power’ that Marquis Riverback would have used is generally like a devil by-product.

It's a power that humans have researched and crudely mimicked.

On the other hand, the ‘Devil's Essence’...

They are items that contain the ‘remnants’ of the devil. Using it will turn one into a demon, able to wield a very small portion of their power.

“...This.”

His expression rapidly changed by the second.

He's probably quickly organizing the current situation in his head.

"I just want to confirm one thing."

"What is it?"

"...Did Marquis Riverback lead this incident?"

He had dropped the honorifics. He may be asking a question, but he already seemed half-convinced.

He was probably told to ‘make sure to wear the necklace’ several times on a regular basis.

I smiled at the anger in Tallion's eyes.

Well, he ain't no npc.

As someone designed to be Elijah’s rival, his ability to judge and act in an emergency could not be compared to ordinary students.

“We can discuss responsibility and mistakes later. For now, if we don’t deal with that, this place will become hell.”

He somehow stabalized his shaky gaze and aptly conveyed.

I have gained his ‘trust’ by making him take off the necklace.

And now, it’s time to reap this advantage.

“Listen to me carefully. If you make even one mistake, it's over.”

I proceeded to give him instructions.

At first, he was listening to me with a serious expression, then it changed to absurdity, and in the end, he was looking at me like he was looking at a madman.

“...That, is that even possible?”

“Yes.”

It has to.

I didn't run around everywhere for nothing.

If you can’t do that much, it's the end.

“Then, what about Hyeong-nim...?”

“I’m going to take care of something else.”

‘I have two goals.’

The first is to prevent civilian casualties in the area.

The Man Eaters are still sluggish right now, but as time passes and the demonic energy grows thicker, they will become faster and stronger.

Most of the ‘instructions’ I just gave Tallion were just to block them.

And the second goal is...

“We need to cut the root.”

We need to eliminate Marquis Riverback, the source of the demonic energy.

That's what I'm going to do.

“Do you know where he went?”

Elnore asked in a low voice.

She's probably asking how we could chase after someone flying that fast.

“Yes, well. I have my guess.”

Should I say that I have an idea?

Actually, there is only one.

I can’t make mistakes.